Flashback 7
School started in the cold season.
Aly and Oswin made a relatively huge deal about making sure my uniforms all fit and the starch white collared shirt and the dark green pleated skirt and the knee high socks and the cardigan all fit properly. I can't say I minded, but I certainly wasn't crazy about all the primping and prepping that it required.
As much as I had despised it, finishing out etiquette lessons paid off. My first dinner party was a success, and Oswin, usually aloof and had the tendency to disappear from my life for days on end, even complimented me on my manners.
Despite Oswin's lack of daily appearance, he was still ridiculously kind when he was around. I knew if I had a problem though, Aly was the first one I ran to. Or Terrance if he was around.
The only issue about going to school was that Terrance wouldn't be there. I wanted him to be. I wanted to have someone to sit with at lunch and play with at recess. But the orphanage boys attended a separate school that started a week after ours. He offered to escort me every morning just the same, as all of the different schools were basically located in the same town square.
The thing about Oz was that everything was very close together. Rather than "wide" the city went for "tall." There were still numerous amounts of buildings and it was still gigantic, but Oz as a whole was split into districts and if it expanded, it expanded up. Not out. The north district was where the authority resided, including myself. Each district had boys and girls orphanages and a variety of schools. Public schools, boarding schools, private academies; you pretty much had your pick. But there was always one school that most everyone went to. My elementary school was that. Aly wanted me to be as normal as possible, for living with the wizard and all.
So when I left home, said my goodbyes to Aly and Oswin for the day, I stepped outside. Terrance was sitting on the fence post next to the mailbox in a shirt and some black pants.
"You're wearing a shirt." I observed, scrunching my face in question.
"Cold season, remember?"
"Oh."
"Nervous, Ess?"
I nodded, shyly.
"Lemme give you a few pointers. Don't try to show off. Talk to people. Make friends. Not everyone is as outgoing as me, but that's okay."
"What if they don't like me?" I looked at him nervously.
"Oh come on. Just say you're from the Enchanted Forest and everyone will love you."
I shot him a glare. "I mean me. Not where I'm from."
"Oh puh-lease," he elbowed me as we walked around. "You? How can people not like you. You've got brilliant manners thanks to those dumb etiquette lessons and you still manage to be fun."
"Thanks, Terry."
We walked a while, seeing who could kick the rocks of the pavement further and further, until finally we reached the big doors.
"Here we are. Ready?
"As I'll ever be."
"Good luck Ess. See you later!"
He mustered the biggest goofiest grin and waved as I bounded up the stairs and into the building.
Being as I was only 7, I only had one teacher. Luckily, she was a fairly normal woman around age 35 named Mrs. Hayer. A lot of the kids in my class already knew her, as she was in charge of their lunch monitoring last year. Thankfully nobody made a big deal about who I was or where I was living; and I received no special treatment from anybody.
At lunch I sat with a few kids I recognized from playing Nets, but I made no real special connection to anyone. I played Nets with them again at recess, which is what most of the kids did, so I didn't feel too awkward. The learning itself was easy. And by the end of the week, the routine was set. Terry would walk me to school, I'd learn, eat lunch, play Nets, do more school work, then trudge back home by myself because Terry had lessons at that time.
The first month went by faster than I'd ever anticipated, and Parent Teacher meetings were approaching. I was nervous. While I had been doing decent with class work, or so I thought, I wasn't interacting much with others. I certainly wasn't lonely, I had fun. But I knew I lacked that social attachment that other kids got so easily. That meant the teacher would tell Aly and Oswin. And that was the last thing I wanted.
I was in bed reading a book I'd gotten from the school library when Aly came into my room in the evening.
"Oswin had to tend to some business. So I went by myself to the meeting."
I put the book down and looked up, waiting for what in the world she might say. For whatever reason, she looked worn out, something I'd never noticed with Aly before.
"Everything okay?" I asked timidly.
She put her coat down in her chair then settled in next to me on the bed and picked up the book I was reading. "This is one of my favorites as a kid. Do you like it?"
I nodded. Of course I liked it. I always liked what the librarian suggested to me.
Aly had avoided my question, so I persisted. "Aly, is everything okay?"
She smiled, "I talked to your teacher."
"Am I doing bad?" I sat up, worriedly. "I'm so sorry if I am. I've tried my hardest."
"Oh Essie. I couldn't be prouder. Mrs. Hayer says you're incredibly bright and you're the first to get the lessons in the class."
"Really?!" I grinned.
"Mmhm. I'm not surprised. I always knew you were smart," she smiled.
"Anything else?"
She sighed, "She said you don't have many friends."
"I'm fine." I shrugged. "I have Terrance. And you. And sometimes Oswin."
"Essie…"
"I play with kids at recess and eat with kids at lunch and everything is perfectly normal. I'm just not super close to anyone."
"And you're sure you're alright?"
I looked up at Aly, "Yeah, why?"
"Just making sure, sweetie." She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and I snuggled in. There was silence as we both looked at the wall. It was like both of us had something we wanted to say but it didn't feel like the right time to say it.
I thought I heard her mutter under her breath, "What would I do without you?"
But it was muffled as she kissed my forehead. I fell asleep there, with her arm around me. And when I woke up, she was gone.
I didn't have the slightest clue of what might have been going on. But school was definitely not the issue.