How to Survive Boarding School

The girl sitting outside the headmistresses office was a small girl. She had dark, short hair cut into a kind of long bob. It parted at an angle on the right side of her head, just above a thin, white scar.
She lifted her hand and pushed the thin-framed, black glasses further up the bridge of her nose before rubbing her scar in a thoughtful, nervous manner.
Her nails were badly bitten and painted a bright green to match the top emblazoned with a Slytherin crest that clung to her thin frame even in the air conditioning of the cream and grey corridor.
One hand still rubbing the scar on her forehead, the other played with a hole in her stone-washed, knee-length jeans.
The oak door to her left opened revealing a tall, thin, older woman with a kindly smile and an expensive-looking suit.

“Your Miss Corkish then?”

The woman asked, she had a stern but happy voice. Like a mother scolding her baby.
Emily nodded, she felt sick now that she was here, alone.

“Well come on in then, we cant have you sitting out there in the cold all day.”

The woman smiled and turned back into the room.

“Bring your trunk”

She called over her shoulder as she walked.
Emily smiled despite of herself, they were in Goodland, Tampa in Florida, their version of a ’cold day’ was twenty degrees. Emily came from Ireland, her version of a ’cold day’ was minus eight degrees.
She slung her bag over one shoulder and pulled her trunk onto its wheels.
She pulled it through the door of the office admiring the blend of wood and stone that made up the decor. Bookcases lined the walls and the centre of the room was taken up by a mahogany desk.
Mistaking Emily’s admiration for confusion she called out;

“Just leave you trunk standing over there dear, oh and can you shut the door please?”

Emily pushed the ajar door shut with her knee as she leaned her heavy trunk against the bookshelf.
She timidly crossed the room and perched in one of the two chairs facing the headmistresses desk.

“No need to look so frightened Emily, I’ve already been fed today.”

The headmistress laughed.
Emily grinned.

“Are you sure Miss? I don’t want you taking a chunk out of me when I go to shake your hand.”

The two women laughed.

“Now there’s the Emily Vicky told me about in her letters.”

Emily’s smile faded slightly, she felt as though her intestines had been grabbed and dipped in cold water. She knew she would have to talk about Victoria sooner or later, but that didn’t mean she wanted to.
The headmistress must have noticed Emily’s smile fade, or maybe she just didn’t want to talk about her dead friend ether, because instead of mentioning Vicky again she glazed over into school policies.

“Now Emily, you know my name, Mrs Calliper. I hope I wont be seeing you very often!”

Mrs Calliper laughed again, Emily smiled.

“You wont, I promise not to get caught.”

Emily replied, even though it wasn’t really a question.
Mrs Calliper smile widened and picked up a piece of paper that was lying on her desk.

“Now Emily, because of the way you answered your survey I have decided to place you in Emerald. Your tutor will be Mr. Sumter, your chemistry teacher. Speaking of whom, where is he, he should be here.”

Mrs Calliper trailed off and pressed a button on her phone.

“Leanne, can you call Cornelius to my office please?”

Emily heard the murmur of an intercom going off outside.

“Anyway Emily, here is your journal.”

Calliper handed her a green book about as thick as a child’s colouring book, but half the size, with the schools coat of arms printed on the front in silver.

“That’s got everything in it. Your timetable, a place to write your homework, a list of the school rules and forbidden items, a map of the school, etcetera, etcetera.”

Calliper suddenly looked over Emily’s head towards the door, Emily swivelled in her chair.
There was a man standing in the doorway, he had black hair almost as long as Emily’s and eyes to match. He was in a black suit too, with his pale skin the overall effect reminded Emily of a corpse at a funeral.

“Ah, this must be Miss Corkish.”

He had a surprisingly light, happy voice for someone who looked so dead.
Emily nodded and smiled.

“I think you can take her to her dorm Cornelius, I’m done with her.”

Mr Sumter smiled slightly and nodded. Reaching for Emily’s trunk he locked eyes with her. Emily broke eye contact first, she felt uncomfortable staring at him.

“Are you coming Miss Corkish?”

Mr Sumter asked, his voice seemed farther away.
Emily looked up, in her effort to avoid eye contact she had been looking at her green and white checked vans and during that time Mr Sumter had walked half-way down the corridor with her trunk.
She jumped up as though electrified, running after him.

“Bye Miss, see you soon!”

She called over her shoulder as she caught up with Mr Sumter.
They walked along some corridors, heading continually downwards, the sound of Emily’s trunk and the clack of footsteps on stone floors the only sounds in the awkward silence around them.

“You know I can manage the trun-”

Emily started, but was cut off by Mr Sumter’s reply of;

“I’ve got it.”

They walked down another set of stairs, the trunk clattering behind them.

“Fat penguin.”

Emily stated, Mr Sumter just looked at her, one eyebrow raised.

“You say fat penguin to break the ice.”

Emily laughed, Mr Sumter smiled.

“You know, I might just enjoy having you in my chemistry class Miss Corkish.”

Emily grinned. Mr Sumter smiled and nodded.

“Here we are, the Emerald dorms.”

He jerked his head towards the only door on the corridor. It was large and made out of some sort of white wood, it didn’t seem to have a handle.
Mr Sumter pushed the door with the palm of his hand and it swung inwards with a creaking noise.

“Gotta get that oiled.”

Sumter muttered to himself before walking in ahead of her.
Emily took a deep breath and walked through the door, ready to say hello to the place that would be home and the people that would be family for the next nine months.