Snippet #2081853

There was an elusive cold bite to the October air. Growing up, Felix hadn't really noticed it, but returning from a summer holiday in warmer climes it was quite remarkable. The sun shone brightly, the ruddying woodlands glowed with a benign warmth...and yet the air still nipped at his skin. It almost compelled him to narrow down his college choices to the ones with reliably decent weather! Of course, college at all depended on his scholarship, and his scholarship could only come through two channels; the one people were allowed to know about, or the one people weren't....

The school itself, he thought making his way through the gates, had become too familiar in his eyes. It was like the strict grandmother who scared you as a child, but now crooned sweetly her best wishes on seeing you move away. Sure, he'd miss the place, an especially the football team...but a time for something new seemed right. Well....almost. Still most of another year to go...

In true backwater style, the principle and a few other members of staff had set out some plastic benches with forms to sign for attendance. Why? Nobody really knew. Every other day of the year they'd do a regular roll-call in home class, but the first day of the school year it had to be.....this....

"Roseblade...." the gym teacher nodded with a proud smile. Felix tipped his head back, returning the smile rather awkwardly. Yeah, he knew. He knew that there was the big game in just a few weeks, as if there wasn't enough to think about already.

"Hey Mr Alresford." he replied, leaning down to sign his name on the form. The principle - a dangerously underfed woman with greys well before her time - sneered at him down the bridge of her nose.

"Welcome back Mr Roseblade." she said, slurring his surname with what certainly sounded like a hint of contempt. "The all important last semester you for, eh?"

All important indeed, he thought to himself. Coach Alresford is going to expect the Panthers to be at their best, as will the other guys...and then of course the drama club, his other hope for a scholarship...they'd vowed it would be their most successful semester ever, and Felix had promised to pull his weight in making it so. All in all, Felix was going to be a guy stretched very thin. It was a small mercy he didn't have a girlfriend to worry about.

"Well," said the principle, "get yourself inside. Just because you're early to register doesn't mean you can't be late for class if you stand around looking like a deer in the headlights."

Felix nodded and made his way towards the school entrance.


"Yes Miss Fingrinhoe." he mumbled. For t'was her name.