Just before we left, I made sure to sit Pompom by the window as I’d promised Kylie. Alicia shot me a look; the usual ‘you’re a weirdo’ look I’m used to.
“It’s for my little sister,” I explained. “I promised her I’d sit him by the window every day.”
She smiled. “I was right about you… you’re sweet.”
As soon as we stepped out of our room, I struggled to keep my mouth closed. Despite the fact that all the girls were dressed almost identically; plaid skirts, white blouses and red t-shirts with the RAMS emblem sitting comfortably over perky breasts (mine was lying rather flatly unfortunately), they were all so different; lots of piercings, silver jewelry, crazy hair, and tattoos; mostly on ankles, arms and wrists.
I felt utterly plain. Here I thought I’d fit in because we’d all be wearing the same clothes, but these girls were so much cooler than me. I suddenly had the urge to get a nose ring or a tattoo, or attempt a crazy hair-do. I had absolutely nothing in my bag; no brush, elastics, or clips.
Alicia leaned over my shoulder. “The uniforms are mandatory but anything else goes… so we kind of go wild.”
I nodded. “I can see that.”
As soon as we left the dorm, I caught a glimpse of the boys, and they were just as wild. My heart skipped and jumped, refusing to behave. There was just so much around me. Alicia explained that we’d all have to hang a bit until the school doors officially opened. Again, I didn’t quite know what to do with my limbs. I stared at my shoes a lot, and clung to Alicia, following her like a clingy little sister. I pretty much turned into Kylie.
The thought of Kylie made my heart sink a little. I wondered if she was in school yet. Maybe not… Chicago is an hour behind Maine. I hoped she liked her teacher this year. She wasn’t so crazy about Mrs. Sinclair, the teacher she had the year before.
I stood anxiously next to Alicia as she chatted with a bunch of girls. She introduced me to so many people, I promptly forgot all their names. I might be able to read minds and see visions, but I don’t have the greatest memory. I was completely overwhelmed. There was just too much noise around me, too much energy, too many auras swirling around me, like a seventies tie-dye t-shirt. The hubbub around me sounded like the buzz of a beehive.
I felt like the little girl I used to be, the one who would go crazy. I was about to have a full-on panic attack. I had to do something, and quickly. I tugged at Alicia’s arm. “I’m just going to go sit down for a minute,” I told her. “I need to breathe.”
Thankfully, she seemed to understand. “You do that. Take a breather.”
I headed toward an empty bench under a tree, and dug into my bag. I popped a Tic Tac in my mouth, and ripped out a sheet of paper from my notebook. As soon as my hands were busy with the familiar motion of folding, I started to breathe easier. I wasn’t sure what I was making when I started, but it turned into a swan; my favorite, a design I’ve made hundreds of times. It always soothes me – the motion of folding and pressing, sliding my fingers against the smooth texture of the paper, the predictability of the design coming to life.
When I was done and my heartbeat had finally settled down, I looked up. And that’s when I saw him.
A beautiful boy. He was staring at me, a hint of a smile tracing his lips. I smiled quickly at him and jerked my head back down to my creation. He had taken me by surprise, and for the life of me, I couldn’t bring myself to look up at him again.
But in that second or two, I had seen it all. And I had seen enough; the easy posture, playful smile, nose ring, messy dark hair, and the most gorgeous brown eyes I’d ever seen. I’d also seen his aura.
Red.
I’ve learned quite a few things in my short life: Always wear flip flops on a hot beach (ouch!!). Never sit next to chatty Carlie. Always replace the empty roll of toilet paper or Mom will flip! Never go on a roller coaster right after scarfing down a funnel cake. Don’t let your little sister anywhere near your journal. Never sleep alone after watching a scary movie. And last but not least, stay away from boys with red auras. Sure, they’re passionate, but they’re also T-R-O-U-B-L-E.
He was chatting with a group of boys and girls. I ignored them all and focused on the scenery instead; the lush greenery, the jaw-dropping architecture of the school, the hazy morning sky. Alicia was laughing her head off in the distance, and I decided to join her again because I felt too conspicuous, sitting there all alone under the tree. I left my swan sitting on the corner of the bench for someone to find.
As I inched my way through the crowd to join Alicia, I glimpsed over my shoulder and spotted him again. He stood by the bench with the swan in his hands and he smiled, not the shy smile he had given me the first time, but a full-on face splitting grin.
I shot him a tight smile, and turned around quickly, my heart skipping, my head screaming,RED. RED. RED!
8
Amongst the crowd of identically dressed kids heading off to the auditorium, I could easily be spotted: I was the one with her head tilted up to the intricate church-like ceilings and her jaw to the floor. I still couldn’t get over the beauty of the place.
Someone pinch me.
I love the contrasts of old and new. Like I mentioned before (I think I did), the school dates back to 1896. Amongst the classic details; crown moulding, coffered ceilings, were rows of gleaming steel lockers, and glass desks, SMART boards, and state-of-the-art technology.
The first day was Introduction Day. At first period, we all gathered at the auditorium for an overview of the rules and regulations, introduction of the staff; teachers and office staff. Simone headed the proceedings, looking fabulous in a sleek white suit (apparently Simone Adler doesn’t follow the ‘no white after Labor Day’ rule). Cedric spoke a few words as well, welcoming all the students. She looked like a delicate white flower next to his tall dark frame. Philippe, the administrator, said a few words and when he was done, the crowd cheered. I could tell that he was popular around here.
I thought there were a lot of rules at the dorm, but there are even more at the school.
I looked for him in the crowd – the boy with the red aura. I spotted him in the far distance, resting back casually on his seat, joking with the guy next to him. He looked so relaxed, like he was watching Netflix on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn. I, on the other hand, was wound so tight, you’d swear I was at the dentist’s office waiting for a cleaning.
Having Alicia next to me was reassuring but I knew we’d have to part ways after the presentation. The girl on my left wore long white socks with black skulls on them. I was pretty sure they weren’t regulation. I figured she’d be heading off to the headmaster’s office shortly, because the uniform code seemed pretty strict.
Period two was Biology with Mrs. Taylor. I was assigned the second seat, in the second row. I plopped my rear on the chair, popped another Tic Tac in my mouth, took out my notebook and fiddled with my pen, a pink affair topped with a bobbling butterfly, a gift from Kylie for my birthday. She thought I’d like it since I was heading off to that ‘big fancy creepy school’. I’m not sure where she got the idea that RAMS is creepy – maybe it was the gothic architecture of the school, or the mystical images in the brochure. I doodled in my notebook, too shy to make eye contact with the kids trickling in. When the class was almost full, I finally ventured a look up to check out the people I’d be sitting next to for the next semester.
