nouvelles fleurs
It was a crisp, cool morning of September first when Marlene started panicking.
The long drive through the English countryside had calmed her, and her forehead against the cold window of her mom's car was comforting. The sound of music seeping into her brain, every crevice of her eardrums, provided an escape from the reality of what she had done.
She remembered the false tearful goodbyes from her friends back home, and she fought tears thinking about everything that had happened at her old school.
Her mom looked at her in the front mirror, silently shaking her head at her daughter's wet eyes. "I promise, Marlene. This will be a fresh start." She reassured. Marlene couldn't help but doubt it. She could hardly even believe it when she had gotten her letter of acceptance to the new school, out of the dozen she had applied to after the mess at her old one.
"Who knows," Her mom continued. "You might even meet someone special." She waggled her eyebrows at her, laughing at the eye roll from Marlene that followed. She moved her forehead from the window to bury it in her hands instead, resisting a laugh.
Marlene leaned her head back down, resting on the seat's shoulder. She had half a mind to take a nap in the 10 minutes left to the school, just for some extra energy on what was sure to be an exhausting day. She felt herself slowly closing her eyelids, the world fading out...
"We're here!" Her mom trilled in a high voice. Marlene sat up quickly. She hadn't fallen deep asleep.
As her eyes adjusted to what lie ahead of her, she had to do a double take at the grand structure. Is this a school, castle, or both? She thought to herself, gazing at it in slight awe. The fields surrounding it boasted of extensive grounds and promised fun, and for the first time since hearing about her predicament, Marlene felt excited about this school.
Her mom parked in a spot marked visitor, advertised as such by a small metal sign at the foot of the spot. A couple dozen more surrounded her, most empty, except for one, hosting a blue Toyota. Marlene wasn't good with logos, but she could recognize her favorite anywhere. Her luggage was already dropped off, a week before, and she felt that other kids must have done the same, due to the lack of other parents or luggage carts near the school.
Her mom got out of the other side of the car, her turn for the infectious leaking eyes.
"Ah, honey," She started to say, before Marlene stopped her with a hug. "I'll be fine, mom." She promised. Her mom nodded, before getting back into the car, driving off, and leaving Marlene utterly alone. She found her way out of the parking lot, following the scattered signs along the way, before stopping.
An imposing, large arch above her head mocked her as she stood below it. The school's name was engraved in the stone. Hogwarts. This has to be the entrance. She thought, and for the first time in a long time, Marlene felt a sense of righteousness at this school. The halls echoed with barely concealed chaos, and she felt a grin forming on her face with the thought of it. When she had gone for a tour earlier in the year, the weather and mood of the place had been completely different. This was more fulfilling.
She followed more directions from helpful guides to the cafeteria, where people seemed to be finishing up breakfast.
A girl about her age started walking closer and closer to her, and Marlene quickly noticed something about her. Marlene's eyes felt immediately drawn to the girl's loud aura, while the girl's 3 inch platforms scraped the old stone floor in a quiet way, and her eyes, hidden behind a wide smile, seemed inviting, unlike the glares and odd looks she'd received so far. It wasn't often someone joined a boarding school in the second out of four years it ran for. As the girl drew closer to her, she watched as about 12 heads attached to 12 bodies with pens and notebooks in wrinkled uniform shirts pockets, turned her way.
"Oh, don't mind them." The girl said, suddenly appearing in front of Marlene in the time it took her to study her curious neighbors, extending her hand and introducing herself as Mary Macdonald. She motioned with her head to the table of nerds. Marlene shook it awkwardly, a little confused. She wasn't sure how anyone else had noticed the kids, before she figured she might not be the receiver of their stares.
"They run the newspaper. Every single new kid that comes in usually has a story to tell, and they always want to be the reporters." So it might have been her, but she still didn't understand the whole system. Her thoughts kept interrupting the girl's speech. "Bunch of busybodies if you ask me. You see the girl with blonde hair and green glasses?"
Marlene thought to herself about first impressions and whatnot, before actually looking around, till she spotted the girl, pouring her milk before her cereal for breakfast.
"Oh my god, that cereal is a worse crime than any newspaper."
She laughed, a little loudly, knocking into Marlene's side with her elbow. "You're funny, new girl. That's the head of the school newspaper, Rita Skeeter. She's a fun enemy to have, 'cause if I had a pound for every time I was in it, I wouldn't need a scholarship to go here." Mary explained. Marlene wondered what Mary might have done in her first year here to make such an important enemy. She was surprised by her bluntness, and looked around the table again, trying to figure out Rita and her little gang of busybodies, as her possible new friend had called them. Next to Rita was a boy with brown hair and a name tag that read Crouch, and across from her another blonde named Hannah. Neither of them looked like good news, and Marlene made a mental note to try to avoid talking to them.
"I couldn't help noticing you've been standing here for the past 5 minutes, do you want to sit with me? I'm Mary, by the way. Just so, y'know, you're not sitting with a complete stranger." Mary looked like she wanted her to say yes, and Marlene felt guilty declining, so she mumbled a quiet self introduction and accepted the invite.
She followed her to her table, grateful for the offer. The other girls and one guy sitting there looked up at her, not exactly smiling but not glaring either. They seemed to be more curious, as any would be with a new kid, and Marlene found she didn't quite mind.
Mary introduced her, and Marlene watched as the table settled back into what she assumed was it's normal routine, after introducing themselves as well. There was a boy, whose name sounded like it was straight from a history documentary, and a girl who sounded like she was a character from a book. Marlene didn't remember the other girl's names. She mostly ignored the group, though not on purpose, and occasionally joined in for a few sentences just to prove it, as she didn't want the only people who were nice to her so far think she was rude and ungrateful. In reality, they probably just thought she was shy.
One of the girls, the one with the book-name, mentioned being on the track team. "And James has been a pain in the ass recently, no surprise there'' -a redheaded girl nodded in agreement- "but this year, I think we have a chance." She was saying, making exaggerated hand gestured with her fork as she said it.
"Oh!" Marlene jumped in. "I'm actually here for that."
The girl beamed at her. "Thank god." She went back to eating and explaining all bad characteristics of this James person, and Marlene felt something inside her feel good, for once, about this new school.