Just as scheduled, they arrived at Green Forest Middle School and met Alex's dad near the front entrance. As Alex hobbled in on her crutches with her dad and Aunt Meredith by her side, the whispers began among some of the staff who watched Alex come in. “This must be the day that Alex would be pulled from school,” they quietly suggested among themselves. They knew that day would probably come sooner or later since many of the teachers and faculty had heard rumors about Dex and the neglect Alex experienced at home.
Alex found the whole process of uprooting her to transfer her to another school rather boring.
“Just wait out here in the hall, Alex. It’ll only be for a few minutes,” the Principal said. Of all of the conversations her dad had with some of the faculty there, Alex wasn't even included in half of them.
As she waited in a chair out in the hall during one of their private conversations, she remembered she missed her play date with Brenda yesterday and so she grabbed her cell phone to send her a text. Her cell battery was completely dead. She forgot to charge her battery so now she couldn’t text. She had no idea when her cell phone may have powered off although it must have been sometime after she read the text Glade sent her. She grabbed her spare battery and was thankful it had a full charge. Right after powering it up, her phone rang. It was Brenda.
“I saw you in the hall just now. Why didn’t you come over yesterday? Are you okay? I saw you at the principal’s office. So you’re either in trouble, which I doubt, or you’re receiving some reward – like a reward for being the coolest student ever. I figure you must have a good reason for not showing up yesterday since I know how badly you want the newspaper. So what’s up?”
“I can’t live with my parents anymore. I’m having to live with relatives which means…”
“You’re moving?” Brenda interrupted in shock.. “Why can’t you live in your house?”
“It’s a long story. I don’t really want to talk about it right now,” Alex almost began to cry. “I really did want to come over yesterday but something interrupted it. But don’t worry. I’ll give you the autographed table. It just probably won’t be today.”
“I can’t believe you’re moving!” Brenda began to cry.
“There’s nothing I can do about it. And believe it or not it’s a good thing.”
“I don’t want you to move,” Brenda cried.
“How are you making this call? I know you’re not calling from class.”
Brenda replied tearfully, “I’m in the bathroom.”
“I promise I’ll see you when I can.”
“Is it because of Dex? Did he hurt you again? I’ll kill that bully! I don’t care if he’s your brother!” Brenda said angrily.
“ Yeah. Dex has something to do with it. But I’ll be safer away from him.”
“Why can’t he move, huh? He doesn’t deserve to live there but you do. He should move, not you!”
“None of my relatives will take him. He’s too violent. My dad already tried that once. You remember. Last summer.”
“Oh yeah,” Brenda said less tearfully. “That sucks,” she sniffled.
“I’m glad you called. I was just about to text you.”
“This conversation would’ve taken too long to text,” Brenda snickered.
“True.”
“Will I see you at all later today? When is your last day here at school?”
“I’m pretty sure it was yesterday. Today seems to be the day I’m switching to a new school.”
“Which school?”
“North Ivy,” Alex sighed.
“I should probably get back to class,” Brenda said as she thought she heard someone walking towards the girl’s restroom. “I’m really gonna miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too.”
“Call me tonight if you can, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Bye for now.”
“Bye for now.” Alex seemed to know that once the trade for the newspaper was complete that chances are her friendship with Brenda would fade pretty quickly since they would live so far apart and neither of them was old enough to drive a car yet. Alex’s heart began to ache.
She tried to see if any of the occasional passing students were a friend she could at least wave to. She hoped to find some comfort in a friendly, familiar face since this would be the last time she would set foot in that school. She really hoped to see her best guy-friend, Chase, before she left. But since Alex had arrived during a time when all students were in their first class, the halls were mostly empty with the exception of the Assistant Principal scouting the halls. There was also seen a few random students that occasionally appeared under the usual excuse of the need to go to the bathroom.
After several minutes had passed without seeing any other students, Alex saw a former classmate named Gloria shuffling quickly to what was most likely a trip to the bathroom. Gloria was a student Alex helped regularly with lunch money. She didn't notice Alex watching her. Alex then tilted her head back against the wall where she sat and she let out a long, heavy sigh as a quiet sense of sadness began to sink into her heart over the thought that Gloria would be looking to find Alex for help again for lunch money only to find that Alex was no longer attending the school and would therefore no longer be able to help Gloria, or any of the other dozen or so students that had come to rely on her over the years. She would no longer be able to protect weaker students from bullies either. Suddenly Alex felt very tired.
When her dad and Meredith emerged from their final meeting with the school principal, the typical obligatory handshakes of goodbyes ensued.
"We're sad to see you go, Alex, but you'll be a tremendous blessing to North Ivy Academy. I just know it," the Principal said with a confident smile to Alex.
Alex was speechless as they left. Alex's dad held the rear passenger side door open for Alex to sit in as Meredith seated herself up in the front passenger seat of Francis' glistening late model luxury sedan. With everyone seated in his car and with all seat belts fastened, he drove them to North Ivy Academy. It made sense to leave Meredith's car at Green Forrest while he drove them all to North Ivy since they would be heading back to the Opalstone residence afterward and then they could simply swing back by Green Forrest to let Meredith pick up her car.
