Good vs. Evil High

by April Marcom

  We stopped next to a door with a silver plaque on it that read ‘Headmaster Trey Veziamo’. Harmony knocked on it.

  “Come in,” a man immediately responded.

  “I’ll be right here,” Harmony said before she sat against the hallway’s wall.

  Looks like I’m going in alone. I took a deep breath and grasped the doorknob, wondering what Headmaster would be like.

  Chapter Six

  ~ Headmaster ~

  I pushed the heavy door open and since I didn’t see him anywhere else in the room, I figured the headmaster was sitting in the tall office chair that was facing away from me toward the windows. Bright lights were pointed at several grape plants located in one corner of the room. Next to the plants, a row of messy shelves and cabinets hung on the wall. The opposite wall had photos of teenagers tacked all over it.

  As my eyes rested on the desk, clean and empty except for a laptop and con, the chair spun around. The man sitting in it reminded me a little of Albert Einstein—his hair, anyway. And his pastel blue suit was terribly outdated. It looked like it belonged in the same time period the childhood photo had been taken in.

  “Please, sit down,” he said with a smile. So I sat in the flowered, old chair in front of his desk. Headmaster spent a couple of minutes staring at my face, making me extremely uncomfortable. The silence was only broken when he asked, “Why did you risk your life to save the little girls in your orphanage?”

  “Oh, um...” It seemed like a strange question. Who wouldn’t have saved them? Every other girl and woman there, I answered myself. “They might’ve burned to death, and no one else would help them. I had to.”

  “But why did you have to?”

  “They would have suffered. They were alone and scared. Even the ladies responsible for them left them for dead. I had to.”

  “And what if you had died?”

  “Theennn I would have died.”

  “And you’re okay with that?”

  “I...I don’t know. But I couldn’t leave them alone like that. I couldn’t just do nothing.”

  He watched me quietly for another minute more. “As soon as I heard your story I became curious. My students who went to get you sent their reports. It seems you have a heart of gold. The world needs more people like you in it. I’m delighted to have you here at North Haven High School.”

  “Thank you.”

  He opened his drawer behind his desk and pulled out a glossy black and white box. “This is for you.” I opened it and saw a much smaller silver box inside. My own con. “It’s programmed to respond only to whomever first touches it...Go on, then,” Headmaster said.

  “You want me to touch it?” For some reason, the con made me nervous...all those shiny, sharp blades.

  “Yes, if you want one of your own. Life’s a lot easier with it.”

  I did want one. It would just take some getting used to. I reached out and barely touched it with the tip of my middle finger before I yanked it away.

  The blades came out and it flew up as it opened. “Hello, Kristine,” Connie said when it was through.

  “Hello.”

  “You can call on your con any time you have any questions or need to be connected to a classmate,” Headmaster said. “It will help you navigate the castle as well, but for now, you might want to put it away. Just say Kristine Con, return.”

  “Kristine Con, return.” I held out my hand as it began folding up.

  “You’ll find everything else you may need in your room, except for food. You’ll have to visit the cafeteria for that. It’s open from six in the morning to ten o’clock at night. Exceptions are made when you’re sick, of course. Miss McCree will bring you meals when this occurs.

  “Now, I’ll need to create a class schedule tailored specifically to you. What sort of things do you enjoy doing?”

  I had to think about it because no one had asked me that in a long time. Life in the orphanage was all work and no play. If we weren’t reading incredibly boring historical books or doing our homework, we were cleaning, doing laundry, washing dishes, or doing more cleaning.

  I smiled when I thought of my mother. “I used to love to bake. I haven’t done it in years, but it used to be my favorite thing to do with my mom.”

  Headmaster smiled back. “Good, good. What else?”

  “Painting used to be a lot of fun. I have a notebook I sketch in at school, sometimes.” I realized something at that moment. “It must’ve gone up in the fire.”

  “I’m afraid it probably did. I’ll make sure you get a new one.”

  “Really? Thanks!” That was so kind of him.

  “And what were your favorite subjects in school?”

  “Well, I’m good with numbers. Math kind of comes naturally, but science is my favorite subject, biology in particular. I love understanding the way every living thing works. But I hate history. It’s always been my worst subject because I can’t make myself care about it. And it’s really boring.”

  “We have advanced biology and other science courses if you feel prepared for them.”

  “Absolutely! In school, I always read science books and magazines every chance I got. Ms. Wendy never let us take anything home, but I’ve kept a one hundred average in science since Kindergarten. I even averaged a hundred and two in the fourth grade.”

  Headmaster chuckled. “That’s wonderful. I’m afraid we’re a bit opposite. The gears inside my head refuse to turn for science, but history really gets them going. It’s nice to see someone who shares such enthusiasm for any part of academics.”

  “I’m sorry.” Here I was, making fun of one of my rescuer’s favorite things.

  “No, no. It’s quite all right. If someone asked me about my favorite subjects, I’d have as much to say about science as you do about history. We’re all made differently with different talents and interests.

