The next thing that we knew, we were in a lunchroom that I knew all too well, "Fuck," I muttered as I looked at the poorly cooked food. "Of all the high schools, why this one," I muttered as Aili chuckled
"I asked myself that same question," a voice said from my left, "anyone sitting here," the girl asked as I realized Aili and I were sitting across from each other.
"No," Aili said with a shake of her head, "you can sit there," she added, and the girl smiled.
"Thanks," she began, "I may have a friend joining me in a bit if you don't mind," she added. "The name's Hanni Hakesley. What are yours?"
Before I answered, Aili, squeezed my hand as I glimpsed and remembered the name change that the gods gave us, "I'm Rain Nair, and she is Vanny Sarno. We're soulmates, and this is the first time we've seen each other since moving."
"You didn't tell each other what school you were going to," Hanni asked, forking in a mouthful of one of the driest mashed potatoes on the face of the Earth.
Aili shook her head, "Our parents didn't let us," she said, then she looked at me. "What class do you have after this," she asked me as my eyes widened, and I patted my pockets just as a boy joined us.
"Oh, guys, this is Stu Loeser," Hanni began introducing us to the boy, "Stu, this is Rain and Vanny, they're new here, and they're soulmates."
I finally found my schedule and looked at it, "Yearbook," I read off with a smile; at least it was something I still knew how to do, and I didn't have to put all of my focus into
Aili groaned, "I have an AP History class," she said, and I arched an eyebrow, "kidding," she said with a grin. "This says I'm in some sort of show choir," she read off as my eyes widened. "Why are your eyes widening like that," she asked me, and I chuckled.
"I heard that it's very hard to get into the show choir here, and you just happened to get in as a new student," I explained, glancing at my schedule. "A senior at that," I added.
Hanni nodded, "Most people don't get in as transfers. The only reason someone would be in the show choir from when they started their education here is if they auditioned as a junior show choir member. You must've had a teacher put in a good word for you," she added. "Lucky for you, Stu is part of the show choir. He'll show you the room, I have a class in the room next to yours, so I'll show you where you'll be going," she said, and I nodded.
"Thanks," I said with a smile, "do you guys have your soulmates yet?"
Both Hanni and Stu nodded, "We're each other's soulmates. Where did you two move from," she asked as I started shoveling the dry food into my mouth.
"We're from a township an hour away from Detroit," Aili answered before I even had the chance to swallow.
"Do you know the first soulmates by chance," Hanni asked, "I hear that they're really good people; I think one of them graduated from here as the top ten percent in her class," she added, and I nodded.
"Yeah, I believe, if I remember my research correctly, that Liz graduated from here," I said, and Aili's eyes widened. "What, you don't think that I did some research on the first soulmates of the world when I heard that one of them was from here?"
Aili shook her head, "No, I'm just surprised that you got that much information from a web search. No, we don't know them, but this one is such a research nut that she wanted to find out as much as she could about this high school."
A lightbulb of recognition went off in my head when Stu began talking, "Yeah, she graduated when we were transfer sophomores here," he said. "I believe Hanni here became good friends with her," he added as I smiled.
"That I was, Liz was a good person to be around," she said as Stu chuckled, "what she was," she shot at him as Aili smiled at me.
"She showed you one classroom, and that's it," he shot at her, and I kept myself from rolling my eyes.
"We hung out during rehearsals and the few classes there were. Liz even helped me when she was in the library working on the yearbook during her seventh hour," Hanni shot back as Aili stifled some laughter.
"It sounds like Liz was very helpful to you," I said, trying to keep the disbelief from my voice.
"Yeah," Aili began, "almost wish I met her," she finished squeezing my hand.
"I was told that she and an alumni friend, Tracy, I believe her name is, would try to visit before their college started," Stu said. It was my turn to stifle some laughter with Aili. "I heard those two became close. I saw them at the Christmas concert last year," he added, and Hanni only looked at him.
