Remember that just because you're out of the Academy doesn't mean that the code of conduct doesn't apply. If anyone rule breaks here it will be taken more seriously than it would be back at the Academy because you are representing it. This doesn't mean that you can't have a good time, just remember who you are and where you are,' Molly nodded to Sonya and Silvia and they stepped outside.
'Jasmine, you can start the line,' she pointed to a dark-haired girl in a black and white floral dress.
Ignoring what Molly had said some of the girls from the back tried to shove through the crowds, so that they could get out of the carriage before them.
'Watch it,' Stef said, as she got elbowed in the ribs.
Alice seemed to get pushed further back into the carriage, until she was almost at the back of it and then someone stood on the back of her shoe, causing her to lose her footing and step out of it. She had to wait until all the girls had passed her before she could put it back on.
'What's the rush?' Molly said, as she waved her wand and said the word 'Remitto.'
Instantly all the girls left in the carriage found that they could only move in slow motion.
'Now, those of you at the front go first,' Molly said.
The girls at the front slowly moved their way to the door, unable to move their arms and legs quickly.
'M-m-o-l-y,' a girl said as she passed her but on realizing that her words came out slowly too, she decided not to say anything else.
As soon as the girls stepped out of the carriage they went back to walking at a normal speed.
'Where's Alice?' Charlotte asked Gerty and Stef, as they stood outside. They'd managed to get off the carriage fairly quickly without getting shoved too much.
'Maybe she decided that the carriage is too common for her and she's waiting for her own personal chauffeur to collect her and drive her right up to the door,' Stef smirked.
'Stef,' Charlotte stared at her but failed to hide her smile.
'I was only messing.'
'There she is?' Gerty pointed over to a red faced Alice who stumbled her way down the steps of the carriage, followed by Molly. 'What happened to you?'
Alice went even redder, almost matching her shoes. She didn't reply to Gerty, instead she looked down at her feet.
'Do my shoes look okay?'
'Yes,' Stef rolled her eyes. 'If you like over-the-top sparkles, then they look great.'
'I meant they don't look damaged do they?'
'No,' Gerty crouched down and inspected them. 'They look perfect.'
'Follow me,' Molly shouted, as she walked past the girls.
The high ceilings and brick-walled corridors carried a medieval feel to them. There was a knight-of-armor by one of the walls and colorful eagle-crested banners, shields and crossing swords decorating the walls.
'It's like a fortress,' Gerty whispered to Charlotte. 'Do you think they had proper battles here back in the olden days.'
'Probably,' Charlotte replied.
Molly led them into a large hall, with disco lights and music playing. There were chairs lining the sides of the room and a large table filled with snacks, cups and a punch bowl. Also in the room were boys, some were dancing, some were at the refreshment table and some were sitting on the chairs...but all of them stopped what they were doing and stared over at the girls as they entered.
Some of the older girls rushed over to certain boys and greeted them with hugs and smiles. There was a boy by the refreshment table, with floppy dark hair that was swiped across his forehead who winked over at Molly. She failed to hide her smile as she coyly looked back at him before looking away.
'Welcome, welcome to Alexander's,' a tall man in a black waistcoat and pinstriped trousers said as he took wide strides across the room.
'Ah Molly, I presume Miss Moffat is well?' he slightly lowered his head to her so that he wasn't towering over her as much.
'Alexander, yes she is very well and sends her regards.' Molly sounded so formal and grown up!
'It has been too long since I saw her last, we are so near yet it seems so far away. Running a school is very time-consuming.'
'Yes, I imagine it is.'
'Now, now, don't just stand there,' he turned to face the new girls who were still lingering in the doorway. 'Go and dance.'
'Let's get a drink and go and sit down somewhere,' Charlotte said to the others.
They made their way over to the drinks table and Gerty used the large punch bowl spoon to fill up four cups. With their drinks in hand they walked over to a row of empty seats and sat there awkwardly.
Some of the older girls were dancing with the boys, while most of the new girls and boys sat on opposite sides of the room, not knowing how to approach each other.
Demi seemed immune from first dance nerves, even without Margaret for company. She was already on the dance floor with a few girls from the year above, twirling in her leopard print skirt.
Charlotte looked across the room at the sitting boys, her gaze falling upon a brown-haired boy, with wide eyes and golden skin. He noticed her looking at him and she quickly lowered her gaze, her heart increasing in pace.
'We're at a dance, so we need to actually dance,' Gerty stood-up and pulled at Alice and Stef's arms. 'You too Charlotte, you're not getting out of it just because I'm out of arms.'
'Okay, okay,' Stef groaned, as she got to her feet.
Gerty led them over to the dance floor and began to sway in tune to the music. Stef swung out her arms and legs and Demi sniggered over at her.
