Lunchtime rolled around, and everyone made their way to where the food was, which included Victoria after having one class away from both Jade and Lee. She stopped just past the doors of the atrium, shifting awkwardly on her feet, looking at all the tables to find Jade and Lee.

Her eyes swept over Rose, who seemed to have made some friends of her own, or at least acquaintances. She felt a tug at her heart as she watched Rose laugh and chat away while completely obvious that Victoria was in her line of sight.

Her eyes swept over the space before her and landed on Jade, who was waving with Lee across from her, and another blonde haired boy beside him. 'That must be Henry.' She thought as she scurried over to them and sat down at the table.

Jade grinned when she saw Victoria looking around. "Finally! What took you so long? I thought you had gotten lost or something, which would be a little funny, innit?" She asked, beginning to eat her lunch while crossing her legs and waiting for an answer.

Victoria sat her tray down and picked up her utensils, hovering them over which food she ought to start with. "Oh, um, I just had to use the bathroom - er toilet." She sheepishly replied, both cursing her nervous bladder and correcting herself.

Lee didn't make a comment about it, neither did Jade as he pushed up his glasses once again as they had slipped down his nose. "This is Henry Smith," He motioned to the boy beside him, grinning from ear to ear. "Our best mate and the glue who holds us together."

Henry grinned, his brown eyes sparkling as he nodded towards Victoria. "Pleasure, Victoria. I've heard a little about you from both Jade and Lee. Though, they do tend to be exaggerated.” He said, taking a bite out of his apple, earning a scoff from Jade and an eyeroll from Lee.

Victoria shortly waved to him, taking a bite out of some green beans. "Hi, Henry," She greeted, feeling a tad bit awkward, but Henry seemed nice enough. "I heard a little about you. Which uh was just your name."

Henry grinned, glancing at Jade, who simply shrugged. "I see they wanted to keep you on edge. They tend to do that a lot, well, Jade's the one who mostly does that." He explained, earning a scoff from Jade. "It's not a bad thing."

Jade clapped her hands together before digging into her lunch. "So, tell us one random thing about you. Lee said you might not be comfortable with that, and Henry said, "Just ask one thing, then we can better know you as time goes on."" She asked, giving her undivided attention to Victoria.

Victoria couldn't deny it did feel like a bit of pressure, but she definitely wasn't sure about talking about herself or getting too personal with strangers. "Um... well, I dabble in photography and scrapbooking…”

Jade grinned and leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. "Now that's interesting! I've seen videos of people doing scrapbooking. You've got to have talent and be all artsy for them to actually look good."

Lee nodded his head in agreement, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "Yeah, I can't draw to save my life. I can barely do srick figures. You should show us some of your scrapbooking sometime."

"Only if you're comfortable with showing us." Henry kindly told Victoria, taking notice in how awkward she was. "Oh, and what kind of photography do you do? Do you take your own pictures to do your scrapbooking?”

Victoria felt herself relax just a little at the genuine interest from the three of them. She still felt anxious, but at least they seemed nice.

"Hmm, I usually take photos of random things I find aesthetically pleasing," she replied, a small smile pulling at her lips. "I mostly like to capture nature: plants, flowers, and trees. I have taken pictures of antique cars, fashion, furniture and stuff like that if arranged in an interesting way. Again, it just boils down to if I'm feeling it or not.”

“You sound extremely talented, Victoria,” Lee nodded in understanding, adjusting his glasses once more. "In speaking, I think the most aesthetically pleasing thing in this room is Jade whenever she's mad at me. Her face turns this vermillion shade of red."

Jade, unsurprisingly, turned to Lee and slapped his arm with a frown. "Oh, shut up, you git." She rolled her eyes, but there was no malice in her words or actions. "My face doesn't turn vermillion."

Henry chuckled, shaking his head at the two. "It does," He whispered, giving Jade a sideways glance as she rolled her eyes. "But Jade is very rarely ever mad, so chances are, you'll never ensure her wrath.”

Victoria smiled softly at the banter between the three, feeling more comfortable with them. "You three seem very close," she observed, her voice soft as she took a bite of her lunch.

Henry nodded, a smile still plastered on his face. "We've been mates since primary school. We've been through everything together, good times and bad," he replied, taking another bite of his apple. "More good than bad, though,"

Jade smirked, leaning back in her seat. "We're practically like siblings, but without sibling rivalry and arguing," she added, earning another eye roll from Lee. "Hey, in speaking, don't you have siblings?”

