Trotswold Boarding School

You must have dozed off after that… traumatising experience. You shift uncomfortably in the tight sheets as you attempt to pull yourself back into the land of the living. You rub your eyes, stretch and yawn as you roll out of bed and look around the room for any sign of Vinyl.

She must’ve left.

You check your watch.

18:32 pm.

“I’d better go find her.” You say to yourself.

Where could she be…?

You step out of the empty room and into the dimly lit corridor. You slowly begin to walk down the corridor, thinking of possibilities as to where she would be…

Cafeteria.

Seems like a good place to start. You pull the map out from your pocket and unravel it. You think back to earlier this morning, where the receptionist said your block was…  Your finger travels across the map from the reception area to your block. You scan the map for any buildings that may look like a cafeteria, but to no avail.

You grumble something to yourself before returning the map to your pocket. You jog down to the steps and take them three at a time. You land with a heavy ‘thud’ and you make your way to the door. It’s reasonably dark outside, everything is still visible but shrouded by the night’s minimal light source. A cool breeze rushes past you as you make your way down the path to the fountain area.

A short girl, about 5”6, sits alone on the fountain edge. Her hair is dark violet, with one pink and one purple stripe that separates the purple. She’s in Trotswold Uniform, however, on her sleeve is a dark pink star with some sparkles surrounding it. She had some pretty hipster-esk glasses on and she levitated a thick book in front of her head, surrounded in a bubble of magenta.

You run your hand over your face and put on a smile. You strut towards her and stand slightly in front of her. She says nothing. You say nothing.

Oh for fucks sake!

“Excuse me!” You say a little too loudly.

She moves to her right slightly, not even bothering to look up. You give her a confused, disapproving look. You step in front of her.

“Is everyone in the school going to do something stupid when I say ‘Excuse me’?” You ask, furiously.

She looks up from her book and stares you in the eyes.

“You said ‘Excuse me’, so I moved.” She replied with a small smirk.

You sigh loudly and attempt to regain control.

Ok, ok, ok, ok, ok.

“Look, do you know where the cafeteria is?” You ask, trying to smile again.

“I do.” She replied simply, crossing on leg over the other.

I SWEAR! I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL SOMEONE!

“Well then! Where is it!” You shout furiously, causing a few wandering students to give you disapproving looks.

“Over there.” She says, pointing towards a low, but long building made completely out of smooth stone.

“Thank you.” You reply, calming down rapidly.

“See you around.” She replies, raising the book back up to her face.

“Yeah.” You reply, halfheartedly.

You walk towards the building and push the double doors open. The first thing that hit you was the horrific stench of the room and then the people sat around the long, plastic table. The room is about 50 metres long and wide (164ft?)

and painted with a combination of brown on the lower walls and cream on the upper walls. Immediately to your right is a long line of hungry looking faces, sectioned off by a group of teachers and a long line of thick, red rope. Directly to your left is a Full HD 80" LED TV, screening a movie that you don’t think you’ve ever seen before.

You scan the room for your roommate. You’re surprised at the boy/girl split. There is surprisingly more girls than boys, not that it bothers you in the slightest. The part of the cafeteria where hot food is being served is overcrowded with casually clothed pupils. You feel your stomach grumble loudly. You latch onto the back of the queue. To your surprise, the same girl you’d met earlier stands in front of you.

“Tavy?” You ask, curiously.

She slowly turns around and stares you right in the eyes.

“It. Is. Octavia.” She whispers quietly.

Aaahhh, shit that is scary.

“Sorry, sorry, Octavia,” You say, putting your hands out slightly in front of you. “Do you know where Vinyl is?”

Octavia shrugs. “I don’t know where she is.”

“Oh great,” You mumble, looking around the cafeteria. “By the way, do you know that girl outside on the fountain? The one with the purple hair and the glasses?”

Octavia taps her chin a few times before breaking into a smile. “Yeah, I know her, she’s Twilight Sparkle; Headmistresses favourite student,” Octavia replies, rolling her eyes. “She’s unbelievably smart but doesn’t really talk to, well, anyone.”

The queue shuffles forwards a few metres and the oh-so familiar awkward silence that you’d come to expect settles in. When you finally reach the front of the queue, you are blessed with the smell of… Chinese Food. You grin wildly as you scoop a plate full of steaming hot food and move onto the desert area. The option between Apple Crumble, Apple Fritters, Apple Pie and Apple Strudel is a difficult one, but you take a small, china bowl filled with Apple Crumble and vanilla Ice cream. You turn and face the overcrowded room. Octavia appears by your side and smiles.

“Come with me.” You says, walking towards a table with two people sat at it, both deep in conversation.

Octavia walks up to the table and smiles, exchanging friendly hellos and asking if the seat is taken. She sits down and pats a space next to her. You smile awkwardly and take your seat. Sat opposite to your is a girl and a boy.

The girls has surprisingly curly, purple hair that flowed down past her neck and slightly below her shoulders. The sitting next to her was about four inches taller than his companion, coming in at about 6 foot. Pale skin and blond hair.

Urgh…

“This is Rarity and Blueblood.” Octavia says, pointing at both of them as she announces their names.

“Hi.” You mumble in response, giving a pathetic wave.

“Now, Darling, I don’t think I’ve seen you around, are you new here?” The one named, Rarity, asks, smiling.

Darling?

“Er, yeah, it’s my first day here; I arrived at, like, 9 in the morning.” You reply, lifting a fork full of food into your mouth.

“So, who are you removed with? Anyone we might know?” Blueblood asks after swallowing a spoon full of apple crumble.

