Starting Up Again

[Ailsa MacLeary]

Ailsa was having a good day, and that meant she didn't need her cane. She walked as gracefully as she'd ever manage on the way to her classroom. The students were due to arrive soon. Finally reaching her desk, she read over the roster one more time.

Laurie Anderson
Bridgette Iris Beaumont ✓
Kekona Hanson ✓
Cara-Jean Kitchi ✓
Stefano Rice ✓
Jessamine Smith ✓
Andrea Valentine ✓
Lucy Woodhaven ✓

She nodded once. Some of the names were familiar from last year, and some of them were new. She glanced at the open door. Since she figured there was time, she wrote her name on the board and added a crude sketch of Oscar and Sundae underneath it. The best way to break the ice (without talking about her leg) would probably be to talk about horses. She glanced at the door a few more times as she finished up her chalky ponies.

Chalkboard

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara shifted her messenger bag up her shoulder and then brushed down the hunter green pantsuit she was wearing and walked down the hallway toward the art class. She was ecstatic to get back into the routine of classes, as she lived for routine.

Walking into the art room, she bowed her head respectfully toward the teacher and made her way to the table she had used the previous year and sat down before she began to set up her table, just the way she liked it, slipping the glasses on so that she could read anything that was on the board.

[Stefano Rice]

Seth whistled as he made his way to art class. He could have done with another couple of weeks of vacation, but he also knew that too much of a good thing often made it less of a good thing. "Good morning, Ms MacLeary." He said as he walked into the room and toward a table in the middle of the room, not getting anything from his bag until they were asked to, just cause that's how he rolled.

[Lucy Woodhaven]

Lucy walked into her first art class of the new school year. Her bag full of notebooks and school stuff also held a book that she drew in. Mostly it was drawings of her horses and rabbit. Sometimes through she drew people or scenes. One of her favorites was of Bright with her littermates and mom that one was hung up in her room.
“Good Morning, Ms MacLeary.” She said to the teacher glancing at the boerd and the name printed there. They had yet to met around the school but. Lucy found an empty sit and sat down. She took out her drawing stuff and laid it out. Then she glanced at the teachers drawing. The teacher must have had one of the minis at Blue Ridge that made Lucy smile a little.

[Andrea Valentine]

Andrea bounced down the hall to her art class, her thumbs hooked on the straps of her backpack. She was ready for autumn and classes. It was nice to have a break from school, but she knew she was better off on a schedule. Otherwise, she got lazy.

Entering the classroom, she offered a "Good morning" to the teacher - she'd taken a class with her before and didn't have a problem with her - and found a seat. On the first day of classes, Andrea was the type of student that would take out the needed supplies and spread them out in front of her. She appeared organized on the first day. Every day after that was a different story. She finally took the time to look up at the board and see the crude drawings of the horses. Next to riding, there was nothing she loved more than drawing horses.

[Bridgette Iris Beaumont]

Iris fidgeted with the buttons that lined the strap of her messenger bag. First days were always -- scary. She reminded herself that everyone had at least one common interest at Blue Ridge, so she was that much less likely to have a bad time. Still, she fidgeted.

On the bright side, her next class was art. She wasn't particularly gifted at drawing or painting, but she liked making crafts, so that had to count for something. If nothing else, she could be creative. She found the right classroom and hurried in, nodding shyly at the teacher (was that a prosthetic leg?) on her way to an available seat. She laid her bag out on the table in front of her, folded her hands on top of it, and turned her attention to the front of the room.

[Jessamine Smith]

Jessa grabbed her bag as her previous class let out and headed to her art class. As she walked into the classroom, she spotted two more familiar faces, and hesitated briefly, considering the two. She didn't want to put either off, but after a brief second, waved at Seth with a smile, and then sat down next to Iris with a grin, "Are you ready for this?"

[Kekona Hanson]

Kona had packed her backpack carefully that morning - Ready to begin her first day at this school, after enjoying her summer off. She was excited, but also nervous. Her first class had been nothing noteworthy, and now she came to her art class. She walked into the classroom and again, didn't recognize anyone. She walked to an empty seat and set down her bag, then grabbed a pencil and her weekly planner - At least she could take small notes, if that was necessary. She wasn't sure what to expect from an art class here.

[Ailsa MacLeary]

Ailsa had checked off the students she recognized, greeting them all as they entered the room. When everyone had found their seats, she figured it was time to speak, even if she was missing one student. Maybe they'd show up after a bit. "Good morning, everyone. I recognize a few of you, but for those of you who don't know, I'm Ms. MacLeary. I have what you might call a 'bad leg,' so please forgive my clumsiness." She paused to check her roster again. "Anyway, I have a black leopard Knabstrupper named Oscar, who is trained in show jumping, and a black tobiano Falabella named Sundae. He's trained in driving and he knows some tricks.

"But enough about me! I'd like to hear about each of you. Let's have your first and last name and something about the horses you ride. Ms. Kitchi, would you be so kind as to start us off?" She remembered the quiet girl from the last school year and smiled gently at her.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara listened to the teacher introduce herself, not too surprised when it seemed Ms MacLeary wanted to do the get to know each other thing, which was pretty typical for the first class of the year.

She blanched as she was called upon to introduce herself first, and she was at a loss of words, which didn't come as a surprise. While her schooling in England told her she should be standing when she spoke, she ordered herself to remain seated, as she trembled less. Swallowing hard, and licking her lips, she formed the words she wanted to say. "I...I am Cara-Jean Kitchi..." Her words broke off as she thought about her ponies and then pushed on. "I have two ponies, Tex, a flaxen chestnut, who is a trained hunter and Pyre, a black Ariégeois... Mérens Pony, who is trained in eventing." She pressed her lips together and bowed her head to show that she had finished.