Darcy Dahl's Story

"This is all so boring," Johanna groaned to herself. The end of another summer and the beginning of another school year. It was all so mundane, and expected. Johanna wondered when something exciting and different would happen. It was late morning, and many of the students were returning from spending their summer with their families. Of course not everyone had left the academy for the summer, there were the students that had stayed. Johanna had stayed at the academy because she had nowhere else to go, no family to visit. Everyone had their own reasons for staying though.

It was late morning and soon she would have to head back to her dorm for lunch, but right now she was content. It was warm out, but it wasn’t too hot to be in the sun, the summer heat having died off over the last week, and there was no wind about. It was just a nice day to be outdoors. Johanna was sitting alone up on the hill next to the Andromeda dorm building. It was her favourite place in the academy because she could see everything that was happening around the school from that hill.

She could see people trudging through the front gate loaded up with their various bags and the oval where some kids had started a ball game. Past the oval, if she squinted she could sort off see some of the people who were hanging out in the student lounge, since the wall facing her was made of glass. The student lounge was a common place for kids to hang out, as unlike their dorm buildings, there was never any adult supervision there. The lounge was decked out with tables, couches and beanbags, there was also a sitting area of the roof for when the weather was nice, like today. She couldn’t see Cyprus dorm though, since it was surrounded by the other school buildings that were filled with classrooms.

Johanna could also make out the people who were walking down the one path that led away from the school buildings and towards the Lyra Dorm building. From her view she couldn’t actually see the dorm as it was surrounded by a woodland area with plenty of trees. Though she had been down that path enough times to know what was there, the dorm laid in a large clearing of trees, next to it was a large vegetable patch, and behind it there was little dirt path that led to a large lake. Johanna wasn’t one for swimming, but when the weather warmed up, a lot of the students used the lake as the school’s own personal swimming pool.

Johanna sat and watched people arriving for a bit more, before she decided it was time to head back to the dorm and get lunch. Andromeda was different from the other dorms who would leave the meal stuff out for hours, letting their students wander in whenever they want and grab a bite to eat. Maggie always kept to strict meal times, there was generally a half an hour window and if you didn't grab food then, too bad, so sad.

Johanna arrived at her dorm to find Maggie already in full dorm head mode. She was already yelling a small group of students who had left their bags in the hallways. Though they were let off the hook when Maggie was distracted by one of the younger kids walking in with muddy shoes and leaving tracks on the floor. The poor kid looked terrified when Maggie started on him. She was always worst on the first day back, Maggie felt being super strict on the first day set a good impression for the rest of the year.

Rolling her eyes, Johanna drifted into the dining room which was filled with a bunch small tables for the students to eat at. She grabbed herself a bowl of fruit and headed to the table tucked into the corner, which was always her first preference for seating. In the back corner she could watch everyone and no one could watch her. Sitting down, she tucked her leg underneath her and starting stabbing at the fruit in front of her, waiting for someone she cared about to show up.

[Shitty Double Post]

Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.

This was the mantra going through So-ra’s head as she looked out her bedroom window at all the newly arriving students. She knew none of their faces of course, considering she had only began in the boarding school hallway through summer. When she arrived, there had been a good hand full of students staying there, enough to make life interesting… Now though, the swarm of kids coming onto the campus reminded her of a sea of doom. Every person has a destiny or a fate, and they liked to show themselves to So-ra. With more people here, she had to be even more careful not to make connections with others.

So-ra peeled her eyes away from the window and closed the blinds. She took a good deep breath and looked at the time. Lunch. She would get her head bitten off by their dorm head if she showed up late, but she would also starve if she didn’t go. She sighed and slipped on some actual clothing other than pyjamas that covered as much of her bare skin as she could, and then opened her door.

Luckily, her hallway wasn’t too swarmed with kids, but she could hear people coming. She took this moment to lock her door and run for her life down the back stair well. When she did come to another person, she basically threw herself out of the way. Of course she got weird looks, but it didn’t matter.

In the cafeteria, she easily avoided most people by sticking to the sides of the room, only straying away to grab herself some food. So-ra found solace in the corner of the room, where a girl she already knew was sitting. She didn’t say anything, just plopped down a few seats away from Johanna and began eating. She knew the girl was a people-watcher, and So-ra didn’t want to disturb. Maybe after this she would go find Darcy or Aiden and hope that they could distract her from feeling sick.

So-ra looked at the others too, and thought to herself, wondering what they would all be like. She didn’t like the tingle that went up her spine and the way her pulse beat faster. This would be an interesting year.

xxx

xxxIt should come as a surprise to no one at all that the Dahl twins are not among those who are lugging their things back to a place which is their home for only the academic year. After all, the two have been living at the Academy year round since they first came to the school at a young age. Their mother is in possession of fae blood, hers giving her the gift of persuasion over people in a manner somewhat similar to her son's. This ability had given her an incredible amount of power throughout her life and, indirectly, a careless streak too wide for children to be left wandering stupidly in it. By the time the Dahls were old enough to have been able to deal with life themselves and gone to visit their mother during the summer, they had little desire to meet the woman who existed only in postcards and long, awkward phone calls on holidays. So they are known to rarely leave on holidays. Some of the staff were relieved for this when the children were younger and rowdier and Darcy followed her brother around like an excited puppy. They were terrible little things, Ronan freely doling out the desire to eat bugs, do his homework, jump off of trees, etc, and Darcy obediently making people slaves to their own impulses. At that age, the normal world would have been at risk of their schemes.

