Struggles Twofold Recollecting of Old Jenn wandered around the academy grounds, not really sure where she was going, just needing to get away from everything. So much had happened in the past couple of days and she was beginning to find her head was spinning out of control. Kim, Kris, May, Kima and all the others; everything was getting confusing to a point that her heart could no longer handle it all. As she roamed the grounds she found herself forgetting her worries for the strange wonders that surrounded her. Everything had a familiar feel to it and she found herself piecing together bits of what she could remember. It was astonishing how much the school reminded her of the one from the past, and yet at the same time was so new to her. After a time she found herself in the Eastern end of the grounds and stopped to stare up at the building before her, appeared to be exactly like her old school, the one from her dreams, there was no doubting it. This was the school she had attended for as long as she could remember. The special academy that she had grown so proud to be part of, even the girls inside the school wore the same uniforms bearing the same crest she so happily wore upon her own chest, but for some reason before the crest was never clear and not it was vivid as a reflection in the still waters of a shallow pond. It was a simple design, a shield with a tree taking up the middle and a bird, a raven she thought, in the left hand corner and a book in the other. As she gazed up at the structure her eyes moved to her left, at the west wing and shook her head. Nothing about of that wing seemed to have an ounce of familiarity to it and yet it held such uniqueness to it that she felt she should have remembered the building. The way the ivy crawled up the walls intrigued her, why none of the vines touched the East wing was a curious think indeed and she found herself searching for any trace of the vines reaching the East Wing as she circled around the building. She rounded another corner, still in search for vines, to be startled by the sound of someone calling out to you from one of the windows overhead. "Jennifer?" A puzzled voice called out. Jenn glanced around to see Cherilyn leaning out of one of the first floor windows, "Cherilyn?" She gave the girl an equally puzzled expression, "You're here too?" She inquired curiously. "You don't remember?" Cherilyn asked, feeling slightly disappoint that her friend had forgotten her. "I've been here longer than Tanya or you. We met the other year. Don't you remember anything?" Jenn rubbed her head, "I'm sorry..." She apologized, "My mind is still a little fuzzy." "Understandable." Cherilyn claimed, "What are you doing around this area? I hear you are a West Winger now." She noted leerily. "I..." Jenn ran a hand through her hair nervously, "I don't know..." She scanned her surrounding appearing lost. "Listen," Cherilyn said, "I have a spare this period so why don't we catch up on things? Unless you want to be alone." Jenn shrugged, "Sure." She was not really sure what she wanted, but being with someone sounded like a better idea than being alone with her own thoughts. "One sec." Cherilyn disappeared back into the class. Jenn walked up to the window and peered inside to see her old Clubroom, "It's still here?" She said baffled to see the sofa and recliners just the way she remembered them. A couple of girls were studying at the table and glanced up to see who was peeking in was them. Cherilyn gave Jenn a smile, "Tanya and I have tried to keep things the same way you left them." She said shyly, "We are not you and Kris so could never bring in as many members as you did, but we try to keep it a welcome place." "You and Tanya?" Jenn asked, "Where was Kris?" She added to the inquiry. "Looking for you." Cherilyn explained while packing a few books into her backpack, "Wasn't she with you all this time?" She asked confused. Jenn lowered her head, "I guess she was..." She closed her eyes, "Then again... so were you and Tanya so... I'm a little confused by everything." She admitted. "Cherilyn, who is the cute girl?" One of the girls at the table asked, watching Jenn dreamily over her textbook. Cherilyn glanced at the girl in surprise, "You don't know... oh that is right it has been a while." She stood up and gestured towards Jenn, "Girls, I'd like you to meet the founder and head of the Hen club, Jennifer North. Originally one of the East Wing's two Princes until she was whisked away to the Western Wingers on us." "I'm not that special." Jenn protested, "I didn't do