A New Beginning

[Padme Rendel S2]

Padme lay in bed looking up at the white walls. There was completely nothing to do. She wouldn't be seeing much of her brother and for all she knew, he might not have wanted to see her. Padme shook her head, making her brown hair fly around her. She had not brushed it all morning so it looked like a tangled mess. She attempted to run her fingers through it but failed. Closing her eyes, Padme tried not to hear the shout the echoed up the stairs. "Padme! Down here, now!" It was Cameron, the buffoon. She giggled at the thought but didn't move. She could play deaf for now. Once he came up, she would pretend that she was asleep. Maybe then he would go away. Smirking, Padme waited. Nothing came. No sound of pounding feet on the stairs, no angry voices coming to her. The blackness seemed to engulf Padme as she waited. Finally, she couldn't stand it. Jumping out of bed with great agility, she ran down the stairs, making as much noise as possible. Reaching the kitchen in a huff, Padme stopped dead at what she saw. It was Josh, a Durmstrang student who Padme had met last summer. Cameron and Josh seemed to be in deep conversation until the looked up and spotted Padme. "Hey you!" Josh said, giving Padme a huge hug that lifted her off of her feet. Padme didn't shout out or laugh like she did last summer. Instead, she just glared at him. Josh seemed to notice, for his features instantly became somber. Cameron didn't seem to notice any of these things happening. On the contrary, he was to busy eating the steak on the table. The crunching noises were the only sound that echoed through the kitchen. Josh was avoiding Padme's gaze and instead was looking down at his feet as if they deeply interested him. His blonde hair was exceptionally wavy today and his green eyes seemed to light up the whole kitchen. Padme watched him carefully for signs of betrayal but when she saw none, she gave up the staring contest. Wordlessly, she walked back up the stairs, knowing Josh would follow. Just as she predicted, she heard his footsteps come up after her. Entering her bedroom as quietly as possible, Padme closed the door once Josh was in. Her face screwed up like she was about to be sick, Padme glared at him for as long as possible until her eyes started to water. Josh still wouldn't look at her, which made her even more annoyed than ever.

"What are you doing here?" said Padme in the deadliest voice she could muster. "You aren't suppose to be here." Josh still looked at the ground with great fake interest, not letting his gaze move over to Padme. When he didn't answer, however, the young girl exploded. "Did you tell him anything? What were you doing talking to him like he was some old school friend?" Padme resisted the temptation to scream, although her voice was very high and loud. Josh abandoned his attempt to stare at the ground and instead looked at Padme's face. "Look, it's not what it seems. I was only talking to him because you weren't down there." Padme snorted loudly to show her disregard but Josh wasn't listening. "I have not done anything regarding your "plans" so there are no worries there, correct?" Padme frowned at him, her eyes not looking nearly as fierce. She moved to sit by her bed but Josh blocked the way with out-stretched arms. "You don't believe me, do you?" he asked her with a raise of his eyebrow. Padme smirked at him, regaining her composure. "Of course I do, but that can change if you continue to act like you are." Giving him a shadow of a wink, Padme pushed past him and sat down on her bed. It was hard but to Padme, it was comfortable and easy-going. Josh seemed to think otherwise for when he sat down he was sporting a grimace. She cocked her head toward him, resting it on his shoulder. Padme, being eleven, was two years younger than Josh, who was thirteen. He was her best friend and she trusted him with all her heart, but really....

"So, are you still going to do it?" Josh asked as though genuinely interested. A trace of fear crossed through his words. Padme didn't answer but contented herself by looking out the window. Josh seemed to think that was the worst possible answer ever. "Where will you go? What are you going to eat?" he whispered, looking completely mortified. Padme gave him a look that plainly stated: Get a grip before continuing to look out the window. The day was perfect for it, but it didn't matter what it was like in the day-light. Nighttime was much more preferable. Josh gripped Padme's arm in a vice-grip that made Padme grimace and turn to look at him with malice. "Don't do it. Do you realize how much trouble you'll be in?" he asked her, still whispering as though she was on her death bed. "Some things are worth the trouble." she snarled back at him, her honey-brown eyes looking at him reproachfully. "I want to see this, Josh, and I'm use to getting what I want, even if I have to go to extreme measures." said Padme in a casual voice that would be appropriate for broadcasting the weather. Josh would never understand how Padme's mind worked, he would never. Josh lowered his gaze and let go of her arm with great reluctance. Padme smirked at him, knowing that he knew that he was fighting a losing battle. Padme shifted to a more comfortable position before crossing her legs, letting her left one bounce up and down. Turning away from Josh she tried to clear her mind of what might happen if they did notice she was out of bed. She shivered but it had nothing to do with the air. Josh noticed and made haste to stand and leave until Padme held out an arm to stop him. "You aren't going to help me, are you?" she asked in a much softer voice than before. Josh wrenched his arm away before exiting and slamming the door behind him, leaving Padme feeling very alone.