Growing Her Wings

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Today will be my first day back at school. Today will be the first day I go to a different school than Maddy. Today will not be fun. I slowly make my way into the kitchen, where I proceed to grumpily munch on an apple. Much to my chagrin, my parents refuse to change the way they feel about the matter. I grab my bag and give Maddy a hug. She doesn’t show it, but I know that this is hurting her more than it’s hurting me. I give her a half-hearted smile as I walk out the door. I have to leave an hour before everyone else so that I will get to school on time. I get in the car and slump down in the backseat.

Dad looks at me in the review mirror and says, “You know, it’s really not that big of a deal. I’m sure that you and Maddy will get along fine in school without each other.” I roll my eyes and say nothing for the rest of the hour long trip.

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I gasp when we pull up to the campus. It’s beautiful. The building itself is rather small for a high school, but in this case small is better. It’s made with deep red bricks that are intricately laid out to create effortless arches and waves in the walls. The square windows are lined with tight wrought iron spirals. And that’s just the building. A perfectly manicured green lawn spreads out as far as I can see. Small trimmed hedges make pathways to little one room buildings that are just as magnificent as the main building. This is amazing. I get out of the car and walk up to the front sign. The base is made out of white marbled stone. On top of that black metal letters spell out Elizabethton.

I quickly hurry away from the car so that I don’t have to talk to Dad anymore. He hollers good-bye and drives off. As I walk to the main building, I realize that there are groups of students hanging out all over the front lawn at different fancy iron tables that I didn’t even notice on my initial sweep over. I notice one girl looking at me and I give her a small wave and smile. She glares at me and then turns away. Okay then. Friendly little bugger. I’m about to open the front doors when I notice that on the edge of the two door handles are little metal faeries. They look like the same ones that are on my headboard. How strange.

“Excuse me, but are you going to open the door?” I turn around and realize that several kids are waiting to get in.

“Sorry,” I shrug, and open the doors. I ask the last girl if she knows where the front office is.

“Sure,” she answers happily, and leads me to a pair of glass doors. I go inside and am greeted by a middle aged woman in a flowered dress.

“Rae! That must be you right? Rae Jones? Oh I just know it’s you. See I know all of the students and you are not in my memory so you must be Rae!” She rattled this off faster than I can comprehend.

“Uh, what?” I ask, hoping for clarification.

“Are… You… Rae… Jones…” This time she says it slowly. Very slowly.

“Got it. Yes. That’s me.” As she looks away to grab a paper, I roll my eyes.

“Here you go sweetheart!” She hands the paper to me, and begins to point at the lines. “These are your classes. And those numbers there are the room numbers. The A and B wings are in the main building… C, D, E, F and G are the small buildings that I’m sure you saw outside. If you need any help finding a room ask another student or just come to me for help! Now your first class is Advanced Physics, that’s in the main building. Just go down the big hallway outside the door and turn at the first left and it’s the third room on the right. I’m so happy to have helped you!” I didn’t get any of that. Not one bit. I swear, her mouth goes a million miles a minute. Okay, that might have been a slight exaggeration. Needless to say, I get out of there as fast as I can.