Modern Boarding School - 2. Arrival

My eyelids felt heavy as I slowly woke up from the shake on my shoulder, I looked over and saw a girl about my age sitting next to me, smiling and blushing slightly. I gave her a curious look, still not fully understanding why she woke me up until she pointed at the switched on seat belt sign. This is it I thought, Texas here I come.

I smiled gratefully at the girl and put on my seatbelt and looked out the small round window, seeing the sky slowly fading away as we started going down. I closed my eyes and started making a list of reasons why I still shouldn't estrange my dad.

Wow it was hot, I come from California The Land of Sunshine and this coming from me must mean something. I got out the airport after picking up my 6 bags of luggage, dad always use to tease me even at the age of 7 about never being a light traveler just like my mother, and she would always retort back with 'Yeah which is why we always look better then you.' I smiled at the distant memory and shook myself out of it as I saw a man approaching me with my name on the sign he was holding in front of him. I was quiet shocked because I was expecting as soon as he opened his mouth i'd be hearing a bunch of 'Yee Haws' or 'Howdy Partner' but this guy had a thick British accent and sounded like he was from England!

'Master Carlson, I have been hired by your father to be your driver for the rest of the school semester at The Mount. Master Carlson has informed me that you should still have a driver as-well as having a car just incase. My name is Edward Benedict and I'm originally from Britain. I shall drive you around every weekend whenever you need me since I have been informed that is the only time you are aloud to leave the school premises. I hope my services will be satisfactory throughout your stay and I'm available 24 hours a day incase of emergencies so you can put your mind at ease about that. I hope you enjoy Texas and I would suggest I should first give you a tour around the town so you get familiar with it before heading off to school.

Woah that was one long ass speech and it took me a minute to digest it. I smiled at him and took some of my luggage from him.

'Firstly Edward, by the way can I call you Eddie?' He kind of arched his eyebrow at that before smiling and nodding his head. 'Eddie if you are going to be driving me around every weekend in this place then you gotta stop calling me Master. It's too formal and frankly it just freaks me out. So call me Nate from now on. And secondly I don't think taking a tour right now is such a great idea, i'm having major jet lag and just want to go to this school and get it over and done with. And lastly I hope we become friends, not driver and boss's kid.'

He gave a soft chuckle and patted me on the back in a parental way which got a big smile out of me. Eddie seemed cool and he sounds like he knows this place which was good so I wont be totally lost.

We walked to the car in the parking lot as he started talking about how he ended up in Texas. Apparently he came here for a girl he fell in love with who had been visiting England with a school at the time. She was 16, he was 18 and fresh out of high school. After she left to Texas he decided England just wasn't the same anymore without her and broke the news to his parents. He then came to texas and 2 years of going out they got married and now have 3 lovely kids. He graduated from a community college and became a driver since it payed well and he liked meeting new people, which was interesting for him since all of them were different from eachother. Yeah he was cool for sure and i was taking a liking to him almost immediatly, i was the rich boy who knew all the lifestories of his workers and was closer to them than my own best friend.

He gave me some info on the school. Founded in 1989 and known as the American/British style school in Dallas. It was located slightly outside the city and was only 20 minutes awat vt car. Their was a new principle of the school that came from England and introduced a new set of rules to the School. It was an all boys school and had many facilities, best of all it has its own swim team! He also mentioned that I'd probably like it allot since it was also known as a school which possessed its own special feature that not many people were aware of. I asked what he meant and he just smiled and said, 'You'll find out soon enough.'

We reached the car, a very nice black Jag and Eddie rushed to open my door which I rolled my eyes at and gave him a 'what did we just talk about' look. He smiled apologetically and closed the door and went to the drivers seat, Yeah this might not be so bad after all. As we drove by I leaned my head against the window staring out at the scenery. Their werent much cars or houses as we drove through different ways away from the town since this school was located outside of town and in a secluded place. It seemed nice, all green and fresh air not like California at all with the city lights and starbucks at each road.

