I Just Want Peace - Chapter 6 Orientation Day

The leisure, careless summer days flew by Alex as he spends his days turning the pages of his beloved books. A tale dancing from one page to the next, bewitching the readers and trapping them inside the book. Until the last page captures the mischievous story, ending the beautiful, fragile dream.

A new scorching hot summer day, a new enticing adventure waiting within a book. The delicate pages that could tear at any second contains a story that can change your life. Forever, maybe. Alex immersed himself inside story after another within his room, a refreshing haven from the sweltering heat outside. His nose practically touching the pages of the book until a certain day creeped up on him. Tapping his shoulder then ripped him out of his own little world.

Alex sluggishly opens his closet and randomly picked a pair of denim shorts and a plain black t-shirt that reflects his sullen mood. Alex took a deep breath and sighed, then threw the clothes on his bed. The sad bookworm walks over to the window, studying the group of kids playing tag; a little boy chasing another boy who ran swift as the wind, leaving a trail of laughter behind him. 4 kids watch nearby but out of the little boy reach, giggling with happiness as they play around.

Alex sighed again and shuffle to his bed to change and get the day over with. Grade 9 orientation day.

Alex loves to blend into the background and observes from far away instead of participating in a group activities. But he knows that the students who called themselves Link Leaders will force him to participate, saying ‘you’ll be with these people for the next 4 years[1]. So let be friends with them now!’ However Alex likes to keep to himself at school. Teachers forcing students to work with others -strangers- was always against Alex’s will. But what could he say? In the end, the teachers get to call the shots and that makes Alex depressed.

Alex dragged out the morning as long as possible until his mom yelled at him to hurry up. Feeling betrayed, Alex finally crawled downstairs where his mom scolded him for being over-dramatic. Next thing he knew, Alex was standing at the front of the school, silently shedding tears in his heart.

In front of him was 3 steps of stair leading to a brief walk to another 3 steps which then opens up to the 2 pairs of large front doors, all glass but there was a thick strip of metal that goes through all the doors. Next to the steps was a smooth stone path with railings for people using wheelchairs which also connects to the open space with the 2 pairs of large front doors.

All kinds of people were walking past Alex as he mentally preps himself for the anxiety monster awaits inside the school, ready to prey on those with weak minds. Behind him, Alex’s mom shakes her head at her stupid, shy son.

“Alex, get moving already!” She called out. “I’ll be waiting in the parking lot. Find me when you’re done.”

Finishing her sentence she drove away, not wanting to watch her son stand awkwardly at the school’s entrance any longer.

Alex glanced over his shoulder as his mom drove away and caught people staring at him, their eyes asking ‘what are you doing standing there like a fool?’ Sighing to himself once again, (have Sherry tell him “keep sighing and I’ll have to catch all your happiness escaping from mouth and feed it back into you) Alex grabs the bottom of his shirt and bit his lips. Keeping his head down, Alex stiffly moved his feet towards the first step. Alex felt like he had been frozen for centuries and couldn’t move his body normally as he wanted. Instead he looked like a terribly made robot walking its first steps.

Alex blanked out as he follow the crowd of students making their way to the gymnasium where there were bleachers stretched out. Alex stares with awe as he saw the bleachers could hold every grade 9 students and still have extra space remaining.

Compared to his elementary school’s gym, the high school’s gym was 3 times more massive and there was even a side gym that could easily be bigger than his elementary school’s gym.

Alex chose a seat at the bottom of the bleacher that was near to the double doors that leads out into the halls. Even if Alex wanted to keep his head down, he couldn’t help glancing around the giant gym with eyes fill with amazement.

There were Link leaders all around guiding students to the gym and having small talks with them. The one in the middle of the gym was waiting for everyone to settled down and for the Link Leaders to give a thumb up that no one else is coming. The Link Leader in the middle haven’t said a word yet and so all the grade 9s continue to talk among themselves.

Then the Link Leader in the middle of the gym fished out a $20 bill from his pocket and everyone looked on with curiosity, whispering to their friends what they think the Link Leader going to do. Then to everyone’s shock the Link Leader rips the bill into half.

The Link Leader looked at the shocked faces when a person yelled, “D-did you just do that?!!”

The Link Leader with a mournful expression said, “I know. It hurts me too.”

Well the trick worked and now everyone’s focus is on the Link Leader who shoved the bill back into his pocket and begun the orientation. The Link Leader tried not to make it boring and keep it fun and lively but to the grade 9s, he was an annoying, pesky fly.

The Link Leaders talked about the school in general and answer question people had about classes, clubs, sports, and a few other things. Then the students split off into group with a Link Leader who was responsible for them. If a student ever needed help in school that Link Leader is their go-to-ask person.