Victoria stabbed her green beans with her fork before stuffing them in her mouth. “Yes, my brother Edwin is two years younger than I am. Liam's kids, my stepsister Rose is over there. She bailed on me the moment we stepped foot in school. She has two younger brothers, my stepbrothers, Dustin, and Tyler. Tyler is the poster child for being a brat.” She grumbled, eating some of her other food.

“Ah, younger siblings tend to be that way because they do happen to get all the attention as babies of the family.” Henry exchanges glances with Jade and Lee, feeling a bit sympathetic for Victoria as the conversation progresses.

Victoria simply nodded, letting out a sigh as she poked at her lunch. "Yep." She shoved some of her lunch into her mouth before switching subjects. "Want to tell me a little about yourselves?"

Lee spoke up first, excited to tell Victoria, his new friend, about himself. "I'm actually from Ontario, Canada, but I was like four-ish or maybe five when my family moved here, so I don't remember much. My dad is a fitness trainer, which is pretty fun, but I hate our early morning runs before school. It's brutal. My mum crochets clothes and selling them online. It's been one of her hobbies ever since she was a teenager." He exclaimed, grinning ear to ear.

Victoria listened intently, her elbows on the table, her fingers laced together and her chin resting on top of them. "I may buy some clothes from your mom, I love crochet and knitted clothes." she replied, a small smile forming on her lips. "Early morning runs don't sound appealing. I'm not a morning person, I'm more of a night owl than anything."

Jade snorted in amusement, raking a hand through her hair. "Early morning runs sound like a nightmare. I don't understand how you handle it, Lee," she said with faux sympathy. "I can barely drag myself out of bed for school. I mean, I don't even hear my alarm half the time.”

Lee rolled his eyes, playfully shoving Jade's shoulder. "You're just lazy. That's why you hate morning runs," he retorted, a smirk on his face, taking a bite out of his lunch.

"Am not, I just don't like mornings." Jade huffed, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. "Anyways, my mom does chores around the house, but my dad is a construction worker. I could ask him if he would be willing to help you with the manor. I'm sure he'd love a chance to immerse himself with Briarwood history, such as the manor.”

Victoria perked up at the suggestion, her eyes widening with interest. "Mom and Liam would love the extra help. It's a big project just for our blended family, and I can only imagine how many people it took to build the manor."

"Of course," Jade smiled with a firm nod, picking up her drink and taking a long sip from it. "I can even ask if my dad can put the word out, though, I can't say a lot will help, especially with the rumors of the manor being haunted.”

Victoria nodded slowly, pressing her lips together for a brief moment. "That'd mean a lot to us." She felt touched that Jade, despite believing the manor was haunted, offered to help. “Any help is greatly appreciated.”

Henry realized he was the only one who was left to say a little about himself. "Oh, my turn, my mum is a teacher. Your stepbrother Tyler might have her as his teacher. My dad is a technical analyst, and he tends to work from home. I have a dog, he's a terrier and his name is Mosier, he's kinda old now but he's loyal.”

Victoria lit up at the mention of a dog, a soft smile forming on her lips. "Aww, that's so sweet." she said, imagining a soft and loyal terrier who was classified as a senior in humam years. "Mosier sounds like a great companion."

"Oh, he is. I've had him since I was a child," Henry nodded with a smile, thinking fondly about his old terrier, who he was suddenly missing. "Victoria, are you a dog person or a cat person?”

"Cat person," Victoria responded without missing a beat. "I have a cat, her name is Precious, and she's a tortie. She had to stay behind in Arkansas with my friend Cassie until the manor was restored. It was hard to part with her, especially since I've raised her since she was a little kitten, but at least she won't forget me because I made multiple videos with my face and voice along with leaving some of my clothes that smell like me behind.”

Henry leaned in, intrigued by the creative measures taken to keep the feline's memory of her owner alive, even amid the geographical distance. "That's really thoughtful," he remarked, an impressed glint in his eyes. "I can't imagine leaving Mosier behind to fly across the world. You have my deepest respect, Victoria.”

"Thanks, Henry," Victoria responded with a smile, her voice carrying a quiet gratitude for his understanding. "Precious means a lot to me. She was there for me when I felt alone, and after my dad died, she kept me grounded and comforted through that hard time. God knew I'd need her companionship to get through his loss.”

Henry's expression softened with empathy, understanding the connection Victoria had with Precious. "Pets are like children, family, they have that uncanny ability to sense when we need them the most," he remarked softly. "They always listen and offer unconditional love without judgment or idle sympathy."