xxxAnd maybe soon it will be at risk of falling to Ronan's feet. For now, however, the two of them are in the Andromeda dorm, safely within school grounds. As if timed to the same internal clock, both of them step out of their dorms at the same time. Perhaps due to Maggie's love of order, the rooms are organized by alphabet, leaving the twins separated only by a wall. When they were younger and one had a nightmare, they would slip into the other's room and fall asleep whispering. Although they remain close, the nightmares are now kept the business of the one experiencing them. "Good morning, Darc. Ready for a lovely morning meal with our beloved Maggie?" Ronan greets his sister as they fall into step with one another. Even now, Darcy automatically times her steps to match his, though the brother who was once identical to her has now grown longer limbs, allowing him to move with a more leisurely pace than she does. "At least Mrs. Hentley doesn't throw a tantrum if her foods touch," Darcy responds lightly, raising an eyebrow at her brother. In childhood he was one of those sorts of picky eaters. Ronan responds only with a grin, angling his walk so that he bumps her against the wall slightly. Darcy is wearing her accustomed lightweight outerwear, so there is no threat.

xxx"If peas and carrots touch they become deadly poison. Everyone knows that, Darcy- I don't make the rules," he speaks with complete sincerity, so genuine a fool might believe him. Darcy snorts as the round the corner into the dining hall. "Following the rules being one of your strongest resolutions, of course."

xxxImmediately Ronan notices Johanna sitting in a corner by herself, tucked away and people watching. Darcy notices the girl as well, but rather than continuing to look immediately glances around in the hopes of finding someone else: So-Ra or Perry, perhaps. But none are immediately in sight, so she ends up going through the breakfast line with Ronan and sitting with Johanna, on the other side of her brother.

xxx"Popular as always, I see."

xxxDarcy curls her fingers around the edges of her unnecessary sweater. Isn't it hot? she's been asked a million times. "Oh, ack, I forgot I'm supposed to go help with new people. See you in class Ronan. Johanna." Darcy is rarely in the mood to see Johanna and her brother interact, building one poor idea on top of another, especially not this early in the morning. So she lies quickly and stands up, orange juice hardly touched. She isn't much of a breakfast person.

Ronan doesn't really have to guess why Darcy leaves. But if she hadn't become such a worrier he wouldn't have found a new partner in crime, it really is more her fault than his. So he justifies it. "See ya, sis. If you see Maggie give her my- oh wait, I think I can hear her yelling at someone. Perhaps not a great time." And Darcy is off. Ronan takes a bite of cantaloupe from his mixed fruit bowl.

Across the room from where Johanna was eating, there was a dark haired girl sitting on a table by herself. Johanna knew they girl wasn't all the popular and had a bit of a reputation around the school as a weirdo. She was completely absorbed in watching the girl that she didn't even realising what was going on around her. Johanna mentally noted the way the girl fidgeted around, her hands never staying still, a sure sign on nerves. Then there was the fact the girl held her head low, and kept her arms tucked in close her, as if trying to disappear. This was Johanna's favourite activity, watching people, examine them like specimens under a microscope.

Then a hand appearing in front of her face, brought Johanna back to reality. She blinked rapidly, raising her eyebrows in surprise. Since when had So-Ra been sitting next her, and how had she finished her meal when Johanna had only eaten a few pieces of fruit. “Have a good first day… Try and stay out of trouble.”

"Me, trouble? Never." Johanna replied easily as she slumped back into her chair. She pushed her bowl of fruit away from her, no longer hungry. She never had much of an appetite.

"Popular as always, I see." Ronan said as he slid into the seat next to Johanna. Johanna just rolled her eyes.

"Yep, it's a curse you'll never have to worry about though." Johanna then leaned around Ronan to his sister that had also sat on Johanna's table. For the first time today she actually smiled, though a very obviously faked smile, "Hey, Darcy!" Johanna knew how Darcy felt about her, and the feeling was mutual. Hence she frequently went out of her way to annoy the other girl. Then Darcy made something up and left, leaving Johanna and Ronan on their own.

"See ya, sis. If you see Maggie give her my- oh wait, I think I can hear her yelling at someone. Perhaps not a great time." Ronan said to her sister as she left them.

Johanna laughed unenthusiastically. "There is never an okay time with the woman, only ever a not so horrible time." Johanna was always a little more annoyed with Maggie than most. Being the troublemaker she is, she has been on the receiving end of Maggie's anger for far too many years. Seriously, who even remembers the time Johanna got Ronan to convince Maggie to go on a sudden week long holiday, then took Maggie's appearance and bossed every one around the dorm. There was that time she used her magic to pretend to be one of Maggie's sons to get money out of her, but she gave the money back, eventually. Oh, and of course, when Maggie had caught her sneaking into Ronan's room after lights out, but seriously, that was one time!

"So, anyway. Things should get a little more exciting around here with everyone returning," Johanna said turning to Ronan, though still watching the room for anything interesting out of the corner of her eye. "I'm hoping to make this year just as interesting as we have made all the rest." She then reached over and took one of the pieces on cantaloupe from Ronan's bowl. The fruit in Ronan's bowl looked much more appealing then the fruit in her hardly eaten bowl. Johanna always wanted what she didn't have.