Dreamstone

School

Deepdene was nothing like Redstone. Not that I expected it to be. I mean, just looking at the Deepdene party at the museum, before my world fell apart, you could see that we came from two very different worlds. But being there, being part of it, was still a shock, and as we got out of the car, I could hardly believe my eyes. For a start, it was quite small, just a big old house in the middle of the countryside, which made it feel like a very different sort of place. Redstone was simply huge, with over fifteen hundred pupils, plus staff, a four-storey main building and lots of add-ons. When everyone was streaming in, it was always complete chaos with hundreds of cars, coaches, people on bikes and pupils on foot all coming together, but Deepdene was much less hectic, and much more organised. No one had walked, so it was just cars and the odd coach sweeping up the wide gravel driveway and dropping off. And everyone looked exactly the same. At Redstone, the uniform was not exactly strict, and we could wear our own coats or even hoodies on top of it when it was cold, but at Deepdene the opposite was clearly true. It was a cold, damp day, so everyone was wearing coats, the exact same coats as we were wearing along with the hats, with white socks peeping out below, and very similar shoes. And I do mean everyone, big girls and then really little ones, because Deepdene took pupils between three and eighteen, according to the sign at the top of the drive.

"You two go and play...I am going to take Catherine to see Miss Walker," Caroline said to the twins, grabbing my hand as soon as she had locked the car. I was still looking around, and taking it all in, getting my bearings.

"Ok, Mummy...see you later, Catherine." The twins said, both giving me another hug.

"Don't look so worried, little one...I want to talk to Miss Walker to explain about yesterday and get you off the hook, ok?" She grinned, taking over the hand squeezing. She bent down, to be on my level, looking concerned, using her other hand to fuss with my hair. "I also want to get her to keep a special eye on you...because you are really not firing on all cylinders...but that is nothing for you to worry about, darling."

"Sorry I am being so much trouble, Mummy." I murmured, as we started to walk. It was all I could say, really. I was causing her a lot of trouble, and I could not tell her why. And she was being nice to me. She had held me all night, always awake when I was, which I was incredibly grateful for. I was, quite understandably, freaked out about the Dreamstone, and yet, she had managed to make me feel better, without having a clue why I was playing up.

"You're not...you've been really good since last night...but it is my job to take care of you and I just want Miss Walker to understand that you are a bit...dreamy...today. It's probably nothing at all...you just carry on being a good little girl and everything will be fine."

"I will Mummy...I promise." I assured her, and she almost purred at my response, her hand tight around mine. I was beginning to understand that Caroline and Catherine had not had an easy relationship, although I was getting very little information about it from inner Cate. But my respectful attitude towards her, since taking over Cate's body, seemed to have melted any ice on her side. Every time that I called her Mummy, she seemed to be pleased, or even relieved about it, and it was no skin off my nose if it made things easier for me. It just felt right, for some reason, and the words came naturally to me.

"Good...ah, good morning Miss Walker...could I have a quick word, please?" She said as we turned a corner, where Miss Walker was standing in front of a fenced area, shepherding the girls I had met at the museum through a gate into the small enclosure. I could see Sarah and Sophie, Cate's best friends, smiling and waving at me. "You go in darling..."

"Will you say goodbye, Mummy?" I asked, suddenly concerned about her leaving me.

"Of course, you go and talk to your friends..."