Chapter Thirty-six:
"Hello Mrs. Lee." Randy appears at the door. He is picking up AJ, although he doesn't know AJ will be at the Impertinent High School again.
"Oh Randy, AJ is not here now." Mrs. Lee answers having one of her days off.
He gives her a puzzling look. "Where did she go, I am going to pick her up for school?"
"She went to Impertinent High School; their classes start at 8 A.M." She mentions
"She is already transferred there." Randy speaks in shock.
"No, I guess no one told you guys. Today, she is following one of the students there to experience what is like to study there." She fills in the reason AJ is not at home.
"However she is coming back to our school tomorrow, right?" He doubts that John's plan will work.
"Yes, she will be back tomorrow, however it is still unknown if we concluded that she will attend the school."
"Oh, well I mean what I said before Team Siblings will never die." He repeats.
"Yes and she loves your scrapbook. Jack and her look through it before he left." She mentions.
"Jack stayed overnight?" Randy wonders quite surprise by this. Her parents never let a boy sleepover, not even him and John.
"No, when AJ fell asleep he left. She recounts all the details of what happen to her yesterday to him when we got home."
"Oh, well good, I was hoping that would cheer her up." He gives a small smile, it is the reason he called Jack here, although it feels a little bit unwanted.
"You wish it was you she confides in." Mrs. Lee acknowledge aware of his disappointment.
"It is fine." He brushes it off with a big smile.
"Randy, don't lie to me I have known you since you were little." She warns.
"I am just concern that she will not need me anymore. She will confide in only Jack for everything. With her possibly leaving school, I won't be able to see her or hang out like we used to." He expresses his fears. He didn't want to interfere in their decision process.
"Oh my poor baby boy." She comforts her honourary son.
"Hey, that is what my mom says too when I am sad. Did she know I would be here to expose my feelings to you?" Randy inquires sensing a set up.
"She just cares about you." She answers not denying it which makes Randy angry. "Now Randy, I know you can't help us decide, but I know one thing that AJ will always need."
"What is that?"
"A big brother." She discloses like a secret. "She will always need someone to beat up Jack if he gets out of line." Randy chuckles. "Also, when Jack is on vacation and needs a best friend to hang with you will be there. Like you said before this friendship will never die." She builds up his confidence like his parents do.
"Thanks." Randy smiles. "Will you call me when she returns home?"
"I will. Enjoy the school day." She kisses his head.
Randy picks up John who is on the phone. "Hey man, who was that?" He inquires.
"My best friend." John answers in a happy mood.
"Oh, how is he?"
"Good, he is visiting this week."
"That's great, we can't wait to meet the guy who put up with you all those childhood years." He jokes not knowing John's best friend is a girl. John hasn't told them that he is a she they just assume.
"Shut man, I am great company."
"Yeah, you are a blast." Randy sarcastically compliments.
"Whatever, where is AJ?" He looks around not seeing their little sister anywhere.
"She is back at the school having to follow a student to experience a school life there." He repeats with rolled eyes.
"Who do you think she will be paired?" He knows however wants Randy's opinion.
"Hopefully it is another girl, however not a mean one." He can't stomach anymore mean girls that treats AJ like scum.
"Why not a guy?"
"Oh if it is a guy and he hurts AJ he will pay big time." He promises.
"What if it is a mean girl?"
"Stacey would take care of it. I would text her to defend AJ honour physically." He has it planned out.
"Well, we will find out tomorrow." John ends the conversation.
"Actually, I plan to go over there tonight." Randy continues.
"Can't wait, can you?" John chuckles at his friend's impatience.
"I just want to see how it went that's all." Randy defends not relieving his true nature of going.
"Yeah right." John teases him.
"Shut man." Randy retaliates.
AJ is paired up with a girl for her buddy around the school.
"Hi, I am Sarah." She greets with an extend of her hand.
"Hi, I am AJ." She greets back shaking her hand. "You must be my buddy for today."
"I certainly am. Now we have about two extra classes then what you are used to." She starts heading to their first class.
"Yeah, how can your brain fit all this knowledge? I mean only a half an hour break for lunch." AJ acknowledge almost exhausted by the thought.
"Actually that extended from 15 minutes last year. The Headmaster worried that the students weren't eating properly or vomiting from eating too fast." She utters.
"Is the Headmaster nice? He seems nice to me, however that could be because I am new here." AJ wonders.
"If you are respectful student, he is. You get what you give here. We don't have cliques like other high schools."
"That is an upside, what about the uniforms?" She notices the same outfit in not anything out of place.
"Those he is strict on. You have to wear them while in school, including practices."
"These are not really active clothes." She again notices how stiff the material is.
"No." She giggles. "We have athletics clothes for that, but you have to wear the logo somewhere on each clothing."
"Why?" Usually, to her knowledge, there is just one on the coat.
"It is a pride aspect of this school. The Headmaster's family is a great descendant of this school. School spirit is important here." They enter the classroom, which is Latin.
"So-"
"When you enter my classroom you are silent until spoken to." The teacher strictly reminds them. Sarah raises her hand. "Yes."
