Pass

Prologue

"I think this is the place, Cara," Mom replied, placing the GPS in the center console with a swift clink. 

I stared outside the window at the mammoth stone building in front of me.

"Everett Academy, right?"

"Yup," I replied. I know high school is supposed to feel scary, but it's worse when you're doing it alone. If I had my way, Dad wouldn't be transferring to his new job and I would be attending Sycamore High School with my friends. We were going to spend our Friday nights at the soccer fields and attend Homecoming together. We'd stress about tests and college, and celebrate when one of us got a boyfriend. It was going to be the best four years of our lives.

Not anymore.

Everett is ten miles too far from Bellevue and our neigborhood on Wickett Street; the place I've called home for fourteen years.

Everett is a change. "A time to start fresh," Mom tells me. "Time for something new."

New town, new house, new school...is a new life included in this deal? Because I might want in on that.

Mom wraps her arm around me as we follow the signs to the main entrance. I can smell the faint scent of lavender perfume coming off her navy blue blazer; remnants of her half-day of work as a QA officer at the local credit union. She must have spritzed it on to help me relax.

"You're going to be fine, Cara. This is just a meeting with your guidance counselor to schedule your classes and tour the school," she assured me.

I'm not so sure. My blue jeans, yellow t-shirt and white zip-up hoodie stand out like a sore thumb against the sea of navy blue polos and khaki pants in front of me. Suddenly, a gruff voice startles me out of my thoughts.

"Where is your I.D.!"

A tall man strides towards Mom and I, pointing an accusatory finger directly at my chest. He's wearing a crisp white button-down and black pants, and a radio is firmly pressed against his right hip.

If he's a cop, where's his nametag and badge? 

"Excuse me, do you work here?" Mom asks, gripping me tighter. "My daughter and I have an appointment with Ms. Avery, and we can't find the main office."

The man's demeanor softens a bit, realizing he's talking to a parent.

"Yes; I'm Mr. Barrett, one of Everett's hall monitors. I can lead you to the main office in just a moment. Can I ask why your daughter is out of uniform?"

"Out of uniform?"

WE HAVE UNIFORMS HERE? 

"She's not wearing the high school uniform. Is there a reason why?"

"Oh! She's not a student yet. We're moving to Everett in July, and we're getting her registered today."

"Aha! That explains everything. Follow me; the main office is just across our courtyard," Mr. Barrett replies. Mom nods, giving him a cool smile.

I use all the energy I have to keep my eyes from being glued to the ground. If I'm going to get chewed out for not wearing a uniform, what else will they do to me here? High school just became a million times more terrifying.