Sang
The week passed by without incident and soon, it was Friday. The weather that day took a drastic turn; from clear, sunny skies to rumbling black clouds that began crackling with thunder. By lunch, it began to pour and the rain came down so hard I could barely see two feet in front of me. I worried it was going to flood, which was common at Ashley High. Most people were forced to squeeze into the cafeteria but many were sitting in the adjacent hallway because it was just too crowded.
Karen and I managed to find an empty table near the door that we happily claimed for ourselves while the others stood or shared tables. More than once, my gaze wandered, looking at different faces old and new. I hadn't seen hide nor hair of Luke, Gabriel, North and Silas. I saw them in passing and in the few classes I did have with them, but for the most part, they left me alone and didn't pester me as much. And since I didn't have classes with either Kota and Nathan, I never saw either of them much except for those moments when they finally showed their face down our lane.
I suppose that was probably for the best, considering every time they were near my heart sped up like crazy and I was a shivering, nervous wreck that didn't know left from right.
Karen groaned beside me and I could see the cold shivers that wracked her body. We huddled close together because the temperature seemed to have taken a drastic drop and the heating in the cafeteria was horrible. She was still fighting a nasty cold and was currently laying her head in the crook of her arm as we waited for lunch to end.
Things at home generally quieted down and school went on as normal. Even Jade seemed to have forgotten me for the time being and for that, I was grateful. If it meant I could live my life in peace once again, then I wasn't going to question it.
With Karen down with a bug and just getting over her cold, things went on as normal. She missed quite a bit of school but I was just grateful to have her back. Things didn't seem so bleak when she was around. With her here I didn't feel the crushing anxiety of having to hide in bathrooms to avoid Jade and her cronies.
"I hate getting sick," Karen croaked, whining at the sound of her voice. "I sound like a dying goat or something."
"I'm not sure a dying goat sounds that way..." I giggled at the dramatic flail she did after and rubbed her back when that caused a coughing fit. "You should go to the health room and lie down."
Karen groaned but she didn't fight me as I pulled her up. She leaned against me for support as we slowly made our way to the exit where a blast of cold air hit us square in the face. I shivered and took my glasses off as a splatter of rain hit the lens. Tucking them into my bag, Karen and I ran through the rain at high speed across the courtyard until we got to the joining hallways.
The chatter here wasn't as loud as the cafeteria and thankfully it wasn't as crowded either. I breathed a sigh of relief and together, we made our way to the health room. I was sure the weather didn't help things with her cold or with the shivers that began erupting all over her body. I was grateful when the sign on the health room door said open.
Inside, the light was on, and as I pushed the door, holding it open for Karen, I noticed a man, with his back to us, standing near the nurses desk. His outline was blurry, and I squinted to see him before putting my glasses back on.
I was surprised, stopping in the doorway with Karen leaning on me heavily. The man was tall, with sandy blond hair that curled around his ears and when he turned at our entrance, his eyes were a brilliant green. I couldn't stop the nervous shiver that came over me; he was very handsome.
"Oh, hello there," he greeted, with a dazzling smile, before he laid a worried gaze upon Karen. "Someone doesn't look too great."
He smiled at the pair of us as I gently guided Karen to a nearby chair. She all but collapsed in it and dropped her face into her hands. I stayed close to her, unsure who this strangely attractive man was since I didn't recognize him among the staff. I peeked up at him from my frames, noticing the bright yellow tie he wore that looked odd with the blue collared shirt he paired with it. His jeans were faded and bootcut, with sneakers that have seen better days. When he caught my eye with a smile, I looked away in embarrassment, afraid I'd be called out, but he never said a word, his gaze focused on Karen's hunched form.
"I'm Dr. Green, the health aide. Mrs. Martin just went to grab some lunch, but I'll call her and she'll be here as soon as possible," he told me after an awkward beat of silence. I nodded mutely as he continued to smile at me before leaving the room with a phone pressed to his ear.
The room was quiet all at once, the loud chatter from outside drowned out by the slow hum when the mini fridge in the corner turned on. A sweet smell lingered in the air; something like citrus with a hint of ginger. I wondered idly if it came from Dr. Green.
