Author's Note: Thanks Bonbonnet, for taking the time to review my story! Also, thank-you for pointing out that error I made – a very silly mistake on my part! I think I was typing too quickly and not paying enough attention. Anyway, I shall 'bear' it in mind! Thanks again for your feedback – it's much appreciated! Also, thanks to you, wildchild7 for all your encouraging comments, too – glad you are enjoying it! Keep those reviews coming guys! I'd feel grateful for all your feedback.

Chapter Six

Settling In

Hannah led me back downstairs for a tour of the school building. I could hardly believe my luck. Here I was, living my dream of being away from my repulsive Aunt and cousins, and I hadn't been here for more than an hour already and I'd already found a friend, who was striving to do her utmost in helping me to settle in. It was like a miracle – I didn't think such immediate and extreme happiness was possible. Was it all real? When Hannah wasn't looking, I surreptitiously pinched myself, just to check I wasn't dreaming! Ouch! It was real enough alright.

When we reached the bottom of the staircase, Hannah took me through a door on the right, which I hadn't noticed before when Miss Cardew had escorted me upstairs. Hannah said that it saved us going through reception each time we needed to get somewhere, so I followed her submissively as a lamb follows its shepherd.

The door led into a spacious and long corridor, where a row of doors with the classroom numbers attached to them stood. I gazed in wonder at the many chains of doors, and marvelled simultaneously how on earth I was going to recall which classroom I needed to be in at the right time by just looking at the numbers. It all appeared terribly complicated and confusing. Hannah seemed to sense my qualms and said positively, "You needn't worry about the maze of doors and corridors in this place – they're all numbered; and in your briefing session at the introductory meeting you'll be given a sheet with all the classrooms and numbers you'll need to know for your various lessons. They will all be written down for you, and after a while, you just get used to them."

My face relaxed into a relieved smile. "Thank goodness for that!"

Hannah grinned. "Follow me up the corridor, and I'll show you the main hall where we have our meals." I obeyed, and Hannah guided me right to the end of the corridor where a single door stood at the head of the room. She pushed open the door and led me inside, where a number of long tables surrounded by a great many chairs were seated. A few of the kitchen staff who were setting the tables ready for the evening meal looked up as we entered and offered a friendly smile. A window-shaped opening in the wall at the back of the room served as a look-in to the kitchen, where a pleasant aroma was already beginning to waft through and tickle my senses, and instantaneously produced a gnawing pain at my stomach. It's funny how you sometimes don't feel hungry until you actually smell food!

"It's a big room," I said, looking around me as I took in the surroundings.

Hannah nodded in agreement. "And one of the best rooms in the school!"

I looked at Hannah inquisitively. "Why?" I asked.

Hannah looked at me, her eyes twinkling with a sense of fun, as I learned they often did. "Because it's where we get fed, of course! That's the best bit of living here – the good meals we get! We're very lucky in that we have such a good cook at our school."

I laughed at Hannah's sense of humour as we exited the room. "What about all those other doors on the right hand side of reception, as you come in?" I asked curiously. "Where do they all lead to?"

"I'll show you," said Hannah, as she conducted me back down the corridor. "And I'll tell you along the way. I'm sure you noticed that there were three doors on the right as you come into reception, just as you said. The first door on the right leads to three of the main facilities we girls love using: the gym, the swimming pool and a large hall for playing basketball. The middle door leads to three rooms we don't love using quite so much: the big library stuffed with mountains of books that are supposed to stuff you with knowledge, the computer room which we are only supposed to use for homework purposes and the Headmistress' office. The last door opens onto the corridor which branches off to our favourite room in the school, and personally, I think, the nicest and best room here: the lounge, which is where we spend a lot of our time. It has a big T.V., sofas and a Wii, which is nearly constantly in use! You have to be quick if you want a go on that! There are a couple of small tables in there, too, just for sitting around and playing card games or chatting. There are a couple of computers in there as well for recreational enjoyment, and we use those in our free time. The last room down this corridor is just a conference type room, which we use if we have a seminar or something like that with a guest speaker. It's not used that much."

During Hannah's descriptive speech we had made our way through Reception and had turned down the third corridor that Hannah had spoken so highly of. "Some of the girls will be using the pool or the gym right now, but a lot of the others will be in the lounge. Come and meet some of them."

It was with some trepidation that I allowed myself to be conducted into the lounge by my new-found friend. I could feel my heart thumping inside my throat, and a prickly sensation was running down my spine. I wasn't sure if I felt quite ready to meet any of the other girls yet. I had been lucky so far, what if the others didn't like me? I couldn't back out now anyway, not since Hannah had been so nice to me, and she was urging me on, eager for me to meet her other friends. Before I even had time to protest, Hannah had pulled me through the door and I was beholding a group of about seven girls, all preoccupied with their own various diversions.

They hadn't seemed to notice us at first, but Hannah soon made sure that they did, for she called out in her natural, confident and jaunty way, "Hey, Girls! We have a new addition to our family!"

I gulped inwardly as I had a sudden longing to shrink back into the background and just look on unnoticed. It was too late now. All eyes were upon me as Hannah took me by the arm and urged me forwards. It was all rather an intimidating experience for me, to be suddenly introduced to a large group of girls all at once, especially for someone who was not used to the company of her peers, or knew what it was like to have friends.

As it turned out, I needn't have worried about the situation at all, although I was feeling rather awkward at first, for the girls all smiled at me as Hannah began introducing me to them one by one. I was surprised and relieved how friendly they all appeared to be – not one of them made me feel out of place or unwanted. I had feared that perhaps the girls already had their little 'clique' and would have no room for insignificant little me, but they never in all my time at that school gave me that impression. I was made to feel welcome right from the start, and I was beginning to relax and feel at home less than two hours after my arrival here. What a stark contrast to what I had been used to!

The last two girls Hannah introduced me to were Tammy and Jas – my other two roommates. They were playing on the Wii when we approached them.

"Hey, Girls!" said Hannah, just as they had finished their game. "This is Julia, and she's our new roommate. Julia, this is Tammy, and that's Jas."

"Hiya!" cried the girls in unison.

Hannah giggled. "The first thing you'll learn about Jas and Tammy is that they do everything in harmony together. They're practically inseparable! In fact," she added with a cheeky grin, "they should have been twins!"

Here all four of us laughed, and set about getting to know each other. Tammy and Jas were certainly two of the most inquisitive girls I had ever meant, as well as the prettiest, and bombarded me with questions about where I came from, what my hobbies were and how I felt at being sent away from home. At this last question, I rather hesitated and suddenly became uncomfortable and almost diffident. Hannah, who was an absolute darling, sensed my discomfiture and offered a hurried explanation that I was an orphan, and was rather glad to be here, to the which Tammy and Jas reddened a little with embarrassment at asking me a question which obviously caused me discomfort, and then rapidly changed the subject. I was invited over to a table at the far corner of the room, and they taught me how to play the card game Uno. I was a fast learner, and whether the old adage 'beginners luck' was true or not I certainly seemed to possess it, for I won all three games that we played in a row, which we all had a bit of a giggle over.

I certainly didn't feel at odds among these new people – they wouldn't allow me to. Never in my life had I met with such warm and sincere people. It was a dream come true! The only shadow of a doubt that momentarily crossed my mind was would the dream last? It certainly did for the next two days, and then school began . . .