Untitled Project (Title Ideas Welcome)

Chapter One: Four Peas in Four Different Pods

It was a normal morning for the Gilmore family. Mr. Gilmore, also known as James, was cooking breakfast in the small, cramped kitchen, while his two children, Amberly and Timothy got ready for the day. Amber came through the hallway, her sandy blonde hair in their usual tight braids and wearing a worn plaid shirt with jeans. Her brother came in afterwards, his sandy blonde hair combed neatly to the side.

Mrs. Gilmore had died three years before of a serious case of pneumonia while she was pregnant with her third child. It had left the family in heartbreak, but finally their hearts began to slowly mend. The family had a close relationship, for they didn’t have many outside the home. They made time to eat every meal together just like they did this very morning.

Amber had turned 10 three months before in May-the 23rd to be exact. Timothy, her older brother was 14. A knock came on the Gilmore front door and in came the mail through the mail slot. From what Amber could see was several bills, always stressful to the family.

“I’ll get the mail,” Mr. Gilmore said standing up from the table.

The house was very small. Amber and Timothy shared a room, about the size of a rather small closet. Nothing was in there but a two small beds and a dresser. Nothing more could fit. Mr. Gilmore’s room was a little larger, but not by much. It held a double bed and a dresser. The rest of the house was the same small style.

“Oh wow!” Mr. Gilmore said returning to the kitchen.

“Timothy here is your letter, the usual one we receive every year. Amber here is yours also.”

Amber gazed at the letter. The letter looked rather fancy. The handwriting on the front was perfect calligraphy, and she was almost afraid to open it. She opened the fancy seal and read carefully and fast.

Dear Miss Amberly Marie Gilmore,

You have been admitted into the Victorian Academy located in New Zealand. Students are only admitted through families or show a certain amount of great talent. It’s a great privilege to attend the Victorian Academy and we hope you will attend this next year.

Because the school is located in a different country, you will ride a boat to New Zealand. The boat will leave promptly on August 25th at 7:00 a.m. You will need a truck or suit case with your belongings. You will be able to return home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because you will be given the school’s proper uniform when you arrive, you will not need more than 10 regular clothes. The rest of your belongings are things to make you feel more at home.

Please do not bring any electronic devices, for you will be able to contact home through mail only. Your school books will be provided for you and so will other supplies you’ll need.

Remember, this school is for the most talented students possible. You will be required to be involved in extracurricular activities which you are incredibly talented in. Please give this a great deal of thought, for we know you are talented at many things.

We hope to see you on the boat and look forward to teaching you this lovely school year.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smithens

“Congratulations, Amberly. You got into Victorian too. Father went there too, you know. That’s where he met Mother.”

“I’m not talented at anything,” Amber said solemnly.

“I wasn’t either,” Timothy said, “But your so involved in whatever you choose to do that your amazing at it in no time at all.”

“How is Father going to pay for this?”

“They give us scholarships,” Timothy answered.

Amber Gilmore was very nervous about going to Victorian Academy, for she could never afford to be good at anything. What would she do? She asked herself. She knew Timothy had gone to a school, but never did she know it was a talent school. She was excited non-the less. Victorian Academy could be the start of a real life.

*****

Arabella Kinsley was admiring herself in the mirror at the dress her mother had just made. It was yellow with several ruffles and bows-just how she liked it. Her hair was down, falling just a few inches past her shoulders. It was in perfect wavy ringlets and at the top was a bright pink ribbon. Her big blue eyes were shining in the light. Millie, her younger sister who was just a year younger came in the room wearing the purple dress their mother had made also.

Their mother was down in the large, updated kitchen finishing helping the cook make lunch. She called all of the children down and they trickled in. First came Kimberly, who was 16 as of January, then Ethan, the youngest of them all who turned 6 in September of last year, then came Luke who was 11-almost 12, and Millie, 9 as of April, and Arabella, 10 as of March, came in last.

Their cook served their spaghetti as Peter Kinsley and Annabelle Kinsley came in sitting the mail on the table. They ate mingling about the rest of the day and what it holds when Kimberly grabbed the mail from the center of the long, wooden table and looked through it all. The maid came and took all the plates from the family and began to wash the dishes. Kimberly passed the mail out to the receivers. First she passed on to Luke, then herself, then to Arabella.

Arabella ripped open the letter quickly, not even stopping to admire the wonderful fanciness, and read it to herself.

Dear Miss Arabella Catherine Kinsley,

You have been admitted into the Victorian Academy located into New Zealand. Students are only admitted through families or show a certain amount of great talent. It’s a great privilege to attend the Victorian Academy and we hope you will attend this next year.

Because the school is located in a different country, you will ride a boat to New Zealand. The boat will leave promptly on August 25th at 7:00 a.m. You will need a truck or suitcase with your belongings. You will be able to return home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because you will be given the school’s proper uniform when you arrive, you will not need more than 10 regular clothes. The rest of your belongings are things to make you feel more at home.

Please do not bring any electronic devices, for you will be able to contact home through mail only. Your schoolbooks will be provided for you and so will other supplies you’ll need.

Remember, this school is for the most talented students possible. You will be required to be involved in extracurricular activated which you are incredibly talented at. Please give this a great deal of thought, for we know you are talented at many things.

We hope to see you on the boat and look forward to teaching you this lovely school year.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smithens

Arabella read the letter in astonishment. Her mouth fell open when she finished the letter. Kimberly and Luke had received the exact same one and she got up from the table to begin packing even though the boat didn’t leave for another week and a half. She curtsied before she left, showing off her beautiful new dress. She knew she would wear it the day on the boat.

