Mrs. Muller sat behind a large desk that took up most of the room, its surface cluttered with papers and writing tools. Several file cabinets had been squeezed into the tiny space, and two whicker chairs sat in front of the desk.
Mrs. Muller motioned for them to sit down before attempting to organize the papers into neat files. She looked up at them finally.
"As you know we have a very…special… yes special situation here. Mr.…" she looked down at a file that was spread about her desk. "Mr. Cooger. We have your general file. Unfortunately, your specific's are still in Kansas and inaccessible. So…"
The woman propped her thick rimmed glasses farther up the ridge of her nose, preparing to read.
"Name: Hunter Cooger. Date of birth: June 6th, 1883. Place of birth: Wichita, Kansas. Parents: deceased. History of stealing and taking one night stays in jail. Relatives: unknown."
She looked up from the papers, ogling Skittery through her spectacles.
"It seams to me like you were supposed to be in an orphanage anyway."
Royal turned to Skittery and put her hand comfortingly on his thigh. Mrs. Muller eyed them before going on.
"Mr. Cooger, both you and ms. Canely will be bunkroom 21..."
"Just in case you haven't been cheap enough around me?" Skittery interrupted, looking at her coolly from in front of her desk.
She ignored his comment.
"Mr. Cooger you will have bunk J and Ms. Canely you will have bunk C. Underneath each of your beds are sets of day clothes and night clothes laid out for you. The laundry baskets are set up in the washrooms but please do wear an outfit twice before washing it. Here are your school schedules. Ms. Canely you will find your new schedule is very similar to your old one. Mr. Cooger… you will need to tell us you're major so that we can fill in the rest of your agenda."
She handed both of them their separate schedules and waited for Skittery to give her an answer.
"English I guess."
She nodded and made not of his reply on a white legal pad.
"I believe that English is Ms. Canely's major as well so you too will be together in that class. Here are your school bags inside are pencils and note books."
She handed the two canvas messenger bags.
"As you go about to all your classes, just ask your teachers for text books and such… things you will be needing for their class, you know. I'm sure they will be glad to oblige. Mr. Cooger, your weekday schedule goes like this… you wake up at 7:30 at the rising bell, breakfast is at 7:45, your classes begin at 8:00, each class is 30 minutes long. Dinner is at 11:00 and then you have an hour recall or a recess you could call it. During recess you will be led up to the roof where you may run around and do as you please. After recess you have classes until 5:00 and then supper at 6:00. During the hour between supper and classes you must find your own way to entertain yourself and showers are available at that time as well. Then after supper, which tends to end around 6:40, the older kids are assigned to clean and tighty up the first 3 floors of the building while the younger children must clean the 4th and 5th floors. Each day, 20 children are picked at random to do laundry. The list of these laundry cleaners is posted everyday in the lobby and can be viewable before and after meals. These activities are absolutely mandatory and attendance will be taken before and after. Attendance is also taken in each class so do, not under any circumstances be late. Lights go out at 9:00.
"On week ends, each age group is taken to the park for 4 hours (state regulations) and you are aloud to play there as you would on the roof though under the supervision of one of the Heads or Teachers. When you are not in the park, there is bunk inspection, which you must be present for. On week ends wake up is an hour later and so is lights out, a little freedom for you I suppose."
Skittery nodded as he digested this information.
"Here are a list of rules and regulation… I do believe that comment you made before is rule 13."
She handed him the sheet and also passed one over to royal.
"Just in case you forgot during your vacation." She said assuring.
Royal gave her a cynical face though Mrs. Muller seemed to not have seen it.
"Breaking the rules is not acceptable and has its punishments. Breaking a rule can result in the missing of main meals, being banned from the roof… these activities are privileges after all. For multiple or large rule breaking, we usually assign the child to clean a whole floor by himself or with his/her accomplice. We can be very creative when it come to punishments so… be warned.
"Ms. Canely, I'm expecting you to show Mr. Cooger around and too all his classes. I will give you a late pass for your own classes so that you wont be marked late. The pass will expire within the week though so make sure he knows his way around by then."
Royal sighed and reached forward to take the pass from the woman's outstretched hand. She stuffed it in her pocket carelessly.
Mrs. Muller turned to address Skittery once more.
"Mr. Cooger, come with me so that you can get your uniform and I talk to you in privet about your 'special situation.' Ms. Canely, please take Mr. Cooger's papers and book bag and for him and wait for us out side my office… Oh yes and please pretend that you are a new student as well, it's just a less complicated excuse for your absence. Mr. Cooger, follow me."
Mrs. Muller motioned towards a door royal had not noticed before in the corner though she assumed it led into Mrs. Muller's privet room.
Mrs. Muller collected the papers on her desk and was preparing to leave though stopped suddenly and spoke to royal once more.
"And do put your hair in braids. You look like trash."
Royal took the insult lightly for it was part of the girl's uniform to wear your hair in braids; an act that took away the remainder of one's individualism.
Mrs. Muller and Skittery finally left and royal gathered her and Skittery's papers in to a neat pile, grasping the straps to their bags with her free hand.