Looking around the room, I couldn't spot anything different about the space with Dr. Green as the health aide. He was awfully young to be a doctor, I thought. He couldn't be more than twenty or twenty-one, by my guess. But then looks could be deceiving and I wasn't leaving Karen alone until Mrs. Martin came back.
The door opened a minute later and I felt relief flood me when Mrs. Martin's smiling face greeted me. She was getting on in years and her hair was now as white as snow, but she never looked more beautiful.
"Sang, what's the problem today? Feeling under the weather?" she asked me as she went straight to the sinks to wash her hands. Dr. Green came in behind her, shutting the door behind him.
"Karen has a fever, she's been sick since this past weekend," I told her, feeling infinitely more comfortable with Mrs. Martin here. I was hyper aware of Dr. Green but if he noticed my discomfort, he never said and continued to smile brilliantly at me.
My nerves settled a bit at that and I stepped away as Mrs. Martin came toward Karen with a thermometer. Things were quiet and Dr. Green watched carefully. I was curious about this new health aide but also apprehensive because I wasn't sure how Dad would take this knowing I had a male health aide. He tended to get crazy about the littlest things. I rarely got sick so as long as I was careful, there wouldn't be any problems.
After, Mrs. Martin declared that Karen had a very high fever and began calling her parents to come get her.
The bell rang and I turned, ready to go now that Karen was taken cared of. But Mrs. Martin turned to me with a quizzical eye and a look I couldn't decipher, stopping me in my tracks.
"Before you leave, my dear, Principal Hendricks wanted to see you in his office," she told me quietly, before turning to attend to Karen once again.
I froze, surprised. A slow feeling of dread pooled in the pit of my stomach and I swallowed nervously. In all my years attending Ashley High, I'd never so much as gotten in trouble, had a detention, or got called into the principal's office.
Had I unintentionally done something wrong? I went through all the things I'd done this week and couldn't even begin to think of what I'd possibly done to warrant a trip to the principal's office. It'd only been a week since school started. I frowned, worried.
"Sally, I'll escort Miss Sang to the main office. I don't think I'm needed here anyway," Dr. Green said with a smile to Mrs. Martin. She waved her hand and smiled kindly at the pair of us before Dr. Green was ushering me outside.
He held the door open for me, and with a nod of his head, I went out quietly, surprised at his chivalry. It wasn't everyday someone held the door open for me. Whether it was this 'southern hospitality' I'd always heard about but never experienced or Dr. Green just being genuinely nice, I wasn't sure. But it was nice.
We walked in tandem to the main office and the silence was more than a little awkward. I rarely talked to other people as it was, but with a teacher or staff even less so. I peeked up at him from the corner of my eye and marveled quietly at the confident way he seemed to hold himself. His smile was warm and kind, the type that just made you happy for no apparent reason. And he made more than a few heads turn just by walking. I could see why; Dr. Green was very handsome.
The halls weren't that busy, most students were in their next class by now and only a few stranglers lingered. As we approached the doors to the main office, Dr. Green walked ahead of me first and I blinked as he held the door open for me yet again.
"Well, here we are, my lady. After you," Dr. Green said kindly with an incline of his head.
I ducked my head and felt my face flame, unused to such chivalry. And from a man at that. I thanked Dr. Green quietly and swallowed nervously as he led me past the secretary's desk where a short hallway lay. There were four doors here and as we passed the first one, I could just barely make out the writing on the golden plaque that read: 'Vice Principal' in faded black lettering. I looked away hurriedly, an uneasy kind of tremor going down my spine.
"Well here we are, Miss Sang. If you have any problems getting back to class, I'll be right next door," Dr. Green told me with a smile, tapping on the Vice Principal's door with his knuckles. He turned to leave me and disappeared inside the room next door.
Nervous shudders wracked my body and my hands trembled as I rapped my knuckles against the door.
A croaky voice bid me in and I stepped inside Principal Hendricks' office with trepidation and more than a little anxiety. Inside, the room was opulent and spacious. I realized I'd never actually gotten to see the principal's office but I wondered if all principals had such nice, big offices like Principal Hendricks.
