Chapter Text
Penelope Featherington was 14 years old when she started High school. She was not like her older sisters Phillipa and Prudence. They were cheerleaders and do modeling for boutiques in town, so naturally Portia Featherington her mother focused solely on them.
Penelope was a freshman at Mayfair High School as well as her best friend Eloise Bridgerton and her Bridgerton siblings. Eloise was indeed her sister wife ; she was more than sure of it. Eloise was cool and artsy; she was very much at ease with who she was. Penelope really wished she held herself high as much as her best friend, but alas that was not the case.
She was dreadfully awkward and a very late bloomer in puberty. She got her periods sure, but the rest of her body was still trying to catch up. Even when she was in Jr. High, she always had her ears covered in headphones or even earbuds to listen to music in any way possible. She would hear the snickering from others on the Bus ride to school. She even heard it while they waited in the cafeteria before they were dismissed to their classes. People always had something to say about her body or what she was even wearing. She would be doing nothing and still find a note tucked in her hoodie or backpack about how fat and ugly she was.
She gazed at herself that morning in the mirror. Her hair was wild and red, she tried to do an overnight curl on her head. She saw that her hair did curl, but they were already falling leaving her with soft waves. She was experimenting with makeup and decided to do something safe like mascara, she noticed it made her blue eyes pop. It made her feel pretty even when the rest of the world didn’t. She sighed and took one good last look before pulling on her oversized jacket and cement brick heavy backpack. She hoped it was going to be a good year.
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Penelope always came extra prepared for the first day of school. Her backpack overflowed with notebooks and folders just in case the teacher was ready to throw an assignment at her. She knew she overdid it, but couldn't help herself. It was simply who she was.
On that first day Penelope got off the school bus and walked towards the quad where she knew Eloise was waiting for her along with her sister Daphne who was a Sophomore. Then she saw Colin Bridgerton. She had been in love with him for as long as she could remember. He was so tall with his chestnut hair and his green eyes. She found that green was her preferred color of choice every time someone asked her. He was Eloise’s brother, and he was also a year ahead of her with Daphne. It was just always torture to be in his vicinity.
Once she got there Eloise immediately hugged her and told her in a very frustrated tone “Your mother couldn't personally drop you off herself this time? Penelope, you don't have to ride the school bus. You should have told us we would have taken you with us!” Penelope sighed and told her “El I did not want to impose on anyone. Besides, the school bus is fine. It gives me a chance to think in the morning.”
Eloise looked at her best friend and said “Nope, not a chance you're coming with us from now on.” Just when Penelope was going to set Eloise at ease that she was fine with the school bus when Colin chimed in saying “Pen I completely agree with Eloise on this one. You live across the street from us. You do not impose. I am sure you will make our mornings better with your lively banter.” He smirked at her and she swore her heart stopped.
She looked at Colin and said “We will try it out guys. I'm very thankful. I hope you know that. If there is ever an inconvenience please let me know and I'll hop right back on the bus!” The Bridgertons looked at her and in unison said “Penelope you will ride with us. End of discussion.”
And that was the end of that conversation.
As they were talking and making jokes Eloise noticed Penelope wearing a very oversized green jacket. In the August heat. She knew her best friend was beyond gorgeous, but she shouldn't make herself suffer that way. She knew Penelope had this idea of herself as unattractive, but it simply was not true. Yes she was more filled out in places and very curvy. But Penelope to everyone else did not meet the “standard” of what models were portrayed in magazines. In reality nobody really did. Not even Eloise herself, but she knows Penelope needed that little push.
So, Eloise pulled her aside and said “Penelope I love you, but I know you are not doing well in that jacket. It is sweltering and very humid. Please take it off, you will be fine I promise you. I am saying this because I adore you. You should be comfortable no matter what.”
Penelope looked at her best friend and knew she would never understand the need for a jacket with her body type no matter the weather. She sighed and this one time took it off and tied it around her waist. Revealing she had a matching short sleeve dark green v-neck.
She felt better considering the heat was very stifling for it being almost eight in the morning. She also felt exposed and felt a pair of eyes on her. She looked up and met Colin’s gaze that stare was held for three long seconds before he looked away across the quad. Penelope felt like she was being studied in a harsh way, at least that is what her mind told her. Daphne was there texting away on her iPhone she was talking to an older boy in the school, and his name was Simon he was a Senior. She was absolutely smitten. Penelope had a feeling they would end up serious with how she spoke of him.