"Madame Fringe, I am assigned to a potential student here. She doesn't know the rules yet." She speaks out.
"Oh right, April." She looks at her notes. "Welcome, Ms. Sarah, you may enlighten her of class rules, although you may not be loud." She allows.
"Thank you, Madame."
"What was that?" AJ whispers.
"When you enter a classroom, you must be quiet." She states.
"Not even a hello you can say." She thinks that is odd because she always greets her teacher with a 'Good Morning'.
"Nope, here you address teachers as Madame or Monsieur." AJ looks at her weird. "It is the proper way to treat them." She continues.
"Anything else." She asks not sure if she can remember all of these rules.
"Be prepared, in the class we are individuals, if you act out or are not prepared you get consequences. Remember you get what you give." She advises.
"What if you have a reason for not being prepared?"
"You must address it in front of the whole class."
"Why?" She doesn't want to expose her personal aspect to her could be fellow classmates.
"It gives your fellow classmates a head ups on why Madame does certain actions." AJ raises her eyebrow. "I will explain more later. Right now we have to pay attention."
"Okay." She focuses on the lesson.
"Congratulation, you have survived your first class." Sarah praises AJ.
"That was intense." Her head is sore from the amount of information given.
"Yup, she can be. Now, next is my favourite subject, English. We can actually talk in this class instead of listening to Madame the whole class."
"That will be a nice break." She wipes her eyebrow.
"You would think so, but we doo group oral projects almost every day. We stand in the front more than we sit."
"I don't think I can do that." Her fears are realized doing oral reports.
"You are not a public speaker." She notices her scared nature after revealing that aspect.
"No, it is my weakness in English. My grades take a small dive when we do have to." She sulks hoping it won't be a problem with anyone else.
"That might be a big problem." Sarah mentions unfortunately.
"Why is it your favourite subject?" AJ changes the subject.
"It is all the Shakespeare we read. We act, read, and remember monologues to the plays we read." She expresses excitedly.
"That excitement for Shakespeare reminds me of my closest friend, John."
"Sounds like a cool dude."
"He is. He is in my English class back in my school. He helps me with my confidence and public speaking."
"Well, when do you have English, I could possibly be with you if you attend here." She offers.
AJ looks at her schedule that Headmaster gave yesterday. "Third period."
Sarah laughs. "AJ, they are not called periods here they are called distinctions." She divulges.
"Really." It is her time to laugh.
"Yes, every word you have here we make it more distinguish, although it is the same meaning." She titters.
"I see. If more of my classmates are like you I might come here." She utters.
"Alas, there are only a few like me. If you are here long enough with letting the rules trap you, you don't have time for jokes. They turn into study robots, who study, sleep, and sometimes eat." She somewhat amuses.
AJ giggles. "You should like John again. You two would make great friends."
"I would like to meet this John. I have to tell him that we are quite a pair of friends." She requests.
"If you are not busy afterwards, you can come over and meet him." She offers.
"Let me see." She checks her schedule.
AJ looks over to her. "It looks like you are all booked up." She is amaze at the limited space they have to enjoy themselves.
"I have an opening today after school. I would love to come." She accepts.
"Good I will text my-"
"Oh AJ, the most important rule: cell phones are banned from campus. They must be left at home or dorm unless approve by Headmaster." She strongly emphasizes.
"Why?" She questions.
"It is a distraction."
"What happens if you do?"
"They smash your phone in front of you and you have to write 'Cellphones are a distraction' on each board in each classroom." She strictly warns.
"Wow." AJ shocked by this.
"Yes."
"Okay, I will tell her when she picks us up."
"Great."
The rest of the day goes great. Sarah continues to give her tricks and advice if she does transfer to the school. They ate outside in the den talking about their friends, to AJ's shock. She thought it would be impossible to keep them here. Sarah advises her that it is all balance and some luck sometimes. One important tip she gave her is that the school and the classes might be intense, however if you don't let it suck you in, there is no problem on having a social life too.
They are at AJ's house now. AJ's parents are surprise and happy that their daughter made a friend at the school.
"Wow, your home is huge." Sarah walks in. She explains to her parents, via AJ's cell phone, on her whereabouts.
"Yah, do you want a tour?"
"Seems fair for me touring you." She laughs.
"Wow, I guess you get what you give." AJ repeats her words.
"Exactly." She grins noticing the dig she gave her.
"Come on." AJ waves her over.
Randy and John arrive at AJ's house too to surprise her. John said to wait, but Randy is too eager to see his best friend again.
"Ah, you have come I was just about to call you." Mrs. Lee greets.
"We thought we would surprise her." Randy replies to explain their presence.
"She beat you here she is upstairs with her friend from the school." She updates them.
John and Randy gulp that it is most likely that she will transfer to Impertinent High School. "A friend from school." Randy repeats.
"Yup, I will call them. AJ, come down John and Randy are here to see you." She calls out.
AJ and Sarah come down giggling until they approach John and Randy. John and Sarah exchange looks.
"Sarah, are you okay?" AJ notices awkwardness between them.