This is an original story, very loosely inspired by the Anime: Strawberry Panic. I wanted to do it a little more modern but keep some of the heart in it, and add in my warped mind. Enjoy.
Chapter One: New surroundings
On the outskirts of the sprawling City of Kilperton, stood the large expanse of the all girl school called Haven School for girls. From it's bush and ivy covered brick wall that surrounded it, to the older styles of every building, it oozed with the rich history of the school that was already far into the second century of use.
The tall spiral of the church at the center of the campus stood like a monument to God's power, while the dorms and education buildings surrounded the hundred year old plus building like sentries. Haven was one of the most prestigious of all the private schools in the whole country.
The sun beat down it's heat, as the campus stood in the late August swelter. Girls of all ages and sizes were mulling around in the brick courtyard that surrounded the very large St. Callahan Cathedral. Each were dressed in a knee length grey pleated skirt and starched white shirt and socks, with a almost wine colored maroon crossed kerchief was the final touch to the ensemble.
These were the girl's that went to Haven. They were all the elite's daughters of senators, movie stars and the wealthy. The campus and surrounding grounds showed not only the wealth that went here, but tradition that went along with it.
Through the mulling sea of grey and white, a small dot of bright blue was seen weaving through the crowd, dodging and weaving to miss other girls that stood around talking. It was a young girl that was parting her way through the jam of girls.
The girl had a few near misses, but she seemed to be trying to get towards a older building that was the only other structure directly beside the Cathedral. By her tenaciousness she raced with, she was nearing her seeming goal.
She was a very short girl of perhaps fourteen or possibly even fifteen, who had waist long blond locks that were tied back with a cloth elastic. She raced full tilt, a leather briefcase swung wildly in one hand and a suitcase was laboriously carried in the other. She did not stop for anything, causing shrieks and a few undignified and unladylike swears to come up from the many girl's she so narrowly missed knocking off of their feet. in her haste, she still tried to mutter out an apology.
The small slip of a girl seemed to be in a state of pure panic, as she raced across the brick courtyard, her patented leather shoes pounding the stones hard as she flew like the wind across the courtyard..
" I am late... I'm so late!!" She constantly mumbled to herself as she raced onwards.
The girl got to the steps of the smaller building it seemed like she sot and flew into the propped open door, still muttering wildly to herself, as she took the three steps up with one impressive leap.
The girl suddenly slammed into something or someone as she crossed the threshold into the building. She gasped, as the thing was much larger than her, and she hit rather hard against it.
Whatever it was, she found herself crashing to the floor overtop of the object. She screamed as she found herself crashing hard on to the highly waxed wooden floor, a small swear emanated from her lips as she realized that her bags had gone flying too.
Dazed, the blond girl sat up on the floor, gasping hard from the hard impact she just took.
" What did I hit?" She groaned, rubbing her head where she had hit on the grey linoleum.
" What is the meaning of this? Who is running on my campus like a wild ape on the loose??" Said a very stern sounding woman's voice.
The girl looked over and saw a very tall woman in a dark black dress was the thing she had ran herself into . She gulped at the lady's sight, somehow sensing she had just one whopper of something... and it was not good.
" Uh, I am so sorry!" The girl stammered, feeling embarrassed and flustered with her actions
The woman got to her feet with great grace, muttering to herself as she did. Up on her feet once more, the lady stood there with arms crossed looking down at the girl who was still flat on her backside on the ground. The blonde locked girl gasped, as she looked upwards at the person that was there.
The woman had to be well over six feet tall with a very prominent nose and a long almost triangular face. With her dark hair pulled back tightly into a bun and the half glasses that hung on a chain around her neck, the young girl felt a little sense of fear. This woman had the steely eyes of a hawk looking for prey, and they were piercing right at her.
The woman looked down at the small girl who was probably barely five feet tall, as she got to her feet, stammering another apology.
" You know that it is not womanly to be racing around like that on Haven school grounds." She said with a coldness.
" I know, but I was late..." The girl stammered. " I am suppose to meet with the Head Mistress Miss. Fincher to register for classes here."
The woman looked right into the girl's face.
