Chapter 3

Hope you're all enjoying this! And thank you to rainbow girl for suggesting Vanellope, I still want to hear some more suggestions from the rest of you!

The next day, Torvald woke up to an empty room. She was confused, until she realised it was ten to nine. She pulled on her clothes and ran downstairs as quickly as she could, entering the cafeteria just as the bell went.

The cafeteria was a big white room, with sparkling white counters against one side of the wall (in the mornings equipped with a breakfast buffet), and ten tables with about eight chairs each occupying the rest of the room. The tiles on the floor were black , and the school banner hung above the doors at the back that lead outside, the words "We don't want to be the best. We are the best." lording over all the students.

Torvald ran over to the nearest counter, grabbed a cereal bar, than ran back to the doors where the rest of the kids were flooding to. She waved at her sisters as she passed them, and because she wasn't looking where she was going, ran into someone in front.

"Hey!" Cried the stranger, as Torvald fell on top of them. "Watch where you're going!"

The boy Torvald had knocked over was wearing a blue baseball cap with the M&Ms logo, had light chocolate brown hair and grey-blue eyes, and was currently sporting a scowl on his tanned features. His jeans were a patchy blue and his racing jacket the same colour, but his T-shirt was very colourful, with all the colours of the M&Ms on it (when you got up close you realise it's actually a picture of loads of M&Ms).

"Sorry, my fault, sorry…" Torvald apologised repeatedly as she helped up the boy.

"Don't worry, no harm done!" He said, waving off her concerns. "The name's Fireball, Mandy Fireball. And my theme's M&Ms, in case you're wondering."

Torvald smiled. "Torvald Batterbutter, caramels and butterscotch – oh no!" She suddenly looked panicked. "What?!" Cried Mandy. "We're late! For our first class of our first day!" Replied Torvald hurriedly, as she marched out the doors.

She ran outside, straight towards the gym. When she got there, she ran up to Minty, who was not thrilled. "You're late! And where's your sport's stuff?" She hissed. Torvald gulped. She'd left her new sports' kit in her dorm, and their new teacher didn't seem like a real sugar dumpling!

After getting a tongue-lashing from Mrs. Sugarlump, she had to borrow some of her friends stuff, resulting in quite a mis-matched appearance. They ran several laps of the track, and then Torvald had to get in to trouble and ended up running another three laps as punishment!

After sport they had English, which poor Torvald was never very good at. She was stressed out from the incident earlier, and messed up her reading test, then her pen broke and she spent the rest of the lesson writing in pencil, which she was then told was against school rules.

At break she had no chance to relax, as she had to go to her dorm and take all her books down to her locker. When she got to the dorm, she was duped into helping both Jellysha and Crumbelina carry their stuff as well. And of course, she dropped all her books.

By the time they got to their third class, racing theory, she was exhausted. She couldn't remember a time she'd been this tired, except when she had a terrible sleepover with Jubee…

"Torvald! My baby! What's happened to her?"

Torvald felt woozy. She could hear her mother shouting at the nurse, and the squeak of the wheels of the ambulance bed, but she couldn't see anything through the bleariness of her tears. She felt a lot of pain in her foot, and whimpered as they turned a sharp corner and it whacked the side of the bed. What had happened to her? And where was Jubee?

The last thing Torvald could remember was her cherry-topped friend daring her to swing from the ceiling light. They had decided to stay up all night, and had gone on a sugar high – which was rather difficult when your diet consists mainly of sugar. Anyway, this had resulted in several dares, including jumping off the balcony and climbing onto the roof. But after Torvald had got on the light, something had made a snapping sound, and down she went – then she couldn't remember much except for a stabbing pain in her foot.

"Torvie? Can you hear me? Every thing's going to be fine honey, just relax. I'll see you again as soon as I can dearie…"

"Torvald! Wake up!"

Torvald opened her eyes groggily to find Harry, Julie and Rancis hovering over her, worried expressions on their faces. "Mum's coming!" She said deliriously, before passing out again.

When she awoke for the second time, they seemed far more worried than before. She pulled herself to a sitting position, and put a hand to her head, which was throbbing severely. "Whoa Torvald, relax, you just walked into a pole…" Said Julie, smashing an icepack into the golden girl's forehead.

"Wha… What happened?" Asked Torvald.

"Well, you were walking with us, and then you got like, lost in though and walked straight into a support pole for the stands!" Explained Rancis. Harry helped Torvald up gently, as the two British racers ran off to the teacher, to tell her Torvald had woken up. "You sure you're alright chickie?" He said. Torvald grinned. "I will be if you don't call me chickie again."

"Hey, it's a nice thing!"

Racing theory was okay, but lunch was terrible. Torvald split all her food, was late for tennis club, and hit herself with the racket, resulting in an unsightly bruise on her left arm. Afternoon lessons were just as bad, the science teacher hated her on sight and Summer spilt juice over the kart plans she made in kart theory.

When they finally got back to the dorm, Torvald collapsed in her bed, too tired to do anything. She lay there for a few minutes, until she felt the bed sink slightly under the weight of someone sitting next to her.

"Torvald? You okay?" Asked Jubileena, her voice filled with concern. Torvald rolled over, happy to see a familiar face. She sat up next to Jubee, and proceeded to say:

"How did you get in?"

