Chapter Text
Cole rolled onto his stomach, arms wrapped around his pillow, eyes squeezed shut as people moved near silently around him. He could hear the patter of shoes on the hardwood flooring, the muffled whispers as curtains were pulled open, basking the bedroom in light. It was only when his covers were pulled back that Cole finally opened his eyes, groaning as he sat up.
“Mr. Mackenzie, we’ve prepared breakfast for you. Would you like us to set out some clothes for today?”
Cole rubbed the sleep from his eyes, smiling at Miss Lacey as she sat at the end of his bed. She oversaw the servants in the house, and she was always sure to be there to wake him every morning. It had made a nice routine for Cole to hold onto, even with the occasional chaos in the house. He could always count on her to be there each morning.
“Oh, thank you Miss Lacey,” He shook his head, politely declining her offer. Sure, being rich had its benefits, but Cole still enjoyed doing things on his own. “That’s alright, I can collect it all myself. Please tell Aunt Josephine I’ll be out for breakfast in just a few minutes.”
Miss Lacey smiled, ushering all of the other servants from the room before walking to the door herself, “Alright, Mr. Mackenzie, we will see you at breakfast.”
As soon as the door closed, Cole felt himself sigh. It had been nearly two weeks since moving in with Diana’s Aunt Josephine and he still wasn’t quite used to everything. The servants and the massive meals every morning and evening. God, he even looked forward to tea time now. That was new. He hadn’t held a shovel or pushed a plow in two weeks, hadn’t woken up before the sun to work, hadn’t fed a cow or a chicken.
Truth be told, he could feel himself going soft. That’s why he refused to let Miss Lacey do too much for him. He refused to become one of those prissy rich boys. He refused to become like Billy Andrews or his stupid friends.
Once he had dressed himself and gathered his things, he started his way to the dining room. He could smell the breakfast wafting through the hallways, eggs and muffins and all the bacon he could ever want. Aunt Josephine was already sitting at the table, whispering something to Miss Lacey.
“Ah, Cole, I’m happy you could join us,” She smiled kindly, shooing Miss Lacey away as Cole took his seat, “I’ve had the kitchen prepare extra bacon for you this morning. You’ll need the energy for your first day today.”
Cole nearly choked on his bacon, was it really that day already?
“I had nearly forgotten that was today,” He smiled softly, recovering from the shock he’d received only a few minutes ago, “I am excited though, hopefully I’ll make some friends that we can have over.”
“Yes, hopefully you will, and hopefully we can,” Josephine nodded, taking a sip from her coffee, “You will have to leave soon, though, you want to be there early to make a good impression with your teachers.”
Cole nodded, finishing his breakfast and placing his dishes in a small pile. He looked to Josephine, a curious look on his face, “Do you have anything I can place a lunch in? To carry with me?”
Josephine shook her head, a small smile playing on her face, “Don’t worry, the kitchen staff has prepared a basket for you, go off and collect your books and your brushes and anything you’d like to bring with you, then meet myself and Miss Lacey out on the drive.”
With a brief nod, Cole stood from the table and went to retrieve his bookbag, then met Josephine and Miss Lacey outside as he was told. He was then handed a small basket with what he presumed was a sandwich of some variety inside. Miss Lacey made sure he had all of his supplies, checking everything off on a small slate. And Aunt Josephine adjusted his collar, ruffling his hair a bit.
“Now, Mr. Waren will lead the coach into town, then you will need to walk about two blocks to the school. I would have him drop you directly there but unfortunately the road doesn’t allow horses,” She paused for a moment, assuring he understood before continuing, “Your class is in the east wing, I have arranged for someone to meet you at the door. Understood?”
Cole nodded, adjusting his bag on his shoulder, “Yes Ma’am, I understand. I’ll be alright.” He chuckled a bit, an attempt to reassure Josephine he would be just fine. “I will see you after school. I’m sure we’ll have so much to talk about.”
Before Josephine can respond, Cole has already climbed into the carriage and closed the door. He waves out the window for a few minutes before he closes the curtain, leaning back in his seat and making himself comfortable. It wasn’t necessarily a long ride to the school, but just long enough that he could take a bit of a rest before he arrived.
So, that’s exactly what he did, he allowed his mind to wander, thinking about all of the things he would do, all the people he would meet. He hoped his teachers would be kind to him, that the other students weren’t too cruel. He’d do his best to blend in, to be like them, to act how they do, speak how they do. A couple weeks around Josephine and months around Diana had shown him the best ways to carry himself, how to pass off as upper class despite his upbringing being just a bit less than such.
The ride ended all too quickly, and Cole groaned a bit as he climbed out of the carriage. He gave a nod to Mr. Waren, the coachman, and began his walk down to the school. The fall air bit at his skin and he couldn’t help but smile at the idea of starting a new school year in a place that wanted him. He found himself stepping over the cracks and divots in the pavement, humming a tune to himself while he walked. And, just as Josephine had promised, there was a young man standing at the entrance to the school waiting for him. He flagged the young man down, quickly climbing the stairs and holding a hand out for the other boy to shake.
“Hi, I’m-”
“Cole MacKenzie, I know. Ms. Barry informed the school, who in turn informed me. It’s nice to meet you.” The boy shook Cole’s hand, a curious look crossing his face for a moment, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he smiled and gestured Cole inside. “We should get you to your class, don’t want anyone to be late.” The boy started off down the hall, almost too fast for Cole to keep up, but he did, even if it was a bit tiresome.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch your name?” Cole asked, an eyebrow raised as he examined the boy’s face.
“That’s because I didn’t drop it.” The boy chuckled a bit, “Sorry, that was rude. I’m Oliver, Oliver Bennet.” He slowed his pace, allowing Cole to keep up easier than he was, shoes tapping and echoing against the hardwood.
The rest of the walk was quiet, every so often Cole would ask a question about something in the building and Oliver would explain, but that was the extent of the conversation. Eventually they reached the classroom where Cole would spend most of his mornings, a pottery studio, fitted with everything he could ever need.
“Well,” Oliver said, a small smile etched on his face. “This is where we part ways. It was nice talking to you, Cole MacKenzie. Perhaps we can speak again sometime, hm?”
Cole smiled, firmly shaking Oliver’s hand and nodding, “Yeah, maybe we will. This was fun.”
Oliver nodded, dipping his head slightly before turning on a heel and walking in the opposite direction. Cole shook his head, he was certain he’d have to speak with this Oliver character again sometime. But for now, he had a class to attend.