10
It was a bittersweet feeling to leave our place on the mountain. In some ways, we wanted to stay and play, but security and responsibility were also calling. We met in the dining hall for breakfast, and discussed our plans. When it was time to go, we all said goodbye to Miss Robles, picked up our bags, which were much lighter now that we knew we had to carry them, and went back into the woods to get the RV.
Loading the RV was not as easy as that blue bus. There were twenty of us. Samantha claimed the front seat next to Elliot. Julian claimed the back bedroom, but chose five other friends to fit in there with him for the duration of the ride. Everyone else found a place to sit. Four squeezed around the kitchen table, and the rest just found a place on the floor. I went in last, so as not to be claustrophobic. I wanted to be near the exit door in case of emergency, so I sat up front near the passenger seat.
Elliot was in his glory, bouncing down the trails, revving the engine when we hit pavement, and finding good songs on the radio. The boys in the back were playing DVD’s really loud, and joking around. It was a fun ride. I found room fragrance spray in the bathroom to cover the odors, and opened the windows for oxygen.
We stopped at the Flying W for gas and food, but told everyone to be subtle and not draw attention to our situation. We couldn’t use the pay phone to call home. If the wrong parent found out what we were doing, it could ruin the whole plan, so Mark stood by the pay phone at the gas station to make sure no one broke the promise.
Finally, we were on the road again. Our estimated time of arrival at Shadyside School was approximately 2:15 p.m. The students would be in period seven. Perfect number, I thought.
When we pulled off the highway and into our town, everything looked different to me. I was seeing things from a new perspective, I guess. Now this town felt more mine. The stores and restaurants and parks that passed by the window were places I was free to explore, instead of being someone else’s baggage, or waiting for someone else to decide what to do.
Excitement was building as we rounded the bend towards school. Sam stood up from the front and yelled, “Everybody get ready! And remember the plan! We’re almost there!”
People scrambled to get their things. We had to hide the RV. We knew it would be obvious that we stole it, but we also knew that anyone who knew the truth about our abandonment would not be pressing us for details. Miss Robles had the second set of keys, and she said she’d be back to get the RV in a day or two.
Elliot parked the RV in the far parking lot, in a spot hidden from view of the building. We stood together and walked towards the school, our flag flying high above our heads, attached to an old broom stick with duct tape. Brian was the flag bearer, and each of us wore a badge on our sleeve, smaller replicas of our gorgeous flag that a group of kids had made the night before.
Brian loved the flag and said to the group as we walked, “We are the bears. We are ferocious and strong. Bears!”
We walked straight into the office and past the principal’s secretary. Heads turned, grownups gasped, people grabbed for walkie-talkies. The principal was not there, but we knew he was on his way now that the message was sent through the school’s security channels. But we didn’t speak yet; it was part of the plan.
We moved outside to the courtyard, followed by the entire office staff and the head custodian Mr. Walters. V.J. took the opportunity to sneak out of line, and while the rest of the adults were distracted, he turned on the school-wide loudspeaker and announced, “Attention students and teachers, this is V.J. The seventh grade has returned. Please report to the courtyard for a very special presentation.” Then, he locked himself in a vacant office, and began to call all of our parents from the list of phone numbers we gave him during the drive back.
At this point, the principal was yelling at a security guard from a corner of the courtyard. They marched over towards us, and Principal McThorn began to yell at us through a bullhorn.
“All seventh graders, report to the office. All seventh graders, report to the office now.”
We ignored him of course. I decided at that point, that he was a crazy person, and whoever couldn’t see that, must be crazy, too.
The Assistant Principal, Mr. Crane, appeared, letting the students and teachers pass by him as they walked towards the crowd. His main concern had always been safety, and since there was no harm in us appearing, he did what he should do, which was simple crowd control. Elliot found him and went over to him for support.
“What a surprise, Elliot. What’s all this about?” He asked.
“He was trying to kill us, and we escaped. I guess we’re smarter than everyone thought,” was Elliot’s answer.
Elliot told Mr. Crane everything – except the part about stealing the RV and driving it six hundred and twenty four illegal miles.
When he realized what was happening, Mr. Crane extracted the bullhorn from the hands of the crazy principal, and stood on the podium with us. The seventh graders stood on the top of a grassy platform, while the rest of the crowd gathered around.
“Quiet down, everyone, so we can get started.” The noise was mostly children talking loudly, and calling out to their friends and siblings across the crowd. The teachers were talking, too, but constantly monitoring for safety, which is one thing that most teachers are very good at.
