“Lucky duck,” Arthur complained. “You don’t have to go to school today.”
“We do have to go to school,” Sophie said. “Sister Blanche said if we had a musical instrument to bring it for the parade. Could I borrow your harmonica, Arthur?”
“Sorry, Soph. I don’t lend that to anyone.”
As usual Sophie cut through the ravine to get to school. She still wanted to avoid the Alderson Avenue gang, but this time she didn’t even stop for a quick ride on the rope swing. She had to be on time for the strike.
When the school bell rang at nine o’clock, Sophie followed the other students who all gathered expectantly in front of the school steps. It was a cool, cloudy morning, but at least it wasn’t raining.
The students were met by their teachers and told to line up by grade, boys on one side, girls on the other. Everyone was chattering excitedly, so it took a long time for them to get into straight rows and become quiet enough to hear Sister Blanche. Finally she stood on the front steps and raised her hands. When there was complete silence, she spoke.
“Thank you for coming this morning, boys and girls.” She smiled down at them, her pink cheeks glowing. Her class would lead the parade, she told them. And everyone, especially her class, had to be on their very best behaviour and set a good example for the other children.
All the children who hadn’t brought a musical instrument took one from the music box. Sophie chose the triangles. She loved the tinkly sound they made when she struck them with the stick.
Soon they were on their way. Monsieur le Curé was at the head of the parade, the skirt of his long black cassock swishing over the gravel path. Behind him marched five band members: three young men with horns and two drummers who carried big drums strapped to their shoulders.
Sister Blanche followed them with her two long, straggly lines of students. Sophie was the third girl in her line, marching behind Antoinette and Marie Rose, who were best friends. Antoinette was playing a sort of tin whistle, and Marie Rose had chosen a drum.
Sophie wondered where Ronnie was. Maybe he was sick. Imagine missing such an exciting event as being in a parade.
As they marched off the school grounds, they sang “O Canada” in French as loudly as they could. Then they sang and played lots of the old French songs, one after another. It was fun to sing the ones that had lots of verses like “En roulant ma boule roulante.” That was one of Sophie’s family’s favourite songs, so she sang really loud and banged her triangles in time with the beat. She wished her three big brothers were there to harmonize.
When the parade neared Alderson Avenue School, Sophie held her head high, hoping all the kids there would notice her, especially that stuck-up Elizabeth Proctor. How they would have loved to have been in a parade, too!
It was recess time at Alderson Avenue School, and the children were in the playground. As the parade went by, the students all ran to the board fence to watch, jostling for a better view. They pointed and laughed. They seemed to be yelling, as well, but Sophie couldn’t hear what they were saying. She sang her loudest and banged her triangles as hard as she could, but the only sound they made was a little tinkle. She kept her head high and stared straight ahead.
All along Blue Mountain Road people poured out of their houses to gape at the parade. Grandmothers pushing baby buggies stopped to watch, and lots of dogs howled as the marchers passed by.
They paraded down the hill to Brunette Road, past Sam’s Theatre, past Monsieur LeBlanc’s barbershop, across the narrow Bailey bridge, past grocery stores, the bakery, the cafes, and the hotels. Finally they arrived at the town hall.
Monsieur le Curé climbed the broad front steps and made a rousing speech to a few officials who had gathered there. He talked about how hard everyone had worked to build the school, how hard the students had worked to get a good education, and how proud he was of all the teachers and each and every student. Then the priest presented a letter and a petition to the reeve, who was the sort-of mayor of the town. The reeve said he would personally deliver the letter to the government officials in Victoria and hoped they would find a solution quickly.
Monsieur le Curé shook the reeve’s hand and thanked him, and everyone clapped. Then he led the teachers and the students as they sang a rousing “O Canada” in French again. After that he led the parade back up the hill to the school. Sophie was sorry to see that the Alderson Avenue School kids had gone back inside.
The teachers and students all gathered around the front steps of L’école Notre Dame de Fatima in front of Monsieur le Curé.
“Now, boys and girls, and our teachers, of course. Thank you, thank you, one and all,” he said, holding out his hands to them. “You all did a wonderful job today, especially with your singing. You sounded like angels in heaven. It makes me proud to be French Canadian. This afternoon your parents will take you to register at the public school nearest your home. You’ll attend there until our school opens once again. We hope that will be in a few days, but it may be the end of next week at the very latest.”
