As melancholy as it sounds, I'm coming to the conclusion that it is now one day before September 2020. The day I never expected has come. We're moving to another high school. And by we, I mean me, Park Lian, and my best friend Morven Armstrong. We've been friends for 6 years and we are almost 13...it's a little overwhelming for me and her because we aren't just moving to any other high school, we're going to Boarding school. Boarding school! I mean seriously, just because our dad's are wealthy business partners it doesn't mean we have to go to stuck up boarding school and learn how to become women! Why can't we go back to high school in London like everyone else!
Me and Morven want to become great detectives like Sherlock Holmes - our favour book and TV series - Still the famous show in 2020. The person who acted Sherlock Holmes? Don't get us started! We're DYING to meet him! So why should we go to Boarding school? They don't teach you to become detectives there! My grandma - Jenny - says it's just being nosy and sticking your nose in other people's businesses, but really, me and Morven think it's saving people's lives. Like how you walk an old man across the road. That's saving right?!
"Oh Lian, my packing is done!" Shouted Morven from her window across the street. Morven lives right opposite me and trust me, she is loud.
"That's great Morven, I'm done too! I was going to ask, do you want to go to Starbucks to shed some tears?" I shouted back hoping she'd say yes.
"Sure! I'd love to make a pool of tears! It would make a great tear Frappuccino!" She replied making me laugh.
"I'll be there in ten!" I said hurrying for my money and phone, rushing down the stairs and putting on my coat.
"Hey Lian, be careful. Come home safely okay? And don't be late!" My dad shouted to me in Korean. You see, my dad is Korean so I speak like him too.
"Yup, I know dad," I warmly smiled but he was on his phone next to the computer, typing and ignoring me. "Bye?" I said, and just like that, in the blink of an eye, he smiled and turned away as fast as lightning. Seriously, don't act like you care if you're not going to bother finish talking to me...
We were dressed because we were to go to boarding school at 4 o'clock, unpack our things and start school during this week.
Me and Morven were just drinking when our primary school bully, Eleri Maxton and her girl gang came. They're probably around her just because she's so popular. Ugh. That girl never grows up! It's like she's so attached to us that she'll find every way to torment our lives.
"Well, well, the two boarding nerds finally decided to show up."
We rolled our eyes in annoyance, does she never get bored of always picking on us?
"What do you want Eleri," Morven said irritated.
"Nothing much, just came to...tip my drink on you!" Eleri cackled as the water flowed down our heads to our faces.
We were wet. Dripping wet. It soaked through making us shiver of coldness. It wasn't just her doing it, but the whole group we're filling us with buckets of water each. People were laughing. One by one. Is seriously nobody going to stand up for us? Moving our hair from our faces, I looked at Morven and smirked. She smirked back. If no one was going to teach her a lesson, then it's our turn to do so. And this time, cool girl Eleri will be wet dripping with our Frappuccino (disguised as sweet, fast acting ipecac syrup, you might be wondering why we have that...well, in case of emergencies like this!) so she can throw up on everyone and make a fool of herself! This will make cool girl Eleri, barf girl Eleri!
Morven grabbed her Ipecac syrup and threw it all over Eleri and so did I. Eleri was a mess. Her shirt was now brown and that gave me and idea... I'll make her look like she'd forgotten to go to the toilet. She was turning around looking at her friends in shock at what's on her shirt. This is my chance. I tipped it all over her behind and low it looked...hilarious. The workers were just looking and watching in horror at what's happening but looks like they couldn't help but laugh too. She started jumping around and looking at us in terror. She was about to come and probably pull my hair but fortunately for me, she threw up, not on me, but on one of the workers who were probably coming to kick us out. And that meant she was in BIG trouble, none the less us. I closed Morven's ears as she shut her eyes so she didn't have to hear anything. But poor me did, I only had my eyes closed.
Waddling, we were walking home freezing cold. We and Eleri's group had just been kicked out of Starbucks for making water and barf mess...at least mine and Morven's sudden plan worked. It's worth it. We taught Eleri a lesson! Never throw water at someone in a public place unless you want a mouth full of Ipecac syrup!
I slipped into nice comfy clothes that suit my black wavy hair and brown shiny eyes, meanwhile Morven slipped on something comfy and stylish to match her brown short curly hair and brown eyes. It was time to go to boarding school. The only thing that I'm grateful about is that we're together. Luckily, we're also allowed our phones in boarding school.
The uniform is really unattractive, what kind of uniform has a horse logo circled by a red feather? Hideous piece of trash. We had a pinafore and that was the only part of the uniform without the logo. The PE kit we had was a black baggy jumper - it obviously had to have the dumb logo - and simple leggings for the physical moving I guess. Everything was black. I didn't mind though, however the only light things were the white t-shirt and the light grey pinafore.
We stacked our suitcases in the back of Morven's dad's car. He offered to take us because my dad is busy. My mum...well, she isn't with us anymore. She died on my 7th birthday, since then, I've never really had time with my dad. It kind if didn't make a difference that I was leaving. In the house, it's always quiet and lonely. Lonely until I visit my grandma on the weekend of course.
Anyway, we said our last joyless goodbyes and ended up crying since we won't see our family for a while. Who's going to make me the best food. I'm leaving my Grandma you know!
I turned to look at my house door, where my dad was standing. We were just staring at each other until I broke the silence like I always do.
