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yanceyrenee-blog · 7 years ago

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Gotham Writing Workshop Week 9 " I Had to Face the Who I Am, Who She Is, What She Did.

Okay, i have a lot of stories I am working on now. But I adore Gotham's writing workshop prompts. So, I am going to try to do a one shot. ( laughing at my own naive notion of any one shot) of Jamie and Claire meeting in high school where everyone seeks to find out who they are.

She takes his breath and heart the moment she walks in the room. He sits bored doodling on the side of his algebra paper when she walks in. She clutches her books tight to her chest as she eyes the room with awed wide eyes. Eyes the color of the whiskey his da and uncle's make at their family still. Her hair is a mess of wild brown curles. She has attempted to tame them in a low ponytail but they are escaping from both sides.

" Class meet Claire Beauchamp. She will be joining the senior class. Claire your algebra classmates." Mr Murtagh introduced her.

She smiles at the curious eyes and then looks to Mr Murtagh for further instructions. Who was this girl?

" Ye can have a seat there beside Jamie. Jamie raise yer hand lad."

Jamie, his heart pounding in a strange rythmn, does. And Claire, sweet Claire, moves towards him. She slips into the open seat beside him. The class is made up of ten double tables, so she is sharing a table with him.

" Hi Claire. I am Jamie, James Fraser." He puts out his hand and after placing her books on the table, she takes it.

" Hi, I didn't know what to expect. I haven't.." But Mr Murtagh starts class right then and she doesn't finish her sentence. He barely hears the lesson. Claire takes all his attention. Claire, with the English accent. Claire who carries all her books. Why no napsack or bookbag? Claire who acts like she had never been in school. Again, he asks himself," Who is this girl?"

" Uncle Lamb, why can't I finish my last year at home? I have never been to a school."

" That is the reason. I finally have a steady job I will be at for a year. You need to be around others your age. To be in a normal teenage environment."

So, here she is. In a classroom. Standing in front of nineteen other children her age. Terrified. At least the teacher didn't make her speak to them all. Just introduced her and sent her to a seat by the red haired boy with the sky blue eyes. She immediately felt at ease with him. Maybe because he was sitting alone. Maybe because his curles were as out of control as hers.

" What is yer next class lass?" Jamie asks her when they were dismissed.

" Ah, literature with Miss Fitzgibbon." she replies after consulting her schedule.

" I can walk ye there, if ye wish?"

" Thank you Jamie. That would be lovely. I don't know my way around. I fear getting lost."

He smiles at her his eyes twinkling. He throws hus napsack over his shoulder and helps gather up her books.

" So, ye last school was smaller then?"

She laughs and the sound makes his heart skip.

" Oh yes. I was the only student."

His mouth drops open and he just stares the question in his eyes.

" I was schooled by my uncle until today." she starts to explain as they walk out of the room," My parents died when I was five. My Uncle Lamb raised me. He is an archaeologist so we traveled all over the world. It was impossible to send me to a regular school. So I learned to read with old letters in Egypt, translated to english. To do math by counting the number of characters in Hebrew manuscripts. And so on."

" That is amazing Claire. What an incredible way to learn. I am sorry about yer parents."

" Thank you. It was. But Uncle Lamb has a position at Edinburgh University so he decided to send me to a real school for my last year."

" I believe you were in several real schools all along." Jamie responds. They had reached Miss Fitzgibbon's door but he didn't wish to stop talking to her.

" Thank you Jamie. I do too. Thank you for showing me the way and listening to me ramble."

" Ah lass, I could listen to ye ramble all day long." he admits with a blush.

" You are sweet. "

" Can I walk ye to yer next class?"

" You don't even know what my next class is."

" I ken that. But still.."

" I would like that Jamie."

" Okay I will meet ye right here."

" Okay." She gives him a soft smile before slipping in the room and his heart flips. He walks to his next class in a daze.

