We the Running

Chapter 6 (POV Leon)

"This school is  huge," Quinn tells Tatyana as we walk up to it.

"Yeah, and everyone is really nice here," Tatyana says as she holds the front door open for us. When we get inside we're greeted by a middle aged woman who gives us a large, fake smile.

"You two must be the exchange students, Brittany and Jonathan. I'm the principal here at HRVHS. My name is Mrs. Elmbridge but everyone calls me Mrs. E," the woman tells us.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. E," I tell her trying not to stare at her ugly brooch that I presume is a frog but it's too ugly to tell. Mrs. E goes on to tell us about the history of the school and then finally says we can start our basic tour. We follow her and she points down a hall.

"This is the music hall. The main band room and it's practice  rooms are down this hallway along with the choir room and the dressing rooms for our plays and musicals. We can just step into these doors and take a look at our auditorium," She tells us and we go inside the doors, "in here we hold plays, musicals, band and choir concerts, and sometimes have assemblies." We exit the auditorium and she takes us down some halls. She points out that we were currently in the junior high part of the building. Then we enter a cafeteria and I watch Quinn look at trophies and read some of the names on placards. We realize that we were junior high cafeteria as Mrs. E keeps walking through a short hallway into another cafeteria, much larger than the last one. 

"This is your cafeteria. The seniors eat over here at these tables. Juniors and Seniors have the same lunch period unless you're in band or choir but neither of you are so. Follow me and I'll show you your classes downstairs," Mrs. E explains, "Through those doors back there is the gym for P.E. the locker rooms are in the back of the room. They are labeled boys and girls." We follow her down a hallway filled with pictures, painting, and displays. 

"I hate this hallway," Tatyana whispers to Quinn and I as we walk. Mrs. E stops. 

"This is the art classes hallway. On my left is the senior art class. All of the art work in this hallway is made by our students here at HRVHS . If we turn into this hallway here we have the science hallway. The grades and different sciences are labeled on the doors, as you can see. further down this hallway," Mrs. E explains walking at a very fast pace, "is the history class rooms. This one that isn't labeled is the honors history class that Britney is taking. The math, English and study hall classrooms are upstairs.  They are all labeled on the door so no need to go up there. Let's keep walking and I'll show you the lockers and where each of yours is located."

"Are our lockers close to each other?" Tatyana asks Mrs. E.

"Jonathan and Quinn's lockers are fairly close to yours so you can help them if they need it. I made sure that instead of the incoming freshmen getting those lockers that they would," Mrs. E replies and we stop in front of a group of lockers in front of a group of rooms. One is labeled library and the other is labeled computer lab. "Locker number 2820 is Tatyana's. Jonathan's is 2829 and Britney's is 2830 so you all are very close. You don't really need your lockers for much than carrying the books before and after lunch, putting coats in your locker and getting lunch items. You are allowed to carry book bags to classes with you. This concludes our tour and you can practice combinations for a while. Tatyana will be able to show you the way out when your done. I hope you have an amazing year at Hood River Valley High School." Mrs. E. leaves and Tatyana leans close to us.

"She forgot to tell you the most important thing. Every morning we say the pledge of allegiance and at the end of every day we say it. You guys are Canadian so you don't have to say it. Just stand up with everyone and put you right hand over your heart. Nobody follows the rules of where to sit at lunch so you guys can just sit with me and my friends. And I think you guys had lockers in Canada so you should be fine. I'll put a pencil in your locks so you just have to put in the last number to open the locker," she tells us, "let's go out a back door that's closer." Tatyana walks through the history hallway and at the end of it she opens a door on the side of the school. We all exit and start walking back to Tatyana's house.  Quinn looks at the clock on her phone.

"6:30 PM. Twelve and a half hours until school starts," she whispers.