Lake Quincy

I

Mom glances at me in the rear view mirror. I can tell she's nervous about dropping me off at boarding school before going on a cross-country college tour with my older sister Ellie. I'm excited, because it's Lake Quincy, widely reputed to be the best "smart kid school" in America. There's classes in everything, from theoretical physics to business policy. There are excellent arts programs, including the best violin teacher ever, and the language program includes seventeen different languages. Honestly, this will be the best thing since quarks.
We pull up in front of the school gates. Mom and Ellie get out of the car, but I can't tear my eyes from the school. It looks exactly like the brochure-beautiful. The main courtyard is surrounded by massive buildings of varying architectural feels-the administration offices are Gothic, the student dorms are Victorian, the theater is modern, and the dining hall has a Grecian look to it. Then, covered pathways wind around to the smaller buildings-classrooms, I suppose. The lake is sparkling off in the distance, and I can see some students hanging out on the school's private beach, which is much more rocky than sandy. Ellie opens the door and I nearly fall out. "Come on" she says, "let me show you around"
This year, Ellie's going to Yale on a full ride to study psychology. I could have come here last year, but the private girl's school I went to had an opportunity to go to Carnegie hall and perform, so I stayed there. Ellie leads me to the administration building, mom trailing a few feet behind. She walks with confidence to the door labeled "new student registration" and immediately starts joking with the dumpy little lady behind the desk.
I look around, dazzled by all of the other new kids milling around the room. Most of them appear to be freshmen like me, but there are a couple of seventh graders and one or two bored-looking eighth graders.
Mom starts filling out paperwork, and the lady gives me my own hefty bundle. There's contracts for violin, lab, and field trips, a thick booklet of school rules, some lists of materials that I already have, dorm information, a sports registration packet, and a list of books I'll need to pick up in the library. I scan through everything, then file it in my messenger bag, right next to my laptop. I fill out the necessary paperwork and hand it to the lady. She directs me to the booth where they take my picture and hand me my student I.D., then give me a room key and say "have fun!"
Mom and Ellie help pull my luggage up to my room, number 437. Mom kisses my forehead. "Call when you feel like it, sweetheart" she says.
Ellie says "don't get into too much trouble" then hugs me and leaves. I knock on the door.
"Don't you have a key?" says a blond girl walking up the hall behind me.
"Yeah" I say, feeling my face flush. "But I didn't want to bust in on anyone"
"Well, you won't" she says, striding up to me. "I'm Sky Bloch, and you're Ana Chase, right?" She sticks out a hand, and I notice wildly painted fingernails. I shake her hand. "Yep, that's me"
"Well" she says, jimmying open the door with her key. "I got the top bunk, the left dresser, and the desk on the far wall"
"Okay" I say, pulling my suitcase through the door. There are already a couple boxes we shipped here, mostly books and stuff. Sky kicks off her shoes, big clompy combat boots, and climbs up to her bunk. I shrug, and start unpacking my suitcase. Then I work my way through the boxes, piling books on the shelves above the desk. I file papers in the desk, then make my bed neatly with the white comforter I bought online.
Sky sits up suddenly. "I'm gonna go say hi to some friends" she says. I notice the sprinkling of freckles across her nose, and the silver hoops pierced up her ear. She slides out the door. I consider it for a moment, then pull out my campus map and pull on my ballet flats. Can't be a bad idea to figure out my way around campus now, right? And it doesn't seem like Sky will be much of a resource.