Sophie gasped. The nearest school to her house was Alderson Avenue School!
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 s
mall 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.
13
When the bell for recess finally rang, Sophie grabbed her banana and sprang from her seat. She was about to follow the other kids tramping down the stairs and out to the playground, but Mrs. Lynnwood said, “Just a moment, boys and girls. Back to your seats, everyone.”
They all moaned and shuffled back to their seats.
“I want to remind you again that when the bell rings at the end of recess, you must all return to the classroom immediately. Too many of you are not coming back inside promptly. From now on, if you are late, you will have to stay after school to make up for lost time.” She paused and looked straight at Sophie. “I especially hope all our new girls and boys understand?”
The teacher seemed to be expecting an answer from Sophie, so she nodded.
“Fine,” Mrs. Lynnwood said. “Now, boys, you may be dismissed.” After the boys had gone, she dismissed the girls, as well.
Sophie followed the other girls downstairs and outside to the playground where a bunch of kids crowded around Elizabeth. The sky was still cloudy, but at least it had stopped raining.
“Let’s play hide-and-seek!” Sophie heard someone yell.
“Okay,” Elizabeth said. “You can be it. And this rock will be goal.”
Behind the school playground was a forest with trees and bushes and high stumps from giant trees that had been cut down for lumber. The forest was full of wonderful places to hide. Sophie would have loved to play hide-and-seek.
When Elizabeth saw her watching them, she grabbed a stick that was leaning against the rock and drew a deep cross on the ground. “Criss cross, double cross, nobody else can play with us,” she chanted, staring at Sophie.
The other kids around her joined in. “If they do, we’ll take their shoe and beat them till they’re black and blue! Criss cross, double cross.”
Sophie turned away and ran to the other side of the school. Tears prickled her eyes so much she couldn’t give anyone her mad Star Girl stare. Those kids were so awful, but she didn’t care. She didn’t care one bit!
She peeled her banana and ate it slowly, but it didn’t make her feel any better. She took her Star Girl Super Bounce Ball out of her pocket and threw it against the hard-packed earth. “One, two, three, a-Larry,” she sang quietly to herself. Still no one came to play with her. It wasn’t much fun playing alone. If Ronnie were here, they could have had a good game of catch. She didn’t know where the two girls from her old school had gone. She couldn’t see them anywhere on the playground.
For a while she bo
unced her ball against the school’s brick wall. It was tricky to catch the ball every time because sometimes it hit the edge of a brick and ricocheted in an unexpected direction.
Just as the bell rang, her ball veered to the left. She lunged at it but missed, and it bounced into the bushes. She dashed after it.
The other kids rushed past her into the school. No one wanted to be late and have to stay after school. But Sophie just had to find her ball, so she kept on searching through the brambles. The bushes were really thick and she couldn’t see the ball anywhere. She didn’t care if she was late and had to stay after school until midnight. She couldn’t lose her special Star Girl Super Bounce Ball.
Sophie slashed at the bushes with a long stick, growing more and more frantic. There were all kinds of bushes and they were all prickly. Soon her arms and legs were covered with scratches. Then, what was that under those ferns? Yes! It was her ball!
She grabbed it, clutched it close, and hurried into the school, rushing up the stairs to the second floor. The hallway was silent and empty. She hesitated at the classroom door. Then she took a deep breath and pulled it open. All the children were sitting quietly, copying the writing lesson from the blackboard.
The teacher looked up from her desk crossly. “Well, Sophie, late on your first day. Didn’t you understand when I said you must all return to the classroom after recess?”
“Yes, Mrs. Lynnwood,” Sophie mumbled.
“At this school we know it is always very important to be on time,” the teacher went on. “You may take your seat now, but you will have to stay after school.”
Sophie dragged her feet as she went down the aisle to Elizabeth’s desk. As Sophie tried to squeeze into the seat beside her, Elizabeth didn’t glance up from her writing, nor did she move over. Sophie sighed. This was going to be a very long afternoon.
After school the teacher dismissed the children with a “See you all on Monday morning, boys and girls.” Sophie stayed in her seat. At least she had it all to herself now.
Criss Cross, Double Cross Page 9