The theater

Chapter 3

She frowned without leaving the photo from her sight. A strange knot formed in her stomach. What did it mean? Someone slipped this photo in the bottom of her locker. She noticed that it was a simple copy from an original. She shook her head, wondering what the message could mean. Why using this old thing? She hastened to store the photo in her agenda before seizing the forgotten book. She closed her locker and went to the library. She wanted to get rid of the strange feeling that had gripped her. The woman behind the counter threw a furious glare over her horn-rimmed glasses balancing on the tip of her straight nose.

 “This book is very late, young lady.”

She forced herself to smile at her.

“Yes, I know. Sorry… What do I owe you?”

The old librarian consulted her computer screen with her gaze before saying the total amount. The young girl hastened to pay without complaining. She didn’t want to stay any longer in front of the woman who stared at her furiously. The small silver chain holding her glasses around her neck emitted a faint tinkle which highlighted her icy stare. She was a very strange woman who never smiled. She took the money the young girl handed her. Julie forced again a smile and wished her a good day. The librarian took off her glasses without answering her, leaving her glasses to hang from the silver chain. Julie frowned, repressing a shudder. For her, this woman was a horrible mixture of the actress at the beginning of the movie Ghostbusters, the one who meets the ghost in the basement of the New York Public Library, and the receptionist for the ghost hunters’ team.

Turning on her heel, the young girl hurried out. She wouldn’t stay a minute longer in the presence of the woman who made her shudder. She walked to the front door, biting her lower lip. She wanted to breathe some fresh air before returning to the returning into class for the rest of the afternoon. Maxim was near the front door. Sitting on a small concrete wall at the foot of the stairs, he talked with Dominique. Rachel listened to music, swaying her hips to attract the attention of a group of boys playing football on the front lawn of the school. Julie passed them without looking. She took refuge under a tree, studying her exam schedule. From the corner of her eye, she saw Matthew coming toward her very slowly, his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans. She was surprised to see him suddenly stop before turning around and go back in the same direction from which he came.

She opened her agenda and her eyes fell on the picture she had found at the bottom of her locker. What would she do with it? The more she thought about it, the more it looked a bit like a kind of warning because of the red circles. Did the others have received one too?

The bell rang, taking her out of her thoughts. Sighing, the young girl got back to her feet before heading towards the main entrance. She was unable to think of anything other than the photo. She went to her first – and last – class of the afternoon, but the teacher didn’t want to be in a classroom either. He wished them all great vacation, to enjoy their summer and be very careful. Before allowing them to leave the room, he looked at them with a stern expression on his face.

“Just one more thing before you leave. You have to promise me something very important.”

Students frowned as they looked at him.

“I don’t want to see any of you here in September. Is that understood?”

Julie smiled as the others laughed.

“And good luck to all of you!”

Most students rushed out of the classroom. The young girl took her time to pick up her stuff her stuff, thus avoiding the traffic jam caused by a group of students eager to get out. She slowly returned to her locker to store in her backpack another useless book. Mission accomplished: there was no more book on the shelf. Her textbooks had been returned the previous week. All was left was her notebooks to survive through her exams period. Now that her locker was empty, she noticed there were no more surprises. She still felt a strange sensation. Sighing, she went outside to get some fresh air and wait for her next class. Installed under a tree, she opened her agenda to scribble a bit.