FicWad

Chapter 4: Salem Academy


My fingers trace the intricate swirls of the white column that holds up the structure that is my new school. It’s just a little past seven in the morning, and the school isn’t open yet. My parents decided to drop off at the school when they went at work. Which is the reason why I’m here, sitting on the cobble stone tracing the swirls.
Salem Academy, my new school is intimidating charming. Like Connor, a boy I met in the woods last week, and the only thing occupying my mind.
As time passes, cars fill the school parking lot and the school opens. I am told to wait in the cafeteria until the eight-fifteen bell. Then you can go to your locker or class.
I pick a seat at an empty table, watching the crowd in case I see Blaire, a hyperactive blonde that is more of a spaz than I am, and her twin brother, Sam.


“Hiyas Ana!” I turn to see Blaire walking over to sit next to me. Surprisingly, her brother is talking quietly to a brunette boy with glasses.
“Hey man! The school is huge!” I say looking around.
“You get used to it after a while. So, what class do you have first?” Blaire asks as she takes her schedule out of her purse to compare it to mine.
“Honors English II with Mr. Barter, room 202.” I say, holding my schedule out to show her. She takes a few quick glances.
“That’s what Sam has first period. I have Environmental Science with Ms. Kodak in room 224.” Some of her exuberance is gone.
“Oh, well,” I take a quick glance at her schedule, “We both have Health Occupations with Mrs. Charolette in third period.
She smiles,”Yeah, you’re right.”
The eight-fifteen bell rings and the cafeteria empties. I am off to my locker and first class. In my own thought bubble, I enter, sitting down in a seat. I pay no attention to who I sit next to.
The bell rings notifying classes to start, and that brings me to the present. I start to look around, then notice the beautiful stranger, Connor, sitting next to me. His gray eyed gaze meets mine and gives me a sly smile. I look away quickly, and the teacher calls my name.
This opens the flood gates of curious eyes that occasionally glance back. I steal a quick glance at Connor and he is silently laughing at me. I am trying really hard not to give him the death stare.


Before long, the bell rings. I put my things into my book-bag. I can feel a curious gaze, but I don’t intend on looking up.
“Hi Ana,” an unfamiliar male voice says and I finally decide to me his gaze.
“Hi,” I say, feigning a smile. The boy’s face was curios and kind, “What’s your name?”
“Zeke,” he is trying to be social and make me feel welcome, so I help him out a bit.
“What class do you have next?”
Hi gives a sincere, surprised smile, “Honors chemistry with Mr. Lansing.”
“Same here,” I say, slinging my book-bag on my back. “We better hurry so we aren’t late.”
“Good idea,” he slings his book-bag over his shoulder and we leave to our next class.


I sit next to Zeke, hoping that Mr. Lansing isn’t an assigned seat kind of teacher, but of course, he is. He has a weird way of assigning seats too. He sits students by their first name, the “A” students and the “C” students are together, the “B” and “D” together and so on. To my surprise, I’m assigned to sit next to Connor because I’m the second “A” in my class and he is the second “C”.
“Hi…” I greet unsurely.
His response is a dirty look, and all the confidence I once had, shatters. I look away, trying to pay attention to Mr. Lansing, who is going over the course syllabus.
“Labs are twenty percent of your grade. Because you do a lot of labs in my class get to know your lab partner.”
I give a silent sort. That’s mission impossible for me.
“You’re going to have to buy two lab notebooks to keep your lab reports in. You can buy these at-.“ The bell cuts him off and I quickly put my stuff away, walking out of the class room with Zeke.

I meet up with Blaire in Health Occupations, which goes by quickly and lunch rolls in. Blaire sits me at her table and introduces me to a girl named Kimi Slade. She then starts to talk to another girl. I later hear that her name is Jaymi. I don’t pay attention to their conversation because it is gossip and rumors about a girl named Kylie Hudgins and her boyfriend Felix Chambers, which is who Blaire obviously likes.
“God, I hate it when they gossip like that….” Kimi mutters to herself.
“Yeah, I hate drama mamas like that…” I decide to respond.
Kimi looks up from her plate and smiles in agreement
“Now I know not to tell her anything”
“She’ll find something to spread…”
“Greattt…”
“She does it to everyone, so no one believes her usually, unless it is something that is somewhat possible.”
“Like what?”
“Uhmm, well…They say that New Hampshire was inhabited by witches, vampires, and werewolves.”
“I thought that was Salem Mass.”
“The witches that weren’t burned there, supposedly fled”
“Oh, well that does make sense.”
Kimi continues to tell me things about the area until the bell rings for our next class.


I head off to A.P World History, just to hear about another course syllabus. I take out some paper and draw. I am still listening to the teacher, but just doing something that can distract me of thinking about everything that has happened today. The same thing went on in algebra two.
It was finally the last period of the day, Spanish II, and we were still going over syllabi. He was in my class and I was assigned to sit next to him. However, Connor was absent. Maybe he was sick of hearing about course descriptions like I am, and decided to skip. I wish I could do that, but in such a small town , it would get to my parents and I would get in loads of trouble.
The bell rings. Everyone files out and heads to the bus. I don’t know what my bus number is and I can’t find Blaire or Sam. They are probably on the bus already.

The buses drive off and I’m left there. I know my parents are still at work, so I have to walk home. It has been raining off and on today, and the clouds look ominous with rain. So I begin to walk home.
Sure enough, it begins to pour. I set my stuff down to check if I have an umbrella, of course, I don’t. Just my luck.
The rain becomes harder as I keep walking and the cold makes me shiver uncontrollably.
“Ana, do you nee a ride?” A familiar, musical voice asks from a silver Lexus. I turn to see who it is. It’s Connor.
I nod and walk toward the car as e opens the door to let me in. By the flick of his wrist , a blast or warm air hits me in the face.
“Th-Thanks,” I say through chattering teeth.
“No problem.” He says, stealing a quick glance at me then focusing back on the road. “Ya’ know, it’s dangerous out there, especially for you.”
“Yeah, I could fall and get all muddy.” Sarcasm drips off every word. But I instantly feel bad because he is giving me a ride after all.
“Not only that, but sure, I guess that’s a good reason.”
“What are the others?”
“Just like I said, it’s dangerous.”
“But now you have interested me. What are the other reasons?”
He halts the car at the end of my driveway. “Never mind that, just be careful. Oh…And sorry about earlier today…” His apology is quick but full of sincerity.
“Oh all right, you’re forgiven,” I say smiling and rolling my eyes. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then?”
“Yup,” He nods and smiles as he watches me struggle to get out of his car. I pull up on the lock button and climb out, waving to him as he drives off.