1

Arriving at Ambrose

The sign of Ambrose Boarding School was just visible in the heavy fog. I cringed as it grew, every metre we got closer was another metre away from home.
It wasn't that I didn't want to go, in fact I chose to go, it was the best school in the area, it was that I would miss my family. I'd miss my small, familiar house and the industrial scenery of the city. It was a lot different to Fallyn, this town I was moving to. Fallyn was... small, that was my first impression. As my mother drove through the town, it became apparent that they didn't offer much in the way of entertainment. The town was split in half by its only main road, which ran right through the middle. It was cleverly called 'the high street'. A few roads branched off the main road, roads with names like Orchard Lane or Royal Road. The town had a boarder of trees, it was surrounded by a forest.
Ambrose was gradually getting bigger, although it was a relatively small school. There was a large building, I assumed the main building, and around it, smaller buildings were dotted on the campus. They looked like dorms and a recreational room, possibly a library.
My mother had been under the impression that Ambrose was strictly an all girls boarding school, one of the main reasons she had been so eager when I suggested going. She couldn't mask the disappointment on her face as she stopped the car to let a group of boys cross the road leading to the main building.
Students were dotted on the grass surrounding the dorms, some doing homework or reading, some smoking, talking, laughing. I squinted my eyes to watch a group of laughing students flinging around a huge purple Frisbee further up the grass. Bordering the grass was a wall of tall fir trees, planted very closely together, leading up to another forest. There were more trees than people in this town.
My mother pulled into a space in the small parking lot and was pulling my bags out of the boot before I'd gotten out of the car. I could hear her choking on tears as she heaved my suitcases out. She grabbed the heaviest ones before I had chance and immediately started pulling them to the main entrance, leaving me to trail behind with a backpack and my cat cage. Ambrose allowed each student to keep one pet (unless you have fish, then you can keep more) and I couldn't dream of leaving Sakura behind.
Sakura was my tawny tabby cat. I got her 4 years ago, as a kitten. My mother remarried when I was 12 and my stepdad bought me Sakura as a peacemaking gift, he'd heard tales of war between step fathers and daughters and wanted to get off on the right track. It worked, unbeknownst to him, I had a deep love for cats. I named her Sakura because I always wanted to visit Japan, cherry blossoms had always been the prettiest thing in my opinion, and now it was Sakura who was the prettiest. I could hear Sakura thrashing around in her cage, she has sensed movement and wanted out.
"You'll be out soon, don't worry." I murmured soothingly to her. As if she understood me, her thrashing became less and she calmed down. It had always been like that with animals and I, they seemed to understand me - and I them- as if we were speaking the same language. I'd always had more of a sense to how they feel too, I could tell when Sakura was going to act up and I could just as easily stop it.
I joined my mother in the reception, she was already talking to the bored looking receptionist.
"My daughter is starting school today, her name is May Archer."
"Let me get your ID up," she muttered, after giving my mother a long, bored look. She slowly typed my name into the computer. I felt uncomfortable as she stared at me, and then the ID picture we had previously emailed. After finally accepting that I was indeed May Archer, she nodded sullenly.
"Dorm C, room 5. Daisy Vail is your room mate. I hope you enjoy your time here with us," she droned. The name Daisy sounded friendly, hopefully she was just as friendly.
We walked in silence to C5, the only sound was my mother sniffing. I could tell she was building up, bursting to speak but also fighting tears. We finally reached door 5 and I readied myself for a hard goodbye. She turned to me and stared, pushing her lips thin, unsure of what to say. I set Sakura's cage down and hugged her, taking in her familiar scent, the smell of home. She pulled back and stared at me again, as if she was trying to memorise my face.
"I'll miss you so much, you know?" Her voice caught in her throat, I nodded as tears overwhelmed me, rendering me unable to reply.
"Call me the minute you're unhappy, I'll come pick you up. Whenever ." I didn't doubt her.
The door to C5 opened and I was faced with a short blonde girl beaming at me.
"May, right? Come on in!" She seemed friendly, her smile easily dismissed my fears of a sullen hostile roomie.  My mother smiled at her, she too was clearly pleased with Daisy. She turned back to me and smiled sadly, her eyes brimming with tears.
"I guess this is where I say goodbye," she laughed a watery laugh, a laugh near sobs.
"Bye mum," I suddenly felt embarrassed by such weakness, surely other boarders had seen themselves in, left their parents without a second thought.
"Do you want me to bring your bags in?" She was clearly hovering now, wanting excuses to stay with me longer.
"No!" Daisy stepped forward. "I mean, I can help her! Don't strain yourself!" She smiled friendlily again but there was something in her eyes that hinted at panic.
My mother pulled me into a suffocating bear hug. "Whenever," she whispered, pulling back and looking me firmly in the eyes. Before I could reply, she turned and walked back down the corridor, alone. I turned back to see that Daisy had already grabbed my suitcases and dragged them in. I picked up Sakura and carried her cage into my new room.

Reviews

[Ria Carol]

Its an impressive storyline that you have created...keep writing good stuff like this...:)