Chapter 3 - The Field Trip

Immediately, Becca went to her locker and unlocked it. While the girl was digging out her math textbook and language arts folder, a boy with black hair and fair skin across the hall said, "Look everyone! It's that funeral-obsessed freak!" Becca pretended not to hear the other kids jeer her for her zoophobia, the way she dressed, and the way she hung her head low.
"Hey, Ridges! Whose funeral are you going to today?"
"If you keep being hunched over like that, you'll turn into a hunchback!"
"You're scared of another teddy bear, aren't you?"
All the kids laughed as Becca just headed to her homeroom class in order to be present for the field trip. Getting to class was no easier, either, because other kids held their mouths to prevent laughing. "Enough, class!" said the teacher, Mrs. Clarke, "Just because Becca stands out, that doesn't mean you have to make a big joke out of it!" Becca sighed in relief that she had a least one person to stand up for her at school.
After taking attendance, Mrs. Clarke said, "Now class, the bus will be here any minute, so I must ask each and every one of you to line up slowly and calmly in an orderly fashion." Becca was the last one to get in line. Soon everyone went out to the bus, which took them on a twenty-minute drive to the public library. The exterior of the building looked almost like a grand museum that one would find in London or New York City. Statues of lions stood on both sides of a grand-looking staircase, and stone pillars guarded the doorway like two stoic Roman soldiers. Becca was very impressed as she followed her classmates into the library.

Over twenty years ago, this library was about to go out of business. But one day, a little boy named Richard Tyler visited; he didn't really intend to go, but he wanted to escape a raging thunderstorm. No one to that day knew what happened to Richard inside the library, but he came out with three checked out books and new courage. Since that day, people all around town began to learn about Richard's experience at the library, and decided to visit it again and again. With people's regular visits and checking books out, Mr. Dewey, the owner, was so impressed that he added a few new employees in recent years. Now, the library was getting ready to hire young, aspiring people to help the hotspot for reading.

When Mrs. Clarke's class entered the library, they were greeted by an old man with a plain, gray outfit. "Welcome to the library, everyone!" he said, "Now, are you the class from Howard High School?"
"Yes, sir," said Mrs. Clarke, as she introduced herself to Mr. Dewey.
"Now, then," said Mr. Dewey, "As your teacher told me, you are all in here to learn about different types of jobs in the library, correct?" Everyone nodded their heads. While Mr. Dewey talked about the library's code of conduct, Becca heard a high-pitched sound close by. She turned her head, and saw something moving beside some books on a cart. The girl came closer and suddenly, a white creature with brown markings looked up at her. Becca gasped, and saw that the creature was a little kitten. "Hey," she whispered to the blue-eyed animal, "You're not scary at all. You're kind of cute. I don't think they allow pets in the library, so I'd better hide you." Becca opened her backpack, gently picked up the kitten, and put it inside before zipping it not completely shut in order to give the animal some fresh air to breathe.

"Becca!" whispered Mrs. Clarke, "Pay attention, please!"
"Oh, sorry, mam," said Becca, returning to her place in the group.
"You were talking to someone, I think," said Mrs. Clarke. Becca just made a face that said, "No, I wasn't." After about five minutes of talking, Mr. Dewey led the kids to the center of the library, where a large rotunda was at the top of the ceiling. Becca looked up and saw beautiful paintings of what looked like a royal family. There was a man and a woman with four children – two boys and two girls. The younger girl looked exactly like Becca with the same auburn hair and copper eyes; she was even wearing glasses and a necklace with a book charm! Another painting had an evil sorceress with light blonde hair, purple eyes, and a purple and black gown; she was surrounded by black, smiling ghosts and purple smoke. A third painting showed a large grizzly bear, standing on its hind legs mouth open, and angry yellow eyes; Becca thought about the bear that killed Nicole. The fourth painting had a detective, a scientist, a hunchback, a pirate, and a fairy godmother standing together with different animals underneath them – a beaver, a squirrel, a woodchuck, a large weasel, and a small weasel. The final painting had a wizard dressed in sky blue and purple robe, carrying a golden staff.

Just then, Becca rubbed her hands together, and raised her hand. "Excuse me," she said, "May I go wash my hands? I promise I'll be right back."
"Very well," said Mr. Dewey, "But don't be too long. Your teacher and classmates will be getting ready to research different sections in ten minutes!"
"Okay," said Becca. She then followed the signs to the ladies' restroom, taking off her backpack in the process. When she got to the bathroom, Becca opened her backpack and gently picked the kitten up out from her backpack. She looked at the animal's rear, and saw that it was female.

"So you're a girl, huh?" Becca said to the kitten, "I think I'll name you Sheila. That's a nice name." She put Sheila into her backpack and washed her hands, leaving the backpack on the counter by one of the sinks. As Becca was drying her hands with a paper towel, she slipped on a patch of water, and fell to the floor, hitting her head against the wall. The girl lost consciousness and suddenly, everything seemed to spin around…