Chin Up, Buttercup! (Hatter & Lani; Raicheal & Crystal/Rose; M)

"Yeah... Sure..." Raicheal said quietly as she nodded a little from the car's backseat. She wasn't sure if the teachers had forgotten about the planned movie or not but she wasn't about to remind them. After all, they had done way too much for her already and she rather they just leave it at this.

Raicheal was glad that the vast majority of students who lived in the dorms had left for the summer and the remaining few seem to be outside enjoying the day. She was slightly embarrassed by the apparent spectacle that was her and the two teachers walking through the dorm halls, arms burden down by shopping bags and a large teddy bear. She felt her face growing hotter as the few people left in the building seemed to affix there gazes onto her and didn't seem to look away until she was out of sight. Thankfully, they had reached her room quickly and Raicheal was anxious to get inside. She produced a key from a almost hidden pocket of her skirt, inserted it into the lock and opened the door.

The room by all means, looked like a standard three person dorm room but there were a few exceptions. The first being that only the bed farthest from the door looked as if it was being used. This was noticeable simply from the fact that the other two beds had been pushed closer to each other and the one in use had its mattress taken off the frame and placed on the floor next to it. Other than that it looked like a normal room, books and other items on the desk, a small wardrobe along the back wall and stuff in boxes and bins placed under and atop the empty bed frame. The room looked in use but that was it, the oddest thing about it was that it lacked personality. As far as the teachers could see there wasn't a single photo or poster on the wall as well as no little trinkets that a person would collect over time. It looked more like Raicheal was simply using the space rather then having lived in it for almost two years. Raicheal walked in and placed the large teddy bear she had been carrying on the bed next to a small white bear with blue button eyes and a gold ribbon.

"I'm going to find something to put these roses in..." Raicheal said as she held the bundle of Wild Irish Roses in her hand "You can place the bags on one of the empty beds, I haven't had a roommate in a while so no one uses them." With that Raicheal left the room to find a vase or something in which the roses could go in.

Raicheal having just left her room, headed for the kitchen and searched the cabinets until she found what she was looking for, a crystalline vase. It was rather dusty and had been placed and the back most part of the cabinet she had found it in. She then took it over to the sink and washed it off before drying it with a dish towel. She filled it with water and place the flowers in it before arranging them nicely. She stepped back, admiring her handywork before picked the vase up carefully and headed back to her room. Upon entering it, Raicheal saw that the teacher's had put most of the clothing away for her in the wardrobe.

"Oh... you didn't have to do that..." Raicheal said frowning slightly as she walked over to them and placed the vase on the desk "I would have put them away later... but... thank you for the help."

Raicheal looked at Miss. Rose confused, not sure what she was talking about.

"What do you mean?" she said confusion clear in her voice as she looked around her room. "It looks fine to me..."

"Oh... Ok Miss. Rose..." Raicheal said still confused but didn't say anything else due to her worry that she had upset her teachers somehow.

Raicheal still confused watched as Miss. Rose left and looked at the wardrobe and over the clothes there. She listened to Miss. Crystal and her face became a little red at the sight of her own underclothes.

"ummm sure... I'd love to see your house and your garden" Raicheal said looking down at the floor a little "I just wish I could take a shower before we left but... we don't the time and ummm... people are still awake..."

"ummm... well..." Raicheal said her blush deepening once more "T-that wouldn't h-help me much if p-people are in t-there a-already but if..if you could... I...I'd a-a-appreciate it... I...I kinda f-feel... i-icky..." Raicheal blushed more as she looked away from Miss. Crystal and back to the floor.

Raicheal nodded at Miss. Rose and headed down the halls to the bathhouse. Once she had made her way there, she found Miss. Crystal standing outside the door.

"I-Is it empty..." Raicheal asked walking up to the waiting teacher

"Thank you..." Raicheal said smiling a little "I'll try to be quick so I don't keep you, Miss. Rose and anyone else who comes down waiting." With that she hurried past Miss.Crystal and into the bathhouse. Once inside she double checked the locker room and the bath for people and upon finding no one, she relaxed a little. Now, having double-checked that she was alone, she started the task at hand as quickly as she could. She found a locker and placed her dress and the underclothes in it before she started to undress. Honestly, this was the part she always hated, even when she was by herself the act still brought back feelings and fears of the past that only became stronger as she uncovered the living tapestry of abuse that was her body. Now fully undress, she placed her dirty clothes which she had folded neatly into the bottom of the locker and headed into the bath area.

She walked over to one of the wall faucet's and turned it on, the cold water stinging her body before warming up. She then started to wash as quickly as she could which was no problem for her after all... fast bathing was a skill she learned a long time ago. Raicheal's mind wandered to memories of the past as the water gently crashed down on her skin. When she was with the gang, showering was less a pleasure and more a necessity seeing how every client would leave her covered in various...fluids. Raicheal shook her head a little and continued washing, running the soap over herself in her efforts to wash away two days worth of filth. She looked around the bathhouse frowning a little at the emptiness. It wasn't that she wouldn't bathe with others around, though to do so would most likely take hours of prodding and a somewhat forceful approach. No, what she was more worried about were the reactions she would get if... if others saw her scars. Raicheal stopped, thinking as the warm water rushed over her. In the past, she had been forced to wash with up to 12 of the other girls at a time in a cold and dark shower room. There the water almost always ran cold and we all had ten minutes to wash while sharing a bar of soap. Now, she was putting so much energy into bathing alone just to avoid her past but in turn isolating herself from everyone for fear of them learning.

Raicheal felt water running down her face and she knew it wasn't from the shower as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She finished washing her body and then did her hair, running her hands through it has she scrubbed it before rinsing. She turned off the faucet and gathered her stuff before stepping back into the locker room. She shivered as the cold air hit her wet body and quickly found a towel to start drying herself off with as well as one to put her hair up in. Once her body was dry, she started to dress in the newer clothes starting with the underclothes which she was glad to see fit well. She then put the dress on, removing the tags and throwing them out. Once she was dressed, she let her damp hair down and brushed it quickly to remove the knots. She then gathered up all her things, put the towels in the towel bin and walked back outside. To Miss. Crystal, it had been about 30 minutes before Raicheal reappeared now with damp hair and in the new dress.

"Sorry I took so long..." she said looking apologetically at the teacher hoping she didn't have to turn anyone away because of her.