The Academie
by Amy Joy
The sinking feeling in my stomach renewed itself. The ancient stone building lookedthe same as I remembered, but the sixteen-foot barbed-wire prison fences aroundthe perimeter and guard shack by the drive reminded me that this was no longer Grant High School: Home of the Angry Bees.
A line had formed at the school entrance, and I looked ahead to see what the hold-up was. But given my size, I couldn’t see anything.
“What are we waiting for?” I asked the girl ahead of me.
She turned and I could see I wasn’t the only one who’d been taking this hard. Her eyes were swollen and her voice was tight as she answered. “I think they’re collecting papers.”
I started to rummage in my bag. Weeks ago I’d been given extensive paperwork to complete, and was told to bring a copy of my social security card and birth certificate.
The girl in front of me sniffed. I wanted to say something, but I kept quiet. Sometimes you just need to be alone to cry.
I watched as she tried to wipe the tears away, and I reached into my bag again,rummaging about until I came upon a pack of tissues. “Here,” I said, holdingthem out to her.
“Thanks,” she answered, accepting the pack. She wiped her face and blew hernose. “Sorry…I’m just…”
“No, it’s fine. Really, I understand.”
“I have a daughter, Charlotte,” she answered.
“Oh,” I said, surprised.
“How old is she?” It seemed like a nice enough way to make conversation.Apparently, it was not the right thing to say.
Tears started down her cheeks. “Five days.”