Francis and Meredith began talking about various subjects that ranged from his latest medical developments at work to subjects about the real estate market costs for areas near North Ivy Academy. As the two talked up front, Alex became lost in her own thoughts in the back.
North Ivy Academy was not only a rich private school, but it was a hard school that had earned one of the nation’s highest rankings for academic achievement. The thought that Alex might actually have to start working hard to get an “A” grade gave Alex spooky chills. And what was worse, she would have to start wearing a school uniform. She seriously hoped she wouldn't be required to wear a dress. Being a tomboy was a significant part of who Alex was. And although Alex was also naturally pretty enough to look and act feminine, the requirement to wear a dress wasn't something she liked. She preferred to have a choice in such matters.
She began to worry. “Dad?” Alex asked.
“Yeah, honey?” he replied.
“Will I have to wear a short, immodest skirt? Like something barely knee length or shorter? If so, shouldn’t the school care about how a girl feels when she wears certain clothing? I mean, the whole point of immodest clothing is to make a sexual object out of the person who wears it and I hate that feeling.”
“If the school administrators make the girls wear uniforms that are immodest that does seem to say that they don’t think much of the poor example that makes,” Meredith replied. “It certainly tends to distort the views of the girls of themselves as young ladies as well as by the young men and adults.”
“Yeah. See? Aunt Meredith gets it.” Alex replied. Francis just shrugged his shoulders.
“Do you know what ‘upskirting’ is, Dad?”
“No. Wha
t’s ‘upskirting’?” he asked curiously.
“It’s when a boy sneaks up behind a girl in a skirt and takes a picture of what she’s wearing under her skirt. If the school requires immodest skirts then they probably don’t even care about it.”
Francis was at a loss for words. He wasn’t sure if he could believe those facts but then again, he was the same man that didn’t always believe Alex or Glade when they complained about Dex.
These concerns made Alex plan ahead. If any boy tried to 'upskirt' Alex by sneaking up behind her and using their cell phone to try and take a picture of Alex's underpants, then the only photo they would run away with would be a picture of Alex's shorts that covered her underwear. That way it would be a wasted shot. Just the thought of having to protect herself from such a violation if her privacy made her angry. But at least she was smart enough to plan ahead so any boy who would think Alex was an easy target would be quickly disappointed. With that worry temporarily resolved, she moved onto other thoughts.
“Do you think there will be any poor kids to help with lunch money needs?” Alex asked openly.
“Don’t go there, Alex.” Francis warned. “Just leave that thought alone and let their parents feed their own kids.”
“You care about poor kids, Alex?” Meredith asked in awe. Alex nodded sincerely. “Wow! Francis you sure did raise a great kid!” Meredith smiled.
“Don’t encourage her. If you do, you may just find your bank account dwindling,” he said cautiously.
“Uh-oh,” Meredith snickered not really believing him or understanding exactly what he meant.
“ Dad, do you think the teachers at North Ivy will be very strict?” Alex asked. “What if I get in trouble for something even though I didn’t do anything wrong?” She wondered if she made an innocent mistake, would she be severely punished with little or no chance to explain her side of the story. Alex felt a headache starting.
“I don’t know, honey,” Francis said. “Try not to worry.”
She looked out the window to see the homes they were now passing on the street. They were very large and most luxurious. She thought they must be getting close to the academy since she remembered hearing her dad mention earlier that it was located in a wealthy area.
As they pulled into the parking lot of North Ivy Academy, many of the cars parked there were similar in prestige and price to Francis' car. As Alex saw the rows of some of the various luxury cars, she noticed that some of the much older models may have only been valued at around twenty-five thousand dollars or less. The newer models must have been valued at around seventy thousand or more. Alex began feeling more at home.
She noticed another parking lot with a mix of older and much less valuable cars and she assumed that those must have belonged to the custodial people and some of the part-time staff. Most of the more expensive cars probably belonged to the high school students who had their driver’s license and the other cars may have belonged to a few of the principals and teachers since North Ivy had an unusual reputation for only hiring the best teachers so they could get the best results for the students and pay such five-star teachers highly as well.
These teachers were blessed to work at North Ivy since the academy held parents accountable for what happens for students at home. North Ivy required parents to work closely with the teachers to ensure that students were getting homework done at home and getting any other extra help needed by the teachers for students to understand their studies and earn higher test scores with honest efforts.
Francis found a Visitors Parking spot near the front entrance and parked. They all got out of the car and took in the view of the academy and its campus grounds. As the three used the disability ramp so Alex could more comfortably use her crutches to approach the front entrance, Alex was surprised to see what looked to be a fairly new and very modern school.
"I love the architecture," Francis said in awe.
"This year they'll celebrate its fifth year of opening," Meredith said.
