She went through my classes for me, highlighting the best route to each of them on the map-document, and gave me a slip-document to have each teacher sign, which I was to bring back at the end of the day. She smiled at me and hoped, like Charlie, that I would like it here in Forks. I smiled back as convincingly as I could.
When I went back out to my truck, other students were starting to arrive. I drove around the school, following the line of traffic. I was glad to see that most of the cars were older like mine, nothing flashy. At home I'd lived in one of the few lower-income neighborhoods that were included in the Paradise Valley District.27 It was a common thing to see a new Mercedes or Porsche in the student lot. The nicest car here was a shiny Volvo, and it stood out. Still, I cut the engine as soon as I was in a spot, so that the thunderous volume wouldn't draw attention to me.
I looked at the map-document in the truck, trying to memorize it now; hopefully I wouldn't have to walk around with it stuck in front of my nose all day. I stuffed everything into my bag, slung the strap over my shoulder, and sucked in a huge breath. I can do this. I finally exhaled and stepped out of the truck and into my first day of school.
I kept my face pulled back as I walked to
27. Known locally as "The PVD." Garnered national attention in 1989 with the Kinsey murders, in which Alfred Kinsey subjected the members of his family to a series of sexual "stress tests," in order to, "Sound the outer limits of their individual sexologies; in order to determine where such systems being to deteriorate."