"Ah! And you must be Alex's transfer big brother!" Jeanine offers me the same sugar-coated smile, and it's not the sugar that supposedly tastes nice, no, this is sugar that rots your teeth. She presents her hand in welcome and as I prepare for another awkward and unpractised embrace she suddenly jerks her hand and back and throws a pointed finger into my face. "Hold on a minute. You're the Prior boy aren't you?" It's not a question. I stand dumbfounded in front of the woman I have been brought up to despise. My opinion of her thus far is: cruel, manipulative and what my parents considered worst of all, incredibly intelligent.
Jeanine returns her hand and I attempt to imitate Alexander's firm handshake whilst seeming as natural possible. I must have failed as Jeanine gives me an odd look and begins to scrutinize my every feature. I can feel the tension growing and Jeanine obviously can too as she tries to release some of it with another smile. But something has changed. When speaking to Alexander, Jeanine had seemed surprisingly genuine. Even when first introducing herself to me her smile had been clearly forced but there was no obvious deception behind it. Now, the mixture of the curl at the ends of her lips, the faint glint in her eye and her clasped hands can only be described as mischievous. I study her eyes exceedingly carefully, hoping to deduce something of use but to no avail. Instead I am met with a piercing blue that seems to crawl right through me, arranged into an unforgiving stare that can only foresee trouble.
My encounter with Jeanine was extremely unsettling but I am determined not to let it deter me from the excitement that Erudite has to offer. Alexander's parents seemed nice enough within our brief encounter and I am now on a full tour of the house with Alexander, complete with history, memories, quotes and demonstrations. Finally arriving at the door to my bedroom for the next fortnight, Alexander makes a dramatic gesture presenting it like his most prized possession. I grasp the cool steel of the handle and push forward into the room.
I am awestruck. The sheer size of the room is unimaginable and I am suddenly washed onto shore by a wave of guilt at hoarding such space. My first guess is that Alexander and I will be sharing, in which I would insist on requiring as little room as possible, but he assures me that I have it all to myself. Chelsea, Alexander's mother, appears in the door way and suggests that 'Alex' give me some time to acquaint myself. I hear the kindness in her voice and for a moment my thoughts are thrown back home but I am unable to focus on them as the door slams shut with a jolt. Back in my state of sheer amazement I pace the length of the room absorbing each and every detail. Suddenly I am overwhelmed by a rush of adrenaline and I realise I need more. I need to see and experience more of what Erudite truly has to offer and I am sure it is more than I could ever dream for. So naturally, I head for the Library.
My investigation of the Communal Library concluded the following: the Library is colossal, a clear sanctuary and haven for anyone pulling an aptitude for Erudite including myself. Deciding to leave exploration of the computers for another day I stroll the lengths of infinite shelves, skimming my hands along each and every unique, leather cover; tattered and loved to unseasonably new I adore each and every one of them. I retire to a quiet corner surrounded by mountainous piles of books of which I am determined to pour through, anxious to indulge myself in the luxuries I have been deprived of for sixteen years. From fiction to biographies to picture books to guides I wanted them all!
The anticipation has welled up inside me and it takes extreme self-control to keep the goofy smile off my face. I snatch up the book closest to me and stare at the first sentence of the first page of my first novel: 'My dear son abandoned me before I could see him grow into a man, before I could tell him I loved him and it broke my heart.'
A huge thankyou to everyone who has read my FanFiction thus far! I would love to hear your opinions and as I am very new to this and hoping to get better I am open to any criticism, so, go wild :)
