A Midnight Mind

Chapter 3: First Day

After a nice breakfast of pancakes with real maple syrup, Vic dropped Ethan off at Shirewood High. Having some food in his belly, Ethan felt less tired, but he still worried he'd nod off in class. 

Maybe you'll have another nightmare, too, he thought as he looked at the school through the car window. Wouldn't that be fun?

As Ethan opened the car door to leave, Vic said, "Have a good first day." Then he said, "Sorry. Is it lame to have your uncle drop you off in front of school?"

"Only in the movies, Uncle Vic," said Ethan. "Thanks for the ride."

"You're welcome. Meet you here after school?"

"No way, man, that would be so totally lame." Ethan laughed as Vic slugged him playfully in the shoulder. "I'll see you then."

He gave Vic a final wave, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed for his brand new high school.

Students hung out in assortments of small groups in front of the building, while others walked right in. None of them gave Ethan so much as a second glance. 

He wasn't the mysterious new kid. He was just another student. Not even Shirewood was small enough that everyone knew everyone. 

Ethan wasn't sure whether or not be disappointed by that. He'd spent all morning picturing himself pushing into a Western saloon, all eyes turning to him in suspicion. But when he walked into the school, the most that happened was students had to walk around from behind him because he stopped.

"What's the hold up, bud?" someone grumbled. Ethan apologized and shuffled to the side. 

Guess you're no mysterious gunslinger after all, he thought. At least he wouldn't have to duel at dawn with the biggest kid in the school. Graduating anonymously before jetting off to Tokyo wouldn't be the worst thing to happen.

He had a few minutes left to figure out where his class would be before it started, so he did his best to judge how to get there. The entrance foyer led into a wide lounge area full of tables, where Ethan expected most of the school gathered during lunch. Flights of stairs flanked the foyer, a school convenience store was built next to the lounge, and farther back he spotted the cafeteria. 

As for the students, they didn't seem like the flannel-wearing hicks he was worried they'd be, ready to rough him up for doing art outside the classroom or whatever. He was actually taller than most of them, but more wiry than tough looking. 

Most of the guys wore denim and t-shirts with light jackets and canvas backpacks, along with a lot of hats and toques. The girls were similar, but with more sweaters and leggings and shoulder bags. And, of course, half of the student body had cell phones in hand at all times. Maybe this place wouldn't be as different as he imagined.

Ethan pulled his folded-up timetable sheet from his pocket. His first class, English, was on the second floor. He memorized the room number and made his way up the nearby staircase.

The locker-lined hallways were crammed with students and felt as though the walls were built too close together. Maybe they were. The brick structure looked old enough that modern construction standards probably weren't in place when it was built. 

Between students opening their lockers on both sides, as well as two lanes of traffic coming and going, Ethan had to twist his body to dodge the disorganized stampede. His last school had more spacious hallways--the obstacle course here would take some getting used to.

Luckily, he managed to find his room and slip inside just as the buzzer went off. Most of the students were already in their seats, but a few latecomers wandered in behind him.