An amiable girl with sun-kissed blond hair and tender blue eyes and was slightly taller Alex, was the Link Leader for the group Alex is in. Her name was Sara and her smiles was like the sun giving everyone a warm, cozy hug.

Alex stray to the back as the group explored the school looking for clues. He didn’t want to chat with anyone, meeting so many strangers at once left a bitter taste in Alex’s mouth.

The Link Leaders had given each group a clue and sent them off on a hunt. The groups had to obtain the rest of the clues by completing various task all around the school. Of course there’s a prize at the end which Alex guessed was ice-cream since it was summer and that was what most kids would enjoyed. Alex, himself, would enjoyed ice-cream too.

The hundreds of students roam the halls as each group attempts to find where their clue led to. Each piece of paper had a clue to where the next task is. Since the clue connect to each other creating a circle, when you reach the task you begun with then you have finish the hunt. The Link Leaders only acted as guide and would give a small nudge in the right direction. The main goal was for the students get use to how the classroom numbers worked.

First there was 3 main halls in the school, in bird’s eye view the school was ‘W’ shaped with a short stub sticking out at bottom in the middle. The leftmost hall was the Tech Hall where class numbers with D were located.

In the middle was the Athletic hall which had the massive gym where everyone was previously before. The large gym was called Gym 1 and Gym 2 because it was large enough to be split into half and still function properly. Then the small gym was called Gym 3 and had double doors that leads outside where the school had an enormous open fields. The fields were so spacious that it was divided into 7 fields and 1 football field and still be spacious. Not to mention the ice rank the school had at the other side of the fields and a pool attached to the school. There were also two more gyms upstairs where one was the workout gym and the one had a few work out equipments but was roomy enough to have a yoga class.

Then the hall at the right of the school was the Academic Hall that was divided up 2 halls, Hall A and Hall C where the B classes could be access from either Hall A or Hall C. The Academic Hall had a second floor too. There were 8 portables at the back separating the school from the fields. This is where most classes were held.

The first floor has the number 1 while the second floor has the number 2. Meaning if you had the class with the number B102, the 100 part means you had class on the first floor and the 02 part means your class was the second classroom in the hall. The B part means you can enter the class from either Hall A or Hall C because there wasn’t a Hall B but the B classrooms sperated Hall A and C.

The portables were easy really as they were called portables and had the short form of Prt.

Alex easily understands how the classroom numbers worked and was bored as he followed the group. His Link Leader seems to understand how some people wanted to be invisible as she didn’t force anyone to do a task. Alex exhale with relief, content with his Link Leader and her understanding.

The tasks were simple and easy to complete. In one task, a Link Leader was using an app called ‘Mina’ where you could set up your own quiz that was jeopardy style. Naturally the quiz was about the school and Alex being one of the rare people who actually read the entire booklet the school hands out to the grade 9s. Plus he had excellent memory and remember all the information the Link Leaders talked about.

With all this Alex was able to secure first place and since each team had to make up a team name, Alex had his nickname be the team’s name, Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies. Alex ridicule the name in his heart but he still laughed at the ‘interesting’ name. The group being one third introverted, not everyone spoke up what their nickname was and so ‘Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies’ remains anonymous and Alex didn’t receive a single strand of attention.

‘This is actually quite fun,’ Alex secretly smiled to himself.

Eventually after solving riddles, a few more Mina quiz, tasks that required the whole group to participate -Alex: _(:3)_- , and many other mini games. Team Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies finally gather all the clues.

When they entered the gym to show they had finish gathering all the clues. They rejoiced the fact they were the only ones here, everyone assumed that they were the first one to complete the game.

After handing the clues to the Link Leader who ripped the $20 bill. Sara leads the group to the cafeteria where everyone rested until everyone finishes the hunt. However when the group reached the 2 sets of double door leading into the cafeteria, they weren’t the only person there. There were already 10 others students and a Link Leader relaxing at a table playing a card game.

The fact they were here and not chasing after clues means that they had finish the hunt. Team Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies became disappointed for not being placed first but quickly got over it and joined the card game with the first place team, Team We Shall Not Be Name.

Alex and fellow introverts sat at another table silently playing a different card game. Since there were too many people there were two card games functioning at the same time. Some people didn’t want to play card games and sat at a different table chatting.

After waiting for an hour, everyone gathered in the cafe where the prizes were being given out. Team We Shall Not Be Name was 1st place as Alex expected. They got ice-cream sandwich while 2nd and 3rd place got freezie and the rest got candy.

Even though orientation day was pretty good for Alex’s standards. He dreaded the first day of high school even more. Thinking about it gives Alex nightmares.

Alex: Q-Q SOS!

[1] For lots of people high school is probably only 3 years long, starting from grade 10-12 or something similar. However, my school system is 4 years of high school (starting grade 9-12. 12+ aka. The Victory Lap is available if you wanted to do that. I don’t know if other school system also offer 12+ ).