Ariana took a deep breath. She didn't want to be rude. "Yeah! I'm right here!" she replied, hurrying down the stairs.
All she could do was hope that she was choosing wisely.
20
FREE FALL
The quad at the center of campus was a sea of blue and gray, all the students clad in their Atherton-Pryce Hall uniforms. Plaid skirts with gold accents or plain gray pleats for the girls. Blue or gray pants for the boys. Some of the guys sported well-worn, old-school cabbie hats with the APH crest on them, undoubtedly hand-me-downs from generations of their fathers and grandfathers who had attended the school before them. Everyone was shouting hellos, throwing their hands up, grabbing each other into hugs. Ariana felt like the new, unknown in-law in the middle of a family reunion. The very inappropriately dressed in-law. The only other people who were not in uniform were freshmen--easily identifiable by their bad skin and thinly veiled terror--and other transfers, all of whom looked so lame and lonely Ariana had to avert her eyes.I don't look that sorry, she told herself. I already have friends here.
"You must go to the school store after this," Soomie said, her eyes
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flicking over Ariana's dress in a disapproving way. "You need school colors."
Ariana's face burned. "My thoughts exactly."
Suddenly, a murmur of excitement tore through the crowd and the noise dulled to a hum. Everyone seemed to be looking toward the chapel at the north end of the quad, which had a set of tall, stone steps leading up to its huge, whitewashed doors. Ariana hid a smirk as she took in the redbrick building and its bright white trim. It was such a happier-looking chapel than the damp, cold, gothic one at Easton. A happier chapel for a happy new her.
A tall African-American woman in a perfectly cut black suit strode out to the center of the stage, wielding a microphone. She smiled out at the crowd and tapped the mic a few times. The crowd grew silent.
"Welcome, students, to a new school year at Atherton-Pryce Hall," she began.
The crowd cheered and applauded. Some of the guys threw their hats into the air and a ripple of laughter raced through the crowd. Brigit smiled at Ariana. Everyone was excited to be back on campus. Fresh-faced and relaxed and ready for first term. Giddy anticipation rushed through Ariana. She was back. She was back where she was supposed to be. With people who wanted to learn. People who valued tradition. People who weren't psycho, drooling bed wetters with substandard vocabularies and violent tendencies.
"For those of you who do not know me, I am Headmaster Jansen," the woman continued. There were more cheers, which she politely allowed to die down. Ariana looked around at her peers. They seemed
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to genuinely like their headmaster. "And I am here to welcome you all to this year's Welcome Week competition!"
This got the loudest response yet. Ariana laughed and clapped her hands along with the rest of the students. She saw a few people pulling their envelopes from their pockets and drew hers from her bag. Her fingers trembled and she grasped it tightly to keep from dropping it. Her heart pounded with excitement. Easton had a lot of traditions-- the opening rite at the beginning of each term; the Firsts competition every semester; the Billings initiation, the thought of which brought a particularly nostalgic pang to Ariana's heart--but nothing this exciting and uplifting. Nothing this light.
"The Welcome Week competition dates back to the very earliest days of our academy," Headmaster Jansen continued. "There are three events. First a debate--this year's topic will be nuclear weapons and whether or not the United States should disarm."
A murmur went through the crowd as everyone reacted to the topic. Clearly the students had been mulling over the possible topics for the debate and were intrigued by the announcement. Ariana smiled to herself. Somehow she couldn't imagine Gage Coolidge and his posse of party-minded brethren spending their summer discussing what
hot-button issues the headmaster might throw at them during the first week of school.
"Next, philanthropy--the funds raised by this year's events will go to the Red Cross for hurricane and wildfire relief."
There was a smattering of applause at this news.
"And third, athletic ... a crew race on the Potomac."
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At this, a small but very loud group of guys toward the front of the crowd let out a cheer, their voices low and rumbling. Ariana's heart caught. Something about boys being boys always made her tingle.
"Oh my God. Palmer and Landon are so happy right now," Maria said with a fond eye roll.
"What do you mean? Do you see them?" Soomie asked, standing on her toes.
"Down, girl," Brigit said, patting Soomie on the back.
Ariana filed away the boys' names. Clearly Palmer and Landon were of some consequence. She would have inquired about them, but she wanted to refrain from asking too many questions. It would only serve to remind the girls that she was new and ignorant of their lives.
"But you don't all want to stand out here and listen to me talk. You'll get enough of that during the semester," the headmaster continued with a wry smile. "So now I'll leave the rest of the explanations to one of your own. Please welcome your student body president, Palmer Liriano."