The Haunted - Jessica Verday [18]
But Mr. Knickerbocker wasn’t there.
I walked in anyway, figuring that I’d ask one of the runners if they knew where he was, and was surprised to see a girl I sort of recognized from English class. She was standing apart from the main group, bending over to touch her toes. Her long, dark brown hair was gathered in a ponytail, and her smooth skin glowed like she had a permanent tan. I waited for her to notice me.
It took about five seconds.
“Abbey?” She stood up and came over to me. “Are you joining the track team?”
“Me? No. I’m looking for Mr. Knickerbocker. Do you know where he is?” She leaned into a side stretch. “Nope. Why?”
“I have to talk to him about something.” My brain spazzed as I tried to remember her name. Beth. That was it.
Beth turned and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Lewis! Yo! Come here.” A tall boy with shaggy black hair and the biggest smile I had ever seen left the leg-stretching group and came to join us. “What’s up?” Then he turned to look at me. “Hey, I thought you transferred or something.”
I could feel my face turning red. “No. I was, um, sick. Mono.”
“Do you know where Mr. Knickerbocker is?” Beth asked him. “She’s looking for him.”
“He’s in his office,” Lewis replied. “Or he was, like ten minutes ago.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll head there.”
“Hey, Abbey,” Beth said suddenly. “I’m glad you’re back.”
“Me too,” I said. “See you guys in September.”
I found Mr. Knickerbocker in his office just like Lewis had said. He had two neatly stacked piles of paper in front of him and was methodically rearranging them.
He glanced up at me when I cleared my throat. “Abigail. Come in. Have a seat.” He pointed to a chair by his desk, and I sat. “How are you… feeling?” Mr. Knickerbocker wasn’t dressed in his usual polyester shirt and bad tie; instead he had on a T-shirt and jeans and looked like a total stranger. I didn’t even know teachers were allowed to wear those types of clothes.
“I’m good. Better, I mean. Feeling better.”
He folded his hands in front of him and looked out at me from behind horn-rimmed glasses. “I’m sure you heard about the science fair. Your partner, Mr. Bennett, took second place.”
“Yes, I heard. I was happy for him.” I moved my foot restlessly against the edge of the chair. How should I bring this up?
“Actually, I’m glad you stopped by here today, Miss Browning,” he said. “We need to discuss your chemistry grades.”
“Well, um, see, that’s why I’m here, Mr. Knickerbocker,” I blurted out. “I know I’ve been having a hard time, and I wanted to see if there was any way I could maybe do some extra-credit work, or something? I really don’t want to have to take chem again next year.” Instead of answering that, he asked me, “What are your future goals? College? Career?
What do you want to do with your life?”
I thought about just telling him that I didn’t know, or wasn’t sure yet… but something prompted me to be truthful. “I’m a perfumer. I create perfumes, and I want to have my own business making them for people.”
His eyes lit up. “Really. How interesting. Then you must have a particular interest in chemistry, and perhaps botany?”
I nodded. “Granted, I’m more of an experimenter than a strict by-the-book person when I make new perfumes, but the science is fascinating.” Then I shook my head. “Fascinating, but totally overwhelming. I have a hard time really grasping all the mechanics behind it.”
“All it takes is patience and a willingness to learn, Miss Browning. I’ve found that the real problem for most students is that they aren’t willing to apply themselves. Are you willing to apply yourself ?”
Was he talking about extra-credit stuff now? “Um, I guess.…” Maybe. It all depended on how much it was going to cut into my summer vacation.
Exhaling loudly, he adjusted his glasses. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this, as you are the only student who needs the extra attention this year, but with your future career goals in mind, and your… absence… during the school year, it can’t be avoided.” Now I was