"Bye dad?" I waved awkwardly at him. Though, he waved eagerly at me and then opened his mouth to say something, and as usual, his phone rang. Instead he mouthed me 'I love you' and answered his phone. Are you serious? Your daughter is leaving you until god knows when and all you care about is a stupid phone call? Even though I said that it wouldn't make a difference that I was leaving, it didn't mean that it doesn't hurt.
I was vexed, really vexed. I watched him turn his back at me and kick the grass as he had one hand in his pocket and the other holding the phone while he talked. Obviously, this wasn't the first time he'd done something like this. It doesn't even feel like I've got a dad! Whenever I get the chance to say something, even a word, we're ALWAYS interrupted. I sigh heavily and get into the car next to Morven making sure that I stuck a very fake smile on my face. She's smart enough to tell though...
"I hope we will survive boarding school," Morven said exasperated.
"Yeah, I hope so too, but won't that be hard? I mean you never know, they could be really strict there," I questioned as I looked out of the window at my dad.
"Don't worry girlies," said Morven's dad. "You'll be fine. Just a boarding school, not gonna hurt you." He continued in his Scottish accent.
"Mhm, not gonna hurt me but will hurt my brain," she frustratingly told him.
"What's the point of going to boarding school? We intent to be detectives. They won't teach us or even give us the opportunity to even think about making one." I told him pleadingly like there was time to turn back.
"Yes dad, Lian's right. They're just so...ladylike," Morven said in a disgusted tone.
"Well you are ladies aren't you?" Mr Armstrong exclaimed making me and Morven snort with laughter, "what?" Morven's dad asked in confusion. "You are aren't you?" He said, "aren't you aye?" He was saying looking back at us in the car and laughing with us for no reason. He was so confused making us DIE of laughter now.
"No dad," Morven managed to say between giggles, "we are not 'ladylike'. We are ladies but not to the extreme level where we have to literally worship ourselves."
"Ah don't worry girls, it's a boy and girl school, they make sure you know your manners and learn. It's definitely nothing like the 1980s," Mr Armstrong explained as me and Morven sat back reassured. "Me and Lian's father know what we're doing."
"But dad, we could've just stayed at our high school!" Morven moaned pique. "Mum didn't approve of going to boarding school anyway!"
"Oh fiddlesticks! Your high school is just garbage," argued Mr Armstrong, "students swearing, bullying, no manners! Plus, it's better to have a nice learning environment."
"So was that the only reason we're moving? Just because of bad manners?" I asked making sure I was still at a polite level.
"Well, yes, but we also want you two to become more independent and not have to rely on us all the time. You have a future to build."
Yeah right, because I TOTALLY rely on my dad. Pfft. I kind of wish I could argue with my dad, I don't even know what that feels like!
"Yes and we know what we want to be," I answered back.
"What?"
"Detectives!" Morven and I shouted at the same time giving our response a greater impact.
"Huh?" Mr Armstrong snorted with laughter. "You? Both? Do you even know what it's like?" He continued. "Girls shouldn't be detectives either anyway, they should become something that makes sense like a doctor or...perhaps a dentist," Morven's dad finished making me angry. What?! Why can't a girl be a detective?
"Dad, we are good at it! At least we will be! Girls should get the privilege to do whatever they want! Not just men, if that's what you're implying. It's not like they know more than us anyway," Morven cried slumping back on the car seat. Seemed like I wasn't the only one angry.
"I bet you two can't even solve one case," Morven's dad joked, not making us laugh at all.
"Mr Armstrong...I'm pretty sure we can solve more than you would ever. We will stick to our plan! Me and Morven will become detective partners no matter what," I concluded determined.
"Oh well, you'll probably change your minds later...I'm just glad I got you out of that horribly revolting school, hmph!" He told us shaking of disgust.
"Oh yeah, dad...why do you just care about manners? We could've ignored that and worked hard. I mean we have manners, don't we?" Morven spoke remembering that we could have left what was happening and moved on with our lives...
"Girls! I won't say this again! That school you will go to and learn better. Plus you won't have to deal with that bully of yours...Eleri isn't it?" He mentioned making us confused as to how he knew.
"Wait," I began baffled. "How do you know? Since when did you become Sherlock Holmes?" I finished as Morven nodded in agreement.
"I saw what happened at Starbucks alright. I just happens to be walking past as you two waddled out of the place like penguins, I heard she picks on you either way, who has to go in and pay the bill aye ladies?" He declared looking at us while driving on an empty road.
We looked down in embarrassment as he began again, "I have to say though, good comeback girls," he winked at us as we giggled relieved, "just don't tell Mr Park I said that Lian." He whispered to me making me chuckle.
A while later, Mr Armstrong finally said something again. "Seems like we're close to the school now. According to the navigator." Me and Morven eyed each other nervous. "Don't worry, you'll be fine, nothing bad is ought to happen anyway, as long as you're together."
"I hope not," Morven looked at me.
"Me too"
So far, Mr Armstrong was driving on a rather empty road which had a wide filed circling it. "Why is this school so far away?" I wondered. The view did look nice though, the sun was setting down and it was giving good vibes, especially on the mood I was in from anxiousness. Something was just eerie about it all though...my heart was telling me that something was going to happen, here, at this school. Something that will have to make us team up to think. I hope it's nothing too serious. I hope we will be fine...