"Miela let me in, she's quite nice." Smiled the cherry girl. "Now, what's wrong?"
Without hesitating, Torvald poured out her heart to her best friend. She told her about the incidents of the day, and how she felt that the time was always running away from her, and her troubles with daydreams…

At that point, Jubileena grinned. "Remember when your mum asked me to get you to snap out of it?"

HONK!

Torvald jumped into the air, petrified. She was met with Jubileena's pouting face. "No more daydreaming!"

"Honestly Jubee, do you have to use that thing? It's terrifying!" Said our agitated butterscotch girl, before they both realised something important – it was the middle of the lesson.

Ten minutes later, they were sitting in the naughty corner together. "This is your fault!" Hissed Torvald. "Oh no it's not! If you hadn't been daydreaming…" Jubileena ranted on for a while, before she realised Torvald wasn't listening. She smirked as she produced an air horn from her pocket.

"I'm already in trouble…"

They laughed at this memory, and then chatted until dinner time. Before they left for the cafeteria, Jubee said "By the way Torvie, don't worry about today. The first day was hard for everyone. Believe me, you do not want to know what happened to me today…"

They ran off to the cafeteria, and ate dinner with all their old friends, just like in primary school. The boys all grouped on one table together, Taffyta and her entourage went for the best table but were beaten there by the more athletic ones, and the rest all went off in their little friend groups.

Torvald, Minty, Sticky and Sakura all sat at the table nearest to the counters, with the berry twins and the frozen sisters of course. Torvald liked this sense of mixing old with new. It made her feel at home, but in a new place.

The next day, she was eating breakfast with Summer, Lysha and Julie, having actually woken up on time. Torvald was lost in thought, and she was brought abruptly back to reality when she felt a poke in her side.

"Ow! Who was that?" She huffed angrily. But the glare melted off her face when she realised it was Vanellope, princess of all of Sugar Rush.

"Oh, your highness! I am so sorry for speaking out of turn like that!" Torvald's mother had told her how to address the royal racer properly before she left, and it was coming in handy now!

"Jeez, why would you apologise for me poking you? Just relax Batterbutter!" Said Vanellope as she slid into the seat next to the baffled butterscotch girl. "How ya doin'?" She grinned at the other three girls, all of whom were speechless, eyes wide.

After three long seconds passed in an awkward silence, Vanellope sighed. "You know, you can talk…"

The C house girls gave a start, and all began to talk at once. Eventually they figured out they could form a conversation, and were soon chatting with their ruler as if she was an old friend.

"… but you guys are sooo lucky, you've only got two boys in your house, and one of them's Rancis…" Swooned Vanellope as she gazed over Julie's shoulder at the boys' table. The other girls smirked at each other, and then started singing;

"Vanellope and Rancis, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G…" They carried on and on while Vanellope shrieked at them to stop.

Later that day, Torvald was sprawled on one of the sofas in her common rooms, maths book lying next to her. "Hey Crumbs! Heads up!" Sailed Miela's voice as a baseball sailed over Torvald's head, only to go crashing out of the window. Crumbelina stood on the other side of the room, arms outstretched to receive the ball.

"MIELA!" Cried C house in unison.

"Miela!" Came a small voice from outside the window. Everyone ran to the broken frame to see who'd been hit.

"I am not happy with you…" Said Vanellope drowsily, wagging her finger at the honey girl as she spun in a full circle and fell over.

"Oh, chip." Said poor Miela as all the racers turned to look at her.

"Food! Yay! For me?" Cried Vanellope happily as Torvald entered the infirmary, chocolate box in hand. "Yeah, they're from Miela, but she's too scared to come in – thinks she's going to be executed…" Said our golden girl as she rolled her eyes.

Torvald looked around the infirmary as Vanellope opened her chocolates. It had a deep red carpet, walls with painted murals of plants, animals and landmarks around Sugar Rush. The beds were separated with snowy white curtains, and equipped with pristine sheets to match. There was a medicine cabinet at the far end, and a window at the other end.

Torvald thought back to the first time (that she could remember) she'd been in an infirmary.

"I'm really sorry!"

Torvald ran after the school nurse and Citrusella, apologising repeatedly. Citrusella was mumbling something, but it couldn't be heard.

Five minutes later, the nurse had finally left the room. Citrusella had a big blue plaster on her forehead, and Torvald was sitting next to her, still apologising. Suddenly, Citri cut her off. "Torvald!" She said quite sharply. "I know you're sorry. But we don't have much time."

Torvald was confused. "Much time to do what?"

"Escape of course!" Said the injured girl as if it was obvious. "Do you know where the nurse has gone? She's gone to get a health potion, and I hate them, they taste terrible! So I'm escaping. You with me?"

You with me?

You with me?

"You still with me Torvald?" Vanellope's voice broke Torvald out of her trance. "Oh my, sorry Vanellope-"

"Please, call me Vani." Said Vanellope. "Vanellope's too formal for my tastes."

Torvald grinned. "Ok … Vani."

Well, what do you think? Hope you like it! So, read, review, suggest, and follow! And a good favourite never hurt anyone…

This is Sticky (aka Miss Wipplesnit) signing out for the night! Goodbye!