Page 13 of Rafe: Sins of the Father

He disappears through the shed door, and I lose interest, dropping the curtain and yawning. I return to my warm bed and drag the covers over my head.

Why must they start that damn mill at such an ungodly hour?

When my eyes pop open again, it’s been another hour and a half.

Flinging the covers off, I climb from my bed and get ready for my first day at Huntington.

At 9am, I’m in the auditorium where we’re all assembled and waiting to hear the dean’s welcome speech.

Nonchalantly, I check out those around me. Everyone is required to attend this presentation, not just the freshman, so the place is filled with many upperclassmen who seem bored and are not above showing it. One such boy catches my eye. He leans back in his chair and whispers to the guy next to him. He points at a girl in the next row, and I know they’re talking about her looks.

The boy behind me drapes his arms over my chair and that of the girl sitting next to me. I turn to look at him, my brows raised.

“You two new here?”

The other girl grins and nods enthusiastically.

I recognize an upperclassman cruising for fresh meat and ignore him.

“Aw, sweetie, why you gotta be like that? I’m just bein’ friendly.” He turns from me to the other girl. “What’s your name, beautiful?”

“Marybeth.”

I keep facing forward and feel him lean closer to my ear.

“Now see, Marybeth knows how to be friendly. But that’s okay, honey. I love it when a girl plays hard to get.” With that, he nips at my earlobe.

I jolt away and slam my hand over my ear. “Oww. You jerk.”

He snickers, and the two boys a row over join in.

The guy behind me calls out to them. “She doesn’t like me, Ryan. Can you believe it?”

“Your favorite type, Connor.”

I glare back at him. “Are you even smart enough to go here,Connor?”

He grabs his chest like I shot him with an arrow. “The only requirement to go here is money, sweetheart.”

I eye him up and down. “Guess in your case, Daddy wrote a really big check.”

“You’re a real comedian, huh?”

“Ooh. She told you off, huh?” one of the other two says, and they both collapse into hysterics.

“Quiet down, everyone,” a woman snaps from the podium. “I’d like to introduce Dean Whitmore.” She retreats and a middle-aged man steps up. The auditorium quiets.

“Class of 2029, congratulations on getting into Huntington College. You’ve each been given an amazing opportunity. My advice to you is not to squander it. As a Huntington College alumnus, you’ll have many amazing opportunities. A diploma from this fine institution opens any door you can imagine. Work hard, and the future is bright with possibilities. Truly, anything is within your grasp.”

He drones on for another forty minutes. When it’s finally over, my ass is numb from sitting on this metal folding chair for so long.

The boy behind me tears off toward the other two students, and they all move to stand by the entrance.

I make my way out of the auditorium, filing along with all the others. The map on top of my notebooks shows the building for my first class is out the door and down to the left.

Skirting a pond with two white swans, I suddenly feel the three stooges fall in behind me.

“Tell us your name, blondie,” the one who sat behind me says, tauntingly.

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