Chapter 2
“So, Mac. How do you like the school so far?” Mort lumbered breathlessly beside me as we headed toward the assembly building, an old quarry-stone colossus with the word AUDITORIUM chiseled into the stone lintel above the door.
I was enthusiastic. “This school is great, a pipe band with great band members, an amazing pipe major.”
Jerrod caught up with us, speaking as he opened the old oak door. “Such gusto, Mac. So you think you’ll enjoy this?”
“Possibly, possibly. Does it get any better than this?” I cornered the hall and joined the line of Dockers-and-sweatshirt-clad students entering the assembly hall.
“Hey, Jerrod, what can you not love about this school, aside from the leaky roof?” asked Prakash as he arrived, pushing his way into the line.
Pete snickered. “He’ll find out what there is not to love about St. Rupert’s soon enough, starting with good old-fashioned assembly.”
I looked up as we gathered in the big white room that resembled a colonial church from the American Revolution, rows of brown benches lined up to face a podium at the front. The morning sun was fully risen now and shining piercingly through a remarkably clean set of windows. I felt that hopeful beginning-of-term feeling in spite of Pete’s rather cynical warning.
“Welcome, all students. Please be seated.” The gusty trilling of an elderly gnome of a woman on the platform sent an ominous shiver down my spine. I’d heard voices like that before.
“I’m Miss Apples, from the Art Department.” There was a big smile on her homely face as she scanned the crowd. Obviously, she hadn’t gotten jaded enough with the troublemakers to really make negative eye contact yet.
Pete, the cynic, leaned over to whisper, “Teachers always look so friendly and relaxed on the first day. Funny how fast that changes.” He sat back up straight as he caught a sharp glance from Miss Apples. “The roll call begins.” He shoved his glasses up his nose, folded his arms across his chest, and leaned back in his chair, prepared for a long wait: His last name was Zekind.
My name came up pretty quick, considering.
“MacDonough, Charles.” Miss Apples peered around the room over her granny glasses on a leash with an inquiring look.
“Present,” I answered as I stumbled up the aisle. She smiled primly at me, perhaps even warmly, as she handed me my class schedule. I sank back onto my slippery seat and listened numbly with half an ear, oblivious to the rest of the roll call as I read with shock and awe the schedule in front of me. It wasn’t too soon for me when she was finally finished and we were dismissed.
Bursting out the door, I waved the sheet of paper in front of me as the band members massed around the broad doors. I heard myself groan like a tortured beast, “Tell me this isn’t true, man? Pipe band practice every day—tell me it isn’t true?” I turned pathetically to Ian.
“Duh . . . yeah. But we get to eat before and after practice; it’s one of our perks,” said Ian, giving me a disgusted look. “You wanted a pipe band, remember?”
It looked like I wasn’t getting any sympathy there. I tried again. “Any other perks I should know about?” I asked in a bleak voice.
“Yup, we are automatically signed up to run track and field in the spring, since we play bagpipe for all the other sports in season.”
I looked up at him, shocked. At public schools, sports were always an elective, not a requirement. Once I recovered from that shock, I paused to read some more. “Chapel . . . ,” I gasped. Chapel! My mom had not warned me about this. Or maybe she had but I wasn’t listening. “Algebra, rhetoric, Latin, biology, history . . .” I felt faint.
Prakash came up. “Buck up, MacDonough. Are we not the privileged?” He smirked as I blushed and looked around at everybody facing me.
“Am I getting a reputation as a whiner on my first day?”
Prakash was nothing if not blunt. “You bet.” He nodded grimly. “But we’ll work it out of you, after a few good band practices.” He smiled at me wickedly and headed off, leaving me to suffer agonies over my schedule alone and in silence.
Ian paused before he left, leaning on the old stone wall with a big grin on his face. “One more perk, Mac. Meet us pipers after study hall in the band common room. That’s across from our rooms in the dormitory.” He slapped me on the back, obviously relieved I’d changed my attitude.
I smiled, big-time, and headed off to find my classes for the day, knowing I had a band of brothers to look forward to meeting that afternoon.