the fallen;; zm {slow updates}

twenty four

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR;;

At the end of Math class, Mister Turner stopped me on my way out the door.

I turned back and hiked my backpack up my shoulder. He extended a folded piece of paper and I accepted the note.

"Miss Martinez stopped by before class and asked me to give this to you," He says, his attention to the papers on his desk.

"Miss Martinez?" I asked, wondering who she was since I didn't have any teachers by that name.

"The new school psychologist,"

I unfold the paper in my hands and read the message that was written neatly inside:

Dear Amelia,

I will be taking over Dr Lee's role as your school psychologist. I noticed you missed your last two appointments with him. Please come right away so we can get acquainted. I have mailed a letter to you aunt to make her aware of the change.

All the best,

Miss Martinez

"Thanks," I told Mister Turner and he nods, reminding me to finish the algebra homework that is due tomorrow.

Out in the hall I merged with the flow of the crowd. I passed by my Biology class and see Zayn and Harry already seated inside. Harry caught sight of me and furrowed his eyebrows as he watched me walk past. I take my phone out and texted him.

Me: school psychologist

Harry: I hope it goes well. I'll see you later. :)

I shove my phone back in my pocket and steer my way through the halls until I could see the closed door to Dr Lee's office. But there was a new name plaque on the door. The polished brass gleamed against the drab oak;

MISS V. MARTINEZ, SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST.

I knocked on the door and a moment later it opened from within. Miss Martinez had flawless pale skin, chocolate brown eyes, a lush mouth and fine, straight dark brown hair that tumbled past her elbows.

She was dress formally in grey pencil skirt and a white blouse that had a loose bow. Her figure was willowy but feminine. She couldn't have been more than five years older than me.

"Amelia Evans," She greeted me. "You look just like the picture in your file," Her voice was abrupt but not rude. Businesslike. She steps back and signalled me to enter the office. "Would you like something to drink, Miss Evans?"

"What happened to Dr Lee?"

"He took an early retirement,"

I scanned the small office. It had changed drastically since I had last been in a few weeks ago. The wall to wall bookshelves were now filled with academic but generic looking hardcovers, all bound in neutral colours with gold lettering. Dr Lee had used the shelves to display family pictures but there were none of Miss Martinez's private life.

"Friday was my first day," She explained, seeing my eyes fall on the moving boxes that were laid out on the floor. "I'm still unpacking. Have a seat."

I lowered my backpack down my arm and sat on the chair she motioned me to. Nothing in the small room gave me any clues as to her personality. She had a stack of folders on her desk-not neat but not messy either and a white mug. There wasn't a trace of perfume or air freshener and I noticed computer monitor was black.

Miss Martinez crouched in front of a file cabinet behind her desk, tugged out a clean manila folder and printed my name on the tab with a black sharpie permanent marker. She placed it on her desk next to my old file that bore a few of Dr Lee's coffee mug stains.