Dickensen Academy by Christine Grabowski

Author:Christine Grabowski [Grabowski, Christine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, fantasy, YA
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2018-07-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter: 24

I waited in the entryway of O’Reilly with my suitcase and school bags. Every couple of minutes, another student bustled by, oftentimes with a parent in tow. I had brushed and re-brushed my hair and even put on a touch of mascara and pink lip-gloss. I’d never met Ben’s family. They were driving us home. We could’ve ridden with Allison, but his family wanted to visit the academy, and this was one of the only times it was open for visitors.

The chitter-chatter of a little kid filled the air before the elevator door fully opened. I bit my lip. It had to be them.

Ben, his parents, and brother stepped out of the elevator. Ben leaned down and pointed me out. Keeping my face neutral was a challenge. He had prepared me for Calvin, but his parents shocked me. They were so young, especially his mom. She couldn’t have been much older than thirty. Her long, blond hair had definitely not come from a bottle, unlike my mom’s. She was vaguely familiar—I must’ve seen her on the tour months ago. Regardless, I’d have never suspected she was a mother. Most of my friends’ mothers were in their forties and mine had turned fifty last year. His mom was tall and thin like him, and she had his same blue eyes. Definitely related.

Before anyone spoke, someone tugged my leg.

I looked down.

Six-year-old Calvin clung to my thigh, gazing up at me with two crutches dangling from his forearms. He had the same hairstyle as Ben, but Calvin’s was darker and fell back to reveal big brown eyes.

“Hi!” he said, then grabbed my hand and tugged me away from my pile of belongings. Once I started moving, he let go of me, gripped his crutches, and hobbled away, dragging his left leg slightly. “Which way?”

I twisted back toward his family.

Ben grinned. “Sorry. I promised him a little tour before we left.” He dropped his luggage next to mine, and the three of them followed Calvin and me.

His mom and step-dad, Jim, introduced themselves as I traipsed alongside Calvin toward the dining hall. By his speed alone, you’d never guess he had cerebral palsy and wore braces under his pant legs.

While Ben pointed things out to Calvin, his parents listened in. Jim hadn’t been to campus before either. As I followed along, I couldn’t help but recall the dream Ben had before he accepted. It had included a short tour followed by giving me a ride home. Was it simply a coincidence, or could these Dickensen dreams somehow foretell the future or influence it in some way?

A dormitory tour was a nice way to begin with his parents. It gave me a chance to talk about the academy rather than dive straight into the personal stuff. By the time we finished our fifteen-minute stroll through O’Reilly, I was breathing normally again and ready for the long car ride.

“Let’s get you guys out of here,” Jim said as he lifted Calvin up to his shoulders while Ben’s mom grabbed the crutches.

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