4 Chapter 4: School

As we walk inside the school, I notice the tall ceiling and long hallway with tall blue, rectangular, shelves that Andrew said are called 'lockers.'

There are many doors down the hall beside the lockers. Andrew leads me to a door with a label above it reading 'Principle Martin.'

"I'll do all the talking, just ask if you can get the same classes as me because I introduced you to this school," says Andrew as he opens the door and walks in with me following.

"How can I help you, Andrew?" asked a wrinkly woman with gray hair. She is sitting in a gray chair in front of a window with two messy bookshelves on either sides of the walls, and a wooden desk in front of her. She seems to be filling out some paperwork.

"Kismet here is new to the school," Andrew said.

"She'll need to fill out the proper paperwork,"

said the woman in a raspy voice, not looking up from the papers on her desk. "You're dismissed Andrew."

"Hello, Madam, I'm wondering if I could get the same classes as Andrew? Since he was the one who introduced me to the school...?"

"Sure," she said as she opened a drawer in her desk. Setting down a large stack of papers in front of me with a *THUMP* and handing me a weird looking quill as a writing utensil. She seems nice.

*30 minutes later*

Some of the questions I cannot answer such as parental phone numbers or guardian phone numbers.

I have no clue what a phone number is so I just jotted down random numbers.

11 34 775 82 0 6352

This is fun!

I hand in the paperwork and Mrs. Martin immediately shoves them into a drawer of her desk, then hands me a piece of paper with my 'locker number', my classes, and dismisses me.

After the first long four hours, Andrew and I walk to the dining hall. We borrow a tray and begin in the line to be served. Many women with hair bags scoop inedible looking goop onto my tray. They place a sad looking meat sandwich on my tray as I move down the table, grabbing a small box of milk. I hand a lady at the end of the serving table a five dollar paper.

"Hey, lunch is $1.50," she says, looking at me with confusion as I decline the papers and coins she tries to give back.

"Keep the change!" Andrew shouts as we walk away.

The 'cafeteria', as Andrew called it, is a big, open, white and gray room. Long tables with benches are placed in the center of the room. There are a few scattered small tables for three and two. I followed Andrew as he walked toward the last empty table for two. On the white-tile floors, my shoes echo, making a faint *clack, clack, clack*.

The only reason why my shoes aren't as loud in the cafeteria is because of all the surrounding ruckus of talking.

"I'm going to let you know now, I'm NOT eating this goop!" I say as I point to the nastiness on my tray, sitting down in one of two chairs.

"It's just apple sauce. But to be fair, it's disgusting and I'm not eating it either."

"Why did you say 'keep the change' if I underpaid?" I ask. I mean, I don't know New York City currency. "Wasn't I supposed to pay fifty one papers?"

Andrew spent all of 'lunch time' explaining American currency.

We drop our trays in a standing, open box after clearing them of trash. We leave the cafeteria, going to the next class of social studies.

As we walk into the class, I noticed a girl in ripped jeans and a bright pink blouse that burns my eyes just looking at it. She gave off a very flowery scent that was just too much for my nose.

"How was the Victorian era, madam?"

She said in a sarcastic way.

"Just leave her alone, Vicky!" Andrew said with a glare as he pushes me towards the back of the classroom, sitting me down in a desk right next to his.

"Andrew, your clothes look like you found them in a dumpster."

She said with a grin on her face. Ordering two other background girls to join her.

"I paid for my clothes using my own money, unlike you," she sneered.

"Just leave us alone," Andrew said as he sits down at a desk.

"It's fine, Andrew, she's just jealous because she's never seen anything as marvelous as I," I say while fluttering my long eyelashes.

Her eyes suddenly had a fire in them as she growls, "This isn't over." She and her girls returns to their seats right as the teacher walks in.

Geez, why are people here so mean to me?!

Probably jealous. Yeah probably, thanks conscience!

No problem.

*Many classes later...*

*RING*

Finally! Classes are over! I'm free-! Wait, not yet.

Kids flood the halls once again. Andrew stuffs his books into his bag, while I have to carry mine, for I only brought my small money pouch. We are stampeded out of the class. We begin swimming through the ocean of kids to the exit of the school.

"Pyew, that was terrible! I despise your school! People are so mean! The food is awful! Worst of all... the teachers gave me WAY too much house work! Back at the castle I had a private teacher tutor me! And why is your educational learning so long? I usually finish my daily learning before lunch." Even though I'm really smart, I can finish my house work fast.

"Yeah, school is pretty terrible, but you get used to it. By the way, it's homework, not house work," Andrew says as he chuckles. "But, we only have 2 more days of school than we're out for the summer!!!"

He's so excited, poor little guy. If he likes his world than he'll definitely like mine.

"What do you want to do?" I ask.

"We can do our homework at my apartment, then I dunno."

I follow Andrew to his house. I try not to drop any papers or books on the way. I'm not that organized when it comes to paperwork.

He pulls out a small key from his bag that has a blue ribbon tied to it, and unlocks a gray wooden door. We head up a flight of stairs from the lobby. We walk down a long hallway to a room numbered '107' in metal letters on the door. He pulls out another key, this time it has a yellow ribbon tied to it, and unlocks the door.

"Welcome to my humble home," he says with a flourish as he flips a switch in the wall.

It's the same room as when I first met Andrew.

Two doors on the east wall, lounge cushion, glassy empty picture frame on a bookshelf, and open kitchen. I hadn't noticed this before but, on the south wall there is a huge window, viewing the people of New York Land.

His house gives me a sense of peace. There is also a few indoor plants and a potted purple flower giving off the perfect amount of scent I hadn't noticed either. From the moment I met Andrew, I didn't attack. From being magical (intuition helped) I felt good vibes from his energy. If I'd had felt bad vibes... well, than he would still be in a coma...or worse.

"Alright," I say as I set down my money pouch and stack of homework with a *THUD* "Let's get to work!"

—— (Andrew's POV:)

I should probably show her the pod. We have a lot of homework though... I'll show her later... maybe.

——

"Good idea," Andrew said, pulling out the same height paper stack from his bag that rested on his back.

*10 minutes later*

We both seem to be very good at homework. We work at the same pace. The only subject I struggle with is social studies.

"What should we do now?" I ask.

"Get you a backpack and some new clothes. You look like you can barely breathe in that corset..."

"Sure I have trouble breathing...and sometimes fall on the ground...and your outfit looks very comfortable... But..." I narrowed my eyes, wondering where I was going with this. Then I realized there really isn't a silver lining. "Alright, you win. I confess! I need new clothes..."