The Locker Read Free

lived here my whole life and never even thought about it. I’ve always had neighbors and known everyone in town.” She shook her head and dragged me off again. “Maybe your aunt could renovate that old house—make it nice again? That would sure impress everyone!”
    â€œDo we need to?” I couldn’t help asking.
    â€œNeed to what?”
    â€œImpress everyone.”
    Noreen giggled. “Just the fact that you moved to Edison at all is impressive! Everyone’s wondering why!” She sighed and shook her head. “People are really nice here, but they probably won’t accept you right away. So don’t take it personally. That’s just the way it is—nothing ever changes, no one ever leaves, and if you haven’t done anything to make the neighbors gossip, they’ll make something up!”
    She swerved me sharply around a corner, pointing out various doorways as we rushed past.
    â€œThere’s the library, if you want to call it that—there’s the girls’ bathroom, one of them, anyway—the newspaper office is that room to the left, and Miss Crane, our counselor—she’s old and senile, you know, like what could she possibly know about kids—lurks over there behind that door. Okay—that room—that’ll be your homeroom—Miss Arnett, same as mine—the door at the end of the hall leads outside, cafeteria to the right, gym to the left—”
    She broke off and waited for me to say something, so I nodded to show her I was keeping up with the tour. As five kids shouted something from the other side of the corridor, Noreen pointed at my head and shouted back.
    â€œThe new girl! Her name’s Marlee!”
    I didn’t have to worry about telling anyone hello. Noreen clutched my arm tighter and hustled me off again before I could open my mouth.
    â€œHow big was your last school?” she asked.
    â€œWell …” I had to stop and think. “About five hundred in the senior class.”
    â€œWell, there’re two hundred here, and that’s with all the classes.” She shook her head and made a face at me. “Before next period’s over, everyone will know your name, where you’re from, and all the dark secrets of your past. Don’t let the stares bother you. I know you feel like you’re on display, but the truth is, they’re all jealous of you.”
    â€œJealous of me?” I sounded shocked. “Why—”
    â€œBecause you’re from somewhere else. And nobody here has ever been somewhere else. Come on, I want to show you some more stuff.”
    â€œBut what about class?”
    â€œHey, this is part of the initiation process,” she scolded me, “and I love being out of class, so I’m going to show you everything I can think of. Which should take all of … five minutes, if we’re lucky.”
    The bell rang and everyone scattered. Noreen and I stood against the wall and watched kids stream out in every direction, funneling into open doorways until the hall lay empty and still around us.
    â€œI’ll take you upstairs. And then I’ll show you the auditorium. And then we’ll go to your locker, and then I’ll take you to class, ’cause I’m going there, too.”
    She squeezed my arm and grinned an impish grin.
    â€œDon’t worry—in just a few days you’ll be breezing around here like you grew up in Edison with the rest of us. And if you need anything at all—I mean anything —just let me know.”
    It’s funny how some people just seem to click with the very first meeting. That’s how I felt about Noreen, though I was trying really hard not to. Living with Aunt Celia, I’ve learned not to make friends too easily because I know I’ll just end up leaving them. But Noreen made me want to be friends, no matter if I left again or not.
    She was right about the school. It took about