Chapter 1: A New School, A New Beginning

Here I am, once again preparing to register in a new school in a new country for a new school year. Did this lots of times in the past; too many times, but this time it’s different in a number of ways. First, everyone here speaks English. Second, this is the first time that my parents aren’t with me. Third, there are all these people around! There must be hundreds of kids! None of my former schools were ever this big. Next, there’s ... Oops. Hold that thought...

“Hey, watch it, guys!” I shouted to the jostling crew shoving past behind me.

Man, none of the kids in my other schools were so rude. That was just a bunch of surly, angry-faced kids pushing past behind me, bumping into me, then disappearing into an office behind the counter.

Voices floated back: “Goddamn it though, why us first...”

I accepted yet another form from the secretary and began filling it out.

“Wow,” I remarked, “I didn’t think it would be so hectic today with people just registering and getting their classes and stuff.”

“All of that happened last week; that’s when registration and orientation took place—didn’t you know that? Regular classes started today.”

“Last week I was still in Jakarta. Didn’t get here until Friday late morning. Your website said school began today and in all my other schools, the first day was for registration and orientation and stuff like that.”

“And you also didn’t send in any of the registration materials we mailed to you. That’s why you need to fill them out now. The forms you sent in were the old ones. When did you get those from the website?”

“I got your paperwork off the site last spring when I decided to move here and printed them off and the fall school schedule then.”

“Oh, that was all changed over the summer. Because you sent in all the old forms, that’s why you need to do all these new ones. We mailed the new forms to you in the summer, you should have received them.”

“When did you send them—oh, and where did you send them? What address?”

“Let’s see, ok, here: it’s an address—not sure how to say it—anyway, it’s in Seoul, South Korea, and the mailing date was August 1.”

“On August 1 my family was in Jakarta. I didn’t get any forwarded mail, either.” I didn’t go into any painful details. “Are those all the forms?”

“Yes, but you’ll need to see a counselor for your class schedule and also there are...”

Just then the intercom squawked. “Excuse me, son ... yes, Dr Fletcher?” ... Squawk squeak skrich... “Oh, let me check...” She went to a cabinet and pulled a folder; came back. “Transferred out. A week ago.” Skrach skritch... “No, family moved away.” Skrabble squawk squeak... “Ok, you can come look.”

I wondered how she knew what was coming out of that little box, I sure as hell couldn’t tell. Maybe they have a new language here—electronic-ese? A few seconds later, a portly looking man emerged from the room that those kids had entered a few minutes earlier and ambled over.

“Shirley, we need another junior boy ... oh, who’s this?”

Shirley, now I know the secretary’s name, said, “Dr Fletcher, this is Kevin Coris, he’s a transfer entering the junior class.”

“Ah, oh? Good! Mr Coris—Kevin—please come with me.” He took the proffered folder, turned, and ambled back to his office and stood at the door waiting for me.

I stacked up the forms and handed them to Shirley. “All done?”

She nodded and motioned at Fletcher with her head. I picked up my backpack—it had some school supplies and my gym gear—and asked her if it would be safe on the chair outside Fletcher’s office. She nodded. I went around the counter past Fletcher and into the office. It was quiet in there. Six pairs of eyes flashed at me as I entered. Dr Fletcher came in, closed the door and went to his desk.

Chapter 2 »