Once inside Alex felt small as she looked up at the three story high ceiling. Lots of natural sunlight shined though the tall windows and the various hallways. The rooms seemed much more open and spacious than the older school of Green Forrest. Alex saw more students in the halls this time as they had arrived when students were passing in between classes. A veritable campus of learning, several buildings were scattered over five acres of land. North Ivy Academy had an elementary school, middle school and high school. It actually felt like it was a university setting but on a much smaller scale.
“I heard this school has an average waiting list of over three hundred students per year.” Meredith said to Francis as they walked and talked.
“It’s true. The only way a new student can enter is by a school raffle held at the start of each year. That would have kept Alex out for the year if it had not been for a few things.” Francis said.
“What few things?” Meredith asked curiously.
“First, evidence had recently confirmed that a student Alex's age was kidnapped just four days earlier by his own father and moved to a state over two thousand miles away since his parents were divorcing and in a heated custody battle.”
“Oh, that’s terrible,” Meredith said sympathetically.
“So the administrators at North Ivy have no idea of when he’ll be back.”
“That kid could be gone for months if the police can’t find them,” Meredith added.
Francis nodded in sympathetic agreement and continued. “Second, no one of the school's staff had yet called to schedule another raffle or yet picked someone on the waiting list to fill his spot. And third, but most importantly, just one year ago, the son of North Ivy's principal underwent a lifesaving surgery…
“…by the skilled hands of Dr. Francis R. Opalstone,” Meredith guessed with a chuckle as she gave him a cheerful pat on his arm.
“Yes,” he smiled, “And I waived over thirty thousand dollars for fees and services as the total cost for the medical help exceeded what the Principal could ultimately afford.”
“So the Principal owes you a favor!” Meredith whispered exuberantly.
“Let’s just say that the principal here is more than willing to accommodate my desires to place Alex as a student at North Ivy at this time,” he said proudly. Meredith shook her head smiling just thinking at the powers Francis had as a successful and well-known doctor.
After Alex went through another round of meetings with school administrators that mostly included her dad and Aunt Meredith, it was finally over as more handshakes ensued. As Principal McDougal escorted them back to the main entrance of the school, the sounds of their shoes and voices echoed as they walked and talked.
"Well, Alex, I understand you enjoy learning about financial planning and investments. Is this true?" Principal McDougal asked intently.
"I like to learn all I can so I can know what to plan for my own future," she said matter-of-factly.
"Decisions about money are some of the most important decisions anyone can make," he said.
She then looked at him thoughtfully and asked, "Should I call you Principal McDougal or Mr. McDougal?"
"Either is fine," he replied.
"Principal McDougal, did you know that the average American baby boomer who turns sixty this year and plans on retiring at age sixty-five has less than five years to accumulate a minimum of $2.5 million dollars, which would barely provide for their needs if they lived to age ninety?" Alex asked him rather seriously.
Principal McDougal suddenly turned pale in fear over the thought of his own inadequate retirement savings, but he quickly tried to hide his shock. "No, Alex," he nervously chuckled, "As a matter of fact I did not know that."
Alex continued. "It's exactly because of the fact that people don't know these things soon enough in life which is a big reason people are retiring in poverty." Principal McDougal started to look like he was getting sick at the thought but again he tried to hide it with a smile. "The sooner peop
le learn in life what they really need to retire with enough money just to survive, the sooner they can take the right actions to ensure a happy and successful retirement. The sooner they learn the right things about money, the more control they can have over their future," Alex added as she smiled proudly nearly sounding like a television commercial for a large investment firm.
Dr. Opalstone thought he'd better rein in the super financial phenomenon known as his young daughter before the Principal fainted. "That's enough for now, Alex," Francis smiled in some embarrassment. He wasn't sure if the Principal would feel insulted by such a young girl knowing more than he knew about money since after all, he was the Principal and it could be considered rude if he thought she might be showing off. But as usual, Alex was not showing off. Alex was just being Alex. And if she happened to know more than most adults did about money, then so be it.
"Thank you again for your help," he said to Principal McDougal.”
As Francis, Meredith and Alex began to walk out the front doors, Principal McDougal was reminded of something to tell Alex. Because she clearly had a particularly bright mind, he thought he should tell her of an important event that the school would be inviting students to participate in––an event that may be a good outlet for Alex's deep thinking mentality.
"Alex, one more thing..."
"Yeah?" Alex replied, as she leaned on her crutches and listened intently.
"Do you like competitions? Particularly ones that require intellectual capability and strategy more than physical strength?"
Alex shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe."
"Be sure to be on time tomorrow as a new school competition will be announced to all middle school students sometime tomorrow morning. I think you might actually like it," he smiled.
"What kind of competition?" Alex asked curiously.
"A fund-raising competition."
"What's the prize for the winner?"
"Be on time tomorrow and keep your ears open and you'll find out!" he replied cheerfully. He then turned and walked away. Alex was intrigued.