Monday morning began unusually with a splitting headache, exacerbated by the oppressive heat. The blaring fire alarm had just been silenced by my neighbor, who lingered in the apartment longer than I preferred.
"Yup, that's what you get when you take a shower and leave the pan unattended," he remarked, to which I merely walked past, grabbing water from the refrigerator.
"Ya don't say," I muttered. He smelled like a mix of body odor and cigarette smoke, and the scent of burned toast lingered as he walked through the apartment.
"Well, let's try to keep the house from burning down, shall we?" he continued, offering unsolicited advice. "The trip-off switch is just by the..."
"I know where it is now, thank you, Patrick."
"Anytime," he replied. "If you need anything else, Mr. Miller..."
"I'll be sure to let you know," I interrupted, awkwardly waving him off before closing the door.
I slumped onto the couch, still massaging my aching head. A quick nap should fix all this I thought. My phone chimed twice.
"PJ: How's it going so far?"
"Mum: We should talk about the fees for next semester, call me."
"Damn it, I'm late!" I realized, checking the time. "Arrggh, talk about a proper Monday. This just couldn't get any better." I hastily put on my shoes.
Walking through the gates, it was 8:37 AM. I was more than late for the tour, which I had now decided to skip altogether. I scrolled through my phone, searching for the email with my information, and then headed to my locker.
As I examined my surroundings, I noticed everyone else engaged in their own business. Some students were taking down a poster: "Congratulations Mikaela Stevenson: 2023 Panats Middle Weight Champion."
I pulled my gaze back, catching someone staring intently at me.
"Uhmm, that would be my locker, sir," he said, still holding a deep gaze. With a sigh, I walked past him, realizing I was on the verge of starting the day on the wrong foot.
"so, Locker 432.." I read just loudly enough to be heard by anyone close by.
"…EM, Locker 432-EM!" someone had completed my sentence.
"Edward? Edward Miller?" She asked. "Nice of you to show up to the tour this morning."
I was now looking for who was talking.
"Right here!" She was waving. "Andrea, Andrea Nicolson. Student-Body…" she announced, her voice cheerful and bright, with an underlying tone of confidence and authority.
"Right, right. Thank you." I said walking towards the locker, right next to where she was standing. I wasn't interested in the high-energy conversation I suspected would follow. I buried myself in the locker hoping she would go away.
"So about the tour?" I heard from behind the locker door. "Left us hanging there boss." She continued.
I didn't realize she was still there. I swung the door shut and turned to face my right where I had last seen her standing, class schedule now in hand. I let out a deep audible sigh as I tried to find who was talking. I turned around, feeling a tap on my shoulder. She was waving sarcastically as if we had only now just met.
"Right here!" She announced.
This time, I observed her more closely. She stood at a height of around 5'8", a petite girl with long, chestnut hair cascading down her back in loose waves. Her bright blue eyes seemingly sparkling with energy and curiosity.
I shifted my gaze to the tags on her suit, there were several.
"I see the tie wasn't quite your style as well." She continued.
"Darn it, these must kids want all the smoke." I thought to myself.
"Hmmm what's that, Student-Body Vice Pre…" I started to read out just as the bell started to ring.
"Well then, it seems the bell's come to my rescue," I said with a slight smirk on my face.
"Hmm, it would seem so indeed," she said unimpressed.
"I'll see you in Chem then, you might want to show up early for this one," she said as she handed me the only folder in her hand.
"Thank you" I responded.
I could finally breathe freely.
"Jeez man, I might want to stay away from that one," I remarked just under my breath.
The folder had my name boldly written on the front. I put it into the locker not bothering to examine the contents, the hallway was now emptying and I had to find "CHM-LT" the class I was meant to be in.
The bell had just gone signaling a period change,
"Alright, Guys don't forget your assignments. I would also suggest you study pages…" Mr. Henderson's voice was now being drowned out by the rumble in the class, it seemed like everyone was moving all at once.
