Chapter 1: Demetre
I’m tired. The hands of time seem to be ticking minutes later than they should be, and quite frankly I’m sick of it. Of course I don’t feel too bad, since exam week is the one week where everyone has the same zombie-like expression on their faces. As I walk down the familiar hallway with the familiar paintings, the only thought that keeps me going is that summer is near. Oh how I yearn for lazy days, catching up on novels, maybe even squeezing in a short vacation with Dad. For the time being, however, I wave those thoughts away when I reach the door I was looking for. I knock. No answer. How peculiar. And how inconvenient! What do I need again? Oh man, this stress is really beginning to get to me.
“Hello! Anyone in here? It’s Demetré.” I knocked once again. “I really need to grab something so I will kick down the door if I have to.” I tried the handle. The door was unlocked. Sweet. Maybe I can just grab - wait. There’s a light on. And someone’s at their desk. Must be another one of the sleeping zombies. I chuckled to myself. As I walk over, I inspect the face of someone knocked out enough to look like a comatose victim. That particular face opening its eyes in the next five minutes seems improbable. Hands are partially covering the handwritten notes. Their worst subject. No wonder they’ve been a mess lately! Either way it’s hardly anything to be worried about because it’s the one subject in which they have to work. For a minute, I cringe with jealousy at the thought.
I’m going to have to risk waking up the slumbering zombie. This should be fun.
I shake the body furiously. “Wake up sleepy head! Come on! It’s Demetré! Wake up!” Completely passed out. In contrast to zombies who jump at the smell of flesh, this particular one seems, for lack of a better word, lifeless. Well this is aggravating. And that’s when I saw it. The bottle. The tiny, little bottle. The tiny, little, empty bottle of pills. The tiny, little, empty bottle of pills that had been bought the day before. I begin to freak out. In hysterics, I try every possible method of pulling them out of their slumber. This can’t be happening. Can they breathe? Did they have an overdose? Am I imagining things? These thoughts run through my mind in the matter of seconds.
Surely this wasn’t…suicide? No, what am I thinking? I’m completely blowing this out of proportion. But…what else makes sense? I can’t take any risks. I run. I run out of the darkened room. I run down the hallway. No one’s at school. Oh God, there must be somebody…
I’ve noticed a complete change in this character. What used to be an extroverted, optimistic, funny person transformed into (for lack of a better word), a wreck. A stressed, boring, quiet wreck. For the past month or so I’ve had no idea as to what my friend has been thinking. Who’s to say they haven’t been contemplating suicide? Oh gosh please no. Please no. This can’t be happening. I shake the body of the person beside me. I pulled on the ears. Isn’t that how you’re supposed to wake someone up? I try pushing the terrible thought out of my mind. It wasn’t really working. What do I do? I was panicking now. I don’t know what to do. I run. I run out of the darkened room. I run back down that hallway. No one was at school. It’s late. They are all out somewhere or something. Of course, there is probably one person I can go to…
Bang, bang, bang. I hammer on the door. “Help! Please! Help me!”
The prefect staggers to the door. “What do you …” Before the groggy voice even finishes the sentence I grab the hand resting on the door frame and rush back to the other room. A pulse is checked. A hint of breath is trying to be found. I only hear the prefect’s light whisper; “…slow and irregular.” My eyes start to slowly fill with salty tears. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what is happening. I look at the face of the older student. My eyes scream with emotion. You’re older! You’re wiser! You should know what to do! The face staring back at me wasn’t a look of knowing, calmness, or “you idiot you woke me up for this?” No. This was a look I’d rarely seen cross this particular face. This was a look of fright. A look of worry. A look of panic. A look of attempting to be strong in the hardest times. There was a huge obstacle set in front of the two of us. An obstacle that would determine the outcome of a life.
The next half hour goes by in a blur. The two of us carry the body out to the car. It’s nerve-wracking driving down the highway at midnight, racing to Chapman’s General Hospital, knowing a life is on the line. Should I call the others? Inform them of the situation? Is it already too late? No. It’s not. Breathe, Demetré. Breathe.
Sitting in the waiting room has to make my list of the top ten worst experiences in my life. I’m surrounded by strangers, sitting. Waiting. Praying. Crying. Hoping. I look around at everyone in the room. We all look like we were in the same state. A state of panic. A state of worry. A state of hope. A state of guilt. A state of utter sadness. Strangers. Yet, we are all the same. We are all sitting here. A friend or family member is in an emergency room for some reason. And it hurts to know that all we can do is wait. We wait thinking thoughts such as, “What could I have done?” “Is this my fault?” “Please don’t let it be too late.” “Why am I here?” “How did this happen?”
How did this happen? How did I end up sitting here in this uncomfortable chair, surrounded by strangers that aren’t actually that different from myself? To truly answer that question I have to go back. Way back. Back to September. That’s where everything really started.
*****
Another year. Another country. Another city. Another house. Another school. You would think that after moving from school to school I would be more accustomed to first days. Truth is, I wasn’t really. I still get those little butterflies in my stomach. At least this time I would be starting at the regular school start and not halfway through a semester.
The car slowed as it approached a wrought iron fence. The gate at the end of this road was open, welcoming in all the students. I could see part of the land. The greenery was abundant. It had the air of good ol’ Harvard. The school’s classic Victorian look made me quite sure it was home to intelligent and mature human beings. The car drove up and to the roundabout surrounding the fountain and stopped outside the front steps. Everything seemed very serene and welcoming. That is, until two boys came bounding out of the main entrance, waving around fencing swords. They were laughing and running around, poking each other as much as they could.
