Elizabeth sneaked up the back stairs, jumped into the shower, hid her running clothes, put on the clothes she came in and went back downstairs to find George. The best place for me to look would be in the study. Elizabeth thought to herself. She ran down the stairs and went to the study door and knocked.
"Who is it?" said a harsh raspy voice.
"It's Liz…I mean Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth Adelaide come in."
Elizabeth pushed open the door, right inside she saw a man with black hair that was graying and penetrating green eyes.
"Daddy!" she said excitedly as she ran up to him and gave him a huge hug, he awkwardly put his arms around her. Then he stepped back saying "Hey honey how are you? Did you know your hairs wet? What have you been doing in Texas? What grade are you in? My you have grown! How's your mother? What…" but Elizabeth cut him off.
"I can only answer one question at a time." Elizabeth laughed and so did her dad.
"Okay, first question, how…" but once again he was cut off, this time by a knock in the door. "Come in."
George entered and gave Elizabeth's dad a half bow.
"Sorry to interrupt, Headmaster Charleston but you have another phone call it is one of the parents they say it can't wait."
"Okay, I'm sorry Elizabeth, but Headmaster's duty, you understand."
Elizabeth nodded her head slowly.
"I was wondering if you could do me a few favors, go to certain classes, just tell George your year and he will give you a schedule. Then please go to those classes, sit in them and be the teachers helper, also teachers will give you a list with the name's of students who need to be tutored, and then could you make a schedule of which student, when, and what subject and then eventually tutor them."
"Sure dad."
He ran out the room leaving Elizabeth standing by herself with George standing in the doorway.
"Umm…" Elizabeth said choking back tears. "I'm a sophomore I'll be a junior after this summer though."
"I'll get your schedule, afternoon classes start in fifteen minutes, you might be a little bit late but that will be okay. I'll be right back."
After George left, Elizabeth sat down, put her head in her hands and tried to keep from crying.
"Here is your schedule ma'am." Elizabeth's head jerked up and saw George handing her a piece of paper. "You will want to be getting on your way now."
Elizabeth walked out of the study down the hall all the while keeping back tears of disappointment. When the fresh air of the grounds hit her face tears silently started rolling down her cheeks. She angrily brushed them off with the back of her hand. As she did her hand hit her sopping wet hair. Oh no I'm going into class full of guys with no makeup on, nearly crying, and soaking wet hair. Elizabeth took off the rubber band around her wrist and quickly twisted her hair into a bun. She glanced down at her schedule.
1st Latin 8:20-9:20 Professor Zericella.
2nd Chemistry 9:30-10:30 Professor Fabrizio.
3rd Outdoor Activities 10:40-11:40 Professor Flynn.
4th Medieval History 11:50-12:50 Professor Brake.
Lunch 1:00-1:30.
5th Geometry 1:40-2:40 Professor Schlickman.
6th Welsh 2:50-3:50 Professor McEldoweny.
7th English 2 4:00-5:00 Professor Jones.
Geometry fun! She thought to herself. Geometry was one of her best subjects, she hated it. 1:45 great I'm going to late. Elizabeth took off her heels and started running.
Charlie, Mark, and Anthony sat in the back of Geometry. Anthony was getting out his book and paper getting ready to take notes. Mark and Charlie were goofing off, as usual and teasing Anthony about being so prepared. Most of the other kids were talking.
"Settle down class. We are going to wait until out new student comes." said Professor Schlickman. An excited buzz went around the room. "Quiet please." The class calmed down and started whispering, then there was a soft rapt on the door. "Come in." The door slowly opened and Elizabeth popped her head in. The classroom irrupted in loud whispers.
"Umm is this geometry with Professor Schlickman?" she asked timidly.
Professor Schlickman gave the classroom a glare, which made all the boys shut up fast. Then he turned to Elizabeth and nodded his head. "You must be Elizabeth Charleston."
"Reynolds, I go by my mom's maiden name." A few boys stifled a snicker at her southern accent.
"Okay…well then class this is Elizabeth Reynolds she is Headmaster Charleston's daughter she will be staying here over the summer. Elizabeth would you tell us a little bit about yourself?"
"Sure, as Professor Schlickman said my father is the headmaster, I have lived in Texas for eight years but I was raised here. I'm sixteen, I'll start as a junior next year at Epiphany Prep School. I'm going to be some of ya'lls," there was an outburst of stifled laughter. But Elizabeth kept going she knew her southern accent was going to amuse some people. "As I was saying I'm going to be some of ya'll's tutors." She stressed the word ya'll knowing that it was going to amuse most people here.
"We will go around the classroom and you will stand up and say your name so Elizabeth can start putting names with faces."
The first boy to stand up was "Trystan Griffith" he had dark brown hair. Next stood up twins "Aedan and Ardawn Driscol" they had shaggy brown hair. After the twins Elizabeth stopped paying attention and started thinking about Anthony and his two friends. As she was thinking she heard random names, "Luc… Shaw…" but she wasn't paying close attention to who was standing up or what the names were. "Liam…Anthony…" Elizabeth did a double take and looked at the guy who was about to sit down. Sure enough it was her cousin. And to Elizabeth's horror the two boys who were with him at the lake were sitting right next to him.
The one who talked to her stood up, "Mark Murray." If Elizabeth hadn't been so shocked she would have noticed Marks lingering gaze even after he sat down. By the time Elizabeth came to her senses the second boy had said his name and sat down.
"Well that's everyone, our only open seat is in the back next to Charlie, why don't you go sit down there.
So that's his name, Charlie.
As she walked to the back of the room she caught Anthony's eye and he shook his head slightly, which she took to mean don't say anything about there chat at the lake. Once she got to her seat Charlie stood up and pulled out the seat for her.
"Thanks." She said shyly, she wasn't use to guys pulling her seat out for her.
Elizabeth sat and started listening to lecture. When she realized that she had learned this in the middle of the year last year she stopped paying attention. Professor Schlickman lectured for what seemed like hours while students dutifully took notes. Except Mark and Charlie, the where having what looked like to Elizabeth a pencil fight. Great I'll probably have both of them in tutoring, what a joy. She was tempted to lean over to them and say real mature. But Professor Schlickman got to the two of them first, "Misters Howard and Murray since it seems you have learned what I am teaching you will do two extra pages of homework." Charlie and Mark groaned and Anthony gave them a look that said you deserved it.
"Miss Reynolds…" Elizabeth snapped out of her trans. "If you please will come up here I will give you a list of students who need tutoring. Mister Graham will you please show her to the rest of her classes."
"No problem professor." said Anthony.
Elizabeth stood up and walked to Professor Schlickman's desk and he handed her a piece of paper. She slipped it into her purse figuring she would look at the lists tonight. The bell rang causing Elizabeth to jump. Anthony stood up whispered something to Charlie and Mark.