The LRB Chapter 2

Reminiscence.

Seraphox went to say hi to the few remaining teachers he knew that still worked at YHS after Joey wandered off somewhere. Almost all of the best instructors had quit since the old principal made horrible decisions that everyone opposed. The elephant, Mr. Bellbottom, was always unpopular with pretty much everybody; students, parents and teachers alike. Seraphox was a little disapointed that for the second time in a row, a crappy principal has left the school AFTER he graduated.

The crowd eventually started to thin out as most of the furs hiked back to the student parking lot to go to their grad night parties. Rei, Rex and Alex had apparently left before the others could find them. Phox bid farewell to Jay, James and Joey for the night. His throat was parched and his water bottle was empty. He learned many years ago not to drink the water at the school after it made him horribly sick for a few weeks. 
Through most of the ceremony it had been very hot but now it was pretty dark and all of the campus street lights were lit. Though his throat was feeling dry, Phox took his time walking back to the car.

Seraphox sauntered through the somber campus. Walking around here at night with all the street lights always gave Phox an interesting feeling he could not describe. He felt the same when he attended his night classes at Frostfur City College. He loved it. The grey fox had to admit that he was a night owl at heart.

As he strolled through the walkways he recalled all the memories he had during the years he went here. He couldn't say that his high school experience was overall good but thinking back to those years gave him yet another feeling he couldn't put into words. Things were always interesting in that part of his life. Even the boring days in the past had a certain feel to them. Things just weren't the same anymore. Seraphox couldn't explain it very well.

The campus has had major changes in the last five years. The 23 year old grey fox passed by an octogonal building that used to be the art and woodshop class but now it has been transformed into the weight room. Oh the stories from that art class he could regale friends with..

Phox stopped quietly on his way past a group of trees and rocks across from the Senior's Park. He turned and climbed into the small circle under the trees. This was once called "Freak Grove" by him and his friends, who just happen to call themselves "the Freaks". They used to eat lunch here after they were wrongfully kicked out of their previous lunch spot called "Freak Alley" because the hicks would come by and trash the area and the Freaks would get blamed for it. Mr. Bellbottom eventually kicked them out of the Grove too by saying "it's not considered being 'on campus' " and deemed it off limits when  in reality, it's smack dab in the middle of it. He pulled the "off campus" card before with Freak Alley, even though it was right outside a class room!

Mr. Bellbottom was always such a prick. He had even put up a yellow string tied around a tree to a small twig growing out of the ground to show where they couldn't cross in Freak Grove. Phox shook his head at the idiocy. After his circle of freaks moved out of the Grove, the next generation of the freaks moved in without any trouble. The principal was probably just targeting his particular graduating class for some reason; most likely because he didn't like them. The feeling was mutual. 

The Freaks final lunch spot was on the top of the hill by the bathrooms that overlooked the autoshop building. Bellbottom tried to give them trouble there too but it was right in between the english portables, drama class, drafting, autoshop and the art building so there was no way anyone could tell them that it was "off campus".

Phox sighed and came back out of the Grove. He watched the few remaining families that attended the graduation ceremony as they headed towards the parking lot. The grey fox resumed his path in the same direction.

The 6' tall fox slowed down once again as he passed the collosal cafeteria. In all the decades that YHS has been open, they finally built one of those. It almost didn't seem right to have one now. Phox laughed at the thought of future students being required to eat lunch through storming rain, snow and hail like he had to for four years. This massive structure could be seen all the way from the road. 

Phox felt unhappy that this small little country school was being transformed into a big city type school. What once was shady dirt trails and hills were now cold concrete sidewalks and stairs with all the trees cut down. It's lost its charm, its life and the overall feeling of it. By the time Phox goes to his first reunion, the whole campus could be totaly unrecognizable. 

He finally reached the new office at the end of campus. On the inside it looks more space aged as if it were the set of a star trek bridge. Phox looked up at the security cameras that were mounted along the walls. Yet another disturbing addition to the campus in this day and age. After all the school shootings, they've upped the security. For Seraphox, it didn't give a sense of safety but rather it reminded him that it could happen here too.

Seraphox stumbled through the newly reconfigured parking lot and fished his keys out of his pocket. He plopped into his metallic green car and buckled his seat belt.

"Well.. Untill next time...." He started the car and put his lights on. Carefully he menouvered through the other parked cars and sleepily headed home for the night.

To be continued.