Chapter 3

The ride to the Jr. Sr. high school of Raven Wood was stifled with tension and unease. They pulled into the driveway that was curved into a half-circle. Autumn's aunt pulled up to the curve outside the main entrance and parked the car.

Autumn reached for the door handle to get out and paused at her aunt's clammy hand on her arm. She turned halfway to face her aunt. They stared at each other for what seemed like an endless time, with the low lyrics from Amazing Grace floated in the air around them mixed with the soft rumble of the car motors.

Autumn watched as her aunt open the glove compartment and pulled out an envelope. "Give me your wallet?" Autumn handed her the wallet and watched as it was open along with the envelope, and her aunt pulled out a bundle of bills and placed them into the wallet.

"There should be enough there to see you to your destination, with some leftover. You will go to homeroom and your classes. At lunchtime, you will head to the janitor's maintenance room and see Lottie. From there, she will get you to where you need to go and safely. The rest of you that you will need to know. I have written down for you on paper and placed it in the front zipper pocket of your bookbag."

Autumn nodded her head in understanding and placed the wallet into her school bag, turning she grabbed the door handle and pushed open the car door. Stepping out, she faced her school and slipped her school bag on to her shoulders before closing the door. Turning, she opened the back door of the car, pulled a suitcase and duffel bag, and shut the door.

Autumn watched as her aunt pulled away without looking back and she whispered into the coolness of the air around her, "Thank you."

She moved up the walkway into the school. As you entered the school. The school's cafeteria was straight ahead through a set of doors that also served as an auditorium with bleachers pushed up against the wall when not in use and tables for breakfast, lunch, and study periods were set up. There was a hallway at the back of the cafeteria three yards from the stage. There were lockers down that hall with the theater arts classroom was located along with the band and chorus rooms.

To the right of the main doors was the school's offices. Right beside, there was a hallway than a classroom, followed by another hall. On the left-hand side were a trophy case and another hallway that lead to most of the seven and eight grade classrooms and lockers. Right beside that was the gym.

She turned down the hallway for the seven and eight grade wing and found her locker. She managed to get the duffel bag inside and not the suitcase. She frowned. "Give them here." was the demand she heard turning she saw the janitor Lottie, who was a stern African- American woman, who was gentle and kind but kept to herself mostly.

Autumn handed her the suitcase, and she pulled out the duffel bag and gave that to her. "I will see you at lunch."

"Of course," Autumn whispered to her. Lottie walked away, carrying the luggage.

She grabbed the notebooks and textbooks she would need and went to her homeroom. Mrs. Douglas spoke in a surprised voice, "Autumn, what are you doing here so early?"

"Aunt Aoife had to drop a couple of things off, and I told her I would take them to the theater arts room for her so she wouldn't be late for work."

"You are such a sweet girl, Autumn. We have RIF today."

"I love that, I wish we had it more often."

Mrs. Douglas smiled, "I know you do, dear. Never seen such a big reader, like you."

Autumn laugh. Before pulling out a rough-looking edition of Jane Eyre and began to read. Almost too soon for Autumn sounds of students started to fill the hallways and some came into the homeroom. Autumn returned her attention to her book.

She was reading she was right at the part of the story that Jane finds herself tutoring a little girl named Adele. Autumn placed the book down as the announcements came on and everyone stood and said the pledge of alliance. She moved seats and reset down. As others left the room to their classes and others came in through the door afterward. Soon enough, the first-period bell rang.

"All right class listens up, there is a short test, and then we have RIF. Books away, pass the homework to the front so I can collect."

There were ruffled papers and books. As each of the students got out of the homework and pass it forward. Mrs. Douglas went down the front rows and collected the homework. Once she was finished and went back to her desk. Picked up the test, "Pencil out. No starting until everyone gets a test."

She went down each of the rows and passed out the twenty-question test once she reached the last student, "Proceed."

The pupils flipped over the test and started to work on it. Autumn was the last one to finish and turned the test paper over and placed her pencil down and looked forward to the rest of her classmates.

"Everyone to the door. Make sure you take your things, for once we are done at RIF, you will proceed to your next class."

With that said she led them down the hall, passed the main entrance and office. At the end of the hallway she turned to the right and proceed down that hallway straight to the end with two big brown double doors was at and pushed one of them open and motioned for her class to go through.

Once inside, they all took to the tables and sat. The librarian Mrs. Brumagide spoke, "You know the drill one book per student once you pick one you may leave for your next class."

Autumn waited most of her classmates had gone before moving up to the tables that hold the books. She started to glance through them reading each back that a title or a cover caught her eye and she put each one back except for four of them. The books were called Sweet Grass by Jan Hudson, Party Summer and The Dead Life Guard by R. L Stine, the last book was called The Prom Dress by Lael Littke.

Autumn heard the bell for the next period, but still, she remained looking at them. "Have you decided which book, dear?" Asked the librarian.

Autumn shook her head no, "I can't decide this is too hard. They all look good."

"Then I will make this exception, take the four with you."

"I can't do that! It isn't fair."

"I insist." Smiled Mrs. Brumagide, "Let me write you an excuse for your next class. Who do you have?"

"Science with Mr. Rose," mumbled Autumn clutching the books to her chest and followed dumbly like a sheep after the librarian to the checkout counter and got her to pass before going back to her book bag and placing the four books inside. Then hurried off to science.

Last edited on January 1, 2020