Mirror, Mirror (Book 2)

Chapter 1: A Field Trip

It was a simple Tuesday in Esterville: men and women were leaving home to attend their jobs, kids chased themselves down on the chilly sidewalk, and an ominous fog swept across the town like a wave.

Once again, Esterville rarely reveals its sun across town, but the citizens didn't mind the melancholy weather, especially a sixteen-year-old Oliver Harper, whose eccentric mind puzzled kids and adults.

He is weird, and not in a good way.

Rather than playing sports or making friends, Oliver spends his childhood in solitude, relying on the teachings of Exorcism, ancient spells, and the Bible.

He was taught these by a Catholic pastor named Father Jacobs, who helped him with his studies until he died in a car accident seven years ago.

Thinking about it as he arrives in Ms. Fern's History class, Oliver wanted to go to Esterville Church and visit Father Jacobs' grave.

He was deciding whether to buy fresh flowers from the supermarket when something disturbed his plans: Ms. Fern has announced a field trip to Camp Esterville tomorrow.

"A field trip?" Max Field cried. "Hell yeah!"

Like half of his class, Max is the best football player in the county; not only did his famous touchdowns earned trophies, but also his charms won the hearts of girls, especially cheerleaders.

He has a navy blue football jersey, a dark t-shirt, jeans, and white NIKE sneakers; Max's brown hair is in a buzz cut, his blue eyes shimmered with excitement, and his perfectly tanned face had no blemish.

He sat alongside with his best friends, Jake Chang and Adam Jackson—all of whom played almost any sport with him: basketball, baseball, and football.

His outburst caused the entire class to erupt with laughter until Ms. Fern glared at them.

"Silence!" she barked. "Just because I have arranged a field trip, doesn't mean you get to behave like deranged baboons."

Oliver rolled his eyes.

Despite her old age, Ms. Fern had dark red hair, blue eyes, and yellow skin. Every week, she would wear brown pantsuits and black loafers to school.

But other than her strange fashion, she wears tacky, purple librarian glasses. Attached to them, are silver-white beads that drape over her elephant ears.

Of all the teachers in the world, he never understood why Ms. Fern was picked to run a History class; she has the personality of a drill sergeant, she hates laughter, and here's the best part: she is the ex-wife of the obnoxious Mr. Fern, Oliver's depressed English teacher.

Though it amused him that Mr. and Ms. Fern had a relationship, Oliver knows it wasn't right to meddle with their personal life.

"It will be a ten-day trip," she explained.

Ms. Fern later turns her face towards the blackboard, and with a piece of white chalk, she scribbled the requirements.

"On these ten days, all of you must pack two pairs of clothing for morning, afternoon, and night as well as your supplies."

That's when Oliver's crush, Harriet Wilde, shot her hand up.

"Ms. Fern?"

Swerving her head away from the board, Ms. Fern noticed Harriet's raised hand and called on her.

"Yes, Ms. Wilde?"

"Do we need to bring our cell phones to the trip?" she asked.

Her question earned a snicker from the jocks.