BASS DROPS ME off in front of Heritage Bay Academy. It’s a two-story, red brick building lined with windows across the front. The only way in is through the double doors which lead to the office.
“Do you want me to walk you in?” he asks.
I breathe out a laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”
Bass arches a brow telling me he’s not kidding and I laugh again. “No, I don’t want you to walk me in, B. I told you, this isn’t kindergarten.” I lean over the console and kiss him on the cheek, before grabbing the door handle. “I’ll be fine. See you this afternoon. Love you. Mean it.” I hop out of the Denali and pull my bag over my shoulder. Shutting the door, I turn and head for the office.
Principal Avery asked that I arrive early enough to pick up my schedule and parking sticker and to give me a quick tour of the new performing arts building.
I walk into the office and see a petite middle-aged woman, with a short blonde bob, seated behind a desk on the opposite side of the counter. Patty Avery is engraved on the brass nameplate situated in the center of her desk.
“Good morning,” I greet her with a smile. “I’m Jayla Ki—Mackenzie. I’m supposed to meet with Principal Avery this morning.”
“Oh, my goodness, Jayla,” she coos, pushing back her chair to stand. “Come on in.” She waves me in through the open space of the counter. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.” She extends her hand to me. “I’m Patty Avery, Principal Avery’s wife, but everyone calls me Mrs. Patty.” She cups her free hand over our joined ones. “I’ve heard so much about you from your grandparents. I feel like I already know you. I don’t think there’s a picture of you that I haven’t seen since the day you were born. I’m surprised Ella didn’t throw a parade when you arrived in town.”
I laugh lightly. She’s sweet.
“I’ll let David know you’re here.”
“I can hear you, Patty,” a male voice calls out from the office just behind her desk. “Show her in.”
Principal Avery stands up from behind his desk and smiles, extending his hand to me. “Good morning, Jayla, I’m David Avery, but everyone calls me Principal Avery,” he jokes, repeating Mrs. Patty’s words. I laugh quietly. “As Patty said, it’s nice to finally meet you. Please have a seat.” He gestures to one of the two leather chairs positioned in front of his desk.
“I understand you were homeschooled,” he states, clasping his hands together and resting them on top of his desk.
“Yes, sir. My mom homeschooled me.”
“Well, you had a good teacher. Emerson was one of my brightest students. Class president, head cheerleader, senior planning committee, and anything else she could squeeze into her schedule. Emerson was a smart girl.” He chuckles again.
“Yes, I know.”
“So, are you ready to see the new performing arts building where Project Mayhem will come to life?” he asks, standing from behind his desk and moving toward the door. I give Principal Avery an enthusiastic nod and follow him out of his office to the new building.
“As you probably already know, this year we’ll start off with a smaller class of ten students including yourself, in addition to the existing students in the marching band,” he explains as we make our way inside. “The cheerleading team falls under our sports department, but the dance team will also fall under the umbrella of the performing arts. We hired two additional, extremely qualified music and performance instructors who come highly recommended.” He winks.
The performing arts building is located at the back of the school next to the gym. Inside the two-story building is a small common area with hallway on each side and two sets of double doors straight ahead, which lead to an auditorium. One of the classrooms, on the bottom floor, is designed for the dance team, with two of the four walls covered in mirrors, and a locker room at the far end. Another room houses the band instruments with an adjoining room for practice. On the second floor, there are classrooms designated for the drama club, an art studio, and a darkroom for photography.
“I wish my dad were here to see this,” I admit.
Principal Avery leads me back down to the auditorium to another set of doors. “I was saving the best room for last.” He opens the door and swings his hand, gesturing for me to step inside. “Welcome to Project Mayhem.”
“YOU’RE KIDDING ME, right?”
“You can call me Mr. Alex.” Alex smirks. “We’re not that formal around here.”
Alex is my new teacher. Highly recommended, my ass. This has Marcus King written all over it.
Principal Avery chuckles. “I’ll leave you two to go over the specifics. If you need anything, Jayla, just come to the office. Welcome to Heritage Bay Academy. Enjoy your first day.” He nods and leaves.
I turn to Alex. “How come you didn’t tell me?”
He laughs. “I wanted to surprise you. I knew you’d probably be a little nervous about your first day, so… surprise!” He makes a surprised face, holding up his hands and wiggling his fingers. I burst out laughing because that was so not an Alex move. I can’t wait to tell Evangeline that one.
This is going to be an interesting class.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I lean against one of the desks in the front row and ask, “Did my dad set this up?”
Alex lifts his shoulders. “He might have put in a good word for me, but I still had to apply for the job, interview, and go through the same hiring process as all of the other teachers.”
“Won’t it be weird being my teacher? We’re practically family. And with us going on tour next year?”
Alex laughs. “We both know you don’t need a teacher. Marcus was the best teacher to both of us and Principal Avery knows that too, but you should still be here. Look at it is this way. The Mayhem Foundation was Marcus’s baby, and Project Mayhem is yours. Think of it as hands-on research. You get a front row seat to see how this program works and what doesn’t. You’ll be working alongside your peers, working with true raw talent, and that’s the best kind. You might even find a few diamonds in the rough. Just remember that when we’re in here, I’m the instructor, so lead by example. This is win-win for both of us.”
“Fair enough.” I shrug.
Alex smirks. “You’re going to give me shit, aren’t you?”
I laugh. “Nope. I’m going to be teacher’s pet, Mr. Alex.”
He huffs out a laugh. “Welcome to Project Mayhem, Miss Mackenzie.”