When the meal was over, Thomas and Alicia went to put down their tray. Alicia's demeanor had changed, Thomas could tell. She was no longer the playful girl he had known until then and had finished her meal without a word. She felt guilty for shattering Thomas's illusions, with the feeling of turning her American dream into a burden to come. The sparkling eyes he had no longer had, replaced by a cold questioning gaze.

They then headed for the library for the first photo club class, and a heavy silence was felt throughout the journey. Alicia resumed her role of guide to show Thomas the way to the room they needed to go. Thomas followed suit and felt in the monotonous tone of his voice that it was best to wait before putting the previous events back on the table.

It was the first time he had stepped into the library. The large wooden furniture that made up the shelving, as well as the amaranth red carpet, gave this place a very old look. The many tables in the middle of the room added an atmosphere of escape and mystery to the decor. Unlike the gigantic architecture of the rest of the school, the library was more secluded, more intimate, and the silence that reigned there invited contemplation and reverie.

Alicia and Thomas took a spiral staircase to the first floor. Hearing the steps creak under his feet, Thomas realized that the library might be older than he imagined. Arrived on the first floor, this one followed Alicia who walked with haste towards the back of the room. At the end, he saw a half-open wooden door from which an inaudible stream of conversations escaped. Alicia entered first, followed by Thomas. Inside, he found a small group of people seated on chairs arranged in an arc, facing Mr. Spillman, who was sitting casually on the back of his chair, one foot on the seat, in front of a large green table.

— Here you are ! he exclaimed. We are now complete.

Alicia came and sat down on one of the two chairs that were left empty. Mr. Spillman spoke to Thomas and asked him to close the door, whereupon he came and sat down on the only unoccupied chair, opposite to where Alicia was.

— Good morning all ! Every face I see is kind of ringing something to me, so you already know I'm Mr. Spillman, but you can call me Ted during this lesson. That’s the only privilege I can give you, aside from maybe giving you better grades for those I have in class.

A slight silence hung in the air, as Alicia smirked.

— No, obviously this is a joke. You can call me Ted, of course, but I couldn't do anything for your notes, I'm sorry.

Thomas and Alicia's gazes met and Alicia gave a small laugh.

— We will be together for a few afternoons for this photo club. You certainly do not all have the same level of knowledge about this subject, which is why this first semester will be devoted to instilling in you the basics of photography. This is a must before devoting yourself to the second semester project, which I still keep a secret. For those who were here last year, I won't ask you to relearn what I taught you last year, but try to refresh yourself if you think you have any gaps. For all the new ones, you will come and see me at the end of this session so that I can distribute the bible to you.

Mr. Spillman then went to a table in the back of the room, where there was a thick pile of leaves. During this time, the silence had given way to the slight sound of a few whispers. He took a small pile and came back to sit the same way he had before.

— Nothing religious about it, that's the little name I gave this guide, he smiles. You will not be evaluated on theory, only on practice. But it is necessary to know what is in these pages in order to be able to understand in the best way what will await you in the second semester. For all elders, you can of course refer to last year's bible if needed, it is exactly the same.

At that moment Alicia held up her hand.

— Yes, Alicia.

— Sir, Thomas is not going to need it, he lives with me so I could pass him my copy.

— Excuse me, which one of you is Thomas? he asked.

— It’s me, Thomas said, raising his hand in turn.

— Well Thomas, here you are dispensing a new bible. If any of the elders want a brand new copy, please come and let me know.

— We only have a few hours to spend together, and trust me, time flies. So I will ask you to understand each lesson before you come so that we can all discuss it together here. Today, of course, we will deviate from this rule, but it is important that we do so for all future times.

* * *

As James continued to watch the home football game on television, and Tracy was at the table browsing his computer, Thomas got up from the couch, greeted his two foster parents, then walked upstairs. stairs. Arrived on the landing, he went to the bathroom. A few minutes later, after washing, he knocked on the door to Alicia's bedroom. (She used to go up to bed a few minutes before everyone else, but Thomas sometimes heard noise beyond the wall that separated his room from the girl's room, a sign that she was still awake.)

— Come in, she said through the door.

Thomas entered and found Alicia's room for the first time. He had only seen part of the interior when Alicia opened the door to exit or enter, and had not sought to discover it sooner, out of respect for his privacy. Alicia’s bedroom was fairly mundane, similar to Thomas’s, except that screwdrivers and computer components were lying on her desk, next to a transparent drawer unit that appeared to be filled with them.

— Excuse me for the mess, she said, putting away the few things lying around.

She was dressed in a simple pale pink nightie, a sign that she was probably going to bed soon.

— Here, he said, handing Thomas a thick pile of stapled papers. Here is the bible.

— Thank you, answered Thomas. Tell me, can I ask you a question?

— Of course, what do you want to know?

— Why are you so different with me than with the rest of high school?

Alicia's face closed and she went to sit on the edge of her bed.

— I have never seen you so happy with others, Thomas continued. Looks like you're avoiding them.

Alicia then took her head in her hands.

— Sorry, that was silly, that's none of my business, he apologized as he headed for the door.

— No, stay, said Alicia, with a few soft sobs in her voice. Come and sit down.

Thomas put the stack of papers on Alicia's desk, and came to sit on the other end of her bed.

— You know, I was never very confident around all these people. High school is not a game of fun for everyone.

—But you looked so sure of yourself the last few days, until noon actually. You now seem so shy in contact with others,

— If I trust you, it's just because you're the more vulnerable of the two of us. You arrive in a new country, you are far from your parents, without landmarks, so it's very easy for me to be a compass and to appear confident in front of you, but it's a facade very easy to hold .

— I imagined that you were the chaperone for my first week of class but that you would have wanted to meet some friends afterwards.

— I don't have any friends here, other than you of course. I mean, last year I was on my own, and I learned to adapt, she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

— I am sorry

— Don't worry, it's not your fault. And I'm pretty happy to know you're here, she smiles.

— And that boy, Peter, was he pissing you off last year too?

— Yes, but hey, I'm not the only one in this case. And then I have two more years to go here, so I am taking it. It's a bad time to have, but with you it's a little more bearable.