A Reluctant, New Beginning

Kyle Adams had never been the type to relish in unbridled optimism, but rarely did his mood turn as grim as it was on the morning of the first day of his senior year of high school. However, only the hardest of judges would have called his disposition unjustified. The end of summer vacation and the return to school is an unappealing transition for any teenager, and for Kyle, who was simultaneously struggling to adjust to life in a new town in a new state with a new family, it was the most foreboding "first day back" ever. He was starting out anew among strangers, and so far they did indeed seem fairly strange. Moving from the heart of Illinois' biggest city to a tiny town in Michigan's northern woodlands would require some adjusting, and it would take time. And last, but not least, as the final cherry on top, it was Friday, ordinarily Kyle's favorite day, but spoiled utterly by someone's brilliant idea to begin the school year at the end of a week instead of the beginning.

Kyle eyed the decrepit looking old brick building that was Steel City High School that morning suspiciously, estimating that it was the size of a single wing of his old school in Chicago. Although there weren't any gang tags or other graffiti as he was accustomed to seeing, it appeared that renovation was equally overdue there as it had been in the city. The building's faded red bricks were at least halfway overgrown with sprawling ivy plants, but the impression they left was one of neglect rather than prestige. They looked less like the result of a careful botanical design than they did weeds on steroids. The Ivy League it was not. It seemed to Kyle that nature had caught everybody in a state of lull and was gradually retaking the real estate for itself. Maybe, he thought, in another decade or two the vines would grow heavy enough to start cracking mortar and bringing down some architecture.

The meager size of the building and the number of cars (mostly pick-up trucks actually) in the adjacent parking lot led Kyle to estimate that the entire population of his new school would be significantly less than that of his old class. For better or worse, life in Steel City, Michigan was going to be different, and not just a little bit.

There weren't any metal detectors set up at the doors when Kyle entered the school, and that, too, was different. However, even up there in the sticks there was some security in place. Fifteen feet inside the main school entrance stood a giant mountain-man that would turn out to be the school's principal, a.k.a. Sheriff Tanner to his students.

The green flannel shirt that Tanner wore contained enough material to function as a blanket for anyone living in the normal range of human stature. Kyle gauged the man to be even larger than most of the players he'd seen at the Bear's games that his second foster father had taken him to. Dark brown hair appeared to cover him almost completely, on his face, his neck, and even on the back of his burly paws, which seemed to be permanently attached to his hips. The only clean spot was his head, and it was so clean that it gleamed beneath the fluorescent lighting like a chrome bumper polished to a high shine.

Tanner had positioned himself right in the middle of the hallway, just inside the entrance, and standing among the students he looked like a redwood grown up in the middle of an apple orchard. Kyle reasoned that his intention was to have at least a little corner of his broad shadow fall on every student as they entered for their first day back. Immediate intimidation might save some time and effort on down the road.

The Paul Bunion administrator picked Kyle immediately out the group (not enough to rightly call a crowd), pegging him as a new kid.

"Welcome to Steel City High, Mister ...?"

For just a moment, Kyle considered offering a made-up name, but then he remembered where he was. Anonymity wouldn't be an option in a place like this.

"Adams," Kyle finally offered along with his extended hand, "Kyle Adams."

"From Chicago, right? Well, Kyle, I think that you'll find things around here are a little quieter than what you're used to. I'm sure you'll have no trouble settling in, but if you do get snagged anywhere just let me know and I'll do what I can to fix you up. I'm Mr. Tanner. I'm the principal here."

Kyle noted an extra bit of emphasis placed on the word "principal." It was subtle, but unmistakable, and he took it to mean that "principal" in this case carried something beyond the usual meaning. Tanner's nickname among the students confirmed that the impression was accurate. He was the sheriff of his little community within a little community.

Kyle's right hand actually disappeared for a few seconds while Tanner gave it a shake that was powerful, but genuine. Likewise, Tanner's voice, though deep and gruff, carried a ring of sincerity. He spoke like he might to one of the teachers, not just a lowly student, demanding respect, but offering it as well. Tanner wasn't going to be one to take any crap, that was clear, but he didn't seem like the type that would go out of his way to hassle you either. Kyle could live with that.

Without another word, Tanner moved on to another student, a tall, tan girl wearing a...