AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Autumn’s grandparents loved her, but they weren’t demonstrative like these people. They were loud and always touching or teasing each other. To someone raised without hugs or touching, it was unsettling, but she was getting used to it slowly.
An elderly gentleman she knew as Mr. Goldhirsh was passing out the papers. He’d been out of town when she arrived due to running a marathon somewhere, Miss Sarah had told her.
“You lot, don’t cheat,” he said when he handed theirs over.
“I’ll keep them in check. Don’t you worry,” Miss Marla said.
“Name?” Maggie said, having elected herself team leader.
“IAOF,” Nash said.
“What?” His sister glared at him.
“In Awe of Ford team.”
“You’ll get yours,” Ford shot back.
“FIOM,” Fin added. “Ford Is Our Man.”
“And you.” Ford jabbed a finger his way.
“That’ll do.” Maggie wrote it down.
“No, it won’t!”
“How come his is okay and not mine?” Nash demanded.
“Shut up, all of you. It’s FIOM,” Fin said.
“First category is geography,” Mayor Gripper said.
“This your strong suit?” Ford asked Autumn.
“I do okay with it.”
“Nice.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.What was his problem?
“Question one. What is the only country that borders the United Kingdom?”
“Ireland,” Miss Robbins and Autumn said as one.
“Ninety percent of the Earth’s population lives in which hemisphere?
“The northern hemisphere,” Ford said before she could answer.
“How do you know that?” Maggs asked him.
“I read.”
“I read,” his sister said.
“But I actually retain what I read.” He smirked.
Siblings, she’d observed, liked to annoy each other.
Autumn hadn’t wanted to come out tonight. Miss Sarah and Miss Marla had arrived at her door and basically bullied her into dressing and going out with Miss Marla. Ritchie had been happy to stay with Miss Sarah and read the books she’d brought with her.
Autumn hadn’t come to Ryker Falls to make friends. She’d come to escape her ex and find something that was missing in her life. A home and a new beginning for both her and Ritchie. To achieve that, she knew they had to get away from the gentle yet firm control her grandparents had on her life.
