The Tenth Impact

School Reunion

Today had been the worst school day for Nina Cameron.

She'd come to school feeling off. The nuns hadn't believed Nina when she'd said she was sick. They sent her to school anyway.

They ran her temperature (it was good), they checked her tummy (again, she was good), and when she complained about her head the nuns tsked at her. So what if Nina had faked being sick two weeks ago? She was actually sick now!

Her English teacher had noticed Nina holding her head. He knew she was sick. He was one of the new teachers. Nina liked the new teachers better than the older ones. Those teachers were old and the other English teacher- Mrs Brisa- didn't like kids.

He'd sent Nina to the nurse. Nina knew she was a new nurse. The nurses Nina didn't really like. They had old faces and were grouchy. The nurse had smelled Nina's head, checked her file, then sent her to the Principal.

Did the nurse think Nina as faking too? Why did the English teacher notice she was sick and not the nurse?

Nina had a lot of questions in her head as she sat by the door to the principal's office. If anything, the questions made her head hurt more.

The principal walked up to his office. Nina shuffled in her seat, nervous.

"What do you want?" The principal asked sternly.

Nina worried her lip under her teeth before answering. "The nurse sent me, sir. I was in English and I got a headache." Nina answered.

It was the truth. Just with bits missing. Like how she was really sick this time. Her head was aching worse as she thought.

"Then don't bother me, go home." The principal scolded. He went to unlock his door.

Nina wilted. "I can't."

The principal paused, his key in the lock. "Why, is your mother at work?"

"I live in Ambrose Hall. The children's home." Nina answered, feeling smaller than ever.

The principal slowly moved to stand up straight.

"No parents. No one to miss you." The principal mused. Nina looked away from him, not wanting him to see her fighting back tears. He didn't need to remind her she had nobody. "I see why the nurse sent you. You poor child. Poor thin, child. Come inside."

He opened the door to his office.

Nina got up from her chair. She wasn't looking at the principal, so she wasn't seeing his too wide grin.

"It's nearly time for-"

"Nina!" A young woman shouted from down the hall. The principal turned to it, recognizing it as a human adult. Nina was curious to why someone would be calling for her. "Nina!"

Nina looked to the woman calling her. She was tall, with long black hair, a fancy looking leather outfit, and Nina's backpack over her shoulder.

The black haired woman relaxed at the sight of her. "Oh there you are, sweetpea. It's time to go home now."

"Who are you?" The principal asked, sternly.

"Nina's aunt." The woman answered. Her voice was American. Nina didn't know anyone from the America's. "Her mum adopted her this morning, see?" She pulled a flap of paper out of her back pocket. She held it up for the principal.

'Adopted?' Nina thought with hope. 'I've been adopted?'

He grabbed it out of the strange woman's hand. Nina was still wondering how the woman had her backpack.