"I'd love to have a pet, but my mom is allergic. I'm pretty sure she just says that so she doesn't have to take care of a pet." Jade piped up, letting out a huff as she took a bite out of her lunch.

For a brief moment of silence, Victoria looked between the three, something Jade mentioned when speaking about herself came to mind. "So, um, can you guys tell me a little about the manor? Including the whole ghost thing?”

“Oh, yes,” Jade grinned, rubbing her hand with a small cackle. "It's a historic manor that has been around since the Victorian era. Everyone knows it was built before the reign of Queen Victoria and wasn't completed until years later during the reign."

"Oh, I know that part." Victoria said, resting her elbow on the table and resting her cheek in her palm. "Mom told Edwin and I about it on the plane ride here.” She told them, taking another bite out of her carrot.

Jade bit her lip to keep from laughing, trying to be as melancholy as she could be. "Did you know people say they see mysterious figures in the windows, smoke coming from the chimneys, lights in the windows, and hear strange noises like music too." she explained, her tone held mysteriousness.

Victoria froze as she remembered she saw a figure in the window for a brief moment. "Mysterious figures?” She slowly albeit skeptically asked. “Like silhouettes of people that peek out the windows?"

Jade confirmed by nodding her head, a grin breaking out on her lips. "Yes. They also found fresh boot prints in wet mud leading from the cemetery to the fence of the manor's property." She added, waving her hand, still finding it odd. "And a shiny new lock there too that keeps people out, which I'm pretty sure your family didn't put there, did you?”

Victoria shook her head, pushing up her empty lunch tray. "I'm sure there is a logical explanation for it. Like, it could be people trying to freak others out and stage it like in those fake ghost hunting videos, or it could be from others trespassing." She explained, taking a sip of her drink.

"Could be.” Lee agreed, thinking about logical reasons for it. “Everyone is so afraid of the manor, especially at night. It's mostly bold kids who try to sneak in, but they never get far before they get scared off because they think it's haunted." He explained, pushing up his glasses again.

Victoria wanted to roll her eyes, but she didn't. She simply sighed. "Tyler mentioned that some of his friends commented about the manor being haunted.” She recalled what her younger stepbrother said just the day before.

Jade nodded her head rapidly, her eyes lighting up. "It has to be ghosts since it is rumored that the former family who owned the manor was murdered there, and they haunt it." She explained in a spooky voice, wiggling her fingers in the air.

Henry shot Jade an unimpressed look at how excited she was about it being ghosts. "I am sure sooner or later it will be figured out since Victoria and her family now live in the manor." His words caused everyone to nod and drop the talk about the manor, especially Jade, as she took the hint.

Lee looked between his friends, realizing no one was going to speak, he decided too. "What kind of school did you go to before? Public? Private?" He felt out the types he recalled and studied her for a reaction.

Victoria felt her heart growing heavy as she began to miss her classmates and her friends more than she had. "A private Christian academy near where we lived." She replied, her voice soft with melancholy at the memory.

Jade perked up, seemingly interested in this new piece of information. "A private academy? With uniforms like ours?" She inquired, pointing to her uniform she was wearing.

"No," Victoria shook her head. "No uniforms, but there was a dress code, not that I minded, but I did hate having to wear skirts all the time . . ." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her skirt. "And even here I don't get out of it. "

Jade patted Victoria's shoulder, offering a sympathetic smile. "You'll be fine." She awkwardly encouraged her, not exactly sure what else to say to that. She turned to Henry and Lee, pleading with them to say something remotely interesting.

Henry exchanged a look with Lee and Jade, then turned to Victoria. "What kind of work does the manor have to have?" He inquired, earning a face palm from Jade and a chuckle from Lee at Jade's reaction.

Victoria groaned, leaning over and resting her head on the table. "Everything." She replied, quickly added. "It's a complete restoration! The manor could take up three seasons of any house flipping series."

Jade raised her eyebrows, seemingly bewildered at Victoria's reply. "I'm sure it's not that bad." She insisted, implying Victoria was being a tad bit dramatic.

Lee nudged Jade's knee with his foot from under the table. "It's that bad?" He inquired, hoping Victoria would ignore Jade's comment since she tended to be a little passive sometimes. “You did mention it being a dilapidated dump.”

