October 1st

Starting in a new school in the middle of the semester sucks. The curriculum at the High Trail academy is typical; you've been thrust into English Lit, Algebra 2, World History, Debate, Biology, P.E., and Psychology without much say in the matter.

Your Study Period is with your Psychology Teacher, Theodore "Teddy" Barnes, a man in his mid 30s with a receding hairline and a large collection of knit sweaters. He's soft-spoken and feel-goody and definitely a pushover, but no one is ever quite rude to him.

The school seems quite orderly and tense; it seems to be quite strict here, at least during class hours. Most people behave generally well; much better than your old high school, but there's a sullen air to the place.

The grounds themselves are very nice at least, and include five major buildings: The girls dorms, the boys dorms, the main building, the gym building, and the library. There's also the large sports field, some gardens, a lake, and a bit of forested area that's technically within the school grounds.

The dorm building is actually fairly nice, and you're given a surprising amount of freedom; there's very little monitoring that goes on. You've been placed in a large four-person suite, though it's currently occupied by only two others. The first being Kevin, a small, skinny nerd obsessed with very thick glasses and a squeaky voice. The other is Jonathan, a gruff, sullen boy who seems to be regarded as something of a bully. Great.

The town itself seems unremarkable. It's still unusually warm for the season, ranging from the mid 70s to the mid 80s. The western part of the town, by the highway, is dirty and quite seedy. The eastern half, the school being at the far eastern edge of town, is much nicer: but very quiet.