✓ | The Crown of the Dead

A Substitute Loans Me His House Key (and other public school stories)

Middle school is truly a horrifying place. If you never went to middle school for whatever reason that may be, you can't really comprehend what goes on there.

My locker wouldn't open. It was a common occurrence. There was no hot senior to walk by, hit it with their elbow, and magically have it swing open.

"Lemme try!" Delta pushed me out of the way and started playing with the combination.

"I already let you try!" I shoved her back and continued turning the lock.

Delta groaned. "If I have to carry around my backpack all day I will blame you and only you!"

"That's nice Delta," I tried pulling it open, with no luck.

"Maybe I could help?"

Charlie Jackson stood right behind me, and when I heard her voice I jumped out of my skin.

"You scared me!"

Charlie's face went red. "Sorry. Here... let me."

Delta and I moved away and let Charlie take the combination lock in her hands. "What are the numbers?" She asked.

"Umm... 32..."

"22!" Delta corrected. "22, 17, 0."

She turned the lock, her tongue sticking out a little in the process. When she finished, she tried the handle. "That should work," she pulled it open.

"Thanks," I said.

"Oh and umm, I was told after school I have to help you with some math and stuff?" Charlie brushed some stray brown hair from her face. "In the library. I think at like... 2:40 or something."

My face prickled with embarrassment. "Oh," I managed. "That's you."

Charlie nodded. "I'll see you then I guess."

I coughed. "Yeah-- see you then."

She disappeared around the hall.

"Are you failing math class?!" Delta whispered.

"I'm failing life. We've been over this."

"We're gonna be late to homeroom!" Delta grabbed my arm and dragged me away. "Let's go friend!"

Science was a bore. Nobody seemed to have it in them today; it was the end of the school year, and even the highest scoring students were getting antsy.

Amy Kate stopped me in the hall to wish me a flat "happy birthday," and then smirked and walked away. Nothing else interesting happened.

My stomach kept doing flip flops over having to go to a tutoring session with Charlie Jackson. It was embarrassing if not degrading, and it made me feel stupid. I was also undoubtedly scared.

Essie was in my science class. She fascinated me to be honest. She was oddly different from the other kids: instead of wearing a tired expression and ignoring everyone else's presence, she truly seemed happy to be in school.

She raised her hand a lot. Maybe one of her parents was a scientist or something— her dad seemed to like building things— and she wanted to go into the same field.

Dad was a doctor, but I've never wanted to go into medicine. Blood has always made me overly queasy. When I was six, I got my first bike. I remember being extremely excited about it-- Delta had a bike that I would ride out in the street sometimes, and I had never thought to ask for my own.

Dad took me outside to ride it once he had put it together. On our way out, Papa pestered him to make sure I didn't go too fast. He didn't want me to fall and scrape up my hands. Dad said I'd be fine, and that Papa was a worrier, and that he'd look out for me.