Amber

12| school rules

I wander into the office, looking for any possible staff members I can speak with. All I see, though, are the many great accomplishments that Liberty High has made. Trophies fill shelves to the brim, and I'm too mesmerized by them to notice when someone walks in. "Miss Peterson?"

I instantly turn to the direction of their voice and I am met with a black-haired man who looks to be in his early thirties. "Good Afternoon." I greet him. He nods, "Good Day, Miss Peterson. Please come with me, I'll be helping you on your first few days."

He walks away and I follow him, still eyeing the shelves of trophies—that are everywhere in the office—in curiosity. "You should probably study this route so you can find me when you need me."

I nod before remembering he can't see me, so I use my voice instead, "Okay, sir."

He leads us into a big office with a large amount of natural light and green plants everywhere. A desk sits in the room with one chair behind and one in front of it. "Please sit." He points to the chair in front of the desk. I do as he says and he sits in what I assume is his chair. "So, my name is Anderson Stone and I am the deputy headmaster of Liberty Academy."

I say, "Nice to meet you, Headmaster Stone. I'm Amber." I pause in thought, "Amber Peterson."

He smiles at me. Not in a way that made me uncomfortable, if anything, it made me more comfortable. And I soak the comfort in, feeling the most relaxed since I've been here. "A pleasure to meet you too, Amber. I'm here to help you settle in and also to offer my help with anything else you may need.".

I breathe in shakily, suddenly feeling uneasy, "Thank you, Headmaster Stone."

"Don't be nervous, Amber. I'm sure you'll get settled in quite easily." He reassures me.

I only smile in nervousness.

He sighs before taking up a booklet that lays on his desk. "Okay, let's go over the main rules. I'm sure you've already done your research on all of them."

My cheeks heat and I stumble over my words, "Actually, I um-" I had been so caught up in watching the different outings they went on yearly and the many tours of the different areas of the school, that I had forgotten to check the actual rules. "I didn't remember to." I say in a quiet voice.

He laughs, "It's okay, Amber. It happens all the time. Our excitement does sometimes get the best of us." He pauses, pointing to himself, "That's why I'm here—to help you settle in smoothly."

He opens his booklet, adjusting his glasses on his face, "Okay, let's see." He flips through the pages until he lands on a specific one. "Here it is!" He says before reading aloud the writing on the page, "Rule number one is that all students should be in their dormitories by eleven p.m. Failure to comply with this rule will result in a two hour detention on Saturday."

Even though he's not looking at me, I still nod in understanding.

Headmaster Stone proceeds with the reading, "You are never to ever leave the school compound without notifying a staff member." He looks me dead in the eye, repeating himself, "Ever." I nod at him, expressing that I understand and he resumes, "Failure to comply with this rule results in a suspension, the amount of time dependent on your case."

All I can do is nod—and it is what I do.

"Our third rule here says to always have respect. Respect for your teachers, staff members, each other and yourselves." He continues.

"We are one of the top private schools in academics, among other factors. With that being said, our failing grade is anything below a B-. If you fail an exam or a quiz, you and your parents will be called in for a meeting in which we will discuss your grades and if you should stay at this school."

Unable to help myself, I gasp, "B-?"

He looks up from the booklet again, "Yes, Amber. C+ and lower is considered a fail here. It takes a lot of work to stay at this school, and so I suggest you use this opportunity well. Really, all you have to do is study." He continues when I don't say anything, "We provide many facilities in which you can study, you'll be seeing those in your tour that you'll be taking tomorrow."

My eyebrows shoot up in curiosity and he elaborates, "I'm sure you're very overwhelmed by both your flight and all this information so the tour takes place tomorrow. It starts at six a.m. because there are alot of places that we need to cover."

"Well, those are the main rules of the school. All other rules are in your student booklet that you will receive tomorrow as well." As if just remembering something, he exclaims, "Oh, right! Your timetable."

He begins shuffling through the multiple papers on his desk. "School begins at eight-thirty and ends at one. Lateness also results in a detention, but those rules will be found in the student booklet."

He picks up a laminated paper, a timetable printed in it, "This is the physical copy. One is sent to your school email. I'm sure Lucas made you create a password for it already?"

I nod for what feels like the umpteenth time today, "Thank you Headmaster Stone. For everything."

He smiles, "Of course. It is my job, after all." There is a pregnant silence until he clears his throat, "I'll have someone show you to your room."

I smile at him in gratitude.

He tells me, "Enjoy the rest of your Saturday, Amber."

"You too." I respond lightly.