'Bonum saltator,' Gerty flicked her wand out in front of Stef.
'What did you do to me?' Stef glared at Gerty.
'Try dancing now,' she smiled.
Stef began to dance and soon realized that she was in rhythm to the music, moving as a skilled dancer would.
'Go Stef!' Gerty wolf-whistled, as Stef danced around the dance floor.
A group of boys and girls saw Stef and began to clap and one boy with spiked dark hair walked over to her and began to dance with her. Demi stopped dancing and glared over at Stef, an annoyed look on her face.
'There's no way that Stef could dance like that without some help, what spell did you use?' Demi said, after she had marched over to Gerty, Charlotte and Alice.
'I don't know what you're talking about,' Gerty grinned.
'I don't believe you. It doesn't matter anyway because I'm far more advanced at casting spells than you are, you're just a kid,' she huffed, as she aimed her wand at herself and said 'Peritus saltator.'
She smirked before she cartwheeled across the floor and then spun on the spot like a spinning wheel. When she came out of the spin she did a row of back-flips before she began doing some fancy dance moves across the room.
'Talk about overdoing it,' Gerty giggled.
'She's making me dizzy just watching her,' Charlotte said.
'The dance floor at home is far larger than this one, we throw a grand ball every summer. I suppose you can all come to the next one,' Alice said.
'Will there be cute boys there?' Gerty asked.
'There are a few boys our age that are invited with their parents that I suppose are okay.'
'It doesn't matter about the boys, we'd love to come,' Gerty smiled.
'That sounds great,' Charlotte said.
'That spell you used was good, look at Stef go,' Charlotte said to Gerty, as she pointed over at her still dancing with the boy on the dance floor.
It was then that Charlotte noticed three really great looking boys...standing there and smiling at her group. She looked down, feeling a little embarrassed.
When she looked up again, the cute browned-haired boy wasn't standing with his friends any more, instead he was walking across the room, his friends following him. At first she thought that they were going to the refreshment table but instead they kept on walking across the room towards her. Her pulse was thudding in her head and her hands started to sweat.
'Do you want to dance?' the shortest boy said to Alice. She
blushed as she nervously nodded and followed him onto the dance floor.
The cute boy looked at Charlotte and gave her an awkward smile, he was just about to ask her to dance when Demi grabbed his arm as she danced past him.
'Dance with me,' she said, not giving him much of a chance.
The third boy stammered, ‘Hi,’ and then walked off, blushing.
'He was clearly about to ask you to dance,' Gerty sighed. 'That girl should find her own boy and not kidnap other peoples. She has ruined everything!'
'It was hardly kidnapping and he might not have wanted to dance, he might have wanted to ask me something else,' she looked over at the boy who was swaying uncomfortably next to Demi's exaggerated dance moves.
'He didn't go by choice, you should go over there and get him back.'
'No way,' she shook her head, before she looked over at him and saw that he was looking back at her.
Demi continued her wild dancing, her face looked exhausted but her body seemed unable to tire. She flayed her arms around and that's when she whacked the boy in the head with her elbow. He dropped to the ground with a thud and Charlotte raced over to him and bent down by his side. His eyes were shut and he wasn't moving.
'I didn't mean to hurt him,' Demi said worriedly, as she danced around the boy, unable to stop.
'I know Demi, just go and dance over there and give him some room,' Charlotte said, as she pointed across to the other end of the dance floor.
'Please, wake-up,' she whispered to him. 'You're too cute not to be okay.'
'Thanks,' the boy said, as he winked at her, before he pulled himself up into a sitting position.
Charlotte blushed and looked down at him awkwardly. They both smiled at each other and soon their smiles turned into laughter.
'Are you okay?' Alexander rushed over.
'Yes sir, a rogue elbow can't keep me down,' the boy replied.
'I'm glad to hear it,' he stretched out his arm and helped the boy up. 'I suggest you watch out for elbows and other limbs if you're considering asking this young lady to dance,' he looked over at Charlotte.
'I think I've had enough of dancing for one night,' he blushed. 'Any chance you want to sit down and talk for a bit?' he looked at Charlotte with his beautiful eyes and dazzling smile.
'Yes. Erm, I mean, yeah, that'd be great,' she spluttered out.
They walked side-by-side over to the chairs and sat down next to each other. For a few minutes they sat in silence passing smiles between each other.
'I'm Charlie.'
'Charlotte.'
'It's good to meet you Charlotte,' he smiled.
'You too.'
The music stopped playing and a loud horn sounded. All eyes fell on Molly who was standing by the refreshment table.
