Lost in Thought: First Book of the Sententia

Chapter 4

My first day was an absolute blur of students and teachers, of remembering my way from building to building with only fifteen minutes between classes, even with Amy’s helpful map, and of introducing myself over and over at the beginning of each class. I was exhausted by the time it was my lunch hour, but I had yet to meet with Headmaster Stewart. A note handed to me at the beginning of my second period Statistics class told me that was when she expected me.

I made my way to the Administration building, one of the prettiest on campus. Tall and Victorian, with a round front tower and loads of gingerbread trim, it was situated almost exactly in the center of campus so that you passed it on your way to nearly everything. It was also painted an unusual but surprisingly attractive pale lavender color. At least it was easy to find.

I climbed the porch steps and opened the screen door into an old-fashioned entryway. I had no idea where to go, up the stairs or to the bustling parlors on the left and right, and was a little bit nervous, so I just stood there like an idiot, admiring the beautiful antique mirror and console table. A boy who looked to be in maybe the eighth grade and also about to wet his pants came tripping down the stairs and almost crashed into me. He skidded to a stop, rapidly spilling apologies, and I asked him for Dr. Stewart’s office. He pointed up the stairs and fled out the door. His look of abject terror did nothing to help my nervousness, but I made my way up the stairs anyway. Slowly.

The pleasant woman at the desk ushered me straight into Headmaster Stewart’s huge office suite, sitting me down in the anteroom with a cheerful, “Welcome to Northbrook! Dr. Stewart will be right with you.” I didn’t have to worry about my growling stomach because she waved me over to a delicious looking lunch spread that was laid out on an antique sideboard. This was my kind of place. While filling my plate, I wondered if the furniture was all original, and mentally complimented the original owners on their excellent taste. I was just putting a slice of apple with cheddar in my mouth when the interior door opened and Headmaster Stewart beckoned me inside her office.

She was tall, a few inches taller than me even, and so thin that I wanted to hand her my sandwich, out of pity or suddenly feeling incredibly fat, I wasn’t sure which. Her face was narrow and calculating but not openly unfriendly. I knew at once that she could be imposing when she needed to be and downright terrifying if she wanted to be. The poor kid running down the stairs was proof of that. She wore a somewhat unfashionable ensemble of long dark skirt, heavy-heeled pumps, and button down shirt, topped by a scholarly plaid jacket. She was saved from total frumpiness by the fact that it all fit her thin frame well, making her look blade sharp, and adding to my feeling that she could cut me down with one look if I didn’t impress her. I swallowed and smiled tentatively.

“Hello Headmaster Stewart, it’s nice to meet you. Thank you for lunch.”

She laughed, and my tension eased by a tiny bit. “It’s you I should thank for lunch, Lainey—it’s Lainey you prefer, isn’t that right?—because it is Legacy students, like you, who help keep our Academy running at the level our current students and alumni have come to expect.”

Unsure how to respond to that, since I knew so little about this school and its expectations or my apparently special Legacy status, I went with what I thought was a safe, “I’m very happy to be here.”

“And we’re delighted to have you,” Dr. Stewart replied. “I know your transition here has been rather unexpected, but I hope you’ll adjust quickly and come to enjoy your few years here.”

I thought that “unexpected” was a pretty big understatement, since I went from never having heard of this place to being a full-time boarding student with a fully funded scholarship in about seventy-two hours, so I decided she was being tactful. In fact, from the way she was eyeing me as she talked, I got the impression Headmaster Stewart was as curious about me as I was about this entire situation.