"Yes, it is!" Victoria sighed, running a hand through her hair after abruptly sitting up. "We have to restore almost everything! From furniture to paintings to drapes and rugs! Not to mention we have to remove the ivy that grew through the broken windows, remove the wallpaper and clean out the closet, also finish with the installing of the electricity and modern plumbing" She dramatically replied with a groan.

Jade's stunned expression and wide eyes side-eyed Lee and Henry. "So, the people who lived there before left everything behind?" She inquired, growing more interested in the manor than she had been before.

Victoria nodded her head, her head hitting the table with a small thud after slumping ovet. "Yeah, most everything was left how it was by whoever lived before. It's going to be tasking, but everyone else is thrilled to see real Victorian era clothes and bedding in person since there's little left from the actual era anymore."

Jade's eyes grew wide but maintained to keep her voice down low. "I wonder why everything was left behind. The whole former family being murdered and haunting the manor seems more reasonable now, doesn't it?" She asked, her eyes sparkling as she learned forward towards Victoria.

Henry rolled his eyes, seeing how excited Jade was, but seeing how annoyed Victoria was everything she brought it up. "It is all speculation." He mentioned, making it clear there was no proof to say one way or another.

Lee shared an excited look with Jade before turning to Victoria. "We won't know what happened until we have some kind of evidence." He suggested, hoping Victoria could find anything to give them more information.

Victoria hummed softly, seeing how that would clear things up. "I guess the truth will be told, and rumors will be cleared away when the mystery is uncovered." She flatly agreed, falling silent.

Jade twisted her hair around her finger as she finished up her lunch. "I am hoping that we will figure it out soon because it is a huge mystery and one I want to solve! Let's solve it together. How does that sound? We uncover the mystery of the manor together!" She declared, putting her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest.

Victoria gave a light awkward smile, followed by an equally awkward laugh. "Yeah, I don't know about that. Quite honestly, I don't really care about the history or anything." She bluntly told them, taking a sip of her drink.

Jade's jaw went slack, and a gasp escaped her lips, followed by a few inhuman squeaky noises. "You don't care? Do you realize how lucky you are? Even though it may be haunted, you are living in history!" She exclaimed, unable to process Victoria's words.

Victoria shrugged her shoulders, finishing off her lunch. "I never wanted to move to England in the first place. But now I'm stuck here, at least until I turn 18, then I'm going back to America and going to my dream college: Colorado University." She exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

Jade frowned a little, glancing at Lee, who shared the same look and Henry, who remained quiet. "You don't want to stay?" She asked, her voice cracking ever so slightly with a twinge of hurt.

Victoria's sparkle faded as she picked up on Jade's tone. "I mean, this just doesn't feel like home to me. It may never feel like home and-and I got a life I left behind and friends and plans that were already set up before—"

"You don't have to explain to us." Henry suddenly cut Victoria off, giving Jade a disapproving look with a sympathetic tone. "Isn't that right, Jade?" He asked. His tone indicated she didn't need to agree.

Jade sighed, nodding slowly. Although she felt jaded, she agreed. "Yes." She flashed a wavering smile, her heart not in her words. "Maybe you'll grow to like it here and have something to stay for." She sheepishly added, earning a glare from Henry.

Victoria felt a bit bad for her feelings, especially with how Jade reacted. She was hoping that she'd be a bit more understanding like Henry, Lee on the other hand had remained silent. "Maybe.”

Within a few seconds, the bell rang, signaling that lunch was over rest.

‘Saved by the bell,’ Victoria thought, departing from both Jade and Henry, following beside Lee towards her next classes, hoping that the rest of the school day would day by.

〰🔘〰🔘〰🔘〰🔘〰🔘〰🔘〰

A/N:
This is also part of the previous chapter, which did get a lot of editing and adding on, not to mention a slight rewrite. I'm actually pretty happy with this rewrite. It's been going pretty well, especially since I have gotten a whole lot better at writing than before. I finally found my balance between showing and telling along with using free tools like Grammarly Keyboard to help with other things.

Chapter Talk:
This may or may not be a filler chapter. I wanted to create a firm base for the three and introduce a few things, like talking about the manor. I am really focusing on world building this time around because it really lacked it before.

I also wanted to show more of Victoria's difficulty fitting in and navigating life in the UK, along with her desire to return back to the States after she graduates.

I also did a fair amount of research, and technically, Emmaline should have left Victoria back in the States to finish up her schooling since her age and grade level is a very difficult change for her. Poor Victoria has skipped out on like two years, being able to adjust which Edwin will go right in and be able to adjust normally.

Thanks for reading!