Page 78 of Mountain Void

“What if I find a feather?”

“Feathers are fine, as long as they’re on the ground.” The kids laughed. “We’re not picking any flowers, though. Remember what the gendarmes told us during our last field trip? Flowers are part of the ecosystem. They provide food for insects and birds, so we want to make sure not to disturb that.”

“Any more questions?” There were none. “So. Who’s ready to go to the forest?”

A cheer went up through the whole classroom.

“We’re going to have a great time.” She checked the field trip’s Whatsapp group. The other two classes were just about ready as well. The only kid who wasn’t here was Théo. Charlie typed a message quickly, explaining she needed a few more minutes. “Now, before we go, remember the rules.”

A few groans answered that, but the kids were smiling.

“No standing on the bus. No shouting on the bus. No grabbing things from other people’s bags. We look, we collect, and we always stay with the group.”

She was still smiling when she saw Théo in the doorway.

Finally.

He stood very still for a moment, one hand on the strap of his schoolbag, his expression unreadable in that way children’s faces sometimes became when they were trying hard to be brave.

“Good morning, Théo,” she said, keeping her voice warm and ordinary.

He gave a small nod. “Good morning, Ms. Brooks. I brought my bag,” he said, pulling out a modest paper bag.

“That’s perfect, Théo. We had just finished going over the field trip rules. Who can share the rules with Théo?” Three or four voices called out the main rules. Charlie’s phone pinged, letting her know the bus was ready to leave.

“All right, everyone,” she said, straightening. “Hats on. Partners beside you. And don’t forget your bags.”

Charlie followed the children out of the classroom, her heart strangely split in two—one half light with thoughts of Lorenz and the future they had taken back, the other aching for the small boy walking so quietly near the back of the line.

24

Charlie

Charlie sighed, leaning back against the rough bark of a pine tree.

Finally, a minute to herself. The morning had been crazy, even by second-grade teacher standards.

First, the bus had taken a wrong turn, which had added twenty minutes to the trip, by which time several kids had needed an urgent bathroom break. By the time they’d arrived in the forest, it was almost an hour later than planned. Then, to top it all off, several kids had tried to eat some wild berries. Carmen had gotten to them just in time.

“I’ve never seen you run so fast,” Charlie said, laughing.

“They almost gave me a heart attack,” Carmen replied, leaning over to offer Charlie her baggie of carrot sticks. Charlie took one and started munching on it.

“One more thing to add to the rules, for next time.”

“And the snails,” Carmen said. “Don’t forget the snails.”

“Yeah. Not sure how to turn that one into a rule. No adopting snails?”

Carmen laughed. “He’d already named it, if you can believe it! See? This is why I always volunteer for primary school field trips.”

“The snails?”

“The excitement,” Carmen said. “You don’t get this with the older kids.”

Charlie glanced at the children clustered in small groups, eating their snacks. She automatically counted heads without really thinking about it. A reflex from years of teaching. They were all there, except for the four who’d been taken by the teaching assistant to the hut for a bathroom break.

Charlie finished the carrot stick, wishing it were a croissant.