“Quiet please,” he said, until everyone was listening.
“The seventh graders are back, and they have a special presentation for you. So please give them your respect and attention.”
He handed the bullhorn to Elliot, who handed it to me, and I handed it to the person next to me like a hot potato. I didn’t want to talk to that crowd! Finally Mark grabbed it and stood at the front. We passed him the official Declaration. He was going to read. The lowest scoring reader in the seventh grade was the one who would read it to the world for the very first time. (He had practiced it for the whole ride home.)
“Thank you, Mr. Crane. Teachers, students and staff, we are gathered here today to celebrate a new beginning. Our visit to Shadyside will be short, because we have work to do outside school, at our houses, and in the community. You see, the new school that we were sent to was a huge success, and we finished our work faster than expected. We’re on to the next enrichment experience, which I will read to you now. Nines, can you come here for a minute?”
I was mortified, but I walked up and stood next to Mark in front of the whole school. He put his big heavy hand on my back which felt very supportive, and I was grateful for that.
He said, “This is Nines. She is a great writer, like Thomas Jefferson, who wrote The Declaration of Independence. When you see her again, know that you are in the company of greatness.”
Wow, I thought. That was so unnecessary, but so very cool. Everybody clapped for me, and I realized that a tiny, simple thing like the words you say about a person can change someone’s life forever.
Then Mark read the declaration, and everybody listened. There was a sense of awe and amazement throughout the crowd. The younger kids didn’t necessarily understand it, but the teachers, and older kids did. When he was finished, everybody clapped for us and the teachers started corralling students back to the classroom to finish whatever lesson it was that we had interrupted.
Our parents soon began arriving, and as the crowd began to thin, I saw a man in a black suit running towards the parking lot. It was McThorn, taking off before the press arrived.
The rest of the day is just a blur. I remember saying goodbye to everyone as they went off in their parent’s cars, feeling sad. It felt like the last day of school, when you were so happy for summer vacation, yet sad to say goodbye to the good things you’d leave behind.
Some parents took the initiative and were swarming the office, demanding to know the truth. But no one there knew anything, or at least they didn’t admit to it. In that way, it was good to be a kid again. Whatever mess that lay ahead of the school now was not our problem. We were free, to live and learn in the s
chool called life.
Glossary
(These are my own definitions, as they are used in the story.)
abolish - to get rid of something for good
adversity - something that’s hard to deal with; hardship
alter - to change
cuneiform - an ancient form of writing, done with sticks on clay tablets with lots of lines and dots
exodus - a journey that causes a transformation; an escape
gi - Japanese word for karate uniform
Holocaust - the time in history when Hitler killed millions of innocent people
kitchenette - tiny kitchen, in our case one that fits into an RV
omniscient - when the narrator of a story knows everything, including the thoughts and feelings of all the characters
therapist – a person who helps people with their problems
Book Study Questions
1.In the beginning of the story, we learn that Nines chose to be silent in school for two years, because she felt that her words were not respected by her peers, and even some teachers. This is one of her character traits. Have you ever felt this way? What are some other character traits that you recognize in Nines? How do they change at the end of the story, after her experience on the mountain?
2.Imagine that you are a seventh grader, and you just heard that you will be going away to a new school. You are only allowed to bring one small suitcase, and no electronic equipment. What would you bring? Make a list of everything you would pack in your suitcase.
3.Nines decided to write a glossary, because she wanted to make sure her readers were able to understand all parts of the story. What did you think about the glossary? Did you see any other words in the story that you think she should add?
4.Now that the seventh graders are home, they plan to start their own community school. What are some of the things that you would choose to learn about if you created your own school? How would you design your own school? Research the home schooling resources in your own town for new ideas.
Gratitude
I am deeply grateful to the people who have supported me during the process of creating this book. I love my family and friends, and I appreciate every little word or deed that led to this final product. I am especially grateful for my sister Christine. You are amazing! And my sister Amy, who was the first one to ask me if she could read my draft-in-progress. That was years ago, and the story looks much different today than it did then! To Allison Coulson, for our bookstore meetings and your expert advice, thank you. Christine Caruso, thank you for the proofreading and blessings.
~ Alyssa
Alyssa Raffaele earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and Master of Science in Education. She is an award-winning teacher, and lives near the warm, sunny beaches of southwestern Florida. You can contact Alyssa, find more of her books, and read her latest blog posts at www.alyssaraffaele.com.
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