Settling In
Claire did her best to make friends and grow accustomed to her new environment, but sometimes late at night or while she got ready for bed all alone, she felt a pang of homesickness and rushed to write to Marvin or her parents or sometimes Cybil. But Claire had already been there a week and hadn't received one word from Cybil Anderson. "Perhaps," Claire said to Trudy one day in the cafeteria. "She has written to me now but it hasn't arrived. It takes a while you know and she doesn't live near the post office." But Claire was wrong. Cybil hadn't written back. Marvin had though and his was so sincere and loving and long that Claire thought it almost made up for the lack of mail from the Anderson household. But Cybil fell out of Claire's mind on the eighth day and didn't return for some time.
"Don't get nervous or anything," Trudy said Monday morning. She was brushing her hair at the mirror which hung on the closet door and looking at Claire's reflection. Claire was sitting slightly hunched on Trudy's bed.
"It is just Mr. Maboni we're talking about and he's really easy. He only calls on the students he knows...the absolute math whizzes." She then squinted and yanked at a tangle in her robin-red hair.
"I know that. You've told me about each of the teachers but it is still algebra no matter who is teaching it...or trying to teach it rather." Claire said pessimistically.
Trudy turned around and tossed Claire the brush. The sharing of the brush was a sign of deep intimacy betwixt the girls and had already begun the night before.
"Oh I am so exhausted!" Trudy said, stepping out of Claire's view of the mirror. "But I'm glad we stayed up so late so that I could tell you about each of the teachers and about the schedule and who is a friend and who is a foe."
Just then the bell rang. "Rise and shine ladies!" Mrs. Inches said. "Time for class!"
Claire and Trudy exchanged humorous looks of panic.
"Hurry! Toss me my brush back-here are your shoes!" Trudy said giggling.
"My first day and I'll be late!" Claire said, buckling her unpacked suitcase and shoe at the same time.
"Oh no you won't! Mr. Maboni won't let you in if your late and then you'll miss the whole class, have to wait in the hall for the whole first period and fail the test!"
Claire knit her eyebrows in deep concern but Trudy didn't see her.
"I hope he doesn't care if his students have tidy hair or not!" Claire said right before Trudy whisked her out into the hall.
"Hello Class," Mr. Maboni said when the last two students (if you can guess who they were) took their seats. "I am Mr. Conrad Maboni and today, like every day, we are going to talk about algebra."
Claire glanced at Trudy. Unfortunately, Claire was near the back (having been born in November) and Trudy was on the March and April row. Trudy looked back encouragingly.
"Open your books to page one." Mr. Maboni said dryly. Claire settled into her seat as she had settled into this new chapter of her life called "boarding school", and lifted her book cover. Her stomach was fluttering with anxiety and her vision blurry like her mind. She felt certain that she was about to prove herself to be a complete klutz.
Then she realized that as she had been looking for her seat, she had been avoiding all the faces. She lifted up her head and looked around. And lo! Who was beside her? A student with short black hair and beady black eyes and a long nose. And this student was nearly six feet tall and was wearing pants instead of a dress. Could it be? Yes. There were boys in the class.
"Don't get nervous or anything," Trudy said Monday morning. She was brushing her hair at the mirror which hung on the closet door and looking at Claire's reflection. Claire was sitting slightly hunched on Trudy's bed.
"It is just Mr. Maboni we're talking about and he's really easy. He only calls on the students he knows...the absolute math whizzes." She then squinted and yanked at a tangle in her robin-red hair.
"I know that. You've told me about each of the teachers but it is still algebra no matter who is teaching it...or trying to teach it rather." Claire said pessimistically.
Trudy turned around and tossed Claire the brush. The sharing of the brush was a sign of deep intimacy betwixt the girls and had already begun the night before.
"Oh I am so exhausted!" Trudy said, stepping out of Claire's view of the mirror. "But I'm glad we stayed up so late so that I could tell you about each of the teachers and about the schedule and who is a friend and who is a foe."
Just then the bell rang. "Rise and shine ladies!" Mrs. Inches said. "Time for class!"
Claire and Trudy exchanged humorous looks of panic.
"Hurry! Toss me my brush back-here are your shoes!" Trudy said giggling.
"My first day and I'll be late!" Claire said, buckling her unpacked suitcase and shoe at the same time.
"Oh no you won't! Mr. Maboni won't let you in if your late and then you'll miss the whole class, have to wait in the hall for the whole first period and fail the test!"
Claire knit her eyebrows in deep concern but Trudy didn't see her.
"I hope he doesn't care if his students have tidy hair or not!" Claire said right before Trudy whisked her out into the hall.
"Hello Class," Mr. Maboni said when the last two students (if you can guess who they were) took their seats. "I am Mr. Conrad Maboni and today, like every day, we are going to talk about algebra."
Claire glanced at Trudy. Unfortunately, Claire was near the back (having been born in November) and Trudy was on the March and April row. Trudy looked back encouragingly.
"Open your books to page one." Mr. Maboni said dryly. Claire settled into her seat as she had settled into this new chapter of her life called "boarding school", and lifted her book cover. Her stomach was fluttering with anxiety and her vision blurry like her mind. She felt certain that she was about to prove herself to be a complete klutz.
Then she realized that as she had been looking for her seat, she had been avoiding all the faces. She lifted up her head and looked around. And lo! Who was beside her? A student with short black hair and beady black eyes and a long nose. And this student was nearly six feet tall and was wearing pants instead of a dress. Could it be? Yes. There were boys in the class.
