“It was a dark and stormy night.” read Zahra Wellson, reading the opening lines from the battered, but much read, book she had just picked up. More like “It was a clichéd and terrible story,” she thought as she tried to lose herself in her favourite trashy novel. The characters were generic, the plots formulaic, the tropes were many and often. It wasn't even an original opening, having been copied from a much earlier work. But this book, and others like it, had seen her through some miserable times in her 23 Earth Standard years of existence.
From the boredom of a 'one size fits all' early education that totally failed to challenge her bright mind through the loneliness of the boarding school for enhanced education where her early vivacious personality had been crushed by the dreariness of a life where the only value was placed on conforming; to the misery of being all but disowned by her ultra-conservative family when her 'deviant lifestyle choices' had been uncovered at fifteen.
Growing up Zahra Amelia Wellson was a quiet girl who had trouble making friends. Her parents’ piety often saw her going to religious events rather than being able to mix with other kids her age. This was made worse when she became old enough to help look after her siblings, Justin and Jennifer. With a built in baby sitter her parents spent more evenings and weekends at temple events.
A lack of free time, and having parents that were considered a bit weird, left the young Zahra having to amuse herself most of the time. Movies and television were restricted to parental approved genres only, and even then could only be viewed when supervised. Books were similarly restricted, though she was able to read her limited selection by herself.
Fortunately for her, there was a very outgoing young lady, called Tia Green, whose parents attended the same temple, though with less religious fervour, and whose friendship promised Zahra's mother, Artemis, the type of social connections she craved.
Tia and Zahra got on like a house on fire, and could almost always be found together, at least during Zahra's free time. This, however, introduced Zahra's impressionable mind to a much less devout version of her parent's faith. A version that was a lot closer to the professed creed, rather than the dogmatic, judgemental, version she saw at home.
Her parent's temple activities and their view that it was Zahra's duty to sit for her siblings, left the young woman with plenty of time to study. Like a lot of bigots, Jacob and Artemis Wellson believed that any intelligent person who performed sufficient research would share their world view. Therefore there were no restrictions on how much time she could spend doing this. Assuming her chores were done. And as her younger siblings grew more capable of entertaining themselves she could spend more time doing so. Tia was not allowed round while her parents were out, for reasons they never shared with their oldest child, and which Zahra never really figured out for herself.
Junior school wasn't too bad for young Zahra. While she, herself, didn't mix very well with others, Tia was pretty much always the centre of attention, and always dragged her best friend along, when she could.
The schoolwork itself wasn't very challenging, though, and Zahra often found herself bored during lessons. A fact she thought she hid from her teachers, due to her many hours of practicing being involved during Sunday school. She did find, however, that her easy understanding of their schoolwork did earn her some popularity in her own right. Initially this started out as helping Tia and her friends with answers to homework questions and led to her helping her peers actually to understand the subjects in ways their teachers never could.
Expecting to go to the same senior school as Tia's little clique her world view was rudely shattered towards the end of her penultimate year in middle school, by a summons her parents received from the school's head teacher.
Always having the best grades in her class and never getting in trouble with the teachers she was surprised when her parents were called up to the school for a meeting with the head.
"Thank you for coming in today." Principal Novak, greeted them. Then seeing the consternation on their faces, he quickly added: "Don't worry little Zahra isn't in any sort of trouble, far from it. She is one of our star pupils and a pleasure to teach.
"If only all the children were as delightful as her." He sighed, half to himself
This calmed her parents down, especially her mother who had promised Zahra dire consequences if the two of them had been required to attend anything that could be considered as criticism of them or their parenting.
Having spent twenty minutes going through her schoolwork and showing her parents the amount of extra credits she had earned, he explained the reason for the meting.
"The situation is." Continued Mr. Novak, either not catching the undercurrent of tension, or at least not acknowledging it. "That Zahra is an incredibly gifted young lady, who has vast potential. Potential, I'm not sure can be suitably nurtured at any of the local state schools.
"In my opinion, and the opinions of all her teachers, Zahra would benefit much more from the more personal guidance that she could receive from the smaller class sizes in a private school."
Preening at the assumption that Mr Novak was crediting their daughter's academic prowess on their parenting, the couple promised to look into if for her. Years of indoctrinated obedience prevented Zahra from expressing her horror at the thought of not having to start a new school not knowing anyone.
"Her work up to now, combined with the glowing references she would get from us, here, should pretty much get her into any senior school on the planet."
Filled with hubris at their perceived brilliance as parents, Jacob and Artemis had quickly decided that senior school for Zahra would be Saint Ruth's Academy for Young Ladies: A conservative, faith based, boarding school that considered itself as producing the future leaders of this part of the Empire. This would not only enhance her education, but reinforce her faith in their god.
To Zahra, however, it was a living nightmare of loneliness and boredom. Coupled with an overwhelming obsession with conformation to a faith she no longer believed in.