They looked about my age. One was tall and lean with brown curly hair. He was wearing a simple pair of shorts and a shirt with a guitar on it. The other boy was slightly taller but more muscular and had short light brown hair. He was wearing a bright blue shirt that could be spotted from miles away. So much for intelligent and mature human beings.
I opened the door and began stepping out as another boy came out the front entry. He was much taller than the other boys and stood with a sense of authority. His stern look could intimidate anybody who dared to defy him. His golden blond hair was swept back, giving off the impression he always wanted to look proper.
The older boy proceeded to yell at the fencing pair, “Charlie and Carter! Stop right now! I cannot believe you two! You’ve barely been here an hour and you’re already causing trouble!” He must be a prefect, I thought, noticing he was wearing a badge with the school’s crest and some words beneath it. Then he shifted his gaze and saw me standing there, watching this whole spectacle. “Hello there!” The anger disappeared from his face as it was replaced with a smile. He turned and started walking towards me. “Julian Ducharme, prefect of Flavelle house. To whom do I owe the pleasure of meeting?” He spoke proudly and with authority.
“Hello, I’m Demetré Hughes. I’m a new boarder this year.” I stood as straight as I could, hoping my shirt hadn’t wrinkled. First impressions were always a big thing for me.
“Ah yes! Hughes! Demetré Hughes!” There was a click when he had heard my name, as though he already knew who I was. He held out his hand for a handshake which I gladly accepted. He turned to the two other boys who were sitting on the edge of the stairs, swords by their sides, snickering about something. Julian had a strange facial expression on his face. It was a face that seemed to hint at schadenfreude. “Carter! Charlie! Come over here and meet Demetré, the new boarder.” Carter and Charlie stood, trying to hide smiles, and walked over.
“Well hello there Demetré! I’m Carter!” I shook his hand. Carter was the one in the bright blue shirt. The brightness of his shirt certainly reflected how enthusiastic he was. I could see from up close he had brown eyes that seemed to be laughing. His brown hair was messy, sticking up in every direction.
“And I’m Charlie. Welcome to the fantastic Wolverhampton Academy for boys! Haha.” Julian didn’t lose that same expression. Charlie wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic as Carter had been, however it was clear that they were both happy about something.
“Well since Demetré is new we are just going have to find him a roommate. Don’t you boys think so?” A flash of dread passed over the boys’ faces. They must have known what was coming. I sure didn’t.
“Well, ya. Actually I think I heard Marcus saying…” but Carter was cut off by Julian.
“Charlie! How would you like a new roommate?” Julian looked as though he wanted to just burst into laughter.
“Well I…uh…”
“Perfect! Boys, help Demetré carry his things up to his new dorm.” Julian turned to face me once more and said, “Welcome to Wolverhampton Demetré! I know you’ll love it here.” Then the smug prefect walked back into the school, whistling to himself.
I turned to face my new roommate. Wouldn’t this be fun? I thought sarcastically. I was hoping I would be paired with someone who would take things more seriously, if I had to be paired up with anyone at all. I had requested on one of the many forms that I could be placed in a room with someone who would be similar to me in respects to keeping up grades and working hard. Charlie doesn’t exactly come off as that sort of guy. This is grade eleven. This is an important year for marks if I really wanted to impress my father and be accepted into post-secondary programs. I do not need distractions from others to slow me down. Although, I suppose that’s why Julian paired us up. He wants me to rub off on Charlie. I strongly hope I do rub off on him. He better not always be like this or I will demand a room switch.
My driver pulled out all my bags and handed them to me, Carter, and Charlie. I quickly said goodbye and I followed the now quiet boys to where I would live for the next little while. We walked in silence, giving me a chance to survey my surroundings. There were intricate designs in the wood and portraits and paintings everywhere. Pictures hung on the walls of graduating classes, awards, principals, and important people. After going through half the school, we exited the main building and walked along a path until we reached a large courtyard. There was a path around the edge of a large green field. In the center of each side, there was a stone archway leading to the doors of each of the four buildings. Each building was two stories in height, with large windows and beautiful stone architecture.
“Welcome to the House Courtyard!” exclaimed Carter.
“Each of these buildings is a different boarding house,” continued Charlie, “There is Macdonald, Sifton, Memorial, and of course, Flavelle. That’s our house.” He pointed to the building at the far end of the courtyard.
“And the house where our lovable Julian Ducharme is prefect.” Carter pronounced Julian’s name in a fake prestigious accent.
We walked along the path to the opposite side. Charlie waved at a few people who were playing catch in the field. The front door had a sign over it spelling Flavelle in fancy letters. We walked up the staircase and down to the end of the hall to the last door. Charlie took a key out of his pocket, slid it into the lock and opened the door. There were two twin beds on one side of the room with a nightstand beside each. On one side of the room, there were two doors to closets with two dressers in the middle. There were also two desks on opposite sides of the room with shelves overtop.
“Well, welcome to your new room! My stuff is in the common room still. Need any help unpacking?” asked Charlie. I shook my head no and thanked him in response.
“I left my bags in the common room too. I should bring it up into my room and claim my bed before Will gets here.” Carter turned to me, “Will is another one of our friends. We’ll introduce you when he gets here.”
