||___Beginnings
The first thing Siddie did upon arriving at Amityville Academy was sulk. Really, she didn't see why she had to be here; after all, tutoring and the occasional outside instructor had suited her just fine up till now. The school was a full hour away from home. Three, if you took the train, which she had been forced to do because Daddy and Mama had both had things to do today and therefore the driver was not available. Not fair. Particularly not fair, because two years ago Ebby had been personally ushered to the scareport for her culture exchange trip. Personally, Siddie rather thought that Ebony was Mama's favorite, which was not at all fair. Not in the least.
Her trunk had been brought up to the room, which was depressingly bare. It was furnished, of course, but the furniture looked like it had seen a fair amount of use. The desk looked like its legs had been gnawed, and ugh, were those claw marks marring the wallpaper behind the bed? Had they been put there by an unsupervised mini? Or worse, by the room's previous inhabitant? Either way, gross. The bed-linens were decidedly substandard, and the tall wardrobe in the room didn't look like it would fit all her outfits. Siddie kicked her trunk with frustration and flung herself onto the bed, cuddling her doll to her chest. It was part of her outfit, carried for the effect, but she took some quiet comfort in its presence. She could do that, now that she was alone. She'd have been thoroughly embarrassed to be caught acting so babyish in public.
The folder with its class schedules, school regulations, and annoyingly perky student handbook lay where she'd tossed it onto the desk. She ignored it until she couldn't stand staring at the cracks in the ceiling any longer, then slid off the bed and went to pick the folder up. Classes set far too early in the morning. Rules. So many rules. Ugh, cafeteria food. At least it seemed that if you had any kind of culinary skill, you could use the kitchens in the dorm.
What kind of monsters lived here? She'd heard in passing that many more types and races of monsters lived in the other parts of the city, packed together like animals. She'd never seen that, of course. Mama's family was from the low section of town, but she'd never been there or met them. Mama preferred not to mention her brothers and sister, nor acknowledge that they existed at all. As far as she was concerned, her life had started when she took up the Depths family name. Consequently, Hematite, Ebony, and Obsidian had never met their uncles and aunts, nor any of their cousins, and knew of them only in passing, disparaging mention.
Her uncles and aunts - she really had no idea if they even knew about her or her sisters. She didn't care very much, though. Mama and Daddy made quite sure their girls were comfortable, well-educated, and always, always well-dressed. What did it matter that they were only monsters? Hematite had married a greed demon.
Siddie still didn't quite get why she had to go away to school when her sisters hadn't, however. Her mother had said something about her talent and skill, possible advances in Shadowcraft, and the finest etiquette and talent classes anywhere in the region. Siddie would rather have stayed home. Couldn't her teachers come to her? Daddy could hire any tutor he wanted, and they'd be happy to get the money.
It was true that she didn't have many friends her own age, yes, but she had plenty to do. The older creatures who visited her parents called her charming, bright, sweet, quite mature for her age. She didn't need to be here in a dorm full of who-knew-what-kind of sloppy, weird monsters. For all she knew, she might be living next to a swamp thing like the one who tended the pond and marsh down in the gardens. Ew. The swamp thing tended to track mud and algae and a horrifically unpleasant stench wherever he went. Siddie liked the smell of rot as much as any other monster, but wet stinking pond algae just made her shudder.
Well, if she was put too near a really disgusting monster, she could ask for a transfer. She was sure that could be got. Daddy would make sure of that.
In the meantime, she could arrange her things in the room, and maybe see about covering up some of the more egregious sins against style. She could stick a poster over the scratches in the wallpaper, perhaps a tablecloth to drape elegantly over the desk. If she couldn't raid a supply closet here somewhere, she could visit the maul.
That was one good thing about the school, at least. The maul was right nearby; she could even walk.