Everyday, including the weekends, started with prayers and worship, followed by an hours exercise, then morning ablutions, breakfast and morning notices. This would include the list of defaulters: those whose effort or results were considered to be lacking. The intent of doing it publicly was to encourage the girls to try harder that day. Any failure to do so would be noted during the next day's breakfast. On more than one occasion Zahra heard her name followed by "Continuing default." Usually, but not always, for Faith Studies.
Any girl that got one was permitted to work of her failures during their Saturday free time, thus enabling them to start the next week with a clean sheet. Zahra spent a fair amount of her Saturdays like this. Not because she was unable to do the work, but because the stifling nature of the academy, with its strict timetables for everything, including freetime, made her unhappy. That and she had no interest in the subject, realising early on it was a manmade amalgamation of religions and therefore was more about ritual, and being seen doing them, than any faith in a higher being. Valna'a's attempts to explain this to Sister Atfah pretty much guaranteed Valna'a's permanent residence in the 'Sin Bin'.
Sister Atfah was as far from the stereotype jolly nun as it was possible to get. Short and thin, with a figure best described as stick like. Her face permanently looked like she was sucking a lemon, while suffering a terrible smell.
A disciplined approach to learning was one thing, but she could see no benefit to rules such as only being allowed to listen to music for half an hour a night. Especially as everyone had to be in their common room for this and her taste in music vastly differed from those who controlled the entertainment centre. Valna'a just sat in a corner, ignoring all the comments about how hot the latest pop star was, reading a book or writing to her best friend, back home, Tia Green.
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Having started at St. Faith's at age eleven, and not due to graduate until they were eighteen the girls were left to discover their sexuality themselves. The teachers had taken them through sex-ed as part of their health and wellbeing education. Like everything at the school this was given at the 'appropriate time' and didn't take into account that the students matured at a different rate. It also only covered male / female relationships as they were the only ones acceptable. Valna'a was a very late developer in this field and was not ready for the all the gory details that the teachers went into.
Faith Studies was left to teach about same sex relationships and self-abuse, as these were sins. Though the timing of this part of their education came after Valna'a's sexual awakening. Being anti F.S. and grossed out by the sex-ed she had received earlier Zahra failed to grasp the message Sister Atfah was espousing to her class.
Zahra had always found the female pop stars to be more attractive than their male counterparts, even if their songs were just as bad. And being taught that lesbianism was wrong, by a teacher that she considered hypocritical at best, opened Zahra’s eyes to the fact that she probably was one. A realisation she was very careful not to express to anyone, despite getting the impression that some of the friendships between pairs of other girls were, at least, bordering on the sinful.
She would have opened up to Tia but, unsure how private her mail was, Valna'a had to keep secrets like that hidden from even her.
Her only outlet, surprisingly had been at the winter formal. Twice a year her school would team up with St. Sebastian's Academy for Young Gentlemen, (her school's boys only partner) for a formal dinner and dance. This was, Valna'a supposed, to give the girls access to boys, but in a heavily controlled environment. Allowing them to mingle socially, but not privately.
Just before the winter break had been the one where she had met Oliver. The students were seated on round tables, arranged boy, girl, boy etc., but with some input from the students as to which table they were on, thus allowing friends to sit together. The popular kids from each school had worked out a seating system that allowed them to know what tables to pick to allow them to sit with each other. The un-cool kids and loaners, like Valna'a, being left to sit together, usually in awkward silence.
Unlike the popular girls in her school she put no great effort into her appearance for this dance. While most girls wore the latest fashion in dresses she wore a pair of trousers and a shirt. Not as any sign of her sexual preference, but because they were comfortable. And the belt on the trousers could be loosened if the meal was good.
Finding herself on such a table in St. Sebastian's great hall, sat next to a tall, well built, handsome young man who had come in with the 'in' crowd and had been jokingly pushed away to sit with the damned. Unable to control her inquisitiveness for the whole evening, she managed to last until after the starter before the interrogation started. Opposed to Zahra, this boy had gone the whole hog. Perfectly fitting tuxedo, bow-tie, cuff-links and even an emerald green cummerbund.
"Oliver, is it?" She asked, having read his name off the place setting. "I'm Zahra. Do you mind if I ask you something? "
"Good evening, Zahra." He replied, with an amused lilt to his voice. "Is it 'Why are you sitting with us, when you're obviously one of them?'" Pointing to his friends at the main table.
The sound of someone on their table actually talking had caused all the other children to stop gazing around awkwardly and stare at the two of them.
"I don't mind you asking that, at all." He continued, with a grin. "I will even answer it truthfully, if you promise to answer a question, honestly, for me, in return."
Unable to resist herself Valna'a smirked and parroted. "Why are sitting with us, when you're obviously one of them?"