There were two lavish chairs behind a wide oak table where Principal Hendricks sat, nursing a hot mug of something. His computer was on and there were a few papers stacked up to the side, but otherwise, the room was clean. It almost looked untouched, like he didn't really use the room. Or maybe he was just a clean man.
"Sang Sorenson," Mr. Hendricks stated, giving me a cursory glance before pulling a paper from the stack. He motioned to one of the chairs and I sat, stiffly.
It was like awaiting an execution or something; the anxiety of why I was called here was eating me up inside. I wanted to ask, but the question lodged in my throat and I was frozen to do nothing more than sit worriedly.
Mr. Hendricks did something on his computer as he sipped at his mug and glanced at the paper he'd taken from the large stack. I yearned to lean over and see what was so interesting, but I busied myself with a loose thread on my jacket. I gripped it and pulled, trying to find some kind of distraction to help me through the slow panic bubbling up inside.
Why didn't he just come out and say it? I might combust if this went on any longer.
Suddenly, he leaned forward, setting his mug down. "So, Sang, how are your classes so far?" He asked me, after what seemed like ages.
I blinked, surprised. "I...I they're...fine, I guess. No problems, sir."
He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes or match the expression on his face. Mr. Hendricks seemed...troubled, by something. It sent an uncomfortable shiver down my spine and all at once, I didn't want to be here.
"Excellent. Don't worry my dear, you aren't in trouble. I do this with all the students from time to time. We're just going to have a small chat and then you can be on your way, all right?" He smiled, but I noticed it didn't quite reach his eyes. The expression was all wrong and his words only struck me as strange.
I wasn't in a position to complain or say anything, so I nodded, trying to keep my expression open and agreeable. "Of course, sir."
Mr. Hendricks seemed pleased by my answer because there was a certain twinkle in his eye as he picked up the paper he'd pulled from the stack earlier and began reading the contents. "Good. Your teachers all mention how delightful and kind you are, always willing to lend a helping hand, unlike the other trouble makers at this school. I'm glad to see they were right."
My lips felt chapped and my throat was parched. I was clueless to where this conversation was going or why my principal was suddenly paying me all these compliments. I knew I was a good student, I tried my best like everyone else, but I wasn't sure what made me suddenly so special.
"However," he proceeded, steepling his fingers together. "I've heard some troubling things and I was hoping you could put my worries to rest. You seem like a well-mannered young girl, Sang. Are you aware of the delinquency in this school?"
I gulped, but nodded. Anyone who was anyone knew Ashley Waters was the "last chance" school. I was unsure what he was getting at, though. What did this have to do with me? I was frightened and anxious about his question but considering he was the principal, I shouldn't feel this way, should I? Something didn't sit right, but I couldn't open my mouth and say anything, because technically he wasn't even doing much. I warred internally, even as a smile suddenly appeared on his face.
His eyes belied his expression. "Someone tells me there's been some bullying going on around campus and I hope you know that at this school, we neither tolerate nor accept bullies."
He stood, coming around to where I was to place a hand on my shoulder. Maybe he thought to be reassuring, but the feel of his hand burned me and I wanted nothing more than for him to stop touching me.
Why was he talking to me about bullies all of a sudden? Did he know about Jade? Was I in trouble for it? My heart beat like a jackhammer, a dozen questions bubbling in my head.
Suddenly, Mr. Hendricks attention was drawn away by a rapid knock at the door. He removed his hand and a wave of relief hit me; it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Quite literally, actually.
The door opened and I turned in my chair, surprised at seeing the secretary standing in the doorway. I didn't want it to seem like I was eavesdropping, but I was curious and thankful for the distraction.
"Mr. Hendricks, there's a problem with the computers. Nothing will turn on! Everything else works and there's nothing wrong with the electricity. I've tried contacting tech support but nobody is answering and Allen is still on vacation."
Mr. Hendricks ran a hand over his head, annoyance clear in the way he held himself. He turned to me with a smile, but it was forced and this time, I knew he wasn't being genuine.
