"How do you like your lunch Cecilia?"

"It is very good, Aunt Eleanor."

"Cecilia, I know you only just arrived here in Colorado, but we need to talk about you starting school again. How do you feel about a smaller school near the university that I work at?"

"Oh, Aunt Eleanor. Will I fit in? I barely know anything about Colorado. In Carin I went to the same school you and Mama went to."

"Cecilia, hurry and get your school books for me. I know that you brought them with you, your Mama said that she couldn't imagine that you wouldn't."

"Yes, Aunt Eleanor."

I ran upstairs to get my school books I had packed into my backpack. My teacher Mrs. Hamilton was the best. She always knew how to cheer me up and help me with my schoolwork when I felt confused with something. I was a typical A student with a few B's here and there. I ran back downstairs with my books and sat down at the table.

"I have my World History, Algebra, Literature, and Biology books."

As I handed them to Aunt Eleanor a piece of paper fell out of my Literature book. I didn't remember putting anything in my books after I left Carin, and for the life of me, I couldn't think of what that piece of paper could be.

"Cecilia, your grades are better than I remembered your Mama saying. Did you take any other subjects in Carin? I know your Mama mentioned that you like to draw. I thought the last time that I came to visit you, you were into music?"

"I did play in the band for a while until they shut it down. I also used to take art classes, but they also shut those down when everything started to happen. Governor Malik said that art and music were wasteful unless they were glorifying the government. Our teachers and administration didn't want to take any risks, so they closed the programs completely and those teachers took on teaching other classes, like military exercise and dictatic method. Will I have to wear a uniform again?"

"Oh dear, look at the time! We need to get going to the school. I will answer your question on the way."

"Yes, Aunt Eleanor." I remembered the disappointment that I felt when they shut down the extracurricular classes. Those were some of my favorite classes to take, and the teachers were always so kind to me. When schools started issuing uniforms to wear, it was hard to find one since everyone was rushing to the stores to buy several for the school year. My parents managed to buy at least three which I had to keep clean and neat at all times.

The beautiful brick school soon sat on our right. It seemed small, but welcoming. Above one of the entrances, immortalized in yellowed concrete, imprinted the words "Mountain Pass High School". Just like my school in Carin, this school had been repurposed to serve students for longer through several expansions. From what I could see of the school grounds around the building, there was a clear view of the mountains and the town creek.

"This school is just like what your school in Carin was like before Governor Malik. Students wear uniforms because so many are involved in school activities that it helps to give them an edge on the competition. I think you will like it; you can walk to the university I work at after school. When we are done here I will take you over and show you my office at the university."

"Yes, Aunt Eleanor."

We walked into the big glass doors of the school. It smelled cool and like cinnamon apples, nothing like the school that I'd come from in St. Lea.

"Hi Diane, This is my niece Cecilia. We are here to talk to Jim and tour the school."

"How wonderful Eleanor! It's nice to meet you Cecilia, my name is Diane Harris, but most of the students around here call me Diane. I also work with your aunt at the university part-time."

"Hello, Ms.Harris" I said in a sincere voice.

Mostly, my greeting came from a place of remembering how to handle myself, and the ways that the government in Carin had taught us children to act when we were spoken to by adults. It seemed they had returned to the days of 'children are seen not heard' which I disliked so very much.

"Let me call Jim's office and make sure that he is ready for you. I know he's excited to meet you Cecilia... Alright, go on ahead to his office. Eleanor, do you know where it is?"

"Yes, I was here a couple of weeks ago to talk to him about bringing Cecilia here."

We walked back through a hallway of offices. I saw several smiling faces and piles of paperwork on everyone's desk.Everyone seemed to be so relaxed, and happy at work. I never knew that someone could be so happy working at a desk in an office, mostly because my parents made it sound horribly boring, maybe Colorado was different. Aunt Eleanor knocked on one of the doors and a man came to open it.

The man who opened the door seemed to be older than many of the people working in the office. His dark hair, graying mustache, and slender figure was not what I had expected to see in an american school principal. I always imagined that every principal resembled the one I had in Carin, before Governor Malik. I wasn't afraid although I felt slightly intimidated by his friendly energy.

"Eleanor, how wonderful to see you back here! This must be your niece Cecilia. Welcome to Mountain Pass Junior and Senior High School."

