In An Instant

Chapter 6

On Wednesday morning, we all met outside on the field. From what I could see, it had been recently groomed and tidied for the start of the year. The sunlight glinted of the grass in emerald rays creating a beautiful sight before my eyes. Still, it wasn't enough to disguise the industrial buildings that surrounded Northland, trapping us in. I hadn't thought about what a funny location it was in before, but right now it felt a bit like a cage.

        Ally met me at my side and pulled her long hair up into a ponytail, preparing for the "games" we would soon be participating in. "Hey. Any idea where Sydney is?" I asked her.

        She shrugged. "Probably off canoodling with her new friends."

        "Canoodling?"

        "Precisely," she replied and looked me in the eye with a smile playing at her lips. I was used to her quirks and this was one of many. I couldn't take my mind off of Lynn and Sian, though; I knew that they were the two that Ally was referring to. Whenever I thought of them, Sian's look came back to me and no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't shake it. Something told me that she didn't want me around.

        Ugh, so cliché of me, I thought. I'm not in Mean Girls.

        "Hello everyone!" A dark-skinned man spoke into a battery powered mic that was, for whatever reason, on the grass. There was a slight lilt to his tongue that suggested he was from India. "It's nice to see you all up nice and early."

        The crowd groaned in response and I turned to see Sydney, big shocker, standing next to Sian and Lynn. Her face was lit up by laughter. She looked so comfortable next to the others, like she was home and, although I knew my feelings were irrational, my heart beat rapidly. I felt as though I was in a race. Like if I didn't befriend them soon, it would be too late.

        "My name is Mr. Grew," the speaker continued. "No, not Gru. G-R-E-W."

        A few students let out polite laughs at his reference to "Despicable Me" and Mr. Grew smiled humourously. I could tell he realized how terrible his joke was. "This morning we will be having a scavenger hunt."

        A shuffling among the students occurred. Although we're in high school, we're still kids and we need teams. Instinctively, I reached out to grab Ally's arm in a vise-like grip. I begin to move but Mr. Grew's voice stopped me in my footsteps. "Everybody freeze!" he yelled, his voice echoing. He must be a gym teacher. "Don't be making your teams just yet. Let me explain the rules first. You will have four group members. Within your group, you will possess a sheet of paper that has directions on it. These directions will lead you to letters which are hidden somewhere among the property. You will recognize these letters if they are laminated and hanging or taped to something. You have until 11:30 and while you eat lunch, we'll take a look at your papers. After lunch you'll be participating in sports-like activities. Good luck!"

        In a mad rush, the rest of the grade tens swarmed like an angry nest of wasps after being disturbed. I searched frantically for Sydney but every time I saw her flit among the crowd, she seemed to disappear into a whole other realm. Finally, it was too late. The excitement died down and Ally and I circled around slowly to take in our peers and, now, our competition.

        Through a crack in the density of the crowd, I noticed Sydney. She wasn't alone, quite the contrary! Beside her were our two newest acquaintances and another girl I had never seen before. She had long brown hair pulled back into a tight high ponytail. I could tell that it was very thick by the way the elastic was strained. Her almond-shaped eyes tilted upwards at the ends in the slightest of ways giving her a subtle cat-like appearance. The lashes that lined the blue of her irises were very long and had lots of mascara which I could infer from their unnatural darkness.