  “Which brings me to my next question. Have you given much thought to what you might like to do with your future? See, here at North Haven High School, we try to do everything possible to prepare our students for when we set them free in the world.”

  “You mean when we leave this place?” I’d barely even gotten there, and already I never wanted to leave.

  “Yes. Usually when adolescents become adults, they’re ready to go out on their own, take life by the reigns and ride it wholeheartedly. Each student is required to take the basic science, history, math, and English courses, but we try to focus on what you will need in the profession you desire to undertake, and the things you enjoy.”

  “So when I turn eighteen, I’ll have to leave?” And go back into the cruel, lonely world?

  “Only if you want to. Obviously, it takes a lot of people to keep this school going. And every member of our staff was once a student, one who found a home here and could never bring themselves to leave it. Ms. McCree and Mr. Westhyme, the teachers and cooks, all were once North Haven students. We have two doctors, a dentist, a few nurses, and those in charge of finding recruits and taking care of the legal paperwork required to make them disappear and later reappear to the rest of the world. And of course it takes a lot of helping hands to keep this place clean. You could certainly be one of the faithful few if you decide it’s what you want.”

  That was a huge relief, because I knew I would never change my mind about wanting to stay. But I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. For the last several years, at least, every day was about getting through to the next one. A lot of things sounded like fun, but I didn’t know what I would truly love and be happy waking up to every morning. And I wanted to do something for the school. “I know you need an answer, but could I maybe think about it for a day or two?”

  “Absolutely. I don’t need an answer right away. I always ask because some students come in here knowing exactly what they want in life. And others don’t. You’ve given me enough to create a schedule for your first semester here. And really, I won’t need to create one until we return from Winter Competitions. Only thre
e days remain in this semester. Then we prepare for our departure for the south. It would be pointless to enroll you in any courses yet. You can accompany Harmony to hers until then, though. It will give you a chance to make some new friends and meet the teachers. How about if you come back here to meet with me Saturday morning around eight o’clock? That will give you a few days to think about it, and even if you’re still unsure, I’ll be able to give you your schedule for next semester and speak with you again.”

  “Okay.”

  “Why don’t you and Harmony go ahead and see your new room? Let her know she’ll be excused from her first class.”

  “All right. Thank you, Headmaster. I’m really grateful to be here at your school.”

  He just nodded, so I stood up and left his office

  Chapter Seven

  ~ Track Star ~

  “We have reached the girls’ living quarters, destination of Harmony and Kristine,” Connie said as the elevator slowed to a stop.

  The room was now empty except for a woman folding towels. A few long white couches were placed around the open area with stacks of books on end tables beside them. Book shelves filled with more books or games were placed against some of the walls. Hallways led off to our left and right.

  “This is the west wing girls’ living quarters,” Harmony said. “I’ve never been to the east wing, but I bet the girls’ quarters are about the same over there. We’re down the hallway right in the middle there, second door on the left.”

  Second door on the left, gotta remember that. But once I saw the door, I knew it wouldn’t matter if I forgot which door it was or not, because I would never have trouble finding it. A painting of the Eiffel Tower stretched from the top of the door to the bottom, and tiny handbags had been hung all around it.

  “Sassy did that,” Harmony told me. She reached for the doorknob. “She was the first one of us recruited, and it’s never bothered Nadine or me, so that’s our door.”

  “I love it. Did she make those bags herself?”

  “Yeah, she—She’s already here. What are you two doing here?”

  Sassy and Nadine were sitting on the bottom bunk on the right side of the room, looking at a magazine together. “Miss McCree said we were excused from first period. That way we can all go to physical fitness together,” Sassy said.

  I walked over to them so I could stare at the larger scale painting of what I’d seen on the door that began at the top bunk above them and went right up to the ceiling.

  “I’m going to be a fashion designer in Paris someday,” Sassy said. “I can’t wait to open my own line of shoes and accessories. Are you into fashion, Kristine?”

  “I don’t know. All I’ve had to wear since my mom died is what was donated to the orphanage. Fashion’s never really been an option.” Although if it had been, I’m not really sure it would have been my thing. I care about my appearance, but comfort seems more important than the latest fashion trend. And I couldn’t see how it mattered here, anyway, since everyone wore the same thing.

  “Most orphans have that problem. I was lucky enough to get a big back-to-school shopping trip once a year with the foster mom I had two years before I came here. She was okay.”

  “So you plan on leaving North Haven when you turn eighteen?”

  “Yeah, most kids do. It’s a great place, but I wanna see the world and have a family of my own someday.”

  “Are you all leaving?”

  “This place doesn’t offer what we want to do,” Harmony said. “I want to take care of animals and I love to sing. There’s no place for either of those professions here.”

  “And there’s no waves or sandy seashores this far up north,” Nadine added. “You wouldn’t believe how much I miss Cali and waking up every morning to go surfing.”

  I noticed the shiny blue surfboard standing against the wall next to the wardrobe at the head of their beds and the poster of a guy surfing inside the swell of a house-sized wave next to that.

