Chapter Two: Enrolment
"So, where were you last night?"
Lizzie was still slightly ticked off
from yesterday – she had been grounded for two weeks! Even
though it was Matt who started it… and he got off with no
T.V. for the week.
No TV's not a punishment.
Feeding him to lions… now that's a punishment. He would just lie
in bed all day and read his stupid comics and talk with Lanny…
then again, how could you talk with Lanny? He never
talked… and I mean never…
"Hello, Lizzie?"
"Wha…"
"You. Not on phone. Last night."
"Oh…"
Miranda, her BFF, was looking her
over. Miranda Sanchez was a short, pretty, black-haired blue-eyed
teenaged girl. She was energetic, diplomatic, sarcastic and sometimes
a little too stressed out. And she and Lizzie had been best
friends since pre-K.
"Maybe she was studying for the
test that we were supposed to do today?"
David Gordon, the third amigo, caught
up to them. Gordo was the voice of reason, the smart one, the
"intelligent" one.
"There was a test today? And
you didn't tell me?" Miranda almost shouted.
Lizzie chuckled to herself.
"No, Gordo… well, I was, but…
not for that reason. My phone privileges were revoked."
Miranda looked as if the sky had
fallen, the UN had declared war on the free world, or that she had
put on the wrong shade of nail polish.
Gordo looked… bored.
"Oh my gosh… what did you… I
mean it had have to be… but you wouldn't…"
"So… what?"
"Didn't you hear her Gordo? No
phone! That's like… the end of the world!"
"Come on, it can't be that bad."
"Can't… be… that… bad?
This is, like, her phone we're talking about! Without her phone,
she's vulnerable!"
"To what?"
"Well… y'know… stuff!"
Lizzie giggled again.
Without her phone, Miranda would
fall into cardiac arrest. Doctor, we have a case of cellphone
nullus here!
"Don't worry, Miranda. It's
OK."
Gordo quickly changed the subject.
"Did you here about the new kid?
She's Chinese, I think her name is Meri or Mei or something…"
He trailed off, deep in thought.
Miranda nodded.
"Boy is she in for it, I heard the
boys planning a prank of some sort. Apparently it involves beef curry
and haggis stew…"
"Haggis stew? Eww…"
"Not really, haggis is quite tasty,
I tried some when Gran came over last. You remember…"
"… when she was trying all that
wacko stuff? I still say she was cool… what was her name? Grandma
Gordon?"
"I… don't think she ever said
what her name was…"
"C'mon, you're the guy with all
the answers."
"It's impossible to know all the
answers… I mean, every single answer that ever existed… it's…"
"You know what I mean, Gordo…"
Lizzie looked around for a quick
subject changer.
"Look, isn't that the new kid?"
"Where? I don't see her…"
"Over there, between Ethan and that
other kid…"
She looked again. No girl.
"But I was sure…"
"C'mon, Lizzie, we should be
getting to class now…"
On cue, the bell rang.
"Let's go, before Mr Dig puts us
on one of those 'edutaining' detentions…"
"Ah, Miss…"
"Mei Ming, sir."
"Yes, of cause."
Mr Hatchet stacked a few files in his
already overflowing desk before returning to the application file.
"Says here you were born in Taiwan,
you moved to New Zealand once, before moving to Salem, Massachusetts
just over a year ago, and ending up here just a week ago… correct?"
"Yes sir."
"You were homeschooled for ten
years until you arrived in Salem, where you were enrolled in Salem
High, correct?"
"Yes."
"Your mother is Japanese and your
father is Chinese?"
"Yes."
"Your mother taught you Japanese as
a first language, but later taught you Traditional Chinese at the
suggestion of your father?"
"Yes."
"I see… so you'll have no
problem with 11JTR, which I believe has several Chinese and Japanese
students?"
"No."
"Thank you. You may go to your
class – they're in ENG3 this period, it's just down the hall."
"Thank you."