A Cabin Conundrum [on hold]

Chapter 5 - This Can't Be Happening

Chapter 5 - This Can't Be Happening

"Miss. Attkins, I'd like you to meet our new student, Brodie Oakwood."

•••

Oh hells no.

It was years ago, it's not like I remember him or was fond of him! That's ludicrous!

No.

This situation is impossible! A one out of a miilion chances that we'd be standing in this very scanario. Out of all the schools he could have gone to, why oh why did his parents have to choose this one!?

In a desperate attempt to hide my face a let a couple of strands of black infiltrate my vision.

Pathetic, I know.

"Cheryll dear, I emailed your mother a couple days prior to today, to let her know we had a new student attending our school. I sure hope she told you about our need for a tour guide." Mrs. Burk, our secretary, explains sweetly.

Sounds sickly sweet to my ears.

"Mmhm," I mumble my confirmation that I heard her. Everything was muffled from the outside world as if I was in my own little bubble.

Suddenly fleshy hand is zooming past my vision.

I blink to clear my mind and zone in on the "fortunate" situation that is laid out before us.

"Mrs. Attkins? You look very pale. Is everything alright?" She peers at me with concern behind her spectacles.

Oh, just peachy!

"Umm, no - it's all good!" I reassure her and explain the absence of my attention, "didn't sleep well last night."

She simply pats me on the back and says, "well I hate to admit this, but that's what caffeine is for."

All I can do now is weakly return her gesture in hopes that this little joke will cheer me up right out of my mood.

Yeah, it probably won't.

Mrs. Burk turns to the boy slouching in the blue guest chair and waves him over to us.

The first thing that comes to my mind when he stands up is, wow he's tall.

He casually walks over and stands by our little conversation group. Aw boy, isn't this just swell?

"Brodie, this is one of our most renowned students here at Westbrook High, Cheryll Attkins. She'll be showing you to all your classes and give you the whole tour of the school. If you have any questions or concerns don't be afraid to find Cher by her locker to ask away!"

Looks like I have no say in whether I'm willing to take on this task or not. Well, that's school for you.

"For now, we'll just tackle the first half of the year." Brodie and I are both handed a slip of paper, which just happens to be his schedule for the first semster. The school must've been thinking, oh geez, we better not overwelm the kid with the four extra classes he'll have to find!

"Alright then," Mrs. Burk claps her hands together content, "let's be on our way to your first class!"

Oh, I'm in some deep trouble right about now.

We're excused; I walk out of the office, releasing the awkward tension. Not to say there isn't any still left over.

"I called your name." Brodie utters his first words of the day to me.

"How did you guess?" I query, hoping to throw him off guard.

He motions towards my dark mane, "you had the blackest hair, like the night."