“Sounds good,” I replied, nodding in approval. Carter left the room and Charlie followed, explaining how he had better help Carter carry everything. I sat down on my new bed for a moment, looking around again. I don’t know what’s going to happen this year, I thought to myself. I hope I’ll at least get to stay in one place for a full year. And God willing, maybe enjoy some of it?
*****
“Hey Charlie, what are these boards for? There are some in my room too…” I awoke to the sound of Carter’s voice, talking quite loudly to Charlie. I slowly opened my eyes and glanced at the clock beside my bed. Eight thirty. I sighed and slowly sat up, looking at what was going on. The two boys were examining some wooden planks nailed to the wall, which were previously covered by a painting.
“Hmm…you know Carter, I really don’t know! I guess there is only one way to find out!” Charlie looked at Carter as they shared a mischievous grin. Before I could say anything, Charlie was tearing down the wooden boards with Carter helping.
“It’s a hole! Like an extra window!” Carter exclaimed. The other two boys still hadn’t realized I was awake and watching them.
“What on Earth are you two doing?” At that moment, they both turned to me with startled expressions, but then broke into hysterical laughter.
“We’re just exploring!” Carter explained through bursts of laughs.
“Come on! Let’s go tear down the ones in your room! Maybe then we’ll have windows to talk to each other through!” proclaimed Charlie as he ran out of the room. Carter shrugged to me and ran off. I rolled my eyes and lay back down, hoping I could sleep a little longer.
“Hahaha yes! This is gonna be the best year ever!” So much for sleeping. I could still hear Carter and Charlie screaming from the other room. Defeated, I got up, walked to my desk, and opened my laptop. There was a new email from my father.
Hello Demetré.
I trust you are enjoying yourself thus far and will have a good and successful time at Wolverhampton. Talk to you soon.
Your Father.
That is just like my father. A short and unsentimental email at the beginning of boarding school. It could possibly be because I’ve gone to so many; it’s not really something he cares about any more. Just as long as I achieve the grades he deems acceptable and I can follow in his footsteps. I decided to write a quick email in response. I could still hear the other boys talking across the hall.
Hi Father,
So far not much has happened. I have been given a roommate who seems sure to study and help me if necessary. I know that this year will serve to be a good one. I have received my schedule upon arrival and you will be pleased to know that I have business and law, as well as social sciences. Say hello to Ellen for me.
Until later, Demetré.
I know that the part about my roommate was a blatant lie, but I had to reassure my father in some way. Plus at this rate, I’m bound to be asking to switch roommates soon.
I closed my laptop and finished getting dressed just as Charlie came back into the room.
“So Demetré, there’s a tour of the grounds for all the newbies starting at 9:30. If you like, I can take you to where they’re meeting,” Charlie offered. He seemed much calmer than earlier.
“Um, yes that would be great. Is there a place where we can get breakfast first?”
“Is there ever!” It was Carter’s voice, calling through the new “windows” they had created. A few seconds later he walked in with Will behind him, whom I had met the previous night at dinner. He was short, but seemed much shorter standing next to Carter. He had blond hair and big brown eyes and was wearing a batman shirt. He had an amused face as he nodded to the “window” and shrugged.
We all walked down to the dining hall where there were still some food lying around. I grabbed a bran muffin and an apple and followed the others to a table in the back of the room. There weren’t too many other people, but there were a few. I figured they weren’t actually awake yet seeing as it was still technically summer.
We weren’t sitting down for nearly two minutes when a younger blond kid came over and sat down next to Will, beaming as he said hello. Will shifted in his seat away from this boy.
“Hi Kay,” Will said unenthusiastically.
“Hi Will! How was your summer! Oh, hi everyone,” he added at the end. Everyone sort of nodded or mumbled hello. Kay didn’t really seem to notice anything. He seemed to notice only Will. It was only when he tore his gaze away did he notice the new guy at the table; me.
“Oh, hi there. I’m Kay. Who are you?”
“Hello. My name is Demetré.” I reached out to shake his hand. He looked at my hand for a moment and gave it a light shake. Then he returned his attention back to Will.
Charlie, who was sitting next to me, whispered, “Kay’s in grade nine this year. Though, he’s been here since grade six. Don’t mind him.”
After we had all finished our breakfast, Charlie stood up and announced, “It is time for the tour of the grand ol’ Wolverhampton! Carter, if you would do the honours please!”
“With pleasure!” Carter stood up and pulled a bandana from his back pocket. He then started to tie it around my eyes.
“Hey! Wait! What are you doing!” I tried to wrestle the bandana out of Carter’s hands and away from my face. It didn’t work.
“Welcome to the Newbie Tour à la Charlie!” I heard everyone laugh and decided to give up. This was just another one of Charlie’s antics and there was no way I was going to get out of it.
I sighed and said, “Alright, so what are you showing me in this tour that I can see through a blindfold?” I was not amused with this.
“You shall see,” a voice that sounded like Will’s said. Everyone stood up and pulled me to my feet as well. Someone then walked me towards some sort of mystery location. I could hear everyone else debating something in front of me.
After about twenty minutes of turning every which way and up and down stairs, we finally stopped. To my surprise, they spun me around a few times, causing me to be nice and dizzy.
“Alright, here are the rules,” it was Charlie again speaking; “You are in a mystery location on campus. To properly see the whole school, we figured this is the best way. You must find your way back to the dorm from here.”
“And that isn’t all!” added Carter. “You must also bring back everything on this list!” I felt someone shove a paper into my hand.
