The Beginning
Getting ready for the first day of high school was nerve racking enough, but add to it that I would be going to a new school in a new town far away from all my friends and family… yeah, this year was going to be rough.
The company my dad works at wanted to expand and decided that the only way they could do that was to move their headquarters across the country to a state with better tax rates. They gave all employees the choice to move with them and get huge bonuses for doing so or to take a small severance package. Naturally, most employees took the bonuses and moved. I would have done the same thing so I can’t really blame dad for doing it. However, my brother and sister had different opinions on the subject. They didn’t want to move away from their friends and since they would be 18 by the time we moved, my parents agreed to let them stay with a few conditions. They couldn’t miss any school, and they had to get jobs and pay their own bills.
Mom and I decided that we would just get everything new using dad’s bonus and only take the items with us that held sentimental value and leave everything else for my brother and sister to figure out what to do with.
I wanted to walk around town and get to know where everything was while mom waited for the painters to finish so she gave me dad’s bank card and told me to take myself shopping and get some new clothes and buy the furniture that I wanted for my new bedroom. I decided to choose my furniture first because I desperately wanted to get out of the hotel and into my own space.
I found this little store that sold hand crafted furniture and fell in love with a beautiful distressed white bedroom set that came with a queen sized bed with lots of little cubby holes and hiding spaces, two nightstands, a standing chest of drawers, and a long dresser. I approached the counter to ask about it and was met with the most mesmerizing pair of hazel eyes that I had even seen which left me slightly speechless.
“Hi! How can I help you today?” The teenager manning the counter asked.
“Um, Hi. I was wondering about the price of the bedroom set up front?”
“You must be new to town. Are you part of the company that’s relocating nearby?”
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“It’s been the talk of the town since they got their building permits approved. It’s always been a small town and we’ve all been nervous about how it would affect us.”
“Has it been bad for you?”
“Not so far. We’ve gotten a lot of business from it. Most people don’t want to live in the bigger city where the company will actually be at, so they moved to the smaller towns surrounding it. It’s given us enough of a boost that they upped our prices because of supply and demnd.”
“How expensive are we talking?”
“That set you asked about? They want $5,000 for it.”
“That’s a little high, but totally worth it since it’s hand crafted and so beautiful. Do you all deliver as well?”
“Delivery and set up usually cost extra, but if you purchase it today then I can wave the fees.”
“Sold! How long does it usually take to get it delivered?”
“It normally takes about a week or two since we have so many new customers, but let me get your information and I’ll see what we can do.”
“I’m staying in the hotel over on Jones Ave, but I’m moving into a house over on Walnut Street.”
“The one being remolded about halfway down the road or the one being painted at the beginning?”
“The one being painted.” I let a giggle slip out before asking how he knew it was being painted.
“Small town. Everyone knows everything. My gran always said the best kept secret is the one everyone already knows about.” We both burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of that statement.
“That makes no sense to me. How can it be a secret if everyone already knows?” His eyes suddenly appear black, but just as quickly as I blink they are hazel again.
“I don’t know, but it seems to hold true in this town.”
The door chimes as another customer walks in. I see a woman I vaguely recognize as the wife of one of my dad’s bosses start looking at the bedroom set that I want so I quickly settle the payment and the clerk goes to hang sold signs on the pieces. He has a quiet discussion with the woman then directs her over to the dining room tables before coming back over to me.
“I actually have to go past there to get home. Let me call my brother and see if he might be available to help me deliver the furniture on my way home tonight. Go ahead and fill out this delivery form so I know how to get in contact with you and I’ll give you a call later.”
I leave about 5 minutes later with a quick wave and a smile to the clerk. I continue to window shop and decide to stop for lunch at this really cute little diner that looks like it’s straight from the 50s including the waitresses wearing poodle skirts and sneakers. I instantly fall in love with the atmosphere.
“Hello there! Sit anywhere you like, doll, and I’ll be right with you!” A very cheerful older lady greets me.
I make my way to a bar stool at the end of the counter and look over the menu while I wait. They have quite a selection to choose from, but I decide to keep it simple today.
“Sorry for the wait, dear. What can I get for you today?”
“I think I’d like an Americana Burger with no rabbit food, and a side of fries and a strawberry milkshake.” The lady gives a chuckle at my comment about rabbit food.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes with your order, sugar. Would you like a water to hold you over while I make your milkshake?”
“Sure. That actually sounds really good. Thank you!”
“My pleasure! My name’s Martha. If you need anything, just give me a holler.”
I really enjoyed my meal and promise to come back with my mom soon. Martha asks what my plans are for the rest of the day and I explain that I just moved here and am looking to do some shopping while I get to know the town.
“My friend owns a little boutique not far from here. She makes everything that she sells and even does custom orders.”
“That sounds great! How do I get there from here?”
“It’s over on Washington Street. You will actually have to go past the high school to get there. Just go left out of here and then take another left at the statue of the wolf in the town square. That’s Washington Street and you’ll just keep following that road until you pass the high school and shortly after you should come across the shop on your right. It’s called Lisa’s. If you get to the bridge then you’ve gone too far and need to turn around.”
Something about the way she said that last part while her pupils dilated slightly gave me goosebumps. I thank her again and head in that direction. It takes me about 45 minutes to walk there and I decide to get a bike in the next few days to make it easier to get around. I like Lisa’s style and buy a lot from her. Since I’m walking, she asks me to call my mom so she can talk to her about picking it all up. I do and a few minutes later my mom walks in. She gives me a hug and we load everything in her car. My phone rings as we are heading home. I don’t know the number, but it looks local so I go ahead and answer it.
“Hello?”
“Rachel? This is Matt from Johnson’s Furniture.”
