Faye had seven classes. That's how many incomprehensible lessons Meghan had to sit through before that last horribly loud bell signaled the end of school.

And it was a good thing, too. Her mind was exhausted.

She followed Faye as she led her out of the building and toward the front gate. She still caught people's eyes fixated on her.

Whatever. She thought. Let then stare. Besides, she had shopping to look forward to.

They stood outside the school for a time, waiting for the black station wagon to pull up and take them away, away to romp around London. While they waited, Faye noticed some other cars as they pulled up. Most of them were either luxury cars or...limos. LIMOS.

And then there were the few girls that just walked on down the street. Apparently, they lived nearby. Meghan wondered where their chauffeurs were - if they lived in this part of town, they certainly must have some money. The only houses Meghan could see in this area were mansions. In the car on the way to school that morning, she had easily noticed the transition as they drove out of the middle-class neighborhood where Faye lived and into the high-class part of the city where the academy was located.

But then she noticed who the girls were. Faye's friends.

"Faye."

"Mmmm?"

"How come your friends are walking?"

Faye looked up.

"Oh, they walk home every day. Samantha's parents are always working. Emily and Bridget are scholarship students like me, but both of them live near Samantha, so they walk home with her to keep her company."

Meghan bent her head a bit.

"Oh." she said. She suddenly felt sorry for Samantha. She knew how she must feel. Meghan had felt that way before, too.

But before she could think anymore, the big black car pulled up right in front of them, with Emma Winthrop in the driver's seat. Faye opened the door to the back seat, and motioned for Meghan to go in.

"Oh, we're going to have the most wonderful time! First we'll go shopping, then we'll eat at a restaurant, then we'll shop some more, then maybe we'll see a movie, then - "

"I know, Faye, I know. We'll have fun."

Faye closed the door behind her, and soon the car began to move. Meghan stared out the window, still in disbelief that she wasn't back in New York, in bed, asleep and dreaming. London certainly had the traffic of New York. But of course, school had just gotten out. She expected for there to be crowds.

But wait a minute. What was going on over there? About, oh, a hundred yards away, it was also extremely crowded. Cars were everywhere, opening up their doors for people to get in. But Meghan could see no girls, no girls in their navy-and red uniforms. She did see uniforms, though. Just no skirts.

As the station wagon drew nearer, Meghan noticed that the cars were gathered around another huge building surrounded by a stone wall, much like Jasperstone Academy. Yes, another wall with big iron gates that led into a palace-like structure. When they got close enough, Meghan read the big letters attached to that wall:

The Morris Brenshire School for Boys

Meghan was intrigued. Very, very intrigued.

Man. When Faye said we were going shopping, she wasn't kidding. Seriously, I thought Mrs. Winthrop was going to wear out her credit card. I'd never been on such a spree. And by about an hour later, those punkers at Jasperstone couldn't be farther from my mind.

We hit about twenty different stores altogether. They were pretty classy, too. Cute little boutiques. And that one store Faye was raving about? As it happens, it really did have the most sublime handbags. I got a cute little barrel-shaped purse in a teal color. I got a second one in orange for Daphne. Faye, of course, got one in pink.

Handbags certainly weren't all I saw. In fact, I ended up getting about four complete outfits (including the shoes!). My favorite one is a cute little chocolate brown sundress with blue flowers, accented by brown and tan espadrilles and a blue beaded necklace. It goes perfect with the handbag.

Oh! And all of us got these cute little hot pink berets, which we wore as soon as we got them. They were being sold at a little booth outside of one of the stores for £1 each, so they were pretty cheap. I got one for everyone at home too - I figured they'd go well with our kimonos.

So anyways, by the time we took a break to eat, our arms were completely loaded down with bags. We stopped at a charming little café, and ate outside at a little table in the sunshine. I was in a state of utter bliss. I was shopping in England, and eating at a little café. It was something straight out of one of those daydreams I always have in Algebra class. And then a thought entered my mind.

If I wake up, and I'm in Algebra class, I'm going to SCREAM MY EVER-LOVING HEAD OFF.

Three women sat outside The Cottage Garden Café, eating little sandwiches and sipping hot tea. Except for Meghan, that is - she'd requested iced tea, which she promptly drank with her pinky finger sticking up. It made Faye giggle to see her do so, before joining her Mom in a short little applause.

"Thank you, thank you." Meghan said with a smile, before sucking an ice cube into her mouth to chew on. "Sorry, couldn't resist." she told them. They didn't seem to mind.

A conversation quickly began. Mrs. Winthrop told Meghan about her job, as a wedding planner.

"I've been to lots of weddings." Meghan said. "My aunt sings at those, and sometimes my cousin and I get to help out as waitresses, to earn some extra spending money. I've met a lot of planners, too. They're usually, like, really stressed out, until they see the bride and groom dance with each other. Then, you can tell by the look on their faces - to them, all is right with the world."

Mrs. Winthrop beamed. Meghan couldn't have been more right.

Then Faye told her about Laurence's job. He owned an eating establishment called The Crystal Spoon.

"It's a four-star restaurant! Very refined, very fancy. And the food is to die for! My father hired the best chefs on the planet - you'll see! You'll get to eat there loads of times while you're here."

Meghan would be looking forward to that.

In turn, Meghan told them about her mother's job. She worked for a huge business, as an assistant to an executive.

"She majored in business in college. Her job is okay, but I don't think she likes it very well. You know what I think she really wants to do?"

Faye and her mother waited with interest.

"I think she wants to be a fashion designer. I mean, she wears the best outfits! They're perfect for her - cute, but mature and sophisticated. She's great with colors and fabrics. And sometimes, I even see her scribbling sketches on napkins and little memo pads."

Faye's face glowed with fascination.

"My aunt, though - she loves her job. She's been singing all her life. She even has her own band."

"Really." Emma said with a sly smile. "Well, we'll have ta have her come an' sing for one o'my weddings then, won't we?"

Meghan laughed. "Yes, I think she'd like that."

By now, they had finished their meal. They stood up to leave and resume their shopping extravaganza.

All of a sudden, they heard noises. Bustling. They turned around.

From their position by their table at the café, Meghan, Faye, and Faye's mother saw a huge crowd, quickly gathering at the steps of a large building. From all around, people rushed as if they were being chased by dogs. Erratic flashes came from here and there, along with much yelling and shouting.

Meghan stared in wonder. Something was definitely going on.

Ooooh...suspense. :)

I've been noticing lately that, when I post two chapters, the second one usually gets more hits than the first one. So in case some people are a little confused, I just wanted to make it clear - unless I specify otherwise, for this story, I post two chapters at a time. I posted another chapter, the previous one, at the same time I posted this one. So if any of you think you might have skipped a chapter, you might want to go back and check. Sorry for the confusion!

I'm going on vacation next week, so I'll try to get the next two up before I go. Be on the lookout!

Farewell till next time

-rf-