12

“But, Maman, I can’t go to Alderson Avenue School. I just can’t!” Sophie moaned when she got home from the parade.

“It’s the nearest elementary school around here. Why don’t you want to go there? You were okay there last year when you were in grade four. I’ll go with you to register at the office. Don’t worry.”

“I just can’t go there, that’s all.” Sophie couldn’t tell Maman about Elizabeth Proctor and the teasing kids. If they ever found out she had told on them, they would be even worse. She had spent months avoiding that mean Alderson Avenue gang, and now she actually had to go to school with them!

Sophie took a deep breath through her nose. She’d have to think of something. She put her hand into her sweater pocket and touched something hard and round— her Star Girl Super Bounce Ball! Pulling it out, she held it in her palm. The golden star seemed to glow. What would Star Girl do? She’d be strong, and no one would ever dare tease her. She’d shake her fist and give her enemies one of her power stares and they’d shrivel up in fear like leaky balloons.

Sophie went to the bathroom and practised her angry Star Girl stare in the mirror. She clenched her teeth and grimaced and shook her fist. There. That should work. One look and her enemies would turn into jelly.

After lunch Sophie changed out of her school uniform and put on her plaid skirt and green sweater. It felt strange to be going to school wearing “civvies,” which was what ordinary clothes were called. Grand’maman and Zephram waved goodbye from the front door as Sophie left with Maman to register at Alderson Avenue School. Papa was at work, and Sophie’s three older brothers were already in high school. They were so lucky. They didn’t have to switch schools halfway through the year.

This was the worst day of Sophie’s entire life. She was being marched right into the enemy camp. She pulled her jacket tighter. They would probably tease and beat her up all afternoon.

“We have to hurry, Sophie. You don’t want to be late this afternoon, do you?” Maman said, putting up her umbrella and starting down the front steps. It was raining.

Sophie followed reluctantly, dragging her feet through the puddles on the front path.

Maman frowned. “Your feet will be soaked before we even get there.”

“I don’t want to go to that school,” Sophie muttered.

“Oh, Sophie! We’ve already been through this. Alderson Avenue is our closest school. Besides, it will only be for a few days. Those government people will have to come to their senses and sort out all this silly tax business. Look, we’ll stop at Young’s and I’ll buy you a treat for afternoon recess. How about a nice juicy orange?”

“Can I have a banana?”

“Sure. We’ll have to hurry, though.”

At Young’s Sophie selected a lovely yellow banana. At least she had that to look forward to. Mr. Young put it into a small paper bag for her.

They arrived at school just as the bell rang and all the children hurried inside. There was no sign of Elizabeth Proctor and her gang. Maybe they had all moved away, Sophie thought hopefully.

Maman and Sophie went to the principal’s office. It was crowded with other parents and children from L’ecole Notre Dame de Fatima. The principal and the school secretary, both red-faced and sweating, were trying to sort out all the children and their parents. Everyone was talking at once.

“Attention please, everyone!” the principal said loudly, holding up his arms.

There was immediate silence as everyone turned and stared at him. He was a tall man with wavy blond hair. His waves were so perfect that Sophie wondered if he set his hair every night with hair clamps like Grand’maman did.

“I’m Mr. Crompton, your new principal. I’d like to welcome you all to Alderson Avenue School. Now let’s have grade-one people line up here.” He indicated along the hall wall. “And we’ll have all grade twos here beside them. Nice straight lines now, boys and girls. That’s right. That’s how we line up at this school. We’ll get this sorted out much sooner if everyone cooperates. Now wait quietly in your lines, boys and girls, and Mrs. Watson or I will take you to your new classrooms.”

Sophie lined up with two other grade-five girls and a couple of boys from her class at Fatima. The girls were Antoinette and Marie Rose. They weren’t really her friends, but at least they were nice to her. She looked around for Ronnie, but she didn’t see him anywhere.

Maman said a quick goodbye to her and hurried off with the other mothers.

Sophie and the other grade fives followed Mr. Crompton up the stairs to the grade-five classroom. It felt strange to be back at her old school, the one she had attended for a few months the year before. It looked and smelled familiar, but it was different. Sophie felt different. She wasn’t among friends now; she was among enemies. As they neared the grade-five classroom door, she squeezed her Star Girl Super Bounce Ball in her pocket and got her Star Girl power stare ready. She would need it soon.

“Here we are,” Mr. Crompton said, knocking on the door. A plump woman with brown hair piled on her head answered.

“I’ve brought you a few new students today, Mrs. Lynnwood.”

“Thank you, Mr. Crompton. Come in, boys and girls,” the woman said as the principal left.

The teacher had lipstick smeared on her front teeth and had a perfumy smell. “Welcome to our gradefive class-room.” She spoke loudly and slowly as though they were deaf or they couldn’t understand English. “Now what shall we do with you?” She rubbed her hands together. “First, you may hang your coats here on these hooks beside the door.”

After they hung their jackets on the hooks, she said, “Now we don’t have any extra empty desks, so it looks as if we’ll have to double up until we get some. You two girls can sit here with Patsy and Loreen,” she said to Antoinette and Marie Rose. “Now what’s your name?”

“Sophie LaGrange,” Sophie murmured. Her heart thudded as she scanned the room, looking for Elizabeth Proctor.

“Ah, Sophie, now where shall we put you?” The teacher looked around the classroom.

Sophie’s eyes darted around the class, too. She recognized a few kids from the year before. Her heart was pounding so hard that it felt as if it were throbbing in her head. Then it lurched suddenly as she glimpsed a blond ponytail tied with red ribbons! She squeezed the ball in her pocket, willing the teacher not to seat her next to Elizabeth Proctor, her worst enemy in the whole world.

“Ah, Elizabeth,” the teacher said, “I’m sure you’ll do a very good job looking after one of our new students. Sophie, you may go and share Elizabeth’s desk.”

Sophie squeezed her ball even harder and clutched her banana close to her stomach, which was fluttering all over the place.

“Go on now, Sophie,” the teacher urged. “Don’t be shy.”

Sophie wanted to run away, but she shuffled slowly down the row between the desks to where Elizabeth was sitting. If the teacher saw how reluctant she was, maybe she would change her mind. But she was too busy finding places for the boys.

Elizabeth scowled and slid over a tiny bit on her seat, leaving Sophie a space as narrow as a pencil box. Sophie perched on the edge of the seat, not daring to touch Elizabeth’s arm with her sleeve. She heard her sniff, but she didn’t look at her. She stared straight ahead at the teacher.

“Now that we’re all settled, let’s begin with reading this afternoon,” Mrs. Lynnwood said. “Take out your readers, everyone, and turn to page eighty-three. You’ll have to share your readers with our newcomers, boys and girls. Now who would like to begin?”

Elizabeth waved her hand in the air. “Me, me!”

“Thank you, Elizabeth. Boys and girls, we’re all in for a treat. Elizabeth always reads so nicely for us.”

Elizabeth stood beside her desk and smoothed her skirt. She started to read the story, holding the reader so close to her face that Sophie couldn’t see the words. It was a silly story, anyway, about a little rabbit that had lost its way. Elizabeth read the words so fast that the whole story sounded like one long sentence.

Sophie felt her round Star Girl Super Bounce Ball in her pocket. At recess she could play with her ball and she wouldn’t share it with anyone. Especially Elizabeth!

As Elizabeth read, Sophie practised her maddest Star Girl glare, the stare that would turn all her enemies into jelly.