anything that important." "I disagree." One of the girls exclaimed, "If the Hen club wasn't created than I would feel so alone here. The West Wing seems to be the only place that accepts girls like us and by that point people think you are insane beyond belief." The girl blushed, "Not saying that you are Miss. North." "Please, just call me Jenn." Jenn smiled at the girl, "I'm glad the club helped." "More than you would believe." Cherilyn admitted as she approached the window, "If you had not created the club then I would never have met you, Kris or Tanya." "Oh..." Jenn backed away from the window as Cherilyn stepped on the windowsill. "Girls," Cherilyn said to the other club members, "I'll talk to you later." She jumped out of the window to join Jenn. The girls inside shouted their good byes to both Jenn and Cherilyn as they walked away from the school. "So what brought you to the East Wing?" Cherilyn asked curiously as she hauled her backpack over her shoulder, "It is not everyday we get a West Winger over here." "Why do you keep referring to me like that?" Jenn asked tensely, "I'm no different than before." "Sorry." Cherilyn apologized, "After a few years you get used to referring to people from the West Wing like that simply because it is so rare to see those girls at this end of the school." "Why is that?" Jenn asked glancing over her shoulder at the West Wing, "They are no different than everyone else, are they?" Cherilyn flopped down on a nearby bench, "That depends." She thought to herself, "Some of the girls in the East Wing find the West Wing girls creepy in an unexplainable way." "And you?" Jenn asked worriedly. Cherilyn let out a sigh then gazed at the West Wing and back to Jenn, "I don't think the girls are creepy but that building..." She shivered. Jenn glanced down at her friend, "It is nothing special." She admitted, "Just old looking on the outside. Haven't you ever gone inside the West Dorms?" "No." Cherilyn exclaimed nervously, "I've never had any friends from those dorms." "And now?" Jenn asked, raising an eyebrow curiously, "Would you not visit me or Kris?" Cherilyn thought about this question carefully, "I don't know." She replied, "Enough about me. What is up with you? You seemed deep in thought when I saw you." Jenn finally sat upon the bench, "I don't know." She thought about the insanity of that day and shook her head, "Have things around here always been so... weird... around here?" She asked shyly, feeling embarrassed that she didn't remember much about the school. "Weird?" Cherilyn cocked her head sideways, "In what way?" "Strange..." Jenn tried to think of how to explain things without sounding like she was going crazy, "Like this whole thing about the school being split into two parts and what have you." "Well... the only thing I really find weird around here is that forest." Cherilyn nodded towards the Western Woods, "Something about that place is even scarier then the West Wings." Jenn followed the girl's gaze, "What is in there?" She asked, feeling a darkness permeate from the forest that made her quickly turn away, "We were told not to go near there by the Head Mistresses, but what is so special about it?" "I have no idea." Cherilyn confessed sheepishly, "I've never gone close enough to find out." "Hmmm..." Jenn the thought of the forest being out of bounds made her more curious. "Don't think about it." Cherilyn warned. "Huh?" Jenn glanced up to face her friend. "I remember you had a curious streak." Cherilyn eyed the girl closely, "I'm telling you that that place is nothing but bad news. Please don't go near there." She pleaded. "I promise." Jenn agreed, "Say, where is Tanya? I haven't seen her since I arrived." Cherilyn's face grew long; "She has not come out of her room since she returned." She stated sadly. "She hasn't?" Jenn said in shock, "Why not?" "She was upset by your moving." Cherilyn explained with a sigh, "I tried to comfort her but she refused to talk to me and locked herself in her room." "Can you take me to her?" Jenn asked, standing up. "I guess," Cherilyn seemed leery of the idea, "I don't know how the dorm’s head will handle a West Winger on the grounds." She said worriedly. "You say that I used to be an East Winger so there should be no problem." Jenn stated boldly, "Anyway, maybe I'll remember more if I see my old room." She started towards the dorms without waiting for further delays. "If you insist." Cherilyn fixed her backpack on her shoulder and followed her friend. ***** To be Continued...
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