We came to a halt after a whole hour of driving in silence. I looked out the window and saw we had stopped in front of a big building which was now my new school for the next 2 years. It was big to say the least. It had a kind of Victorian style architect to it and was covered in all these reddish green leaves making it look ancient. I got out and helped Eddie out with the suitcases which he was quiet reluctant about. I took them from his steel grip and rolled at my eyes at his almost sulking look, as if I was taking away one of his pleasures of life, Weird dude.

We shook hands as we entered the school and we exchanged phone numbers. He wished me good luck and left and I slowly walked up the stairs dragging my suitcases with me, it's a miracle I didn't break a leg while pulling them up. I reached the first floor and noticed how stranded this place was. Their were no students around like back in my High School which would have been so crowded it ended in a couple of guys being slapped silly by girls for touching them inappropriately.

I started walking down the long almost castle like hallway, looking at the big paintings on the walls that you would find in Palaces or Museums.

I reached a door which had 'Main Office, Jennifer' written on the door and knocked on it.

'Come in' called out a female voice. I opened the door and saw a small lady with fiery red hair in tight curls on the top of her head with reading glasses held on her nose as she wrote something down in her notebook. She saw me and gasped and quickly checked her watch shrieking slightly.

'Oh dear I lost track of the time completely! You must be Nathan the new exchange student. Welcome to Mount, I would give you a full tour but we're late as it is so come on scoot along we must hurry, I hope the principle isn't upset for us being late.'

She told me to leave my stuff in the office and she started rushing out the door not even checking behind her if I was following her. We walked down the long carpeted hallway till we reached what looked like a big cafeteria on one end and a stage for plays on the other. The room was filled with a bunch of students and some teachers looking bored but still all of them were staring up at the stage. Their was a man up on the stage, giving a long talk about rules and uniform policies and shit like that. He spoke in a similar accent like Eddie and he wore a bow-tie. He saw me and motioned me over and I kind of froze as all eyes suddenly were on me. Jennifer nudged me to go up and I did, I swallowed and tried to hide my nervousness and tried to confidently walked up to the stage and got up the stairs. He pointed at a chair for me to sit down on as he carried on with his speech. I felt quiet weird as I sat on the stage next to the principle as he talked.

He suddenly stated my name and I got up still feeling several eyes on me. He started off with introducing me to the rest of the School.

'Now boys, moving on from the serious topics, I'd like to introduce Nathaniel Carlson...' I whispered Nate to him and he smiled at me, 'I apologies I meant Nate Carlson and Nate i'm your principle James Browning. Nate is our new exchange student and i'd like you all to make him feel at home and to help him out get familiar with the school and its rules. He's come all the way from California and i'm sure you'll all get along. Nate anything you'd like to say?'

I looked back at him and smiled and looked out at the students 'Hi its good to be here. Thanks' I gave them my best smile and a few giggles came out the audience. I sat back down on the chair and cursed myself at the stupid little speech I made. Oh, well stealth is cool too I guess.

The feeling of being stared at just wouldn't pass away so I finally let my eyes roam around the students sitting down below. Their were many different groups of boys. It seemed like one was the popular kids sitting in one section. Their was one cute boy who seemed around my age with big green eyes covered with his black side bangs and a set of nice pouty lips. Wow he was gorgeous I thought to myself He smiled as he caught me checking him out and the big jock sitting next to him wrapped a protective arm around him and his face turned into a snarl as he stared at me. A set of other jocks sat next to them and all looked at me suspiciously as if trying to decide if I'm cool enough for them. I rolled my eyes at that and continued my roaming. A group of blond cute boys sat in the middle section, all whispering and giggling to each-other while looking me head to toe. One of them whispered something and all 4 of them suddenly stared at my crotch area and then nodded to each-other smiling. I felt a slight blush come up to my ears but fought it down. I looked around and spotted another group which consisted of 5 emo boys, they seemed to all be just looking at me indifferently but one seemed to lean forward as if trying to get a better look at me. He had the most deepest set of brown eyes with some eyeliner on the bottom which really brought it out. And dark blue hair that he held in a plait above his head. He winked at me and nodded his head as if saying hello. I nodded back and smiled as i experienced a sudden reality check ; Am i actually starting to.... like this place?