The Organic Chemistry class was just what I would have loved for it to be, an introductory class. Nothing heavy, just a nice warm-up to the semester.
I made my way to the door.
"Mr. Miller, is it?" Mr. Henderson remarked, his full attention still wholly focused on the half-clean board. He made a swipe, half wiping the word "Enantiomers" off of the whiteboard before turning around to look at me.
"That's right…" he said as he turned around, "you're my new student" he continued.
"Take a seat please" he said as he gestured to the chair closest to his desk.
He stood quietly, taking off his glasses and carefully placing them in the case.
Concern crept into my thoughts. I was nearly convinced he would inquire about my time at Pine-Crest, a subject that had remained untouched until now.
"So, Pine-Crest?" I remembered asking PJ.
"What about it?" He responded.
"What happens when it comes up?"
"If it comes up!" He corrected, "Chesher is quite some distance from here, plus it's even further away from Alaska…"
I let out a deep breath at the mention of Alaska, it brought back bad memories.
"Long story short" PJ continued, understanding my expression, "If you lay low no one's gonna ask about it. Plus Mr. Bertram pulled a few strings, so just… Lay low alright!"
Looking back now I regret not pressing the matter any further.
"So…" Mr. Henderson said interrupting my thoughts, "I must confess I'm a bit surprised you're taking this class" he continued now examining a folder identical to the one I had gotten earlier from the student-body girl, I had forgotten her name.
"I see here you were registered to take some AP classes at your previous school. What happened with that?"
"Well sir, I…" The speakers came on with a characteristic two-tone chime cutting me off mid-sentence, "Edward Miller please report to the principal's office, Edward Miller please report to the principal's office."
"Well, I'll see you on Thursday I guess." Mr. Henderson concluded.
"Alright sir" I replied.
"The principal's office?" I thought to myself, a bit strange.
I made my way to the locker to grab a few books, I had Biology in a few minutes. Hopefully, I wouldn't be too long in the principal's office. "Second Floor Room 103." I read out from the office directory, taking a mental note.
"Come in!" I heard someone say after I had knocked a few times.
"What's your name" an elderly lady I could only assume was the secretary, asked.
"Edward Miller, Ma'am" I answered.
Without looking up she pointed at the door to my right. It was open, so I didn't bother knocking.
"Good day, Mrs. Garcia." That's quite the coincidence, I thought as I shifted my gaze from the nameplate on the desk. It was the same surname as my previous principal's. Mrs. Garcia had salt and pepper hair, neatly styled in a bun at the nape of her neck. Her glasses sat perched on the end of her nose as she sorted through papers on her desk.
"Take a seat" she responded. As I approached the desk, I realized there was someone else seated, it was the student-body girl from before.
"Welcome to Pine-Crest Mr. Miller" Mrs. Garcia began.
"What?" I asked surprised.
"Welcome to Chesher High" she repeated, slower this time.
"Oh, thank you Ma'am" I replied, relieved.
"How have you found it so far?" she continued
"Oh it's been alright Ma'am" I responded
"I'm sure you're familiar with Ms. Nicolson, your tour guide from this morning."
"Ah yes, Ms. Nicolson, Andrea Nicolson, of course"
"That's alright, that'll be all Andrea," Mrs. Garcia said, dismissing her.
"So, Mr. Miller I'll get straight to it, as you must be aware we here at Chesher very much prioritize certain values in our students such as integrity, discipline, honesty and academic excellence. We expect our students to uphold these values throughout their time here, and we believe it contributes to a positive and thriving educational environment."
I nodded, unsure of where the conversation was headed.
"Now, I understand that you were originally enrolled in some AP classes at your previous school. Quite an impressive academic background," Mrs. Garcia remarked, glancing at the folder on her desk.
"However, upon reviewing your records, I've noticed a few inconsistencies."
"Pine-Crest!" She announced.
My heart sank.
"That's the obvious elephant in the room." She continued, "I am curious, Edward, as to why you didn't bring that up during your interview."
"Well, I…" I was at a loss for words.