“You won’t be allowed back to the dorm until you have everything. After we say so, count sixty Mississippi’s to take off the blindfold. We’ll wait for you back at Flavelle,” Will finished.
“Good luck Demetré!” And with Kay’s final remark, they all started to leave, patting me on the back and wishing me luck. I started counting, hearing the others laughter fainting as well as Kay talking loudly to Will.
Forty-five Mississippi. Forty-six Mississippi. Forty-seven Mississippi. I cannot believe those boys. Forty-nine Mississippi. Do they do this to everyone? It’s really not that nice. Fifty-one Mississippi. It would be too cruel to turn them in, wouldn’t it? Fifty-three Mississippi. I bet it wouldn’t be surprising for Julian to find that these boys are doing this to the new student. Fifty-seven Mississippi. Ugh. Fifty-eight Mississippi. Wait, why did I actually listen to them.
I untied the blindfold with some difficulty, and looked at the paper with the list of stuff I needed to find.
Tennis ball from the sports shed
Paintbrush with red paint splattered on the handle
Painting with an umbrella
Toilet paper from the washroom by the theater
Pranks for Dummies
Today’s newspaper
Wooden spoon
How many headmasters has there been?
What building is the English hall in?
Who are the most awesome people at this school you will ever meet?
I couldn’t help but laugh a little at the last criteria. This doesn’t seem too bad. Maybe it will actually be fun. But I still don’t agree with it.
It was then when I looked around to see if I could figure out where I was. There wasn’t much around me really. Mostly grass and trees. I could see ahead what looked like a soccer field surrounded by a track. I started walking towards it. There were a few people just walking around the track. I decided it would probably be faster if I asked someone where I could find some of these things.
“Um, excuse me.” The two boys turned to me. They looked younger than me. “Hi I’m Demetré. I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find the things on this list?” I handed the paper to the taller of the two boys and he examined it.
“Charlie and Carter set this up for you?” The smaller boy was smiling, already guessing that I was another victim of Charlie’s infamous shenanigans. I couldn’t help but smile myself as a nodded.
“Well I’m Matthew, and this is Arthur,” said the taller one. “Charlie sets this up pretty much every year and makes newbies go through all this. Arthur went through it his first year.”
“Sure did. It was actually pretty fun. Of course, it took almost all day. I was too scared to ask for help. I’d be glad to help you and actually show you around if you like,” Arthur offered.
“That would be fantastic,” I agreed. We started walking and Matthew was pointing out various buildings all around us. This was going to be a long day.
*****
We had been walking around for about an hour and the other two eleventh graders had helped me find most things on the list. All I had left was a wooden spoon, today’s paper, the paintbrush, and the painting. I had seen most of the school, but I had yet to find the dining hall and the art room.
We were just leaving the theater washroom when Arthur said, “That’s as far as I can take you Demetré. It’s not fair if we do this all for you!”
“Sorry about this. See you later!” And with that, Matthew and Arthur ran off, not looking back. I sighed and laughed a little more. I walked into the theater for a quick peek. It was absolutely beautiful. The top of the stage had wood carvings that added an air of elegance and beauty. I don’t think I could ever describe it properly to do it justice.
I walked out and checked my watch. It was eleven o’clock now. If I find the art room now, then I can get the other stuff at lunch in the dining hall. I am so hungry. Then I think I can find my way back to the dorm. After I figured out my plan, I walked out of the building. I stood for a minute and looked around, deciding which direction to go.
As I walked I saw a few people also looking around, and what looked like a tour going on. I could join the actual tour…but that would be cheating and I really should find everything on my own.
After about half an hour, I found a building that said “Arts Building”. You’d think by now it would be named after some pretentious old fart who funds the school for lack of any other way to use his money. When I walked in, I realized it had certainly lived up to its title, surpassed it, even. The first thing I saw was a giant music room with every possible instrument in the world. Who even plays harps anymore? As I explored further down the hall I took a peek into an empty drama room. There were a few props lying around as well as some posters from past plays. At the very end of the hall was the art studio. I’m not an artist, but I think it was safe to say this studio was worthy of Van Gogh’s hands. I slowly walked in and found the room to be deserted. I examined every wall to find the painting with an umbrella, but saw none. I searched the drawers and found a paintbrush and some red paint. I splattered the paint on the handle and set it down to dry. As I was putting the paint back on the shelf, I saw a small canvas hidden behind the paints. I pulled it out and found it was a purple umbrella painting. Well, it was hardly a Van Gogh. I smiled and put everything into the small bag I had gotten earlier.
After heading back outside, I noticed a crowd of people all walking towards a smaller building. I thought it would be a good idea to follow the group. After fifteen minutes I realized they weren’t going to lunch as I suspected, but down to tour more of the classrooms. I went my own way and checked my watch again. Twelve o’clock. I continued walking and concluded that I might as well take a leisurely stroll around until I found something.
*****
It was three o’clock when I had wandered around and reached the dining hall. I had made a few stops taking a better look at some places and rooms. Right at the door to the dining hall I found today’s paper. I looked around and realized there was no longer any food left out from lunch. Which was terrible because I had developed quite an appetite from searching the grounds. Fortunately, there was a cutlery container still on the counter. I dug around until I found the last object, a wooden spoon.
Finally I had every item. I can go back now. I hope they have food somewhere. The whole adventure wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, it actually was a pretty good way to get me to explore and familiarize myself with everything. Maybe, there is some sort of a method to Charlie’s madness.