" Who is this Jamie?" Claire thinks as she sits in Miss Fitzgibbon's literature class. She feels free to daydream a little. She has read and done a report on the Edger Allen Poe book the teacher was lecturing on.

" He knew exactly what to say. Like he knew me all his life." she continues to think. " I have never meet a person like him."

She was.looking forward to talking with him more. He was waiting, as promised when she left the classroom. With him are two other boys. One is very short, just a little taller than herself. He looks like a midget next to Jamie. The other is bigger in every way. He is very stocky.

" Claire, meet my friends Angus," pointing to the little one," and Rubert," the stocky one. Guys meet Claire Beauchamp. She is new to our school."

" Very pleased to meet ye Claire." Rubert, despite his intimidating size, was a true gentleman. He took her hand and kissed it. She blushes to the roots of her hair before responding.

" Very pleased to meet you Rupert."

" Well hello Claire. Jamie didn't tell us ye be a Sassanech." Agnus says.

" Yes I am. Is that a problem." Claire replies her whiskey eyes burning.

" Ach no. It just is ye be all he talked about. Surprised that dinna come out, tis all "

Claire turns her eyes to Jamie who is glaring at his friend.

" Well ye did." Agnus defends himself.

" Come Claire. What be yer next class?" he is beet red. His skin matches his fiery hair.

" Ah history with Mr Gowan."

" Should be verra easy for ye. I have the same. Will see ye.lads later." he says to Rubert and Angus as he and Claire turn and walk away.

" The lads in love." Rupert tells Agnus.

" Aye poor lad."

He walks her to every class that day. There isn't a bit of trouble. They talk between classes and, when possible in class. She meets others. She seats with a large group at lunch, including Jamie, Rupert, Agnus, and two girls, another red head named Gellis and a sweet shy girl named Mary. The last class of the day is gym. She has never had a formal gym class. Never needed one when she spent her days climbing, digging, and hauling. This class was all girls. She is happy to see Gellis and Mary from lunch there.

It doesn't bother her to change clothes with the others. She had been in African villages where women and men ran around half naked. The actual class was slightly intimidating. She had seen soccer, foot ball played. But never played it. She stumbles a lot. But everyone seems to understand. Everyone that is but a short, sweet looking, blond girl. She had glared at her since she entered the room. Her Uncle Lamb had not raised her to be a doormat. So after changing, she walks up to her.

" May I ask what your problem with me is?"

" Listen to the proper english b*tch." the girl, Lerry, a stunned Claire recalls her name is Lerry." Wanting to ken what me problem is. Ye all ken that Jamie and I have been together since we were weans and she comes in to try to.steal him away. And I have the problem."

" Lerry, I am new here. I didn't know. I wouldn't steal anyone. I will back away of course."

" Well I ken ye dinna understand. As long as ye stay away from me man we will be fine."

" Of course."

Lerry nods and leaves the changing room. A stunned Claire follows. She walk out of the building and right into Jamie.

" Woo Claire. Are ye gathering wool?"

" Huh?"

" Ye seemed lost in ye thoughts."

" Jamie, why didn't you tell me that you have a girlfriend?"

" What? Who?"

" Lerry Mackenzie. She jumped all over me for going after her man."

" Her man. I am not Lerry's man. We kissed once. At the age.of twelve. That dinna make us a couple."

" But..."

" Claire, I was ne' interested in any woman here until ye walked through the door. Me heart pounded, me hands got sweaty and I dinna hear a word Mr Murtagh said after yer name. Agnus be right. Ye be all I talked about during study hall. Ye be the subject I studied. I dinna ken who I was. Was I a future spirit maker like me pa. A future doctor like me ma wants. I dinna ken. But now I do. I be yer's Claire. Whatever else I be, I am yers."

" Oh you are why I am here. Why I am in my first regular school. I didn't know either, who I was. Was I to be a nurse like my mum. A business person like my dad. A archaeologist like my uncle. I agree. You. Whatever else I am, I am made to be yours. I am yours James Fraser."

They take each others hands. Then lips. From that day on, they really were each others.

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