He raises a small piece of cloth to his face in a bubble of magic, dabbing his lips before returning it to the table. You tut loudly, maybe a bit too loudly and he frowns at you.

“I’hm roomed with Vinyl.” You reply in between mouthfuls.

“Darling, please don’t speak with your mouthful.” Rarity replies in disgust.

You wipe away the sauce from your mouth and apologise quickly.

"Vinyl is a disgrace to music." Blueblood announces.

“Well, I wouldn't say she is a disgrace... she has her own... style. Anyway, you’re in for a… bumpy, ride,” Rarity turns to Blueblood. “Would you say bumpy is the right word, dear?”

“Bumpy and a very loud ride.” Blueblood replies, chuckling to himself. Both Octavia and Rarity join the laugh.

After the laughter dies down, Rarity and Blueblood stand, levitating their plates, bowls and cutlery in front of them.

“It was a pleasure meeting you…” Rarity begins. “I don’t think you every told us your name.” Rarity begins.

You tell her your name.

“As I said, it was a pleasure meeting you.” Rarity politely nods her head before turning to the exit.

“What a delightful couple they are.” Octavia sighs as you both continue to eat you dinner.

“So, you’re single?” You probe.

She flushes red.

“I’ve… never had a boyfriend before.” She replies quietly.

“I’m surprised.” You reply.

“You’re just saying that.” She mumbles in response.

“No, honestly, I’m really surprised. Honest.” You desperately try to reassure her.

She doesn’t reply and finishes the remainder of her food. She stands up quickly and makes for the door. You’re sat there, alone, to finish your food.

You unlock your rooms door and are greeted by loud music. Vinyl is lying on her bed, finger drumming as the bass drops. You cover your ears and walk towards her, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. She sits up and looks at you then smiles. The dials on the speakers are twisted in an aura of light cobalt.

“Where were you?” You ask, bluntly.

“In the recording studio, it’s so awesome in there, they have some incredible Djing booths and some properly big speakers an—“ You cut her off with a dismissive wave of the hand.

“Well, I had an exciting conversation with a certain Twilight Sparkle, is that her name? Anyway, you could’ve at least told me, or even left a note to say where you were going to be so I didn't look like an idiot, wandering around the school.” You growl.

“Hey, hey, hey, what rustled your jimmies?” She smirks.

You’re lost for words.

“Whatever,” You mumble. “I’m going to phone my parents to tell them I got here safely. Does this school have signal?”

Vinyl simply nods in reply and levitates a pair of a pair of specially designed headphones onto her head. The headphones are white with the mark of a mirror image of two bridged eighth notes

You pick up your phone and tap in the security password. Scrolling through your contacts and stop on your Home number. You tap the dial button and raise it to your ear.

The familiar sound of your mother fills your ears.

“Hey Mom.

Yes, I got to school alright.

Yes mom, I unpacked.” (That was a lie.)

“Yeah, everyone seems nice, a bit weird, but nice.

Well… I’m paired with a girl…

Yeah, she’s alright with it.”

“Dad? Is that you?

Hey Dad!

Wait, did you just say you packed condoms?

That’s why you’re my favorite Dad.

Look, mum, I gotta go know, love you. Bye. Bye.”

You hang up.

“Mommy’s boy.” Vinyl mocks, sitting up in her bed.

She heard the entire thing.

You blush for the second time today. She laughs loudly and lies back down.

“I’m going to take a shower, okay?”

“BASS!” Vinyl screams at the top of her voice as the bass drops. You can hear what she is listening to through the headphones but can’t quite make out which song it is.

You bend down to your pack suitcase and open them. One of them is crammed to the brim with clothes, the other is a mixture of clothes, bathroom utilities, stationary and… two packets of opened condoms.

You pull a bottle of Lynx: Attract and a bottle of shampoo and walk into the bathroom. You strip down naked and step into the shower bath tub. Three dials. Hot and cold, for both the shower and the bath, bubbles and whirlpool. You twist the temperature dial about half way between the hot and off section and let the Luke warm water wash over your face. You stand in the shower for a few seconds before lifting the Lynx Bottle and squeezing and handful into you hand and rub it other your entire body. You fill your hands with water and rinse yourself a few times before actually rinsing it off with the shower. You lather the shampoo through your hair and a blob of it drips into your eye.

“FUCK FUCK FUCK FUUUUUUUCK!” You scream, desperately trying to rinse it out.

You rinse the remainder of the shampoo from your hair and turn the taps off. You look around the bathroom for a towel. A moderately large towel hangs on the door. You take it from the hook and pad yourself down. Noticing that you didn’t bring any change of clothes into the bathroom, you wrap it around your body and cautiously step out into the bedroom.

“Vinyl, I’m naked.” You warn her as you walk towards the open suitcases. Bending down, you pick up a pair of Calvin Klein designer boxers and a plain white T-Shirt. You slip into them and drop the towel to the ground.

It takes you a good ten minutes to fully unpack. Vinyl didn’t seem to pay any attention to your questions.

“Vinyl,” You ask, lifting her headphones off her head.

“Sup?”

“Mind if I get your number?”

“Sure. You know the area code?” You nod.

“669-6969.” She states in a serious tone.

“669… 6969.” You mumble tapping it into your phone.

Vinyl bursts into laughter.

“You actually believed me? Give me your phone.” She says, stretching a hand out to take your phone.

She types in her number and hands it back to you.

“I think I’m going to go to bed. I’ve had a long day in the recording studio.” She announces, sliding her headphones back onto her head and hiding herself under the covers.

You sigh loudly.

I need to stop sighing.

You walk into the bathroom and brush your teeth quickly before returning to your bed.

One day down, a shit ton more to go.