It wasn’t too difficult after that to find Flavelle. As soon as I opened the door to the common room, I heard cheers.
“Demetré! You’re back!” Carter cheered as I came over.
“Demetré! How was your tour? Did you get everything?” Charlie stood up and held out his hand for the bag. I handed it to him and looked around at everyone there.
“You guys better have food around somewhere for me.”
“Hello! Anyone in here? It’s Demetré.” I knocked once again. “I really need to grab something so I will kick down the door if I have to.” I tried the handle. The door was unlocked. Sweet. Maybe I can just grab - wait. There’s a light on. And someone’s at their desk. Must be another one of the sleeping zombies. I chuckled to myself. As I walk over, I inspect the face of someone knocked out enough to look like a comatose victim. That particular face opening its eyes in the next five minutes seems improbable. Hands are partially covering the handwritten notes. Their worst subject. No wonder they’ve been a mess lately! Either way it’s hardly anything to be worried about because it’s the one subject in which they have to work. For a minute, I cringe with jealousy at the thought.
I’m going to have to risk waking up the slumbering zombie. This should be fun.
I shake the body furiously. “Wake up sleepy head! Come on! It’s Demetré! Wake up!” Completely passed out. In contrast to zombies who jump at the smell of flesh, this particular one seems, for lack of a better word, lifeless. Well this is aggravating. And that’s when I saw it. The bottle. The tiny, little bottle. The tiny, little, empty bottle of pills. The tiny, little, empty bottle of pills that had been bought the day before. I begin to freak out. In hysterics, I try every possible method of pulling them out of their slumber. This can’t be happening. Can they breathe? Did they have an overdose? Am I imagining things? These thoughts run through my mind in the matter of seconds.
Surely this wasn’t…suicide? No, what am I thinking? I’m completely blowing this out of proportion. But…what else makes sense? I can’t take any risks. I run. I run out of the darkened room. I run down the hallway. No one’s at school. Oh God, there must be somebody…
I’ve noticed a complete change in this character. What used to be an extroverted, optimistic, funny person transformed into (for lack of a better word), a wreck. A stressed, boring, quiet wreck. For the past month or so I’ve had no idea as to what my friend has been thinking. Who’s to say they haven’t been contemplating suicide? Oh gosh please no. Please no. This can’t be happening. I shake the body of the person beside me. I pulled on the ears. Isn’t that how you’re supposed to wake someone up? I try pushing the terrible thought out of my mind. It wasn’t really working. What do I do? I was panicking now. I don’t know what to do. I run. I run out of the darkened room. I run back down that hallway. No one was at school. It’s late. They are all out somewhere or something. Of course, there is probably one person I can go to…
Bang, bang, bang. I hammer on the door. “Help! Please! Help me!”
The prefect staggers to the door. “What do you …” Before the groggy voice even finishes the sentence I grab the hand resting on the door frame and rush back to the other room. A pulse is checked. A hint of breath is trying to be found. I only hear the prefect’s light whisper; “…slow and irregular.” My eyes start to slowly fill with salty tears. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what is happening. I look at the face of the older student. My eyes scream with emotion. You’re older! You’re wiser! You should know what to do! The face staring back at me wasn’t a look of knowing, calmness, or “you idiot you woke me up for this?” No. This was a look I’d rarely seen cross this particular face. This was a look of fright. A look of worry. A look of panic. A look of attempting to be strong in the hardest times. There was a huge obstacle set in front of the two of us. An obstacle that would determine the outcome of a life.
The next half hour goes by in a blur. The two of us carry the body out to the car. It’s nerve-wracking driving down the highway at midnight, racing to Chapman’s General Hospital, knowing a life is on the line. Should I call the others? Inform them of the situation? Is it already too late? No. It’s not. Breathe, Demetré. Breathe.
Sitting in the waiting room has to make my list of the top ten worst experiences in my life. I’m surrounded by strangers, sitting. Waiting. Praying. Crying. Hoping. I look around at everyone in the room. We all look like we were in the same state. A state of panic. A state of worry. A state of hope. A state of guilt. A state of utter sadness. Strangers. Yet, we are all the same. We are all sitting here. A friend or family member is in an emergency room for some reason. And it hurts to know that all we can do is wait. We wait thinking thoughts such as, “What could I have done?” “Is this my fault?” “Please don’t let it be too late.” “Why am I here?” “How did this happen?”
How did this happen? How did I end up sitting here in this uncomfortable chair, surrounded by strangers that aren’t actually that different from myself? To truly answer that question I have to go back. Way back. Back to September. That’s where everything really started.
*****
Another year. Another country. Another city. Another house. Another school. You would think that after moving from school to school I would be more accustomed to first days. Truth is, I wasn’t really. I still get those little butterflies in my stomach. At least this time I would be starting at the regular school start and not halfway through a semester.
The car slowed as it approached a wrought iron fence. The gate at the end of this road was open, welcoming in all the students. I could see part of the land. The greenery was abundant. It had the air of good ol’ Harvard. The school’s classic Victorian look made me quite sure it was home to intelligent and mature human beings. The car drove up and to the roundabout surrounding the fountain and stopped outside the front steps. Everything seemed very serene and welcoming. That is, until two boys came bounding out of the main entrance, waving around fencing swords. They were laughing and running around, poking each other as much as they could.
They looked about my age. One was tall and lean with brown curly hair. He was wearing a simple pair of shorts and a shirt with a guitar on it. The other boy was slightly taller but more muscular and had short light brown hair. He was wearing a bright blue shirt that could be spotted from miles away. So much for intelligent and mature human beings.