"And you didn't tell me," she growled, and I smiled
Even though these two were great company in an old and familiar place, I had a new sense of unease. I saw Hanni and Stu glimpse at us every so often. I drank my orange juice, "Hey, are any of you going to have your orange juice," I asked. "I'm more of an orange juice person than a milk person when it comes to school lunches," I explained
"Here," Stu said, tossing me his, "Give me the milk though because I love it," he added as Hanni tried to trick me with her empty one that still had the open crease on it
I chuckled, tossing the milk towards him, and glared at Hanni, "Nice try," I began. "I've had that prank pulled on me in our last school," I finished, and she cursed
"It was worth a shot," she said, tossing the empty carton into a passing garbage can
"Hey Hanni," a voice called from by the windows which were behind Stu, "it's time for you to go home."
The next thing I knew, the man flinched as an empty milk carton went into the garbage can behind Stu. "You didn't need to do that," Hanni muttered.
"But I wanted to," he said with a smile as I threw my trash out
"Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom," I said before leaving the table and starting my across the hall as they nodded
"Hey, I need to go too, wait up," Aili said, running after me
"If you two take too long, we'll meet you outside the doors once we're excused," Hanni said, and we both gave peace signs as we headed towards the bathroom
"So, the top of your class," Aili whispered once we got in. I looked at her, "why didn't you say anything?"
"Because it wasn't like the top ten percent or anything, it was the top twenty-five percent," I answered as I tossed the bag down. "I think those two are our escorts while whatever's going to attack is in the cafeteria. I felt the both of them eyeing me suspiciously," I added in a low voice as I looked in it as it sat in the sink.
"Me too," she said, "why did you curse once we appeared," she asked me, and I chuckled.
"Fights are the norm around here," I said, looking into the mirror; I had bleach blond hair but still wore the loose-fitting shirt with fleece and jeans on as I wore before I graduated here. "When there's a word of a fight, then kids come running just to get a video of it," I answered as I took a survey of what was in my bag. "At least I remember to pack leggings for dance today," I muttered just as someone walked in.
"You got that right about the fights," the girl said, then sighed, "why do I have to be here again?"
Aili and I looked at each other and arched an eyebrow, "Again," I asked her and her eyes widened. "What do you mean," I asked
"Just messing around," she said with a nervous laugh, "you wouldn't understand."
She had dark brown hair that matched the chocolate-colored eyes that were behind her glasses, "What's your real name," I asked, and her eyes widened.
"Tracy Mitchell," she whispered as I smirked
"You need to have more of a guard on that than that," I said with a smile, and she sighed in relief
"Let me guess," she said, "Liz, Aili?"
I nodded, "Raine and Vanny," I said, pointing to each other, and she nodded. "Where are you from?"
"Up North," she said, pointing up to the sky, "Sorry about that, I'm hiding from people who want to beat me up. The first name that came up was one of the ones from the championship pictures that I was staring at."
I nodded, "So you're signed up to get a beating on your first day here," I asked, and she nodded. "Sounds rough," I added, and she chuckled, "why'd you move, and what's your actual name?"
"The name's Ranee Marso. I moved because of something about testing and training. I didn't get all of the details," she said with a wink. "Didn't pay attention to it all," she added as I chuckled, "what about you," she asked.
"Same," I answered, "moved from a township near Detroit, scenery wise this place is different from there."
Tracy smiled, "True that," she said, "I believe we moved from the same township," she said just as the bell rang. "Shit, I don't even know what class I have next," she muttered.
"What's next on your schedule," I asked, "I have a yearbook, and she has show choir," I said, nodding towards Aili as Tracy's eyes widened like mine did before she looked at her schedule.
"Yearbook, I've never been in that class," she said, and I smiled
"If it's anything like the yearbook in our last school, you'll be in luck," I said, and she grinned. "You can come with me. Someone's showing me the room. She has a class right next to it."