The family chuckled as they watched Arabella show off her excitement about going to Victorian Academy. Arabella began to wonder what she would do for her talent. She had so many. She could do art. She was a very good painter. Or she could do ballet. Oh, she was very good at ballet. It would be so hard to choose. Would she make good friends?

*****

David was watching cartoons in his living room as he ate his toast. He laughed hard at the joke the boy had made on the television and his mother, Mrs. Madison, also know as Lola, walked into the room. David’s giggles flowed through the room.

David’s cartoon ended and the TV shut down. David was the only child in the Madison and was adopted 9 years ago, a year after he was born, for his mother wasn’t in good enough health to take care of him and his father didn’t want a baby. So David Madison ended up in Lola and Mark Madison’s arms.

“David?” Mark Madison said.

“Yes?” he sang.

“Will you please go gather the mail?”

David sprang in the air and skipped towards the mailbox. He picked up the large pile of mail and gave it to his parents as he pranced to his room. The Madison household was not large-but not small. Each room was spacious and there was room for everything and everything had its exact place. Lola Madison was a very OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) type and liked everything in perfect order.

Lola and Mark Madison sat on the loveseat while they looked through the mail. They came across a strange letter addressed to their beloved son. They looked at each other worriedly and then Mark opened the seal carefully. They read David’s letter carefully, almost in disbelief. The letter read…

Dear Mister David Noah Madison

You have been admitted into the Victorian Academy located into New Zealand. Students are only admitted through families or show a certain amount of great talent. It’s a great privilege to attend the Victorian Academy and we hope you will attend this next year.

Because the school is located in a different country, you will ride a boat to New Zealand. The boat will leave promptly on August 25th at 7:00 a.m You will need a truck or suitcase with your belongings. You will be able to return home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because you will be given the school’s proper uniform when you arrive, you will not need more than 10 regular clothes. The rest of your belongings are things to make you feel more at home.

Please do not bring any electronic devices, for you will be able to contact home through mail only. Your schoolbooks will be provided for you and so will other supplies you’ll need.

Remember, this school is for the most talented students possible. You will be required to be involved in extracurricular activated which you are incredibly talented at. Please give this a great deal of thought, for we know you are talented at many things.

We hope to see you on the boat and look forward to teaching you this lovely school year.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smithens

Lola and Mark looked over at their son who was walking out of his room. He was perfect to them. David’s blonde hair was combed to the side neatly and always appeared to be angelic and his hazel eyes made you lose yourself. They gazed back at the letter.

“I’ve never ever heard of this school, Mark,” Lola said, “He mustn’t go.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions. Maybe it would be good for him.”

“He’s our only son and he’ll be gone all year,” Lola cried.

“We want him to get the best education.”

Lola read the letter again and then handed it over to David. David’s eyes scanned over every line. He looked up to his parents and jumped to his feet. Lola had worry lines under her eyes and a frown upon her face.

“Mom! Dad! I have to go! Please!”

Lola looked hurt that he would want to leave. Mark looked over at his lovely wife and she nodded at him.

“Sure, son.”

“YES!” David shrieked.

*****

Travis Stone woke up the next morning to the sun gleaming in his eyes and a hot lamp sitting next to him. A book was still grasped between his fingers and he realized he fell asleep reading. His brown, almost black hair, was a birds nest, and his green eyes burned from reading too late.

He ripped open his covers and got out of his bed, shutting off the lamp after him. He heard muffled voices from below and walked down several flights of stairs. His house was somewhat big, but rather run down. It consisted of several bedrooms that were unoccupied, for it was only Molly, his younger sister, and him. Molly was helping Jess Stone with breakfast and Steven Stone was reading the paper at the breakfast table.

“Good morning Sleepyhead,” Jess Stone said.

“Morning,” Travis yawned.

The dog, Sadie, barked at the mailman arrived. The slot creaked open and slammed behind it.

“Molly dear?” Steven started, “Please go get the mail.”

“Fine.”

She handed the mail over to her parents and Mr. Stone fingered through the mail. Suddenly he gasped.

“What is it, honey!?” Jess asked.

“Look!” He showed her a letter in the mail.

“Travis…come here please. You have a very important letter.”

Travis obeyed his mother and received the letter. He rolled it around in his hands for a moment, admired it’s beautiful handwriting and fancy sealer. He ripped the seal and opened it slowly. He read…

Dear Mister Travis Dean Stone

You have been admitted into the Victorian Academy located into New Zealand. Students are only admitted through families or show a certain amount of great talent. It’s a great privilege to attend the Victorian Academy and we hope you will attend this next year.

Because the school is located in a different country, you will ride a boat to New Zealand. The boat will leave promptly on August 25th at 7:00 a.m You will need a truck or suitcase with your belongings. You will be able to return home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because you will be given the school’s proper uniform when you arrive, you will not need more than 10 regular clothes. The rest of your belongings are things to make you feel more at home.

Please do not bring any electronic devices, for you will be able to contact home through mail only. Your schoolbooks will be provided for you and so will other supplies you’ll need.

Remember, this school is for the most talented students possible. You will be required to be involved in extracurricular activated which you are incredibly talented at. Please give this a great deal of thought, for we know you are talented at many things.

We hope to see you on the boat and look forward to teaching you this lovely school year.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smithens

Travis read it several times over, just to be sure it was for him.

“Mom! Please may I go!”

“Of course, Travis. That’s where I attended and your father went there also,” Jess said.

“Yes, yes. That’s where we met. Remember all the mischief we got into…”

“Yes I sure do. But you, Travis, wont do that will you?”

“Of course not, Mother.”

Travis was overjoyed to be getting out of the house and the usual routine of things. He was happy to be going to a school where he could show his real brilliance, but a little worried about the change. He had never been away from home before.