The ride is long, far past Lumon. Helena is happy to see other houses. They are mind-boggingly miniscule, and she estimates that an entire row of them could fit inside her home. She struggles to imagine how families with multiple children fit in such tight spaces. She would have asked Mr. Heilman this, but not sour-faced Miss Shoemaker. Helena is too embarrassed to reveal her ignorance or any perceived weakness to this strange woman. Before Helena looks away, Miss Shoemaker reaches into her purse, an ugly purple thing. Miss Shoemaker produces a small packet of paper.

"Here is a list of expectations for your Wintertide Fellowship." Miss Shoemaker holds the papers out, and Helena snatches them. She had these all along? Why did she wait so long to give them to me? Does she want me to make a fool of myself? Helena looks her up and down, weary that Miss Shoemaker may have Malice in her. She furiously studies the printed material, then reads through a second time, slowly and thoroughly. Finally, she looks to Miss Shoemaker and chews the inside of her lip, brushing the edges of the paper with her fingers. If this woman were to be her Nanny, Helena would have to speak to her at some point.

"It says that the girls enrolled in Wintertide Fellowships often have sleeping quarters on the campus of Myrtle Eagan's School for Girls." Helena starts, tapping her finger on the relevant bullet point.

"Yes, they do. Three girls to a room. My roommates and I all graduated from our Wintertide Fellowships the same year. And believe it or not, I'm still friends with them to this day." Miss Shoemaker smiles with fond nostalgia.

"What!" Helena snaps. "You mean to tell me that you have gone to this school? You graduated from this program!"

"Yes." Miss Shoemaker says, all the warmth from her previous recollection, gone.

"When were you going to tell me this?" Helena gestures angrily to the papers.

"Hmm." Miss Shoemaker raises an eyebrow, opens a small red notebook, and scribbles a note. "I hear Woe again, Helena."

Helena inhales through her nose, pinching its bridge. "I am just saying…" She speaks slowly, but her anger sharpens the edges of her words. "It would have been NICE to know about your experience before I am dropped off ill-PREPARED." Her heated words are met with a blank expression from her Nanny, who makes another note.

"Malice." Miss Shoemaker tsks and shakes her head at Helena. "And they told me you were a balanced child."

"No! You're the one with Malice." Helena snarls.

"And yet, only one of us has a raised voice and red face." Miss Shoemaker says bored with the childish antics.

"I'm going to request a new Nanny." Helena raises her chin when she says this, attempting to feign confidence. "I will tell Father that you do not embody the nine principles."

"Oh?" Miss Shoemaker fights a smile.

"If you did, you would've had the Vision to share your experience, to guide me. But you are not Benevolent. When I tell father-"

"When?" Miss Shoemaker interrupts. "When will you speak with him next?"

Helena narrows her eyes at Miss Shoemaker's amused look. Of course, she didn't know. Of course, Miss Shoemaker did. The woman's smug face incenses Helena, so she looks out the window and folds her arms. They sit in silence for a few minutes, listening to the hum of the vehicle. Eventually, Helena can manage a calm tone, "Under extreme circumstances, I can request a phone call with him. I could request a call, er, tomorrow, and I can tell him then."

"Do you think this is an extreme circumstance worth interrupting his workflow? Be honest, remember Probity." Helena simply glares and refuses to reply. So Miss Shoemaker continues, "Do you really want to call Jame Eagan, to tell him that the person he personally interviewed and whom Kier guided him to hire, is not the right choice? You would like to tell him that he is wrong?" Miss Shoemaker asks.

"Well, I wouldn't say it like that." Helena presses her head to the window.

"Is it really I who lacks the nine principles? Or did your Dread of being ill-prepared cause you to arrogantly accost me?" Miss Shoemaker says this with a laugh.

Helena sighs in defeat. "Just forget it."

"I will not. We will go to your first day of fellowship, you will be on your best behavior, and before bed tonight, your tempers will be tamed, Malice, Dread, and Woe." Miss Shoemaker asserts, noticing the child's back is fully turned to her with an air of defiance. She watches as Helena barely lifts her head, only to hit it against the window; she repeats this.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Miss Shoemaker looks down at the Wintertide paperwork on the seat between them and then at Helena's hand, which still holds them in place. Miss Shoemaker gently presses her hand over the top of the girl's. Helena is alarmed by the touch and turns to observe the alien interaction. The touch achieves Miss Shoemaker's desired result, stopping the child from banging her head. "Look at me, Helena." The girl looks up, and Miss Shoemaker is disappointed to see a fire in her dark pupils still. "I am not your enemy." Helena's eyebrow raises, and she smirks doubtfully. "I did complete my Wintertide Fellowship. I embody the nine principles, and I promise I have the Nimbleness, Verve, and Vision to guide you on the path of Kier. Today, you will learn Humility." Helena's eyes veer off, and Miss Shoemaker removes her hand from atop hers; it was clear she was uncomfortable with the physical contact. "I'm owed an apology."

"I apologize," Helena says with a barely masked eye roll. If her tempers were set for taming, there was little else she could be threatened with.

"Like you mean it." Miss Shoemaker insists.

"I'm sorry, okay?"

"Again. This time with some respect."

"Miss Shoemaker, I apologize." Helena concedes.

"Now," Miss Shoemaker smiles, pleased, "if you're ready to behave yourself, I will answer any questions you have about my time at Myrtle Eagan's School for Girls." Helena's wide-eyed curiosity returns to Miss Shoemaker, and she nods. "Good."