“Hey, Matt.”
“I talked to my brother and he is going to help me deliver the furniture after we both get off tonight. We should be there around 7. Will that work for you?”
“Um, hold on, let me ask my mom.” I move the phone away from my ear and set it face down on my leg for a moment. “Mom, I found me some furniture for my room today. They said that they can deliver it tonight. Will we be there at 7?”
“We can meet them there on the way to dinner. Your father can meet us there instead of the restaurant.” I pick my phone back up and relay what she just said about meeting them there then slide my phone into my pocket once I hang up.
“Where did you buy it from?” Mom asks as we are walking down the hallway of the hotel with my new clothes.
“Johnson’s furniture in downtown. They have some really pretty stuff.”
“Why don’t we go there together once we drop this stuff off and we can pick out the rest of what we need for the house. The quicker we can get everything then the quicker we can get out of this hotel.”
“They said that it normally takes a week or two to get everything delivered, so it’s probably best to go ahead and buy it.”
“How did you get your stuff delivered so quickly?”
“They had an opening on their way home tonight and said they would try to squeeze it in for me.”
“Sounds like someone has a crush on you.” Mom teased me.
“Mom!” My face starts to turn red. “We just moved here! There’s no way anyone could have a crush on me yet!” Mom starts laughing at me so I glare at her.
“Okay. Lets get going. The quicker the better.”
“Hey, mom?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Can you take me to buy a bike? I think it will be a lot easier to get around with one. Especially with school starting soon.”
“Yes. We can go bike shopping. That reminds me though… I need to finish registering you for school. Let’s stop by there really quick to see what else they need.”
“Ok.”
We pull into the school and a man dressed in kahki shorts and a polo comes out to greet us before we even get to the door. Weird, but whatever. He probably saw us on camera or something.
“Hello, I’m the student coordinator, Mr. Box. It’s Rachel, right?”
“Yes.”
“Would you like to start with a tour? We can walk and talk.”
“I guess.”
“Mrs. Landry, I presume?”
“That is correct, Mr. Box.”
“What questions can I answer for you?” He asks as we walk in through the main entrance.
“I did the paperwork and faxed it in along with her records a few weeks ago. I just wanted to make sure that you received everything and find out if you need anything else?”
“I did receive everything. The only thing that I need is a physical from one of our local doctors.”
“I included her last physical in the packet.”
“Unfortunately, per school board policy, we do require a physical from one of our local doctors. We actually have one on staff here at the school if that would make you feel better?”
“I don’t understand that policy, but whatever is necessary I guess.”
“Great! I’ll have the office assistant give him a call so he can meet us in his office.” He pokes his head into the office. “Chrissy, can you please give Michael a call and have him meet us in his office for a school physical?” He pauses to listen to whatever is being said in the office. “Thank you! Let him know that we will be there in about 30 minutes.”
We walk the entire school and grounds. Mr. Box talks about the history of the school and shows us where each subject is taught in which classrooms and goes over the general schedule before showing us the gym and cafeteria. Finally, we end up in a smaller building on the other side of the building next to the tree line.
A shiver runs down my spine as my eyes scan over the trees. It feels like I’m being watched. I shake my head to clear it of such craziness and enter the building. We only wait about 5 minutes before a young woman comes from the back.
“I do apologize for the delay, Mr. Box. Michael is busy with a family emergency and is unable to perform the physical right now. Would it be acceptable to the school board if I perform it instead?” Mr. Box’s eyes go unfocused for a moment like he is distracted, then he slowly nods.
“I don’t see why not. You’re just waiting on your license to come in, correct?”
“Yes, Mr. Box.”
“Then it should be fine.”
“Right this way, Ms. Landry.”
I follow her to the back and into a small room. It looks like a typical room at any doctors office except there’s a few silver boxes on the wall next to the door that look like they might be hiding light switches or something. A little weird, but whatever. She turns and shuts the door behind us. She releases a big sigh and it’s like she becomes a different person. Her entire demeanor changes instantly.
“Finally! I can do away with formality. I’m Greta! Dr Michael’s right hand. You must be Rachel. It’s so good to finally meet you! We haven’t had any new students in years! When Martha told me that you came in for lunch, I knew it was only a matter of time before I got to see you. Dr Michael is out with his wife. She has been really sick lately. So tell me… have you met anyone yet?”
She stops talking and slides on a pair of gloves. She begins to examine me while I tell her about my day so far. She makes some notes in my new chart and then has me stand up so she can get my height and weight. Then she says than she needs to draw some blood for general testing so I sit back down and she takes my blood pressure, oxygen level, and temperature before wrapping a band around my arm to help locate a vein. I barely feel the needle as it pokes into my arm and the whole thing is over as quickly as it started.
“Ah, Ms. Green! I see you and Ms. Landry are already finished?” We hear as soon as we get back to the lobby.
“Yes, Mr. Box. I should have her test results in about an hour. Depending upon the test results, she is fine to start school normally.”
“Thank you, Ms. Green. I’ll show them out and leave you to your work.”
“Have a good day, Mr. Box, Mrs. Landry, Ms. Landry.”
I get the feeling of being watched from the treeline again as we leave and I sigh in relief once we are away from the school. I grab a bottle of water from the gas station as mom fills up her tank and chug it while walking back to the car. When we arrive at Johnson’s, I’m a little disappointed that Matt isn’t the person at the counter this time. There’s an older woman here this time and we browse for a bit before making our decisions. We pay for them and mom arranges for a delivery. Since we are buying so much, the woman makes some calls and rearranges the schedule a bit to get it all delivered this weekend which is a relief because it will give us just enough time to get everything organized and put away before school starts.
