Before
Em
EM BENT FORWARD IN her seat, tucking a loose fall of blonde hair behind her ear.
The gravel crunched beneath their tires as the car rounded the drive of Hillcrest Collegiate, a plume of dust rising behind them.
Em peered out the window at a large, weathered building with pale stone bricks, austere if not for the ivy scaling the walls in an almost deliberate pattern—as if it were meant to be wild but trained to grow in such a way that complemented its surroundings.
“Honestly, Mom. I don’t think you guys could have sent me to a more pretentious-looking school.” Em hissed.
Her mom cast a glance back at her through the rear-view mirror, shouldering her phone to her ear, “Hang on just one sec, Diane.” Her mom shifted in her seat, her phone pressed against her chest. “What’s that, sweetheart?”
“Nothing.” Em reached for her backpack and slid out of the front seat. “Guess I’ll just make the most of it.” She huffed, not bothering to hide her annoyance.
She shut the door firmly and reached into the pocket of her backpack for her class schedule, scanning it. “English I, Room two-oh-nine.” She mumbled to herself.
The lawn in front was so well manicured you could hardly tell if it was real or artificial.
Seasonal flowers sat in symmetrical beds, lining the walkway.
The main building stood at the center, with three others that paled in comparison.
A sweeping lake stretched behind the grounds, kayaks and boats lined up neatly on the shore.
In her opinion, it resembled more of a historical estate than a school.
“Have a good day, sweetie.” Her mom called through the open window before slowly pulling away, blending into the line of cars circling the drive.
She followed the groups of students moving inside in pairs.
The boys all dressed in navy blazers and khakis, and the girls in plaid skirts with collared shirts and cropped blazers.
Em brought her hand up, fiddling with the button of her blazer as if it might settle her nerves, and hurried up the large staircase that led to the front entrance.
The interior of the school was just as imposing—high ceilings and burnished stone floors, restored to their original shine, echoed beneath her shoes.
An essence of polished wood and waxed floors overlapped that standard aroma of old textbooks you typically found in schools, as though even the scent had rules to follow.
The long hallway in front of her was lined with framed portraits and championship plaques. There were no lockers anywhere in sight, which likely contributed to the overall quiet of the place.
Students moved through the corridor in waves. One group huddled together chatting while others rushed up the stairs, backpacks slung casually across shoulders as if they were already late. Em adjusted her straps and kept walking, peering down again at the paper that mapped out her day.
“Room two-oh-nine. Two-oh-nine,” She repeated under her breath, folding up the paper and fisting it in her hand. She had no desire to look like the new girl and draw more attention to herself. The stairs to the second floor were off to her left, and she took them.
Students shuffled past her, hurrying this way and that as they reached the landing.
A bell sounded loudly outside the main entrance, deep and resonant, more like a church bell on Sunday morning than anything Em expected from a school.
Almost instantly, classroom doors began to close, and her heart played a quick rhythm against her sternum.
“Two-oh-nine.” Em’s hushed voice echoed louder in the empty corridor, and she brought her hand to her mouth.
The upper hall was narrower than the one below, arched pane glass windows bringing in most of the light.
She turned toward the door to her right, Room 343, it read.
“Three-forty-three?” She turned back to the staircase behind her—only one curved flight. She puffed out a breath, then turned left and hurried down the hall, scanning the doors for the start of the sequence. Room 300, she read.
She stopped, looking up at the large door, opening the paper that was crumpled in her hand, now lined with creases.
“Hey! You lost?” A girl's voice called from down the hallway, her shoes squeaking against the stone floor as she hurried toward her.
“Umm, I think so.” Em’s words rolled out slow and uncertain. She handed her schedule over to her as she approached. “I’m looking for—”
“Two-oh-nine,” they said in unison.
“Yeah, you’re on the wrong floor, believe it or not.” The girl quirked her lips. “It’s a little confusing around here. The second floor is the one you came in on. There’s a floor below that, but only on the back half of the building.”
Em locked eyes with her, and she smiled back, holding eye contact as if interested in what she would say next.
The girl's green eyes stood out against the muted hallway, kind and open in a way that invited Em in. Her hair was wet, water darkening the collar of her blazer. One drop still clung to a strand of hair, right on the tip, as she studied the schedule. Em’s eyes caught it, lingering there, almost mesmerized as she waited for it to drop.
“Here, follow me. I’ll take you there. I’m late anyway.” She lifted a hand, gesturing to her damp hair. “Rowing club.”
She pivoted, turning back the way she came, and Em stumbled into motion after her as they moved down the hall.
“You have Mrs. Steinberg,” she continued easily. “I don’t have her, but I know people who do, and she’s pretty nice. She won’t mind that you’re late. Just tell her it’s your first day and you got lost.”
