Type (5 page)

“Isn’t it beautiful, Sophie?” my mother asks, turning around in her seat to look at me.

“Yeah,” I say.

My parents both get out of the car, my father unloading my trunk and a few boxes. After a minute or two, he knocks on my window. “Time to get out,” he says.

I get out of the car and stand on the gravel driveway. Everything about this place seems strange and so different from my beloved Primary. Where we had a one-story school with a few portables all around it and a big asphalt playground, this place has several buildings on either side of the main castle-like one. Serious-looking buildings that mean business.

“They certainly seem to take pride in their grounds, here,” my father says, eyeing the well-manicured lawn. “A good sign, a very good sign.” He picks up the trunk with some effort and leaves the boxes on the driveway. “I’m sure these will be safe here,” he says. “I’ll get them once you’re settled in. Now follow me!” My mother and I follow him to what turns out to be the Administration Hall, where a pleasant-looking secretary greets me, gives me a few sheets about basic ISTJ Home School rules, and then tells me where my dorm room will be. To my surprise, my parents say their goodbyes there, right in front of the reception desk.

“I can’t believe my baby is ready for Secondary!” my mother says, hugging me tightly. “If you ever get homesick, remember what I said about getting a phone call home every other day!”

“I won’t,” I say, squeezing her back. “Thanks!”

“I’m going to get your boxes, Sophie,” my father says. He reaches towards me and gives me a one-armed hug, the most physical affection he’s shown me in a long time. “Ms. Williams will be arriving at any moment to start your orientation, so there’s no reason for us to stay.”

“But, what about finding my dorm room and getting all settled in?”

“Ms. Williams will help,” my mother promises, following my father out the door.

Before I have a chance to become nervous, a voice calls out to me from down the hallway. “Sophie? Ms. Jenkins?” she says loudly. “I’m Ms. Williams, your floor’s House Mother.” She stops in front of me and reaches over to squeeze my shoulders. “There’s no reason to be scared in any way. I will always be nearby if you need someone to talk to as you adjust to life at Secondary.”

“Okay,” I say. I can hear doubt in my voice and know I’d better start acting more excited about being here. Sometimes it’s just so
hard
.

“A janitor will bring your trunk to your room” Ms. Williams says. “How about you and I do something fun?” She begins walking down the hall and I follow. She opens a door and we step inside a small, brightly lit room. All along the walls are clear glass cases with shelves inside. Ms. Williams walks to one and leans over.

“Look, she says, pointing. “Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?”

I lean over the cases and see row after row of necklaces, some silver, some gold, some with a thick chain, some thread-thin. I lean even more, to get a closer look.

“The time and effort put into making these pieces, the sheer artistry involved…”

I nod, not certain what to say. What do the necklaces have to do with me?

“There’s more over here,” she says, moving to a different case. “These ones are bracelets.” She gestures with her hand. “Don’t be shy. Come see!”

Obediently I walk over and look at the bracelets. Suddenly one looks familiar to me—a silver bracelet resembling rope. “I think my sister has that,” I say, pointing. “Except she has letters on it.”

Ms. Williams nods, still smiling. “And what is her Type?”

“Her Type? Um…it’s ESFP, I think.” As I remember the letters it suddenly dawns on me that those are the same ones on the bracelet. Duh. How could I have not known this before?

“An ESFP? A performer? She must have kept your father on his toes!” Ms. Williams reaches into her pocket and pulls out a keychain. She unlocks the case and reaches for the bracelet. “It’s a pretty one, isn’t it?” she asks. She hands me the bracelet and I rub the silver between my fingers. I suddenly think of Hannah and it makes me feel sad for some reason. I give the bracelet back.

“Not for you, hmmm?”

“For me?”

“Why, didn’t I tell you? You get to choose either a bracelet or a necklace. All First Years do.”

“They do? Why?”

“Why?” Ms. Williams laughs, her voice like a bell. “What a funny question! Why?” She shakes her head, still smiling.

I smile back. But feel my throat get tighter. Why won’t she answer my question?

“Now, take your time and have a look around. You can have your pick of any piece of jewellery in the room. Any one!”

Suddenly I want to get out of this small, sparkling room as quickly as possible. I point to the first necklace I see, a plain but pretty one made of white gold.