  Turning around to look at the bunk beds on the other side of the room, I saw bars with music notes painted beside the one up top. In this room with three personalized spaces, the fourth bed space seemed empty. That would be mine. It would be fun to figure out how to decorate it, I thought.

  “What happens when we’re eighteen, then? We never see each other again?” I asked. That didn’t sound like a family at all. Just when I’d found one and gotten ready to let myself get really close to these girls, which was something I’d never done before, it felt like it was all getting taken away.

  “Absolutely not!” Harmony said from beside me. All three girls reached out for each other’s hands, but Sassy and Harmony reached for mine. “We’re sisters and best friends forever, no matter what. We’ve made a promise to each other to keep in touch and make time to get together every single Christmas for the rest of our lives, no matter what. Even if we all live in different parts of the world, we stick together.”

  “Harmony’s moving to So Cal with me when we turn eighteen,” Nadine said. “Sassy’s heart’s set on Paris, but you could come with us. We could begin adult life together.”

  “So Cal?” I asked, since I’d never heard of it before.

  “Southern California.”

  “Oh...” It sounded perfect, and I was relieved to know I was being accepted into their lifelong circle, but I still didn’t want to leave North Haven. In a way, I felt more attached to it than them, at least for now. “Thanks, but I really want to stay here.”

  “That’s what I thought when I got here,” Harmony said. “But you might grow out of the idea after a couple of semesters. Don’t get me wrong. I love North Haven. But spending forever here would get old eventually.”

  “It’s okay,” Nadine said. “She’s got three years to decide. And the offer will always stand.”

  “Thanks, Nadine. I’m glad you guys want me for a sister.”

  “Us, too,” Sassy said. She and Nadine stood up so all three of them could wrap me and each other in a hug.

  My three forever sisters...I could truly feel their love, and it was the best thing I’d felt so far.

  * * * *

  Half an hour later, the four of us were walking out of our room. “You have six classes every day,” Harmony was telling me. “Each one lasts for forty-five minutes, beginning at seven-thirty. Then you have fifteen minutes to get to the next one. Lunch is at ten-thirty, but you’ll be with me through the last three days of this semester. You don’t need to worry about getting mixed up.”

  “Girls,” someone called. We turned around and saw Miss McCree walking up the hallway toward us. “Headmaster wanted me to let you know that Kristine should go to art class with Sassy for third period. Since lunch comes after that, you can give her back to Harmony then.”

  “Is that just for today, or the rest of the week?” Sassy asked.

  “The rest of the week, I think. He wants Kristine to meet Miss Rivers since he’ll be enrolling her in one of her classes next semester.”

  “Okay, see you later.”

  We crossed the main room and got in an elevator, which took us up to the fourth floor where all fitness and sports classes were held. We walked into the biggest gymnasium I’d ever seen. It was sectioned off by colored tape into courts and field areas with different sports equipment and adults in each one. There were a lot more kids than I’d been expecting, with girls on the left side of the room and boys to the right.

  “See ya, guys,” Nadine said before she ran off toward a group in the soccer area.

  “Everyone has fitness training second period,” Harmony said as we moved through the open space between sectioned areas. “Headmaster figures it’s good to do it early in the morning, but not right after you eat breakfast. Sometimes everyone trains together and sometimes kids split up into their sports and do their own thing. Nadine plays soccer, but Sassy and I always do general fitness.”

  “Unfortunately, we don’t have any real athletic talent,” Sassy said. “Our talents lie elsewh
ere.”

  “Do you play any sports?” Harmony asked me.

  “I play volleyball okay. Nothing special, though.”

  “Then you can stick with us. We always train with Coach Beckham, and all the new kids get put with him anyway.”

  “Besides, everyone who’s competing has to practice every night after class and on weekends until the Winter Competition. So we’re kind of lucky,” Sassy told me.

  “Nadine likes it, though,” Harmony said.

  I noticed Hunter in a group of four kids stretching beside a wall. “What’s Hunter doing?” I asked.

  “He’s one of the smartest kids here, so he’s in the academic competition. It’s kind of like Jeopardy with two teams, four players on each one.” Harmony lowered her voice. “It’s the most boring part of the competition.” We laughed together.

  “What about Roman?”

  “He’s the captain of the North Haven Snow Riders.” She turned to walk through two basketball courts. “See, there’s Snow Racers - they race on snowmobiles through obstacles for a couple of miles to be the first to get to the finish line, and then there’s Snow Riders - they ride on snowmobiles too, but their goal is to be the last one standing. They start in different places, so no one knows where anyone else is, and they use whatever they find in the terrain to knock the others off. As soon as your body leaves the snowmobile, you’re out. We have the advantage in this game, because we always wear white. The Cinders wear black, so they stick out pretty badly against the snow.”

  We stopped beside a window and Harmony pointed outside. A few stories below, I saw people in padded white suits and helmets riding around on white snowmobiles. I could barely see the tail of one sticking out from under a thick tree and a girl moving toward it, completely unaware. It looked like she would be knocked off easily.