The Spaces In Between

Chapter 1

Jace's grandparents have two cars, which is one too many for a pair of octogenarians who only go into Dockings proper a few times a week. One of the cars is impractical for their property; Grandma Brown bought a sedan made within the last decade that hates dirt roads with a passion. Jace was able to convince them to let her drive to Montgomery for a stereo installation, and driving down backroads, windows down with pop making her teeth rattle was the most fun she had all summer.

She drove the sedan to the high school, although the windows rolled up so she wouldn't disturb any of the townsfolk. Dockings High School was a one-story building with window air conditioner units, and windows a myriad of different colors and textures. The three schools were ensconced on one block, most indistinguishable except for the three individual marques on each side of the black. The fourth side opened to a big field that recess and P.E. classes use.

Jace pulled into a parking spot besides a motorcycle, and sat in the car for a moment. It was the first time in years she would be attending one school for an entire school year, and she was both excited and scared. Her method of fitting in was always dependent on the anonymity of leaving after a few months. She never made close friends, or any friends beyond some people she would sit at lunch with and borrow notes from.

Dockings was a small town, and there was no such thing as anonymity. Everyone probably knew her name by now, or at least that the Brown's granddaughter had come to live with them

Breathing in deeply and squaring her shoulders, Jace got out of the car. It was a new school. She's done this before. She just needs to choose her courses, maybe take a tour, and make small talk with whatever busybody the secretary is.

Inside the office, helpfully labelled with a small plaque with the word on it, was a guy her age arguing with the secretary. He was very into it, his hands making grand gestures. "—saying that any course asked for should be offered! There are two math teachers! One should be qualified to teach calculus!"

Jace let out a sigh. She wanted to take calculus this year, and apparently so did this guy, who turned to look at her.

"C'mon, tell Mrs. Cowles that AB Calculus is a necessary course in any high school!" He said, motioning her forward.

She opened her mouth to—agree with him or ignore his argument, but the secretary cut her off. "Mr. Hemmick, please show respect to your peers," she reprimanded the guy—Hemmick? To Jace, she smiled sweetly and said, "You must be the Brown's girl. Come to choose your classes?"

Beside her, Hemmick made a noise in the back of his throat. Glancing over, she saw that he was worrying the leather band around his wrist.

"Actually, I did want to take Calc. Do you really not have a course?" She said, just as sweet as Mrs. Cowles's smile. She felt Hemmick's jerk more than she saw it, and she had to bite back a smile.

"Oh, no, but I'm sure one of our math teachers might be willing to teach the two of you. Now, fill this out and you can be on your way," Mrs. Cowles says, and hands Jace a green paper.

The course sheet is laughably barren, and she's finished within a minute. She hands it to the secretary, who had no doubt filed the exchange away to pass through the gossip vine. Jace gets a sweet smile before she leaves, but barely manages to say goodbye before the door closes behind her.

In the parking lot, Hemmick is leaning against the bike, jiggling his leg. "Oh, hey, you're Jacqueline Brown, right?"

"Casset," Jace corrects, them, "and I usually go by Jace. And who are you, Mr. Hemmick?"