A Story Re-Told

||Chapter 3: The School||

Minor Flashback To Yesterday Afternoon

You wondered if the school was even worth the time as you stepped up the stone cobble steps of the backdoor entrance, twisting free the knob and entering through the wreck room, a deepening, sugary aroma meeting your nostrils from the kitchen. It was so strong and kindling that your mouth had already begun to water.
Well, maybe the letter can wait until after you eat some treats~

__________

Just passing through, you peered around the corner and into the kitchen, the table set and neat as your mother continued to bustle about with a pan full of heat, checking timers and cookies in the small homey oven built into the wall.
You grinned at her, a smile wide and mischevious as you crept in and behind her, slipping up to the counter and ushering a cookie into your fingertips. "Drop it." Ordered your mother with a stern expression. Even with your back turned, you could feel her stare burning holes into your head. Almost violently, you took the cookie and stuffed it quickly into your mouth, feeling it snap and break with crumbs to scatter in every direction, your mother releasing a gasp.
"YOU CHEEKY BUTT!" She hollered, her arms enclosing around your waist for no escape, fingers wiggling like worms to your sides as you hastily tried to break free for freedom, howling with muffled and choked laughter as more, slobbery crumbs sprayed about the kitchen floor. Harshly, to spare the mutilated cookie you viciously ate from taking over the floor, you swallowed, choking on both chocolate chips and laughter.
"AAAAA- I SURRENDER! I SURRENDER!" You squealed wriggling and squirming in every which way, before you had been released from the confinement of your mother's arms, her giving a satisfied huff.
"No cookies until next week for you, you little turd." She scoffed, passing off a playful smile as you heaved for air, hands upon her hips. For a moment, there was a very warm and welcoming aura to the room as you both stood, grinning like idiots for every little reason before you finally realized why you entered in the first place.
"OH! Mom, by the way, the mail came!" You exclaimed suddenly, coughing into your fist as you dug into the front pocket of your dirt covered overalls, pulling free the now crushed and wrinkled letter from the district. Your mom blinked, quirking a brow, "Mail? So soon? That's a little weird." She replied simply, taking the heavy parchment from you. With one swoop, she flicked the paper out and open, her eyes scanning like a fax machine quickly over the words, and once again, her brows slowly knitted and furrowed together.
"Wow. Never expected them to be, well, so informal I guess," She hummed, stuffing the paper back into its rightful place before looking back to you, "Are you up for checking the place out?" She queered, staring at you with deep and meaningful eyes. You paused, taking a moment to think, before nodding wistfully.
"Alrighty! That settles it. We'll be up and early tomorrow, okay?" She beamed, turning back to the oven with a quick glance back at you, which you returned with a bright smile.
"Got it, mom."

||September 25th, Monday||
||7:48 AM||

Turns out, as you were honestly surprised to find, the school was nearly an hour out into the country, half an hour at tops, but it did in fact run close to record time of an hour. For a while, both you and your mother had been worried you both had gotten lost and that you would turn up late by accident, but by luck, you came earlier than expected. Sitting there now in the nice, ventilated seat in the car, you could only stare curiously at the one-floor building, a bungalow looking a place to be exact. It wasn't all too big, nothing like a particular middle school you had gone too before, but, it had the look of one. With a quirk of your brow, you looked to your mom, who had been checking both her phone and the school at once, before finally looking to you.
"I didn't think it would be like this. Maybe it's open to all ages?" She queered, and you could only shake your head. It sounded a bit odd and didn't look like it could hold elementary up to high school grades. With a heavy sigh, your mother turned off the engine and plucked the keys from the ignition, pushing open her car door.
"Alright, come on, we stared enough." She hummed, signaling you to follow her out of the vehicle, which you gladly did, nervously fidgeting with the drawstrings of your jacket, plucking at the thread.
The building felt a little off in your opinion, but, if your mother held the confidence to walk into a place such as this, maybe it wasn't so bad. With that set in mind, you rolled your shoulders and adjusted your posture, following her with long strides up to the brightly painted doors, which seemed to be a little worn and in need of another coating, seeing as it was chipping and flaking to no end.

Your mother reached out a hand, and with a few jerks she pulled out the door. Seemed like the hinges were in just as in much need of repair, seeing as the high pitched squeal it gave was enough to make your ears ring. You could see your mother's face make up into a grimace, releasing the door and ushering you into the building. Of course, the interior was just a bit nicer with the few posters here and there along with every blank wall.
Of course, the area seemed all the same; blank, bland, and almost like a maze. Stepping in alongside your mother, she glanced about to see for the main office or a teacher at the very least. Yet, no one was around. If you were to even breath amongst those deathly silent halls, it would sound like a gale.
"Maybe there's an open house in one of the classrooms?" You queered, peering over at her. Your mother squinted, taking a moment to think before she briefly nodded.
"I suppose. Wanna take a look around till' we find them?" She hummed, her arm out stretching for the closed doors ahead as the both of you stood in the lobby. With her fingers twitching, itching to grasp the handle, the tense, dusty air was cut through like a blade by a nasally and chipper voice.

"I'm sorry! But those doors are locked to only staff and students, can I help you?"