She pulled up before the stairs to glance back at Em.
“It is your first day, I assume?”
Em scrunched up her face before answering, “Yes.”
“Don’t worry,” the girl whispered. “I won’t tell a soul.”
She took the stairs two at a time, skipping the last three steps and leaping down instead, turning to look back at Em, who was struggling to keep up.
“Follow me—it’s just down this hall.” She pointed over to the doors at the end of the corridor, “The two hundreds start on the other side.”
She waited for Em so they could walk side by side.
“So where’d you move from?”
“California,” Em answered.
“Wow,” the girl smiled. “You’re a long way from home, Cali.”
She paused in front of a door, and Em followed her gesture upward. “Two-oh-nine.”
“Thanks.” Em chuckled. “It’s Em by the way. I’m Em.”
“Shae.” she said, extending her hand.
Em hesitated, then ran her palm across her skirt before taking it.
Shae’s grip was warm and firm. The kind Em’s dad had taught her was necessary when getting down to business. The kind that displayed confidence.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you,” Shae mimicked, handing her back the scrunched-up piece of paper. Em took it, crumpling it in her fist.
“So much for making a quiet entrance,” Em muttered.
“I don’t think anyone will hold it against you,” Shae assured her. “We’re all new until we’re not.”
She started backing down the hall, her eyes still on Em. “See you around Cali… Em.”
She smiled once more, then disappeared around the corner.
The building's AC kicked on, cold air fanning down on her, causing her to visibly shiver. Em opened her classroom door and stepped inside.
By lunchtime, Em’s head hurt. Cluttered with names of teachers and students she’d met, the different buildings and what they housed, and campus rules. If she were a computer, she’d be frozen, the rainbow wheel of death spinning endlessly as she waited for the information to upload.
She followed the stream of students into the cafeteria.
The room was uncomfortably bright, a long wall lined with windows overlooking the courtyard.
There was seating out there, too, where Em planned to sit.
Inside was too loud, conversations overlapping in a semi-chaotic way.
The long tables crowded quickly, as full groups tucked themselves in, chatting as they ate.
“Em, right?”
The girl from third-period Biology was waving her over, a tall blonde boy trailing behind her, his lunch tray already half empty.
“Hey, I’m Lennon, remember. This is Seth,” she slapped his shoulder, and he dropped his slice of pizza. Lowering his hand to wipe against his pants before shaking hers.
“Sit with us,” Lennon offered easily, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Em hesitated a second before nodding, grateful not to eat alone. She slid onto the bench across from them, setting her tray down carefully.
“So…” Lennon popped a grape into her mouth, biting down with a snap. “First day verdict?”
“Overwhelming,” Em said. “But… not terrible.”
“Sounds about right,” Seth said, offering her a smile.
“Well, I’ll introduce you to some people and show you around. You moved from California, right?”
“Los Angeles.”
“I’m slightly jealous. I’ve only been there twice—Disneyland.”
“Oh, right. Anaheim.”
“So what teachers did you get? Let me see your schedule.”
Em pulled her schedule from the pocket of her blazer and slid it across the table to Lennon, spotting Shae across the cafeteria over her shoulder. She was chatting with a curly-haired, auburn-skinned girl in the lunch line. Em had a brief urge to call her over that she immediately dismissed.
The girl talked to her with quick, animated gestures, and Shae took in her story, fully engaged before throwing her head back in laughter. Em’s mouth curved into a smile before she was aware of it happening.
“Who are you looking at?” Lennon asked, craning her neck to see. Em tore her gaze away, shoving a bite of her sandwich into her mouth. She shrugged a shoulder, dismissively.
“Which comes to my other point,” Lennon continued. “There are some pretty hot guys on campus, but a lot of them are douchebags, so… consult me first.”
Shae sat down a few tables away with a group of girls. Her hair was dry now and pulled out of her face into a ponytail, a few strands hanging down that didn’t quite fit. She joked and laughed with them so easily that for a minute, Em wanted to join them at their table.
Shae glanced up, meeting her stare, catching Em off guard. The recognition was instant, and she flashed a polite smile in Em's direction before turning back to the girl beside her as if nothing had happened.
Em wanted to ask Lennon if she knew her, though the curiosity was unearned and might come off as odd. She peered over again, catching Shae in mid-conversation with someone new.
“Hey, let’s get outta here,” Lennon said, “We want to show you some of our favorite spots on campus before fifth period starts.”
The three of them got up, dumped their trays, and headed out the glass doors to the courtyard.
Em snuck one last look to find Shae looking over her shoulder at her. She waved, and Em waved back, and for the first time since being here, the tension inside her eased.