"We'll have to cut our meeting short, Sang. Lucy here will draw you a pass to get to class," he told me hastily before rushing from the room.
He didn't have to tell me twice. I shot up from my seat and for once, I thanked technology for failing so I could get out of here. I wasn't sure what caused the computers to stop working all of a sudden, but I wasn't going to question what luck I had.
"I have so much work to do and it goes off! Sometimes, I just hate technology. Don't you?" Lucy, the secretary, asked me as I followed her down the hall to her desk. It seemed like a rhetorical question so I said nothing as she wrote me a pass and handed it to me.
I took it gladly, happy to get going to my next class. I wanted to avoid meeting the principal ever again, if possible. The only good thing that seemed to have come out of this was meeting Dr. Green.
Idly, I wondered why he went into the vice principals office. I knew they were both new to the staff, but did they know each other? Curiosity killed the cat, Sang. I suppose it was none of my business and left the musings well enough alone. I probably wouldn't be seeing Dr. Green again or even meet the vice principal, for that matter.
The hallways were mostly quiet and as I passed by each classroom, only the drone of teachers lecturing, greeted my footsteps. My mind kept wandering back to Mr. Hendricks and the meeting I had with him. It was...strange, to say the least. Maybe I should ask Karen if she ever got called into the principals office? Was I making a big deal out of nothing? I worried, head down. In my musings, I turned a corner and nearly collided head first into a chest. I stumbled back, startled, with my glasses skewed and an apology at the tip of my tongue. I felt a hand steady me as the world around me swayed. There was a heady scent in the air, something like berries and moss. It was light, but the smell of it surrounded me all at once.
"Sorry about that, are you alright?" The smooth baritone of his voice surprised me. I looked up and became a fumbling mess at the handsome guy before me.
He was fairly tall, with a slighter build and angular face. His soft brown hair reached the nape of his neck in gentle waves, but they were brushed back and out of his face. He was dressed fancy, black slacks and a white collared shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. The first button of his shirt was loose and open, concealing the silver chain hanging around his neck.
I recognized him vaguely; he often hung out with Silas and his group, mostly Luke and Gabriel though. I didn't have any classes with him and anytime I did see him, he was usually leaving or seen in passing. I wondered if he was a model like Luke because he sure looked the part.
He smiled at me and it hurt how handsome he was just doing so. "Hey, your Sang, right? Sang Sorenson?" It's like something clicked, because I could see the recognition register in his gaze.
My face was flaming, I was sure of it. "Ah...yes. I'm...Sang, Sorenson, that is. I mean my name is Sang, yes." I stuttered out nervously. I wanted nothing more than for the floor to swallow me up in that moment. Now was not the time to become a nervous wreck. It was bad enough around Luke and Gabriel, never mind North or Silas.
"I'm Victor, it's nice to finally meet you." He held his hand out to me and I took it shakily, feeling the warmth of him encompass me.
There was strength in his long, lean fingers, where they wrapped entirely around my own more dainty hands. I let go rather reluctantly, but the thought of Victor feeling my sweaty palms wasn't an impression I wanted to leave him with. Discreetly, I tried wiping my clammy palms against my jeans. God, I hoped Victor didn't have my sweat against his hands now.
"Are you heading back to class now?" Victor asked me after a beat of silence. It felt more than a little awkward between us. This was the first conversation I've had with him and as it was, Victor didn't seem like the type to initiate conversation in the first place.
Instead of answering, I nodded, not trusting my voice least I blurt out something stupid. It was a running theme with me these days.
Victor rubbed the back of his head and the awkward silence was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. "I see...well, I'll let you get to class then. Be careful, on your way back, some of the halls have begun flooding due to the rain."
I smiled but it was shaky and forced. Victor inclined his head and threw me one of those dazzling smiles with his too-perfect teeth that looked like it could cut diamond. I watched him walk away and when he turned the corner, a wave of relief hit me. I banged my head against the wall, cursing my inability to form concrete sentences in front of anyone that wasn't Karen.
What an idiot, I berated myself. I completely and utterly failed at life.