I opened the door and began stepping out as another boy came out the front entry. He was much taller than the other boys and stood with a sense of authority. His stern look could intimidate anybody who dared to defy him. His golden blond hair was swept back, giving off the impression he always wanted to look proper.
The older boy proceeded to yell at the fencing pair, “Charlie and Carter! Stop right now! I cannot believe you two! You’ve barely been here an hour and you’re already causing trouble!” He must be a prefect, I thought, noticing he was wearing a badge with the school’s crest and some words beneath it. Then he shifted his gaze and saw me standing there, watching this whole spectacle. “Hello there!” The anger disappeared from his face as it was replaced with a smile. He turned and started walking towards me. “Julian Ducharme, prefect of Flavelle house. To whom do I owe the pleasure of meeting?” He spoke proudly and with authority.
“Hello, I’m Demetré Hughes. I’m a new boarder this year.” I stood as straight as I could, hoping my shirt hadn’t wrinkled. First impressions were always a big thing for me.
“Ah yes! Hughes! Demetré Hughes!” There was a click when he had heard my name, as though he already knew who I was. He held out his hand for a handshake which I gladly accepted. He turned to the two other boys who were sitting on the edge of the stairs, swords by their sides, snickering about something. Julian had a strange facial expression on his face. It was a face that seemed to hint at schadenfreude. “Carter! Charlie! Come over here and meet Demetré, the new boarder.” Carter and Charlie stood, trying to hide smiles, and walked over.
“Well hello there Demetré! I’m Carter!” I shook his hand. Carter was the one in the bright blue shirt. The brightness of his shirt certainly reflected how enthusiastic he was. I could see from up close he had brown eyes that seemed to be laughing. His brown hair was messy, sticking up in every direction.
“And I’m Charlie. Welcome to the fantastic Wolverhampton Academy for boys! Haha.” Julian didn’t lose that same expression. Charlie wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic as Carter had been, however it was clear that they were both happy about something.
“Well since Demetré is new we are just going have to find him a roommate. Don’t you boys think so?” A flash of dread passed over the boys’ faces. They must have known what was coming. I sure didn’t.
“Well, ya. Actually I think I heard Marcus saying…” but Carter was cut off by Julian.
“Charlie! How would you like a new roommate?” Julian looked as though he wanted to just burst into laughter.
“Well I…uh…”
“Perfect! Boys, help Demetré carry his things up to his new dorm.” Julian turned to face me once more and said, “Welcome to Wolverhampton Demetré! I know you’ll love it here.” Then the smug prefect walked back into the school, whistling to himself.
I turned to face my new roommate. Wouldn’t this be fun? I thought sarcastically. I was hoping I would be paired with someone who would take things more seriously, if I had to be paired up with anyone at all. I had requested on one of the many forms that I could be placed in a room with someone who would be similar to me in respects to keeping up grades and working hard. Charlie doesn’t exactly come off as that sort of guy. This is grade eleven. This is an important year for marks if I really wanted to impress my father and be accepted into post-secondary programs. I do not need distractions from others to slow me down. Although, I suppose that’s why Julian paired us up. He wants me to rub off on Charlie. I strongly hope I do rub off on him. He better not always be like this or I will demand a room switch.
My driver pulled out all my bags and handed them to me, Carter, and Charlie. I quickly said goodbye and I followed the now quiet boys to where I would live for the next little while. We walked in silence, giving me a chance to survey my surroundings. There were intricate designs in the wood and portraits and paintings everywhere. Pictures hung on the walls of graduating classes, awards, principals, and important people. After going through half the school, we exited the main building and walked along a path until we reached a large courtyard. There was a path around the edge of a large green field. In the center of each side, there was a stone archway leading to the doors of each of the four buildings. Each building was two stories in height, with large windows and beautiful stone architecture.
“Welcome to the House Courtyard!” exclaimed Carter.
“Each of these buildings is a different boarding house,” continued Charlie, “There is Macdonald, Sifton, Memorial, and of course, Flavelle. That’s our house.” He pointed to the building at the far end of the courtyard.
“And the house where our lovable Julian Ducharme is prefect.” Carter pronounced Julian’s name in a fake prestigious accent.
We walked along the path to the opposite side. Charlie waved at a few people who were playing catch in the field. The front door had a sign over it spelling Flavelle in fancy letters. We walked up the staircase and down to the end of the hall to the last door. Charlie took a key out of his pocket, slid it into the lock and opened the door. There were two twin beds on one side of the room with a nightstand beside each. On one side of the room, there were two doors to closets with two dressers in the middle. There were also two desks on opposite sides of the room with shelves overtop.
“Well, welcome to your new room! My stuff is in the common room still. Need any help unpacking?” asked Charlie. I shook my head no and thanked him in response.
“I left my bags in the common room too. I should bring it up into my room and claim my bed before Will gets here.” Carter turned to me, “Will is another one of our friends. We’ll introduce you when he gets here.”
“Sounds good,” I replied, nodding in approval. Carter left the room and Charlie followed, explaining how he had better help Carter carry everything. I sat down on my new bed for a moment, looking around again. I don’t know what’s going to happen this year, I thought to myself. I hope I’ll at least get to stay in one place for a full year. And God willing, maybe enjoy some of it?