'Thank you to Alexander's College for hosting what I'm sure you'll all agree was a magnificent night?' there were cheers of agreement from the girls and some of the boys. 'All girls are to follow me outside to return back to the Academy. Make sure you've got all of your belongings, especially your wands,' she glanced a look at the dark-haired boy who'd winked at her earlier, before she led the girls out of the hall.
'I better go,' Charlotte said.
'I'll see you at the next dance,' he smiled.
'I'd like that.'
She stood-up and looked over at Gerty and the others who were waiting for her. She gave one last smile to Charlie, hoping that the next ball wouldn't be too long away.
'For the record, I think you're cute too,' he said.
Charlotte couldn't hide her grin, as she gave him a wave and joined the others. They all began following the other girls out of the hall.
'He's very cute,' Gerty giggled.
'He is, isn't he?' Charlotte smiled. She felt like she was walking on a cloud and butterflies were flying around her stomach.
'He's alright but Benjamin was cuter,' Alice said.
'Did Demi ever stop dancing?' Charlotte peered back at the empty dance floor.
'Who cares,' Stef said.
'Maybe she danced herself back to the Academy,' Gerty laughed.
'More like she got expelled for crimes against dancing,' Stef snorted.
'He had such lovely eyes,' Alice gave a thoughtful sigh. 'Like dark blue jewels, but not the cheap kind. They were as blue as the sapphire engagement ring my mother has.'
'You'll see him again soon enough,' Gerty put her arm around Alice's shoulders.
'How could anyone resist those shoes,' Stef grinned.
'Do you think that's the only reason he liked me? I can't possibly wear the same pair twice,' Alice looked worried.
'He liked you for you, regardless of your sparkly shoes,' Charlotte said.
'Yes, you're right,' Alice smiled.
'What was your boy like?' Charlotte asked Stef.
'He was okay,' she smiled.
'Just okay?' Gerty asked.
'Not, just okay, but okay,' she grinned.
'At the next dance I'll ask Charlie if he has a friend for you,' Charlotte looked at Gerty.
'Really?' Gerty said excitedly.
'Yep.'
'I can't wait,' she did a jig on the spot.
'Nobody ask Miss Maker for a beauty spell before the next ball,' Stef said.
'If she makes us do one, I'm not drinking it,' Gerty said.
'We don't need to ask her for dancing spells as Gerty has that one covered,' Charlotte grinned.
'Yeah, that spell was great and it really showed Demi up which is always a bonus.'
'Demi managed that all by herself,' Gerty said.
'I hope she's still dancing on the journey back, that'd make Molly so annoyed she'd probably turn her into a mouse,' Stef laughed.
'Home time,' Gerty sighed, as she looked over at the carousel horses and carriage.
Charlotte turned back and took in one last look at the castle, before she turned around and followed the others onto the carriage. It had been a magical night, one that she was sure she would remember forever.
Chapter Four
It was breakfast time and the grand hall was full of students, all talking amongst themselves as they grabbed fruit off the plants in front of them. Large black and white birds flew through the windows and dropped hard-boiled eggs into each of the eggcups in front of the girls.
Alice and Gerty placed their arms over their heads, worried that the eggs would hit them instead, but the birds didn't miss, nor did the eggs break.
'What shall we do today?' Gerty asked, as she cracked the top of her egg with her spoon.
It was Saturday so they didn't have lessons today, which meant an entire day of free time.
'It has to be inside the castle, no way am I going out in this weather,' Stef gestured to the window, drops of fierce rain were splatting against it.
'We could go to the games room,' Gerty said.
'I'm not playing bumblebee table tennis, my arm still hurts from where that thing stung me last time,' Stef said.
'You said that you were good at table tennis,' Gerty chuckled.
'Yeah, well I'd never played it with bumblebees for balls before.'
'I need to go to the library to study. If one of you could come with me that'd be great, as the Mistress of the Books always gives me funny looks since the Margaret thing. I don't like being in there alone,' Charlotte said.
'I'm not spending my free day in the library,' Alice remarked.
'I'll come with you,' Gerty said cheerfully.
'Who’s that girl sitting with Demi,' Stef pointed over to the table near the door.
A pretty girl with shoulder length black hair was sitting opposite Demi.
'I've not seen her before, have you?' Gerty asked.
'No,' Stef said and both Charlotte and Alice shook their heads.
'She looks slightly older, maybe she's from the year above,' Charlotte said.
'Possibly, although I recognize most people in this place and I don't recall her at all,' Gerty said.
'It was only a matter of time before
Demi replaced Margaret,' Stef shrugged.
'I guess, I just hope that she's nicer than Margaret,' Charlotte said.
'Everybody's nicer than Margaret,' Gerty grinned. 'Imagine someone meaner than Margaret, it doesn't bear thinking about.'
Books for Girls - WITCH SCHOOL - Books 2-6: Book 1 is FREE! Page 3