The Ghost In The Cupboard

Chapter 1

School

Beep, beep, beep, beep! The alarm rang as I woke up with a start. It must already be time to wake up! I'd better wake up before Auntie Colette finds out I'm late for chores! she thought hurriedly.

"Evelyn! Hurry up! I already made breakfast!" Auntie Colette called from downstairs.

"Yes, Auntie Colette." I said. I thundered down the stairs and wolfed down the pancakes and syrup hungrily. Auntie Colette smiled happily, pleased to see me like her food. I was staying with Auntie Colette because two years ago, my parents died somehow. I didn't know how they died because Auntie Colette never told me, and I never bothered to ask her. We had lived a happy farm life in her farm on the countryside. A little while later, Auntie Colette asked me milk Betsy, our only cow. I reluctantly agreed, because I would receive a kick or two from Betsy. She would only be kind to Auntie Colette.

I worked hard, but when I was almost done, Auntie Colette came into the barn, looking excited.

" Oh, Evelyn! I have great news for you! A school in the city will accept you! You are going to go tomorrow, and the carriage will be arriving at 9:45, so hurry up and pack!" I groaned.

"But Auntie Colette, I'm happy living with you! I don't even want to go to school!" I cried miserably. Auntie Colette ushered me back into the barn house and told me to pack. I half-heartedly pack my favorite clothes, and my favorite books, and twenty dollars I got from my piggy bank. Soon, my duffel bag was full, and I bid my chickens, ducks, and geese a good-bye.

Auntie Colette let me bring my calico pet kitten, Carl. Carl mewed pitifully as she saw my bags.

"Oh, don't worry, Carl. We'll come back to the country-side." I whispered comfortingly.

The next morning, Auntie Colette had a wistful look in her eyes, and bade me good-bye when I got into the school carriage. There were a few other students, some chatting away jubilantly, and others with a phone on their hands. There was this one other girl, sitting quietly, like me. So, I edged next to her, and said casually,

"Oh hi! My name is Evelyn Weston. What's your name?" the girl smiled shyly and shuffled it in her seat a bit.

" Oh, uh, well you see, my name is Blythe, Blythe Cathleen Samaria." she stammered bashfully. " You can call me Blythe."

"Are you excited to go to school?" Evelyn asked brightly. Blythe looked worried.

"No, I'm not." she said quickly. What is the problem with her? Why does she seem so, so, secretive? I thought annoyed. For the rest of the trip, Blythe and I kept very quiet. Ting, ting a ling! The school bell rang loudly.

"We're there!" I heard some other kids chatter excitedly.

"C'mon, Blythe." I said. She hurried after me. When we got into the main hall, it was crowded with students.

"Welcome to Everten Academy! My name is Leticia Hungret, but you can call me Miss Hungret. I am the school headmistress. Please come this way. We need to get you sorted into a group. From then on, you will always stay with this group, okay?" The new students all nodded their heads vigorously. When they got in, each student got a form to fill in. Miss Hungret had hazel hair, and like me, green smiling eyes. She was a very pretty woman and she had a way of making the children calm, and less chatty.

"Hello children! Welcome to Everten Academy! My name is Leticia Hungret, but you can call me Miss Hungret. I am the school headmistress. Now, you shall see a form on your table. Please fill it out. Do not look at other's papers, please!" Miss Hungret boomed in the microphone. There was a mass of scribbling papers, and soon everyone was done.

" Good job, children! You will follow Miss Ophelia Sanders to your common room for now. She is right there." Miss Hungret pointed to a pretty young lady with reddish orangish hair, sort of like mine! she also had smiling green eyes. Suddenly, Blythe pointed at Ophelia.

"She looks so much like you! Don't you think she's your 'long-lost sister'?" Blythe teased. I laughed. When Ophelia got to our table, she smiled at me and glared at Blythe. Hmm... That's weird, why would she be so smiling at me and so mean to Blythe? I thought frowning to myself. Ophelia guided us first-years, (I then realized my aunt sent me to a boarding school...) as she called it, to an unfamiliar common room. It had over-stuffed couches, desks for homework, a roaring fire on the fireplace, and many more cosy furniture.

"Now," Ophelia directed, "the girls' bedroom is there, and the boys' bedroom is there. Come down for dinner at six o'clock sharp. Don't be late. You have free time until then." There was a scurry of students, as Ophelia finished her last sentence. Some hurried outside to do whatsoever, and the rest stayed in the common room. Those people were Blythe, and three other girls, and two boys. A girl with golden yellow hair walked up to me.

"Hi" she said, "my name is Arabella Lofter. What's your name?"

"Uh, well my name is Evelyn." I stammered. Then, another girl spoke up.

"Hi, my name is Audrey Hesting."

"The name's Genevieve Eclairis." came another girl with a french accent. She had dark brown hair, and pale blue eyes. "Can I be your mate?" All the other girls nodded in agreement with Genevieve. I smiled.

"Sure," I said lightly, "with pleasure!"