"Morning everyone." Peter walked in.
"Morning," Mumbled a few of the Cliffhangers gang.
"Can't you all sound more cheerful?"
"At seven in the morning?" They asked.
"You should be used to it by now."
"No, not yet," Auggie answered and Peter saw Annie roll her eyes as he did.
He walked behind her, "You eating?"
"Does it look like I'm eating?" She continued to play with her food.
"Looks like you touched it. Unless you gave it to Scott?"
"No," She answered.
"Where's that new kid you promised?" Ezra asked.
"Sophie is showing him the dorm." As he said that, Annie started a coughing fit, and Sophie and the new kid walked in. Peter and the group looked at her. She stopped coughing a moment later.
"You taking medicine?" Peter asked.
"Yes."
"Right amount?"
"The amount you told me."
"If that cough isn't gone in . . . three days you're getting a check up," Peter explained.
"Don't you think I've seen enough of the hospital?"
"A check up here, but if its something more that, then the hospital. Plus all those visits were your idea."
"This cough isn't."
"Partially it is."
Annie sighed, "Why did you have to build this place in the middle of Canada?"
Peter knelt down to her level, "It's not the middle of Canada and I didn't build it."
He went to introduce the newest member, but whispered something to Sophie first.
Sophie smiled at him, said something back, and left.
Peter went to hold the boy by his shoulders. The boy slipped past him, giving him a glare, "Dude, don't touch me."
"Ok, mental note, everyone; never touch the new admit."
Everyone giggled, except Annie; whose heart was pounding and nerves were tense; She knew who the new student was. They had been in elementary together. She used to have a crush on him. Her heart slowed down a bit as she said he's an idiot. He changed from that sweet, flirty guy to a cursing, I-don't-care-attitude.
"This is Raymond Grift. He's from California."
Peter introduced everyone, but Raymond began studying the group, not paying any attention to what he was saying.
He noticed that each male had a female next to him, but one male had two. He thought he recognized one of them, but he didn't remember her that well. He also noticed that she was younger than the rest, around his age.
He looked at the other girl next to the blond boy. She was pretty and older. He glanced back at the other girl, who was now looking straight at his face. They locked gazes until Raymond looked away. He remembered her now. She had brown eyes back then and worn glasses, but now her eyes were blue and no glasses. Her name was, started with an L?
"Scott, my man, you're to show him around," Peter said.
"Why is it always me?"
"Because you need the people skills."
"My people skills are just fine."
"I know Scott, you're just the one I chose. Now get to it, unless you'd rather have suns or something else," He explained to the teen.
"I'm going. Come on Dude."
Putting his tray up, Scott walked outside the cafeteria with Raymond.
"You don't have to show me around."
"If I let you go, I'll get in trouble, so I'd rather take the chance and just show you around the place," Scott told him.
"And you don't want to get in trouble?"
"You don't want to cross Peter, trust me. I've done it many times already."
"Is that supposed to scare me?"
"Not really, but after a couple times in his office, you'll know what I mean."
"Whatever."
"You won't be saying that for long. Oh, and one more thing. Don't call Peter dude, he'll get on you for that one."
"I'll do whatever I want to," Raymond threw at him.
"Okay. It's not like I care in the slightest bit, but don't say I didn't warn you."
"If you know the measure of this angle, then you know the measure of the other one," Stated the teacher.
Turning around, she noted the few students paying attention. Seeing Raymond with his head down on the desk, she walked over to him.
She knelt on the floor, saying softly, "Raymond."
He didn't even flinch.
Getting up, she took a math book off of a neighboring desk, and dropped it, causing Raymond to jump up.
"Glad you could join us Mr. Grift and I'm sorry that my classroom hasn't come to your standards, but like the rest of the class, you must pay attention."
"Or what?" Raymond asked.
"Do you want to go down to Sophie's office?"
"Is that supposed to whip me into shape?"
"Auggust, please show Raymond to Sophie's office, please."
Auggie was about to leave with Raymond when Peter strolled in.
"Good, Mr. Scarbrow, Raymond needs a little talk."
"I'll do that, and I need Annie Miller to get her things," He said.
The two teenagers walked out with him.
"Annie, the doctor's waiting for you. I expect you to go straight to class when you're finished. Got me?"
"Yeah," she replied, leaving the two males alone.
"Now Raymond, why does Ms. Cooly want me to talk to you about?"
"Don't ask me."
"Raymond, I know that you know. Now just tell me."
"I fell asleep in class," Raymond clarified.
"And?"
"And I asked her what she was gonna do about it. Then she said if I'd like to go down to Sophie's office and I said I didn't care."
"Okay. Sounds like a pretty reasonable story. Why were you sleeping in class?"
"It's boring."
"Yes, it may be at times, but when you're older you'll appreciate every thing that you've learned."
"Doubt that," Said Raymond.
"Why do you doubt that?"
"Because no one in this world uses math like that."
"Yes, they do. Architects and construction workers do."
"But I don't want to become any of those things."
"Then what do you want to be when you're older?"
"Race car driver or a cop."
"Well, you still need an education to become both of those."
"Why learn something that you'll never going to use, that you're just going to forget?" Asked the younger male, trying to make a point to get out of learning something.
"Because you never know when you'll actually need it," Peter explained, "Now get back into class and pay attention this time."
Dr. Grodim had the stethoscope against Annie's upper back, under her shirt.
"Take a deep breath, Annie."
She did as she was told, taking a deep breath and then keeping it in. She felt him move the cold instrument to another area on her back.
"Slowly, let it out."
Being out of breath, Annie didn't really let it out slowly. He let her catch her breath for a short moment.
"Did that make you lose your breath?"
She nodded.
"K, I want to check your lungs one more time. Take another deep breath and hold it in. Try to let it out more slowly so I can make a diagnosis."
Nodding, Annie took another deep breath, holding it in.
"Have you been coughing anything up? In your throat or actually coughing stuff up?"
She nodded once more.
"Listening to your lungs, I'd say you might have bronchitis. Have you ever been diagnosed with bronchitis or asthma?"
"No, but I've always coughed."
"Okay. I'm going to make an appointment for you over at the clinic so they can figure out if you do have bronchitis," He analyzed, "but for now I want you to continue taking cough medicine and don't do anything strenuous like running. Also drink lots of liquids and keep warm so it doesn't get worse."
Nodding, she jumped down from the table. Dr. Grodim handed her a few cough drops as she began coughing.
"Don't let anyone else know you have these. They're not extremely harmful, but it's still medicine."
She nodded and exited the room.
Raymond sat under the gazebo, a book and paper in front of him.
"Fck this!" He yelled, and threw them off the table.
Glancing up, he saw a very attractive female stroll towards him. She had long blonde hair, and her skin glowed in the evening sunlight.
"Hey there," She called to him, sitting right next to him.
"Hi, what's your name, Foxy?"
"How about Foxy?"
"Sounds good to me," He replied, putting an arm around her waist and pulling her close.
"We should go into the shed, so no one can catch us."
"But isn't that part of the fun?"
She slowly got up, pulling him playfully by his shirt collar.
Gently, she placed a kiss on his lips, and then turned, starting for the shed.
"I'm coming . . ."