The Beginning: A Novel of Crossed Paths

Chapter 5: Name Tag - Scarlett

for being one of the first people to add my story to her library, and for continuing to comment chapter after chapter.  Thanks to parishsp as well for adding my story to her library, too.

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Chapter 5

Name Tag

Scarlett

I spent the weekend after the Back to School Dance running around in the woods behind the house on the hill, looking for a secluded place to practice my inconveniences.  It was way better than the alternative – listening to Jeanette exclaim over her new boyfriend and ask when the next time I would be getting together with Trevor was, so we could double date.

That was not the only reason that I was trying to find a place in the trees, but it was the most easily used if I had been asked why I was gone all weekend.  I was not asked, but it was nice to have a backup plan.  The main reason I was exploring with such fervor was because of what happened at the dance.  I had never had many chances to work with my inconveniences, even if I had wanted to, and that seemed to be a very bad thing.  I needed to learn some restraint, so I would not lose control again and hurt someone, and the only way to do that was to practice.  The only way I could practice was if I had a place where no one would accidentally come across the evidence of my practices.

I did find one place that was far from any trail.  It was a small clearing that I cleared out even more to help practice.  It was a few miles from the house on the hill, but I was positive that no one would stumble anywhere near it before I learned some constraint.

I would spend most of my free time there from now on, instead of down by the lake.  I still went to the lake occasionally, but not nearly as much as I used to go.

I was dreading Monday at school before it had even arrived.  I had two classes with Trevor, not to mention the one with Mark, and I did not want them to be awkward.  I would most likely pack my lunch and eat in the library, claiming I had a project to work on so I would not have to talk to Jeanette in the lunchroom.

No one talked to me before lunch; even Jeanette was oddly quiet during the car ride to school.  She told me she would see me at lunchtime, but I explained my non-existent project to her so she would not come looking for me.  I knew she hated the library, and that made it an ideal place to be alone.  The librarian did not mind me being there – Laurie had dished on my “sweet nature” behind the scenes and all the librarians in the county seemed to think I would never make any trouble.

After P.E., I walked straight to the library.  I had not brought anything to eat to school – I did not want to get on the librarian’s bad side.  I knew this would make me unbearably hungry, but I would just have to eat a larger snack than usual after school, before I returned to my clearing.

I was just beginning to get settled down with another one of my favorite Shakespearian plays when I heard the door to the library open and close again.  I was in a secluded alcove in the back of the room, so I doubted anyone that had come in would bother me, but I turned my chair in the opposite direction anyway.  I had not expected anyone else to be here today, not many projects were being assigned this early in the year.

I listened for footsteps to see if I could determine the gender of the newcomer.  Girls usually had light, tripping footsteps, while guys clomped around, ignorant of anyone else’s feelings.  To my surprise, I could not pick up any sounds, though I was sure someone had come in the door.  I could hear their heartbeat.  I suddenly knew that I could practice with at least one of my inconveniences outside of the clearing – it would be easier to practice with my super hearing at school anyway, there were more people around in the hallways and such.