“Good choice,” Ms. Williams murmurs approvingly. She opens up the case with a key and pulls out the chain I had pointed to. “I’m not surprised. I think your father would be proud.” She looks up at me and smiles. “Now just give me a minute to engrave your initials on it.”

“Okay,” I say. Ms. Williams heads out of the room with my chain and I close my eyes. I practice doing my slow breathing, to try and calm down.
You’re going to see Aaron soon. This will all be worth it. You’re going to see Aaron soon.

“Here we are,” Ms. Williams says, walking back in. She steps behind me and puts the necklace around my neck, then turns me by the shoulders until I’m facing a mirror on the wall.

“It’s pretty,” I say, looking at myself. “I like it!”

“I’m glad.”

I run the whole chain between my fingers. I feel a tiny bump in the middle, but no clasp. “Um, Ms. Williams? Where’s the clasp?”

“Why would you need a clasp?”

“Um, to take it off?”

Ms. Williams bites her lower lip, a disappointed look on her face. “But I thought you said you liked the necklace!”

“I did. I do! It’s just, well, I’ll want to take it off sometimes, to shower or for swimming.”

Ms. Williams smiles again and gestures at me with her hand, as if trying to wave my worries away. “Oh silly! These are water and rust resistant. You can wear it forever!”

“But—”

“Now no more silliness. Time to take you to your dorm so you can meet your roommates!”

Ms. Williams opens the door to the hall and beckons for me to follow. We walk through what seems like a maze of hallways, stairwells, and more hallways, until we get to what she calls
Floor Three.
She stops at a door marked B and knocks.

“Girls, I’m here with Ms. Jenkins,” she says, walking in.

I follow her and enter a room that’s smaller than my bedroom at home. There’s a bunk bed against one wall, a single bed against another, and a long, narrow desk against the wall in between. On each wall are words stuck across the pale blue paint: Honour. Duty. Family. Dependability. Organization. Loyalty.
How weird
. I then notice that there are two girls sitting side by side on the bottom bunk, each one wearing a white shirt, blue kilt, and blue blazer, with their hands clasped in their laps.

“Sophie, I’d like you to meet your new roommates, Emily and Jana. Girls, I expect you to make Ms. Jenkins first night here as comfortable as possible.”

“Yes, Ms. Williams,” the girls say together.

“Sophie, the uniforms your parents ordered will be brought to you before tomorrow morning. In the meantime you may wear your current clothing.”

I nod, watching the woman as she leaves the room.

“Hey,” I say.

“Hello,” the two girls say.

“Are you guys twins or something?”

“No, why?” Again, the two voices as one.

“Because you keep talking together. It’s kind of weird.” I point at the brown-haired girl. “Are you Emily or Jana?”

“I’m Jana,” she answers, unclasping her hands and holding one out to me. “I’m very pleased to meet you.”

“And I’m Emily,” the blonde one says. “I’m also very pleased to meet you.” Instead of sticking out her hand to shake, she offers me a smile.
I think she will be the one I’ll like best.

“So, um, which is my bed?”

“That used to be my bed, but now that you’re here you can have it,” Jana says, pointing across the room at the single.

“But why?”

“Because you’re a Jenkins, silly!” Jana says. She smiles at me in a strange, grown-up way and I shrug back, before dumping my suitcase on my new bed.
What a weird kid
.

“The closet’s right over there,” Emily says, opening a small door I hadn’t noticed before. “You get the two bottom shelves here and some of the hangers, too.” She walks over to me and pulls out a sweater from my suitcase. It’s an old one of Hannah’s, with blue and white snowflakes on it. “Wow, your stuff is so pretty!”

“You can try it on if you want,” I say.

“What’s the point of all this stuff anyway?” Jana asks. “I mean, we wear uniforms most of the time.”

“If I had great clothes like these, I’d bring them here too,” Emily says quickly, smiling at me.
I like her
.

It takes about five minutes to put my stuff away. When I’m done, Emily goes and sits down next to Jana again, her hands folded in her lap.

“So, what do we do now?” I ask.

“Do?” Jana looks at me and raises one eyebrow.

“Yeah, you know, isn’t it free time now or something?”