"Thank you Jim, we are eager to see the building and enroll Cecilia for this school year."

"Excellent! Cecilia, my name is Principal Jim Duncan, but I always tell students to call me Mr. Duncan. I taught your aunt for a number of years before becoming a principal. Eleanor, do we have Cecilia's records from St.Lea, or are they still in transit?"

"I have them right here, I also have her grade report from St.Lea."

"Excellent. We can leave those here with Diane and I will show the two of you around the school."

The tour was longer than I ever imagined, none the less, I was impressed with everything that the school had to offer. We wove through the entire school. Walking past many classrooms, the halls were empty and the the school seemed fresh and had a cool breeze blowing down the halls.

"Cecilia, there is one teacher that I would like for you to meet today. Her name is Mrs. Crabtree. She will serve as your advisor during your time here at Mountain Pass. She is our Business Teacher and I think you will find she is a great resource for you."

"Is this only for my first year? Will I have a different advisor if I stay next year?"

"She will be your advisor the entire time that you are here at Mountain Pass."

As we re-entered the office, I was met with a very bubbly welcome from a shorter, thin, and blonde female. I couldn't tell if she was in my grade, below my grade, or above my grade in school.

"Hello!"

"Jessica, this is Eleanor Robinson and her niece Cecilia."

"Hello! Cecilia, I'm Mrs.Crabtree and I will be your advisor this year. I teach Business here at Mountain Pass."

I couldn't help the shaky hello that I managed to squeak out of my mouth, I was becoming more and more nervous. I knew that I shouldn't be this nervous, but this was the first time I had met someone in the United States besides my Aunt Eleanor.

"Jessica, would you like to take Cecilia to the conference room and discuss what we talked about earlier?"

"Sure! We'll be back in the conference room, you can join us when you are done in your office."

She led me back to a conference room with a beautiful view of the mountains. As she sat down across from me I felt calmer, and more at ease with my new reality.

"So, you know my name and my job, but I'll just tell you a bit more about myself as a person. My husband and I have a cat at home and he works in the office at a construction company. I started teaching here at Mountain Pass two years ago, and I am originally from about an hour and a half east of the school. My parents still live near that town so my husband and I go back to visit fairly often. I also have a brother, who lives not too far from the school as well. Can you tell me a bit about yourself?"

"My name is Cecilia Lawrence. My friends in Carin, St. Lea used to call me CeCe. I used to play volleyball and run track. I played in band and drew before they closed the programs out of fear for what might happen. I don't have any siblings. I came to Colorado to escape the collapse that was happening in St. Lea, and I live with my mama's sister, Aunt Eleanor."

We talked for what seemed like hours about what I used to do back in Carin, as well what I hoped to get out of living in the United States. I told her that I didn't know what I hoped to learn from coming to the United States, but I wanted to learn and make this a time to reconnect with the past, and graduate with grades that would allow me to pursue college if I chose to in the future.

"Cecilia, you are one of the bravest girls that I have ever met. It takes a lot of courage to leave everything that you have ever known behind and come to a place that is completely the opposite of what you grew up around. I promise that you can always come to me if you have concerns, questions, or just need someone to talk to. I would like to invite you to try out for volleyball, I think your aunt knows the dates of tryouts but I will double check with her. I think you could be a great addition to our team, I coach the Freshman/C Team so I might be a little biased."

After we met with the principal and discussed where I would be in the school, we've concluded that I would fit best as a Sophomore. Aunt Eleanor and I walked from the school to her office at the university. I loved the beautiful scenery that surrounded me as we walked to the university. That night, for the first time, as I fell asleep like at home in Colorado. I knew that this would be the best year I had in a very long time. It was so peaceful here, the place that I wanted to spend as much time as I could.

Author's Note

Dear Reader, we hope that this chapter began to show some of the challenges that someone who has come to the United States may encounter when they first come to school in the states. Vinchelle and I are excited to introduce you to Treasure, our fellow writer who has joined us in time for the third chapter of this book. We hope you enjoyed this chapter and can't wait for you to see how this story goes.

Written by: RachelAnneWrites & chellever & _BeautifulRose_ 

Edited by: AshBears & lydia-perri