"It should have been brought up during the interview." She said shifting her attention back to the folder she was examining.
"I must confess that if Mr. Bertram hadn't hinted at that information in his recommendation, it might have escaped our attention. We typically don't scrutinize our students for previous convictions here at CPHS," she remarked as she closed the folder, releasing a sigh. Removing her glasses, she placed them on the desk and directed her focused gaze toward me.
Mrs. Garcia continued, "Now, I want to be clear, we believe in second chances here. However, transparency is crucial. We need to ensure that our students are open and honest about their past, as it plays a role in maintaining a safe and conducive learning environment for everyone."
I swallowed hard, feeling a knot forming in my stomach.
"I'll be honest, I would normally let you go. You are a good student, but you come with quite a bit of… 'Baggage'."
The air in the room felt heavy as Mrs. Garcia's words hung in the air. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, suddenly very aware of the gravity of the situation.
"Mrs. Garcia, I didn't mean to withhold information during the interview. It just did not come up, and I didn't think it was relevant," I stammered, desperately trying to explain myself.
She raised an eyebrow, her expression unwavering. "Edward, we take our students' backgrounds seriously. Transparency is key, especially when it comes to any incidents or issues that might have occurred in previous schools." She put her glasses back on.
"I doubt you are aware, but we are partly funded by the government and as part of our commitment to society, we have certain obligations we hold. Certain quotas if you will, must be met. Due to our proximity to the Pine-Crest Juvenile facility, we've been enrolled in the Juvenile Reintegration Program. Of course, we've never had an issue with this because most… 'offenders' usually don't come this far."
Mrs. Garcia leaned back in her chair, studying me for a moment. "Edward, you need to understand that honesty from the beginning is crucial. Your past actions, whatever they might be, won't necessarily define your future here at Chesher, but we need to know about them."
She sighed, and her tone softened slightly. "We'll be reaching out to your previous school as well as the Pine-Crest facility for more information. It's a standard procedure."
I nodded, a mix of anxiety and regret swirling within me. "I understand, Mrs. Garcia."
"Be aware…" she said, reaching into a compartment in her desk and pulling out a tie, "that you will be on a shorter leash than most students."
The weight of Mrs. Garcia's words lingered in the room as she handed me the tie. I took it silently. A "shorter" leash – the metaphor rang in my ears as I tied the unfamiliar tie around my neck.
"Edward, we want to believe in your potential for change," she said, her stern expression softening slightly. "But you must understand the trust we place in our students is earned. We don't take this lightly."
I nodded, my mind racing. The atmosphere in the room was charged with tension as Mrs. Garcia continued, "You will be assigned a mentor, someone who will guide you and monitor your progress closely. This is not meant to be punitive but rather a support system to help you integrate smoothly into our community."
Andrea Nicolson, the student-body vice president will be responsible for this.
"For your information, only I, the guidance counsellor, Ms. Sussanne, and a few other high-ranking members of staff are aware of your…'situation'. I will suggest you try your absolute best to keep it that way. For your own sake."
"That's alright," she remarked as if to stop herself from going any further.
Letting out a deep breath. She put on her glasses and picked the folder back up.
"I suggest you take this opportunity seriously, Edward. It is a chance for a fresh start, and we genuinely want to see you succeed," she said, her tone softening slightly.
She placed the folder down yet again. Taking off her glasses.
"Extracurriculars, Edward! We've got plenty. Try-outs for the football team begin tomorrow, I believe," she announced. "But really, it's about what you enjoy. Just make sure you have something to occupy your gym period. That'll be all…"
"Thank you very…" I began to say.
"...All for now! Try to keep it that way."
"Certainly, Ma'am," I affirmed.
She nodded "You may leave".
As I left the principal's office, I felt a mix of gratitude, apprehension, and determination.
Strolling down the hallway with my tie neatly in place, I couldn't help but notice the inquisitive glances from my fellow students.
That could all have gone much worse, I imagined. At least the cat's still in the bag, I thought to myself.