Tracy's smile widened, "Thanks," she said as I closed my bag
"You ready," I asked her, and she nodded before we left the bathroom
It didn't take us long before we found Stu and Hanni waiting for us and bickering as we had left them. "Hey guys," I said, waving my hand, "I hope you don't mind, but I found another new person that doesn't know where she's going," I said. "She and I have the same class," I added as Hanni turned around
"Oh, that's fine," she said, "let's go before the second bell rings. I don't want you two to be late for your first class."
With that, I kissed Aili on the forehead and wished her luck in her fourth hour as she wished me luck in mine. "So, how's this yearbook class going to work," I asked Hanni.
She shrugged, "I don't know, but I believe they're still in their theme planning," she said, and I smirked as Tracy, and I followed behind her. "Liz didn't tell me much about it. I hope Stu tells me the next time both she and Tracy come for a visit. I want to see them again," she said as I chuckled as I watched Tracy's eyes widen even more.
"I'm pretty sure with any threats that you gave him, he'll tell you next time they're here," I said, stifling the laughter building up inside.
"He'd better," she said as we finished climbing the stairs, "or else the underworld is going to be his home for the next week."
"At least it'll be warmer compared to this," Tracy said, and I laughed as Hanni shrugged.
"You're not wrong there," she said before stopping in front of a classroom, "here you are. What are your classes after this," she asked us as Tracy looked at her schedule.
"Dance," we said at the same time.
"Well, that's easy to at least describe," she said with a sigh, "that's going to take place in the auditorium. You'll either go through the doors in the front and pass the choir and band rooms or go backstage. That's the best I can describe it. Now go in there and make a damned good yearbook for this year," she said with a smile before entering her classroom.
Tracy and I looked at each other and shrugged before we entered, "Hello ladies, how may I help you," a young-looking lady said at the desk.
"Hi," I began instantly, knowing who this teacher is, "are you, Mrs. Green?"
She nodded. This teacher was the teacher for my English 2 class and was the one to suggest I be in the yearbook class. "Yes, you must be Raine and Ranee," she said, and we nodded, "well, have any of you been in a yearbook class?"
"I have," I said as Tracy shook her head, "we were only in the planning stages when I left, so accounts weren't made yet."
Mrs. Green nodded, "That's fine," she said, "we're in the planning process ourselves. I was just going to have the students create their accounts today."
I nodded, "Okay, what format are we using," I asked, and she smiled
"You know the ropes. I remember hearing about a student like that a couple of years ago," she said, then told me the format.
Me, already knowing the format, nodded and smiled, "I was named student editor a few years ago at the old school. I may be able to include some ideas for this year," I said as Mrs. Green smiled and Tracy sighed a little
The fourth hour was quick and a little easy as I didn't have to teach a teacher how to do her job; I only had to teach Tracy, who understood quickly. Soon we found ourselves looking for the auditorium for our next class.
"I wonder if this new choir director kept the previous dance teacher," Tracy muttered as we wove our way through the annoying students.
"If my thinking is right, then it probably is Ms. Arriero," I muttered in response before we got out of the crowd. Tracy arched an eyebrow. "Remember how I told you that my mother was in every choir aside from the show choir at the old school?"
"Yeah, you always talked about it to the old director," she replied as we made ourselves to the doors.
I nodded, "Well, when she graduated, the director that she had retired. The next director was the one we had who was assistant choir director," I explained, and Tracy's eyes widened once more.
"So, what you're saying is that Mrs. Suleiman is the choir director, and the assistant choir director is going to be replaced," she asked. I nodded just as a lightbulb went off once more.
"I have a feeling we're going to be attacked in this period," I said, "duck into the bathroom with me."
Tracy nodded then followed me into the bathroom, "Why do you think that," she asked me as I paced the bathroom, thinking.
"How many assistant choir directors did the old choir director go through before Mrs. Suleiman," I asked, and she shrugged.
"Some people told me that she went through five or ten. Why," she asked.
"New teacher at one of the most troublesome schools in Toledo isn't new, but a new choir director is very rare," I began. "I'm betting my money and saying that this new teacher is going to make an appearance during this class to see the new students," I finished adding quotes to the end. "So be prepared to act surprised," I added before Tracy nodded and we left the bathroom.