*****
“Hey Charlie, what are these boards for? There are some in my room too…” I awoke to the sound of Carter’s voice, talking quite loudly to Charlie. I slowly opened my eyes and glanced at the clock beside my bed. Eight thirty. I sighed and slowly sat up, looking at what was going on. The two boys were examining some wooden planks nailed to the wall, which were previously covered by a painting.
“Hmm…you know Carter, I really don’t know! I guess there is only one way to find out!” Charlie looked at Carter as they shared a mischievous grin. Before I could say anything, Charlie was tearing down the wooden boards with Carter helping.
“It’s a hole! Like an extra window!” Carter exclaimed. The other two boys still hadn’t realized I was awake and watching them.
“What on Earth are you two doing?” At that moment, they both turned to me with startled expressions, but then broke into hysterical laughter.
“We’re just exploring!” Carter explained through bursts of laughs.
“Come on! Let’s go tear down the ones in your room! Maybe then we’ll have windows to talk to each other through!” proclaimed Charlie as he ran out of the room. Carter shrugged to me and ran off. I rolled my eyes and lay back down, hoping I could sleep a little longer.
“Hahaha yes! This is gonna be the best year ever!” So much for sleeping. I could still hear Carter and Charlie screaming from the other room. Defeated, I got up, walked to my desk, and opened my laptop. There was a new email from my father.
Hello Demetré.
I trust you are enjoying yourself thus far and will have a good and successful time at Wolverhampton. Talk to you soon.
Your Father.
That is just like my father. A short and unsentimental email at the beginning of boarding school. It could possibly be because I’ve gone to so many; it’s not really something he cares about any more. Just as long as I achieve the grades he deems acceptable and I can follow in his footsteps. I decided to write a quick email in response. I could still hear the other boys talking across the hall.
Hi Father,
So far not much has happened. I have been given a roommate who seems sure to study and help me if necessary. I know that this year will serve to be a good one. I have received my schedule upon arrival and you will be pleased to know that I have business and law, as well as social sciences. Say hello to Ellen for me.
Until later, Demetré.
I know that the part about my roommate was a blatant lie, but I had to reassure my father in some way. Plus at this rate, I’m bound to be asking to switch roommates soon.
I closed my laptop and finished getting dressed just as Charlie came back into the room.
“So Demetré, there’s a tour of the grounds for all the newbies starting at 9:30. If you like, I can take you to where they’re meeting,” Charlie offered. He seemed much calmer than earlier.
“Um, yes that would be great. Is there a place where we can get breakfast first?”
“Is there ever!” It was Carter’s voice, calling through the new “windows” they had created. A few seconds later he walked in with Will behind him, whom I had met the previous night at dinner. He was short, but seemed much shorter standing next to Carter. He had blond hair and big brown eyes and was wearing a batman shirt. He had an amused face as he nodded to the “window” and shrugged.
We all walked down to the dining hall where there were still some food lying around. I grabbed a bran muffin and an apple and followed the others to a table in the back of the room. There weren’t too many other people, but there were a few. I figured they weren’t actually awake yet seeing as it was still technically summer.
We weren’t sitting down for nearly two minutes when a younger blond kid came over and sat down next to Will, beaming as he said hello. Will shifted in his seat away from this boy.
“Hi Kay,” Will said unenthusiastically.
“Hi Will! How was your summer! Oh, hi everyone,” he added at the end. Everyone sort of nodded or mumbled hello. Kay didn’t really seem to notice anything. He seemed to notice only Will. It was only when he tore his gaze away did he notice the new guy at the table; me.
“Oh, hi there. I’m Kay. Who are you?”
“Hello. My name is Demetré.” I reached out to shake his hand. He looked at my hand for a moment and gave it a light shake. Then he returned his attention back to Will.
Charlie, who was sitting next to me, whispered, “Kay’s in grade nine this year. Though, he’s been here since grade six. Don’t mind him.”
After we had all finished our breakfast, Charlie stood up and announced, “It is time for the tour of the grand ol’ Wolverhampton! Carter, if you would do the honours please!”
“With pleasure!” Carter stood up and pulled a bandana from his back pocket. He then started to tie it around my eyes.
“Hey! Wait! What are you doing!” I tried to wrestle the bandana out of Carter’s hands and away from my face. It didn’t work.
“Welcome to the Newbie Tour à la Charlie!” I heard everyone laugh and decided to give up. This was just another one of Charlie’s antics and there was no way I was going to get out of it.
I sighed and said, “Alright, so what are you showing me in this tour that I can see through a blindfold?” I was not amused with this.
“You shall see,” a voice that sounded like Will’s said. Everyone stood up and pulled me to my feet as well. Someone then walked me towards some sort of mystery location. I could hear everyone else debating something in front of me.
After about twenty minutes of turning every which way and up and down stairs, we finally stopped. To my surprise, they spun me around a few times, causing me to be nice and dizzy.
“Alright, here are the rules,” it was Charlie again speaking; “You are in a mystery location on campus. To properly see the whole school, we figured this is the best way. You must find your way back to the dorm from here.”
“And that isn’t all!” added Carter. “You must also bring back everything on this list!” I felt someone shove a paper into my hand.
“You won’t be allowed back to the dorm until you have everything. After we say so, count sixty Mississippi’s to take off the blindfold. We’ll wait for you back at Flavelle,” Will finished.
“Good luck Demetré!” And with Kay’s final remark, they all started to leave, patting me on the back and wishing me luck. I started counting, hearing the others laughter fainting as well as Kay talking loudly to Will.
