Chapter Six
Too Cool for School.
The annoying alarm clock rang through Valkyrie's head like a bell tolling. Until she couldn't take it anymore she pushed down on the button hardly and chucked the duvet to the bottom of the bed. Cool air unfolded her and quickly rushed out of bed. Nerves making her agitated. She figured that although she faced a Grotesquery and vampires and God only knows others, she was afraid of going to school. But school was every child's nightmare.
When she finally put on her dreaded green school uniform, her mother's voice rang up the stairs.
"Stephanie, are you okay?"
Valkyrie stopped pacing across the floor. That must have been making her mother worry about her. Valkyrie tried to ease her voice. "Of course mum. Sorry."
Valkyrie ran down the stairs chucking her school bag on the floor of the corridor and ate her cereal rather too quickly and anxiously, with her mother eyeing her suspiciously. While she ate she kept worrying about Skulduggery and what he would do without her. She was starting to feel left out even when it was only morning. She gathered that Skulduggery was meeting with the other detectives today and exchanged clues and inquiries. Now that Valkyrie was thinking about it, she felt quite relieved that she wasn't in that tense environment again. She could imagine Hugo Spite and his tiny assistant now, eyeing the competition, analysing their techniques and giving Skulduggery the dirty look.
Valkyrie almost laughed at the thought, but not for long. With the sinking feeling in her stomach, she sighed deeply into her bowl. Her mother was too busy rummaging in the cupboards to see it.
"What are you looking for?" Valkyrie asked her, popping a spoonful of cornflakes in to her mouth.
"Your father has lost something. Again."
Valkyrie rolled her eyes. Her dad entered the kitchen putting on his jumper over his head.
"Have you found it, dear?" he asked.
"No, when was the last time you seen it?" mum slammed the draw.
He thought for a while, "The car."
"Have you checked the car?" Valkyrie asked.
Revelation past through her fathers eyes. "No, I haven't. But I bet it is in there."
Mum sighed and exclaim theatrically, "God, give me the will to live!"
They both left the house before Valkyrie. They were in a hurry for some job they had. So, after Valkyrie got a kissed from her mum and finished her breakfast, she half-heartedly picked her bag up and slumped it over her shoulder, and left the house.
The dreaded sight of the school gates came into view, and Valkyrie timidly waved to some of her friends. Just before the bell had rang she walked to her registration class early. And sat on the desk where her Reflection normally sat. Before the vast crowd of Year Nines went into the door, she glanced around the classroom and tried to make it seem familiar. The blank white board stared at her, all boring and plain as before. The dank wall paper was a sickly creamy colour and the paint was peeling.
She hated school.
Then the scrum of students squeezed through the classroom door. Valkyrie nearly jumped out of her chair. She hadn't heard the bell. Then the silent room was filled with excited voices talking and catching up with friends. Valkyrie started in her chair, looking across the familiar but faded faces.
Then Mr Watkins, the young form teacher stepped into the classroom carrying the register.
"Okay, calm down now, children."
The pupils sat in their places and faced the teacher. Valkyrie got her jacket off and answered her name after Mr Watkins read it out for the register.
When the register was over, there was a knock on the door.
The class turned towards it to see a tall but big man with thick white hair with a dark grey moustache in his sixties. Mr Connor, the head of Year Nine. But behind him was a tall boy with dark hair, wearing his own clothes instead of the school uniform. He had blue eyes and faint freckles across his nose.
"Mr Watkins," said Mr Connor, "This is the new student who is in your class."
Recognition came across Mr Watkins face and he smiled warmly and walked across the room to Mr Connor and the new boy.
Everyone in the class turned to each other and whispered to one another, looking at the uncomfortable new boy. Valkyrie watched some of the girls blushing and giggling, she rolled her eyes.
"Stephanie," The girl behind her hissed. Valkyrie had to be told twice as she wasn't used to being called Stephanie anymore.
"Steph!" The girl cried loudly. Valkyrie jumped and turned behind her. A short girl with short, blond hair kneeled over the table to her. It was Roisin Marcus.
"What do you think?"
Valkyrie stared, "About what?"
Roisin laughed and pointed discreetly. Valkyrie watched the two teachers talking to each other, ignoring the boy who stood between them. Valkyrie caught the boy's gaze and turned away very quickly.
Roisin huffed, "He was looking at you!"
"Was he?" Valkyrie tried to not noticed, but she still felt the boy's eyes on her. She pretended to look for something in her bag.
Roisin giggled encouragingly. "You go Stephanie."
By the time Roisin sat back into her seat, Mr Watkins hushed the classroom.
"Okay, quiet everyone."
After a while Mr Watkins glared at a pair of boys in the back of the class who were still talking. "Today boys."
They blushed and stopped, and the teacher continued.
"As you all know, pupils, we have a new boy in the class." The boy stepped forward. "His name is Lorcan Knight, and I'm sure you can make him feel comfortable here in Dublin Comprehensive School." he clapped his hands cheerfully and lead Lorcan to his chair.
Mr Connor then left the room and left Mr Watkins to it.
Lorcan had sat on a chair at the very back of the room on an empty desk. Valkyrie watched him sit down and caught his eyes once more. She smiled to him politely as he sat down.
A group of boys took his attention when they shouted to him.
"How come you're not wearing school uniform?"
Lorcan answered them defensively, "I wasn't expecting to go today, and we just moved here two days ago, so I guess we couldn't get school uniform so quickly."
"Roger, Lorcan has already explained to me why he isn't wearing school uniform, so boys, don't quiz him." He told them sternly.
"It's cool, sir." They replied, smiling. They whispered together, watched Lorcan for a moment and started talking about football.
Valkyrie sighed and brought a book out of her bag. Everyone started to interrogate the new pupil and Valkyrie tried not to listen, but Lorcan's answers were interesting.
"Where are you from?" one girl asked, battering her eyelashes.
"County Ross Common." he said quietly.
One of the boys from before, Roger, whispered under his breath to the boy next to him. "Boring."
Valkyrie tried to read the first line of the book, but she must've have read the same line over and over again because her ears were pricked up as Lorcan mentioned why he was here.
"I'm here with my…parents, they were called to do this important job and that we had to move here immediately."
"Oh, really? What do they do?" Mr Watkins, although he looked busy reading a document on his desk he was listening intently and asked politely.
Lorcan shrugged, "They're into this organization, Sanctuary. Have you heard of them?"
Valkyrie gulped in too much air and started choking when she gasped. She tried not to be notice but Lorcan looked at her concerned. So did Mr Watkins.
Valkyrie waved it off, "Sorry, good story plot in the book." She lied, gesturing to the book.
Some girls; who didn't see why they should read books, looked down their noses to her and sniggered. Valkyrie stared coldly at them.
To her surprise Lorcan looked up, trying to see Valkyrie from the back over many heads between them. "What book you're reading?"
He seemed enthusiastic about books, Valkyrie moved her eyes across the room then answered, showing the front cover to him, "Agatha Christie ."
"You like mystery and detectives?" Lorcan asked.
Valkyrie nodded her head. She had got it out months ago but hadn't had a chance to read it. She had been hoping it would help her with future cases and possibly find the technique for when she wants to be a detective like Skulduggery when she was older. She turned uncomfortably back in her chair and began reading again, but still she felt all eyes on her. Then, she was saved by the bell as it rang through out the school and before anyone took much attention of the bell, Valkyrie was out of the room.