Gargoyle Saga: In The Beginning

Chapter Eighteen

By half five that evening as the sun's rays were waning, the five of us got up feeling refreshed and ready for the field trip, though it took me a long time to drag myself out of bed. I really did hate getting up.

"Come on girl!" Grace urged. "We don't want to be late for breakfast."

I still found the concept weird. "Breakfast in the evening." My stomach grumbled. "Guess I'd be hungry for anything right about now."

Perri grabbed my duvet and pulled it back. "Get up lazy sod!" she laughed. "After breakfast, we only have an hour or so free time and then we're going straight over there."

"I had a thought last night. Do we wear uniform or normal clothes?" Fraya asked, picking up her uniform and looking at it in disgust. "I have loads of clothes picked out, but I didn't know if we are meant to be wearing our uniform?" She stood back and stared at her bed again, with clothes placed in neat piles.

"I swear we're too old for uniform," Sophie yawned. "We were A level, students! We're supposed to be treated like adults."

Grace snorted and grabbing a towel and washing bag made for the door. 'Yeah well we're first years and as gargoyles can live up to a long time; we are like two-years-old to them. And as far as I'm aware, Fraya hunny, we're wearing normal clothes. So put the icky clothes away."

"Yes! Thank you!" Fraya jumped with joy and put her uniform away.

"I don't mind them," I piped up. "Kinda remind me of the posh private school outfits." Perri and Sophie seemed to silently agree with me but the others didn't and before I knew it, we'd all left for the cafeteria in our pyjama's and robes, which I found odd. No one got dressed properly for breakfast, apart from a handful which had already showered before anyone even contemplated getting out of bed. Those people were weird.

Breakfast today consisted of toast or cereal with milk that was concentrated in moonbeams which apparently gave you a magical boost. Though to be honest, the milk tasted gone off and I ended up leaving the cereal until last and having only a single slice of toast and another pot of Earl Gray. "Ick." I shuddered with each mouthful of the cereal. "Who gives us this magical food?" I asked the girls as we sat together at a small round table by the west wall. 'I'm not happy this morning, I mean... the food is not good. I thought it would taste nice today."

"The headmaster is in charge," Fraya replied. "And it's a well-known fact that things which are good for you taste nasty." She wasn't a morning person. It took Fraya a few hours to energise.

"She's got a point," Sophie nodded with a grim expression. She was eating toast and simple blackcurrant jam with unicorn horn shavings. "What I wouldn't give for strawberry jam."

"Chocolate spread is better," Grace argued. "But I wouldn't spread it on toast. I'd just eat it out of the jar with a spoon."

'Here here.' Perri and I said together.

Von came into the coffee smelling cafeteria a few minutes later and after getting his food made his way towards our table. "Morning girls," he nodded. "Verity."

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company big brother?"

The girls giggled.

"Just checking to see if you are ready to go," he took a mouthful of cereal and even his mouth downed down in disgust. Pushing it aside sipped his coffee. "Wow, bad cereal."

"Isn't it?" I agreed. "Well, we have an hour after breakfast and I have a few things to do. But yes I will be ready in time. It's not like the buses are going without us."

He nodded then said, "True, they won't, but the guys at the T.A.T headquarters are always busy. They'd mind if we turned up late. Leaving early makes a good impression. Besides, I think you take a certain book out of the library."