This earned her a snort of laughter. His face even more handsome when amused. "That is quite simple, my dear. " He answered. The eyes of all the girls at the table locked on him. "They are here to meet beautiful young women, such as yourself. I am not. Therefore I do not need a seat at the top table, where all eyes are directed, and elected to not take one"
"Ah, you have a girlfriend back home and are being faithful to her."
"Not quite." Came his reply. "I'm gay, and have no interest in dating a young lady, even one as delightful as yourself."
Zahra was stunned, at his brazen admittance. No one would dare to say anything like that at St. Ruth's. So much so that Oliver couldn't help but tease her.
"You can close your mouth now."
"How can you say something like that out loud? " Asked Zahra, in almost a whisper. "Won't you get punished for making such a admittance?"
"Not really. The brothers are not as hidebound as some. I might be doomed to Hell, but I am still a person rather than a monster. As such, we have a deal. I don't flirt with anyone and no one gives me grief. After all, in the real world, many people are not one hundred percent straight.
"Do I take it things are less accepting at your school?"
"That depends." Interjected Mercedes Jones, another member of the table. "Favourites are given some leeway, as long as they're not too open about it. Less popular." She added, opening her arms to encompass their table. "Are judged more harshly. If any of us were found to be batting for the other team we would be expelled instantly."
"Hmm. Perhaps I'll hold my question for you, until a bit later. " Oliver said to Zahra, giving her the idea that he already knew the answer to the question he was going to ask, but didn't want to cause an issue for her.
With the ice broken, however, other members of the table started talking, and by the end of the meal a form of camaraderie had formed, banishing their initial self-consciousness.
Once the meal had been completed, everyone moved into the Grand Ballroom for the dancing and less formal mingling.
Zahra and most of her new crowd moved to a corner of the room, with no intention of doing more than standing around waiting for the end of the evening. At least they would be comfortable in each others' company, now, and could interact with each other.
Oliver, on the hand, had left their little group to return to his friends, and their companions. No doubt regaling them with tales of life at the bottom of the social scale, thought Zahra. At one point the girls in the group all took a step back from Oliver, which was obviously when he got to the point where his sexual orientation came up. None of the boys seemed to react to that news, she observed, pleased that his friends accepted him.
Teenagers, being teenagers and their guardians being outnumbered and a bit naive, Zahra watched pairs disappear out of the hall. Zahra smiled to herself, at the thought of Sister Atfah's reaction if she found out the truth.
After about an hour, Zahra was participating in the group's game of taking the piss out of their teachers, when Oliver approached.
"Want to help set some tongues wagging?" He asked her, one eyebrow raised. "Would you do me the honour of joining me in this dance?"
Taken aback Zahra hesitated for a few seconds before managing an answer. "I'd love to. Though I haven't had an awful lot of practice."
Oliver held out his hand, to help her up, which she took and joined him on the dance floor.
Zahra surprised herself by remembering most of the moves she had been taught during the mandatory preparatory lessons the sisters had organised. Those steps she did get wrong Oliver skilfully covered. At one point, when she stood on his foot and lost her balance Oliver even managed to keep her upright.
"The question you promised to answer truthfully. I'm going to change it slightly." Oliver said to her as he skilfully manoeuvred them apart from the crowd.
"I think you like girls in the way I like boys." He whispered to her. "Correct?"
For some reason Zahra felt she could trust this young man. "I'll kill you if you ever tell anyone, but yes." Her reply was even quieter than his question, and even then she had checked if anyone was near.
Conversation reverted to more general matters for the rest of the song, and Zahra found she actually liked dancing with the guy. Neither had any expectations of things going further, yet they chatted as much as any other couple there.
Once the dance was over, and Oliver led her back to her group of misfits she found herself subconsciously quoting a line from her favourite book. "Should my lord find any gaps in his dance card for this evening I should be delighted to save him from any embarrassment and be amenable to coming to your aid."
"Oh, my god." She chided herself. "Please don't have said that."
She was just about to apologise for her gaff, when Oliver beat her too it. "My lady doth greatly honour me with her offer and I shall gladly call upon her during the next break in my schedule." Not only perfectly quoting the next line in the book, but saying it in the tone that Zahra imagined Lord Sywarski saying it in.
They stopped, looked at each other and burst out laughing at the absurdity.
"You've read The.." He began.
"My favourite book, I must have read it a dozen times." She interrupted.
After that they spent the rest of the evening either dancing with each other or having a private book club discussing a novel they both considered so bad they couldn't be without it.
As the evening broke up Oliver kissed her on both cheeks and offered her his card.
"Thank you, my lord." She said in her best impression of the maid from the book, as she took it. They both laughed at themselves again and parted ways.
Looking on, Sister Atfah smiled to herself. Glad her young charge had acquired a boyfriend, considering the doubts she had about her up until then. Maybe now she would grow up and settle into her school work.