Signs have begun appearing on the highway counting down the remaining distance to the school. Helena's fixed to the window with anxious eyes. She is already convinced she will not bring glory to her Father with this fellowship and has decided that she's okay with it. From the way Miss Shoemaker explained Wintertide, these girls were chosen to participate out of hundreds of applicants around the world because they were not just zealous apostles of Kier who embody the nine principles, but they are brilliant, high-IQ, high-test-score individuals. These girls are the epitome of Vision and Wit and will help shape the future. Helena didn't think any of these things described her. In fact, she distinctly recalls overhearing two of her tutors discussing her when she was using the washroom, and one said, "How infelicitous that the progeny of a genius is so…average." They must have thought she wouldn't hear them through the door.

As they pull into the busy parking lot, Helena sits up straight, eyes wide. She has never seen so many girls her age in one place. She quickly notices that they are all wearing black skirts, white tops, and black shoes. Some had socks, some didn't. She looks at the printed papers. The girl in the papers, though slightly dated, wore something similar. "Miss Shoemaker, everyone is wearing a uniform."

"Yes." Miss Shoemaker barely looks.

"Will I get a uniform?" Helena asks.

"No. You're an Eagan." Miss Shoemaker laughs at the preposterous idea of Helena blending in.

"Oh." Helena laments. Oh no. She says to herself. Her yellow amongst the sea of black and white, she would be the odd one out. She feels Dread turn the pit of her stomach, but tries to ignore it. She sees another girl get out of a car, the girl hugs the adult escort with her, and Helena crinkles her nose in disgust. She would not be doing this with Miss Shoemaker. The girl's smile is a brilliant white as she enjoys the audacious display of public affection. Helena admires the girl's pretty golden brown curls and matching golden brown skin. She was pretty. Helena frantically looks to another girl, and another, so many of them were pretty. Am I pretty? She wonders for the first time in her life. She turns to Miss Shoemaker but decides this may not be something she wants an honest answer to.

The car stops, and Helena looks to Miss Shoemaker for her 'Next' instruction.

"You may get out. Wait by the car, and I will walk you over to meet the Head Mistress." Miss Shoemaker starts. Helena is out of the car in seconds. She drinks in the excited energy that fills the air around the school. She doesn't want to miss a thing. Cars pull in, and she discerns that some of these escorts are parents because she hears them being called Mom or Dad. They must not have very important jobs, Helena reasons. She witnesses more public affection, but this time it's girls greeting other girls with hugs. It seems they knew each other. Helena realizes her palms are sweating and she wipes them on her dress. She didn't know anyone here. Yet everyone here would know of her and still not know her at all. Miss Shoemaker's story of lasting friendship gave Helena a glimmer of hope. If she wasn't too dim-witted, some of these brainy girls might want to be her friend. Helena liked the idea of having a friend.

In a daze, Helena follows Miss Shoemaker to the sign reading "Myrtle Eagan's School for Girls," and there Miss Shoemaker engages in banter with the Head Mistress. Helena's wide eyes dart around until they find the girl with golden curls chatting with other girls in a circle. Perhaps she felt Helena's stare because the girl looks over, making direct eye contact with her. At first, Helena is surprised but forces a tight-lipped smile and a discreet waist-height wave. The girl's brilliant white smile is frozen on her face. She looks Helena up and down and returns to her conversation, notably not waving back.

"Helena?" Miss Shoemaker grabs the dainty girl's shoulders and thrusts her towards the Head Mistress. Suddenly, Helena finds herself face to face with an old woman with long gray hair and a professionally practiced smile.

"Hello Helena. I am your Head Mistress." The woman extends her hand, and when Helena politely shakes it, flashes of light startle her. Men with cameras. She tries to force a smile as the lights flash. Soon, this woman has her arm around Helena's shoulder. She has never met this woman, and yet she's hugging her? Half hugging? Whatever it was, Helena does not like it and shrinks under the attempted embrace. The woman whispers, "Smile to the Camera for Kier." Helena forces her best smile, peeking out the corner of her eye to see the woman doing the same. Although, admittedly, the Head Mistress was much more convincing. Several more photos are snapped. Then just as quickly as it happened, the Head Mistress has removed herself from Helena and is dismissing the photographers. Miss Shoemaker takes Helena by the hand and guides her away from the ambush photo-op.

"Now listen, Helena, I will return to get you at 4 PM." Miss Shoemaker starts.

"You're leaving me?" Helena is surprised.

"Yes, there is plenty of supervision here, medical staff, the Head Mistress is a loyal servant of Kier and knows your father. You will be just fine." Miss Shoemaker reassures her. Helena nods, looking around to pick the supervising adult from the crowd. Miss Shoemaker continues with a stern tone, "Helena. Attention. On me. Now." Helena's eyes lock onto Miss Shoemaker's. "Remember, you are to bring glory to the Eagan name. I know you're experiencing some discomfort because your tempers are imbalanced and I assure you, I promise you, that will be addressed later tonight. But now, I need you to do your best to control them while you're here. Say it with me: 'I walked into the cave of my own mind, and there I tamed them. Should you tame the tempers as I did mine," at this point Helena joins in and they recite in unison, "then the world shall become but your appendage. It is this great and consecrated power that I hope to pass on to all of you, my children.'" Helena looks over her shoulder to see if anyone just witnessed that. No one had. Miss Shoemaker pinches Helena's chin and turns her attention back to her. "Behave yourself. Understood?"

"Yes, Miss Shoemaker." Helena says contritely with doe eyes. This satisfies Miss Shoemaker, who returns to the car where their driver waits. Once alone, Helena laughs. The widest smile she has allowed herself in some time spreads across her face, even showing her teeth. She lied. Earlier, when they were parking, she had already decided that if three of her tempers needed taming, she might as well make it four and Frolic. Frolic was the best one.

Ring

The school bell rings, and Helena follows the swarm of excited girls (potential friends?) towards the building's marked auditorium. She feels more confident with each stride. Yes, she was going to do .FROLICKING.

[Next update Tuesday]