" Register here?" The woman asked, her sternness only softening with more of a questioning gaze.
" Yes, Ma'am." The girl said, still stammering out her response. " My parents have called ahead, for they had to go out of the country for a year or more doing a movie... I am suppose to be going here during that time, and stay after that."
The woman seemed to snuff loudly and straighten herself to her full stature, and stared at the girl.
" You are then Lori Brentwall?" She asked calmly.
" Yes, I am.." Replied the girl, shocked to hear her name come out of the woman's mouth. " I am meeting with a Miss. Fincher."
" You are Ms. Brentwall, I am Miss Fincher." She said.
Lori felt her stomach twist, as she realized that she had knocked down the head of the school. She had only been her for a few minutes, and she already had made an impression... although not a very good one. She grinned sheepishly, hoping she could laugh her way out of this awkwardness.
" I.. uh... found you then..." She said with a giggle, trying to lighten the tension that had built up.
The woman did not even crack a smile with the girl's attempt ay levity, she only glared at the girl with those very intimidating dark eyes.
With her humor shot down like a duck in hunting season, she felt the pang of uneasiness in her chest.
" Now then..." Miss Fincher said, her voice stiff and all business. " If you can refrain from bowling more people over, you can just follow me back to my office and we will register you.."
" Yes, Ma'am." Lori said, feeling the domination that oozed out of the much taller woman.
" It is Head Mistress to you, Ms. Brentwall." The woman corrected with great curtness. " You shall address me as such, and nothing else while you are going to Haven School for Girls."
Lori just nodded meekly, as the woman walked off towards a long hallway that was off of the entrance way. The girl followed, knowing that first impressions of her were now shot all to hell.
After a hour in the woman's office, going over papers that Lori's parents had sent with her and over the rules of the School with exacting precision, especially the one about running anywhere in the schools grounds. She was given a rule book, that seemed like the thickness of a dictionary, as the talk was finally winding down.
The head mistress sat back in her plush leather chair and glanced over at the small girl while on the phone. Lori did not listen to what the lady was saying on the phone, she did not want to do any thing else wrong. Getting off on the right foot has just made her instead trip over the cracks.
The woman hung up the phone and regarded the girl again.
" You are now registered in, Ms. Brentwall." The woman said, a forced tinge of warmth on her speech. " I have sent for a senior class girl to show you to your dorm you will be assigned, and also make arrangements for your school uniform fitting." She snuffed. " We only accept you wearing our uniform, even in public... yet you will be permitted to wear regular clothes out on occasion."
Miss. Fincher went silent, as they waited for the Senior girl's arrival. Lori just felt out of place with all the rules and things with this school. It was old fashioned, not like her last school. This was different though... she had never stayed at school before.
She felt her heart sink, wanting to be back at home with her parents, and going to her old school. That was not going to happen any time soon, and she knew it. Her father had said this was a chance of a lifetime, now that they had money to send her there. She had to obey her father, but she did not have to like it.
Minutes later, a knock came at the oak door. It was a soft knock, almost overly polite in it's way. The woman called out for whoever it was to enter the room, her voce strong and still flat.
A tall dark haired girl stepped in and give a very stuffy curtsy to Miss. Fincher. The girl, dressed in the school's outfit was taller than the short Lori, and looked a little older too.
" You called for me, Had Mistress?" She asked, with a bow of her head as she folded her hands in front of her in almost a very practiced motion.
" Tasha, this is Lori Brentwall... she is a new student here at the school." The woman announced, her tone flat. " She will be in the tenth grade dorms this year... please escort her to get her uniform fitted and have her fitted for the other wardrobe too, then over to the tenth dorms... she will be in 10-41c with Allison Cramer."
Tasha curtsied again, and bowed her head.
" I will, Head Mistress." She said, her voice low and almost subservient. She looked at Lori and bowed. " Welcome to Haven, Lori."
" Go with her, Lori.. Hoping that we don't ever 'meet ' quite like we did ever again." She said, her voice strong and commanding.
The girl motioned for Lori to follow her, opening the door. Lori said nothing but followed, leaving the intimidating woman's office. She could still swear that she could feel the ladies piercing eyes as she left the room.