The Social Misfit

Chapter Thirteen

Everyone began moving towards the dining hall.

Mina followed the crowd without asking any questions.

She had quickly learned that the easiest way to survive at Jersoy was to observe first and ask later.

Rows of tables and benches filled the room, but instead of eating, everyone quietly settled down and took out their books.

It was dawn prep.

Mina froze.

She hadn’t brought any educational books.

When packing for school, she had only thought of the storybooks she enjoyed reading. They were the only books in her backpack.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, she pulled one out anyway and began reading.

No one seemed to notice.

The hall remained almost silent, broken only by the occasional turning of a page.

For the first time that morning, Mina relaxed.

The familiar comfort of a story made everything around her feel a little less overwhelming.

Before she knew it, a loud siren echoed through the school.

Dawn prep was over.

Students immediately packed their books and headed back to their houses.

Once again, Mina simply followed.

As they entered Abbot House, she noticed everyone busy with different tasks.

Some were sweeping.

Others were cleaning windows.

A few were carrying buckets of water.

Everyone seemed to know exactly what they were supposed to be doing.

Everyone except Mina.

Just as she began wondering whether she should ask someone for help, a voice called out,

“All Form Ones who reported yesterday, please gather here!”

Relief washed over her.

She quickly joined the small group of students.

Standing before them was an older student.

“My name is Sophrene,” she said.

At Jersoy, every student in a higher form was addressed as Sister.

It felt unusual at first, but Mina made a mental note to remember it.

Sister Sophrene began assigning work areas to each new student.

When Mina’s name was called, she was given a dry gutter.

She blinked.

That was all?

Compared to some of the other assignments, it sounded surprisingly simple.

Sweep it every day.

Scrub it thoroughly once every weekend.

She could do that.

“You’ll be working with Glory,” Sister Sophrene added.

A girl stepped forward with a warm smile.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Mina replied.

The two of them walked over to look at their work area.

After a short discussion, they agreed to take turns.

Glory would clean it one day.

Mina would clean it the next.

It seemed fair.

Just as they finished talking, the siren sounded again.

Almost immediately, students picked up their hymn books and Bibles before making their way toward Attraction Lane.

Mina hurried after them.

When they arrived, students lined up according to their houses.

Unsure where to stand, Mina searched the crowd until she spotted a few familiar faces from Abbot House.

She quietly joined them.

There were two lines on the left and two on the right, with a wide space between them.

A bell rang.

Without a word, the lines began moving forward together.

Morning devotion had begun.

The Senior Housemistress stood at the front, leading the service.

After a hymn and a short prayer, she welcomed the new students and outlined the day’s programme.

“After devotion, you will have breakfast. Then all Form Ones will report to the New Assembly Hall for orientation.”

Mina listened carefully.

Everything still felt new.

Everything still felt unfamiliar.

After devotion, the students filed into the dining hall for breakfast.

A jug of corn porridge was placed on each table, with 14 members on each.

One student started serving and Mina brought out her cup. She looked at her cup of porridge for some time.

She took one cautious spoonful.

It was plain.

No sugar.

No milk.

She suddenly remembered that she hadn’t unpacked the sugar and powdered milk her parents had packed for her.

For a moment, she considered leaving it.

But breakfast was compulsory.

So, trying not to make a face, she quietly finished what she could.

It wasn’t the breakfast she was used to.

After eating, the Form Ones made their way to the New Assembly Hall.

The hall buzzed with quiet conversations as students found seats.

Soon, teachers began explaining the school’s rules, traditions, expectations, and daily routines.

There was a lot to remember.

By the end of the session, Mina’s notebook was filled with hurried notes.

As she looked around the hall, she realized something.

Jersoy wasn’t just a school.

It was a world with its own language, its own customs, and its own way of doing things.

And little by little…

She was beginning to learn how to live in it.