The Queen of 6th Street

Chapter 1

Have you ever had a gut feeling that something is wrong? There's no reason, why you should feel as anxious as you do, but there's still a sinking feeling in your stomach. That's how Sydney felt during her entire commute to school. Maybe it was because it was Monday morning, or maybe it was because of the chemistry test first period, but the closer she got to school the worse she felt.

    Syd has good instincts, ones she relies on constantly, except for today. Every part of her was warning her to skip school. Just leave, trust this gut feeling, and go home for the day. Her dad would let her stay home if she faked sick well enough. Unfortunately, she was already half-way to Eastwood High School, and her test first period was arguing against her gut feeling. Mr. Cooper was not the most forgiving man when it came to making up tests regardless of excuse, and chemistry was not Syd's best subject. She didn't want to risk any deductions to her grade because she trusted a gut feeling. So, on she walked, approaching the two floored brick building with the rest of the early comers who were filing through the front doors.

    "Mrs. Frazier!"

    Oh no. Not even three feet in the door and the receptionist from the main office was waving her down. "Mrs. Eleanor, lovely to see you again," Syd greeted.

"I hear your sarcasm and choose to ignore it, Sydney." The older woman chimed as Syd stalked over to the door.

    "Did the great principal request my presence once again on this fine morning?" she continued as Eleanor ushered her out of the hall.

    "Still ignoring your sarcasm." Syd rolled her eyes as she was marched back to the principal's office. She'd been here countless times before, and the only reason they had to escort her all the way to the door was because she'd duck out the back exit otherwise. Ten out of ten times Syd was called up for no reason, but she still couldn't wait to hear the bogus reason behind today's summoning.

    "Principal Gunther, Sydney is here."

    "Wonderful!" The slightly pudgy man cheered. "Sydney, come in please." Syd hesitated. Principal Gunther typically greeted her with a scowl and a glare, not with a happy smile. Something was not right, but she couldn't go against the ruler of the school, no matter how much she hated him.

    "Gunther, you seem too happy for this early in the morning. Did your wife put something in your coffee?" Syd asked stepping into the room. Facing this man was always interesting. It was like a game of wit and sarcasm, one Syd usually came out on top of. "You are really stepping up your game, I'm impressed. Although, if you're trying to deliver the maximum amount of embarrassment, I would suggest pulling me out of class instead of nabbing me the second I walk through the door. I don't really appreciate that, but the way. I have a chemistry test first period I need to study for." Syd found her usual spot against the wall next to the window. She never sat down in here; a gesture that always bugged the hell out of Gunther.

    "Why would you need to study for a test you're going to fail?"

    "Excuse me?" she stared in shock. First of all, this man was the principal. He shouldn't expect anyone to fail. Second, "Have you ever looked at my transcript?" Syd didn't fail anything. 

    "I don't have to. I already know your type."

    "What? The stereotypical troublemaker who doesn't care about school and flunks out, or barely passes her classes? Ah ah—don't counter my statement," she shot when the principal tried to speak. "You can't counter what you believe to be true. If you didn't believe it to be true, then you wouldn't drag me to the office every time I'm in the general vicinity of something punishable. You, Principal Gunther, are the reason I wanted to hardship the Canton High. They are academically better than this place, which has no money, and places no emphasis on academic success. They probably wouldn't create a bias about me based on a hobby from my past, and—oh yeah—they probably wouldn't offer me up as a suspect of a mugging that happened behind the school."