Jana nods. “We usually just wait for the bell.” She looks down at a watch on her wrist. It looks like something a mother would wear, not a twelve-year-old girl. “Twenty more minutes.”

“So, we just sit?”

Emily nods. “I like to conjugate French verbs in my head when I’ve got time,” she says. “Ever since I started doing that I’ve been getting all As on spelling tests!”

I start to laugh, but then stop.
She can’t be serious
!

“And I just try and think good thoughts,” says Jana primly.

“Oh,” I say. I start to hum one of my favourite songs and bounce on my mattress.
I’ve got to see Aaron already
! After a minute or two, I begin to pull on my necklace. “Emily?” I ask.

She looks up and smiles. “Yes?”

“Um, does your necklace come off, because mine doesn’t have a clasp.”

“None of them do,” Emily says.

“Why?”

“It’s your Type necklace. It’s meant to be worn forever, silly,” she says, smiling. Two dimples appear on her cheeks. “Or at least until you graduate from one of the Academies. Then they cut it off and give you a new one.”

“But what if I want to wear something else?”

“Why would you want to wear something else?” Jana asks, staring at me. No dimples.

“I don’t know. Just say I did. Why can’t I take this one off?”

Jana just keeps staring at me.

“And why does it have this little bump thingy in the middle instead of a clasp?” I rub at the chain with my fingers.

Emily shrugs. “I think it’s just part of the design. Makes it more unique or something.”

“Makes it kind of weird, if you ask me,” I say.

“Theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die,” Jana says.

“Excuse me? What?”

“Tennyson,” she replies. “I memorize poems during free time, instead of asking stupid questions.”

I’m about to say something back when I hear a far-away tinkling sound
. The bell
! I’m so excited that I almost jump out of my skin. I’m already at the door before I notice that Emily and Jana are still sitting on the bottom bunk. “Um, isn’t it time to eat?”

“That’s the bell for the boys,” Jana says in what I realize is her annoying way. “This is their week to get to the tables first. We wait for the second bell.”

“But, I’m hungry!”

“It’s in five minutes. Patience is a virtue, you know.”

I stare at this strange girl, then sigh.
I’ve never hated someone so quickly before
. After what seems like hours, another bell chimes and Jana nods at me. I open up the door and join the line that’s forming in the hall. Girl after girl, all in the same uniform.
Which ones will be my friends? And when can I see Aaron
?

We head to a nearby stairwell and go down a few flights. Eventually I notice what must be the dining hall and I break out of line to run into the room. There are large round tables in a grid around the room, half of them already filled with boys. I walk from table to table, scanning the occupants.
Where is he
?

Just as I’m about to shout out his name, I see him. I see Aaron. I rush over to his table and grab him around the neck. “Aaron!”

Instead of hugging me back, he moves away. “Sophie?”

“Yeah! It’s me! Can you believe it? I’m finally here! I’ll bet you thought I’d never get here, didn’t you?” I grab him again and squeeze hard.
This was so worth it
!

“You broke out of line,” says a voice behind me. I let go of Aaron for a second to look. Jana is standing a foot away, a prim look on her face.

“This is my best friend in the entire universe!” I say. I feel so proud in this moment to belong to Aaron and to have him belong to me.

Jana raises her eyebrows. “You broke out of line,” she says again. “That’s not allowed. You’ve got to come to our table or our floor could lose points for Ribbon Day.”

“Ribbon Day?” I turn to look at Aaron. “Is that something important?”

“We need to get to our table
now
!” Jana grabs at my sleeve and pulls.

I try and shake her off, but she’s not budging. I turn back to Aaron. “Talk to you after supper, okay? Wait for me right here!”

Aaron nods and I let myself get pulled away by my roommate.

As soon as the meal is over I race back to Aaron’s table. For a moment I’m afraid that he’ll be gone, that I’ll never see him again, but once I spot him still sitting there, all my fear goes away.
Over course Aaron is still be waiting for me. He promised. He never breaks a promise.

I sit next to him and poke him with a finger. “I’ll bet you were shocked to see me!”

“Sophie? Why are you here?” Aaron asks, picking up a napkin and folding it over and over with his fingers.

“To start Secondary, dummy!”