Eloise and Penelope were laughing and joking at how coincidently their schedules were fairly similar. Then Eloise looked at Penelope’s profile again and said “Pen you seriously over did it again with all that school supplies.. Trust me you don’t need it all today!”
Penelope’s anxiety wouldn't let her rest unless she was absolutely prepared for everything, that’s just who she was. Her backpack was filled to the max capacity and was sure that if anything else was added it would surely burst. It did make it look like she had a hump on her back. She was sure her red curls were being flattened by the backpack.
Penelope did her best to avoid attention, but that was never the case with her. The attention or the universe had a funny way of just shoving her (literally) in the spotlight. Just when the bell rang for them to start heading to class everyone started pushing and shoving in the quad. Penelope felt someone push her purposefully hard and she fell.
Not only did she fall, but she literally rolled on the quad and time stood still and so did everyone else. When she got up her backpack immediately tore open and everything came spilling out. She saw everything in slow motion. People pointing and laughing at her and even hearing names of
“Now that's a literal Rollie Pollie” “Was that an earthquake?” “Featherington fell again!” “She looked like an armadillo there for a second!” “I swear the quad just split in half because of her!”
Penelope was absolutely red in the face. She was embarrassed. She felt hot heavy tears fall down her face as she got on her knees and did her best to stuff everything back into her backpack as quickly as possible.
Eloise, Daphne, and Colin all got down on their knees to help as well. She was trying to push everything back in with shaky hands, but Colin put his hand on top of hers and asked “Pen are you alright?” he had genuine concern in his eyes. She looked at him with a tear stained face and smiled and nodded.
‘What a way to start my freshman year’ she thought ‘Embarrassing myself in front of the school and in front of Colin no less’
She had to stop in the bathroom to swipe away some of the mascara that was smeared from the tears. The Bridgertons siblings looked at her and all she could do was laugh it off and play it as a joke saying “You know me, I am just very clumsy is all”
But she knew someone pushed her deliberately. She was keeping that fact to herself though.
She wasn't trying to make anything else worse for herself than what they were. By that time the quad was almost cleared out and they started heading towards their classes. Penelope felt something burning and dripping down her knee and saw that her jeans tore and she was bleeding. She bit her cheek and said nothing.
She felt eyes on her again and again. It was Colin they had a telepathic conversation going on where he raised a brow and looked down at her knee in concern.
‘You're not okay are you?’
She looked at him and her attempted smile faded. ‘No’
She shrugged her shoulders and looked at him and told him telepathically ‘There’s nothing to be done about it now. Let’s just let it go.’
He kept staring and his eyes hid an emotion she didn't recognize before and then he looked away. He seemed angry and determined for some reason.
It was time for English class.
Eloise, Colin, and Penelope had that first period together. Daphne had music class, and so she bid them farewell until lunch time.
They walked in and it was Mrs. Danbury who taught the AP class so she meant business. Since it was Advanced English Literature there were different lower and upper classmates. Eloise and Penelope were accepted in the advanced placement program through extensive testing. Of course they made it in. They were very high in their freshman class. There was no seating arrangement so in a four desk table Eloise sat across from Penelope and Colin sat next to her. Her breath hitched, his presence was so close and she felt herself blushing from the proximity.
Then a student named Philip sat next to Eloise and introduced himself to them all with a soft smile. He mentioned he was a transfer student and immediately Penelope said “Welcome Philip I am so glad to meet you! If you ever need help with finding your way around I wouldn't mind helping you!” She also looked at both Eloise and Colin while smiling and said “I am sure they won’t mind helping you either.”
Eloise looked at Phillip and blushed “Of course I do not mind.”
Colin tried to smile, but it didn't match his eyes as he looked at Philip “Of course man, happy to help.”
Once that was settled. Mrs. Danbury started introducing herself and the course. Mrs. Danbury was mentioning the after school clubs that dealt with literature; she had already mentioned the Drama Club and The Mayfair Column. Penelope took mental notes of all of this, maybe high school would be bearable if she did something fun. She’d look more into it after class with Mrs. Danbury about both clubs.
Penelope faced the front of the room as did everyone else and she could feel eyes roaming all over her back. Maybe she over thought it, but the stare felt familiar. It felt like Colin’s. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her, so she decided not to ponder it anymore. He had to face her direction to pay attention anyways.
Despite the horrible morning, she decided then and there that she would let herself bask in his warmth. She only hoped she wouldn't get burned for letting herself do so.