A Life Less Ordinary

All I Know Since Yesterday Is Everything Has Changed

The rest of the flight had been uneventful. Victor introduced me to the faculty members as he promised he would. Dr. Roberts reminded me of my grandfather. He had the same gentle demeanor, but I had the feeling that he would take no nonsense from those who took his gentleness for weakness. Miss Rose had me laughing at her stories. She was so much larger than life. She told me about breaking her ankle in the spring trying to trim the trees at her house. Apparently, she had overreached and fallen off the step ladder she was using to reach the branches. Victor teased her that they would have done it for her, and she just asked if he thought she was too old. Dr. Roberts translated her signing for Victor. I really wanted to be Miss Rose when I grew up.

Sean woke up just as we landed. He woke up a whole different person. The Sean that fell asleep on the plane was distant when he spoke to me but informal with his friends, which was what I expected from him, the one that woke up was a flirty goofball. Apparently, the English part of his brain had woken up when he did. Gone was the mumbled slang or precise formal language. I felt a little bit whiplashed at the change.

"Victor where did you find Miss Sang and can we keep her? I know I'll marry her and make her Mrs. Green. Does that sound good Pumpkin? We should go for pie! Do you like pie?" Sean was practically manic, like a toddler on too much sugar. Apparently, his nap did him some good...I guess. I kind of wanted to see what he was going to be like after a full night's sleep.

"Sean! Relax. You're scaring Sang. You haven't said more than a few words to her and all of those were very formal. Tell she can use your English name and be your friend before you propose." Kota admonished.

"Sang, Pumpkin be my forever friend? You can call me whatever you want just please be my friend." Sean burbled.

"I'll be you friend; we can wait on the forever part until I've known you longer than four hours. I'm not going anywhere for the foreseeable future." I reassured him.

We waited to collect my checked baggage before heading out to catch our ride. We were met at the exit by a driver holding a sign the simply said Academy. Victor greeted him and turned my bags over to be put in the car. The four of us followed the driver and my belongings out.

"Miss Sang, are you going to be gracing our sorry lot of misfits with your presence this evening?" Sean asked slinging an arm around my shoulders. I went stiff, then relaxed when he did nothing more than walk with me towards the waiting town car. The school crest was emblazoned on the front passenger door.

"I still need to get moved in and figure out where everything is on campus. I also need to get a run in tonight. If try outs are all week I need to stay on my conditioning. I might be able to meet you guys for supper." I answered Sean before climbing into the back of the car. Sean slid in behind me. Once again, I was sitting beside Victor and across from Sean and Kota.

The ride to the school was relatively quick. I watched the city transition from busy industrial to busier downtown and then slowly to quiet, suburban residential. Eventually the suburbs gave way to forested parkland. The car turned down a long, tree lined gravel drive that seemed to end in a set of imposing wrought iron gates. The gates had the school crest worked into them, non scholae sed vitae discimus ran across the top of the gate. After a brief stop the gates opened before us. The car drove through the gates and down the long drive towards the school. The forested area gave way to pristine lawns My first glimpse of my new school both chilled and excited me. The buildings were old and imposing. They also seemed to run the entire gamut of architectural styles from the earliest colonial period to present.

"Victor and I will take Sang's belongings over to the girl's dorm and if we're lucky up to her room while Sang checks in. Sean can you stay with her and show her where to go? I know you're still tired, but you know the campus and can help her find the store after check in. We'll meet you either at the dorm or the campus store." Kota directed taking command of the situation, as the car rolled around the circular drive in front of the soaring administration building.