Forty-five Mississippi. Forty-six Mississippi. Forty-seven Mississippi. I cannot believe those boys. Forty-nine Mississippi. Do they do this to everyone? It’s really not that nice. Fifty-one Mississippi. It would be too cruel to turn them in, wouldn’t it? Fifty-three Mississippi. I bet it wouldn’t be surprising for Julian to find that these boys are doing this to the new student. Fifty-seven Mississippi. Ugh. Fifty-eight Mississippi. Wait, why did I actually listen to them.
I untied the blindfold with some difficulty, and looked at the paper with the list of stuff I needed to find.
Tennis ball from the sports shed
Paintbrush with red paint splattered on the handle
Painting with an umbrella
Toilet paper from the washroom by the theater
Pranks for Dummies
Today’s newspaper
Wooden spoon
How many headmasters has there been?
What building is the English hall in?
Who are the most awesome people at this school you will ever meet?
I couldn’t help but laugh a little at the last criteria. This doesn’t seem too bad. Maybe it will actually be fun. But I still don’t agree with it.
It was then when I looked around to see if I could figure out where I was. There wasn’t much around me really. Mostly grass and trees. I could see ahead what looked like a soccer field surrounded by a track. I started walking towards it. There were a few people just walking around the track. I decided it would probably be faster if I asked someone where I could find some of these things.
“Um, excuse me.” The two boys turned to me. They looked younger than me. “Hi I’m Demetré. I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find the things on this list?” I handed the paper to the taller of the two boys and he examined it.
“Charlie and Carter set this up for you?” The smaller boy was smiling, already guessing that I was another victim of Charlie’s infamous shenanigans. I couldn’t help but smile myself as a nodded.
“Well I’m Matthew, and this is Arthur,” said the taller one. “Charlie sets this up pretty much every year and makes newbies go through all this. Arthur went through it his first year.”
“Sure did. It was actually pretty fun. Of course, it took almost all day. I was too scared to ask for help. I’d be glad to help you and actually show you around if you like,” Arthur offered.
“That would be fantastic,” I agreed. We started walking and Matthew was pointing out various buildings all around us. This was going to be a long day.
*****
We had been walking around for about an hour and the other two eleventh graders had helped me find most things on the list. All I had left was a wooden spoon, today’s paper, the paintbrush, and the painting. I had seen most of the school, but I had yet to find the dining hall and the art room.
We were just leaving the theater washroom when Arthur said, “That’s as far as I can take you Demetré. It’s not fair if we do this all for you!”
“Sorry about this. See you later!” And with that, Matthew and Arthur ran off, not looking back. I sighed and laughed a little more. I walked into the theater for a quick peek. It was absolutely beautiful. The top of the stage had wood carvings that added an air of elegance and beauty. I don’t think I could ever describe it properly to do it justice.
I walked out and checked my watch. It was eleven o’clock now. If I find the art room now, then I can get the other stuff at lunch in the dining hall. I am so hungry. Then I think I can find my way back to the dorm. After I figured out my plan, I walked out of the building. I stood for a minute and looked around, deciding which direction to go.
As I walked I saw a few people also looking around, and what looked like a tour going on. I could join the actual tour…but that would be cheating and I really should find everything on my own.
After about half an hour, I found a building that said “Arts Building”. You’d think by now it would be named after some pretentious old fart who funds the school for lack of any other way to use his money. When I walked in, I realized it had certainly lived up to its title, surpassed it, even. The first thing I saw was a giant music room with every possible instrument in the world. Who even plays harps anymore? As I explored further down the hall I took a peek into an empty drama room. There were a few props lying around as well as some posters from past plays. At the very end of the hall was the art studio. I’m not an artist, but I think it was safe to say this studio was worthy of Van Gogh’s hands. I slowly walked in and found the room to be deserted. I examined every wall to find the painting with an umbrella, but saw none. I searched the drawers and found a paintbrush and some red paint. I splattered the paint on the handle and set it down to dry. As I was putting the paint back on the shelf, I saw a small canvas hidden behind the paints. I pulled it out and found it was a purple umbrella painting. Well, it was hardly a Van Gogh. I smiled and put everything into the small bag I had gotten earlier.
After heading back outside, I noticed a crowd of people all walking towards a smaller building. I thought it would be a good idea to follow the group. After fifteen minutes I realized they weren’t going to lunch as I suspected, but down to tour more of the classrooms. I went my own way and checked my watch again. Twelve o’clock. I continued walking and concluded that I might as well take a leisurely stroll around until I found something.
*****
It was three o’clock when I had wandered around and reached the dining hall. I had made a few stops taking a better look at some places and rooms. Right at the door to the dining hall I found today’s paper. I looked around and realized there was no longer any food left out from lunch. Which was terrible because I had developed quite an appetite from searching the grounds. Fortunately, there was a cutlery container still on the counter. I dug around until I found the last object, a wooden spoon.
Finally I had every item. I can go back now. I hope they have food somewhere. The whole adventure wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, it actually was a pretty good way to get me to explore and familiarize myself with everything. Maybe, there is some sort of a method to Charlie’s madness.
It wasn’t too difficult after that to find Flavelle. As soon as I opened the door to the common room, I heard cheers.
“Demetré! You’re back!” Carter cheered as I came over.
“Demetré! How was your tour? Did you get everything?” Charlie stood up and held out his hand for the bag. I handed it to him and looked around at everyone there.
“You guys better have food around somewhere for me.”
