Chapter 4 (Continued)

Chapter 4 CONTINUED

Free smiled menacingly at us as Jane and I sat on his couch. We had just come into the living room.
"I understand school will be opening in a few months; correct?" We nodded in agreement.
"Last night I talked to your Mom about putting you in an educational summer camp since I've heard you've been to school briefly. So I've selected 3 camps. You're pick," Free continued.
"Do we have to?" Jane asked. Free nodded sternly.
"It's mandatory. You need a better education. So, whatever camp you pick, it'll be starting today."
Jane and I scowled and looked at the camps. One was called Camp EduShine, another Educate n' Exonerate otherwise known as ENE. The third one was merely called Educate. Free looked at us excitedly.
"What do you pick?" he asked.
"None," Jane said jadedly.
"Well you have to," Free said, trying to suppress anger.
"We will, but in ENE, exonerate means to basically clarify, and along the lines of educate, isn't it?" I asked.
Free put his head in his hands. "Just pick one!No, in fact I will. How about ENE?"
Jane opened her mouth but Free's gaze stopped. "Come on, Jen and Gab. The camp is waiting."
I gulped and pulled Jane with me all the way down into Free's truck before she could attack him.
"Get in the truck!" Free yelled. Jane and I immediately got into it. He got in after us.
Free started driving the truck like a maniac. He almost ran over about a dozen people!
Jane, Free, and I finally stopped in front of a small gray building with a bright red door and glared windows. A short, rotund woman stood at the door holding a stuffed manila folder and a pink pen behind her ear. Free called the woman Gladys Jerome.
"Hello, children!" Mrs. Jerome greeted.
When Jane and I got closer, we noticed the woman was in love with pink and cats. She wore a pink dress and a white apron that had tiny pink cupcakes sprinkled here and there. Her shoes were pink and white, and her socks were covered with pink cats. She had a pink head band with little gray cats and matching hoop earrings. But the worst thing about Mrs. Jerome was the shiny pink lipstick she wore, that made a black mole next to her lip stand out even more. As she smiled her wrinkles looked like furrows embedded in her skin.
"H-hi Mrs. Jerome," Jane stuttered.
"Aw, you little girl is nervous!" Mrs. Jerome cooed. She pulled at Jane's cheeks with her fat, wrinkly fingers and pricked them with her pink nails. Jane looked aghast and tears started to form in her eyes. She was so distressed she didn't correct Mrs. Jerome on her misuse of words.
"It is fine eh...What is her name sir?"
"Oh, it's Jen," Free smiled.
At that Jane pulled off Mrs. Jerome's fingers and started boiling up."My. Name. Is. JANE!" she screamed at Free. He stood back in fear.
"Nerves are getting them, ma'am. Here's the information. Sorry, I don't have the money now, but I'll give it to you later in the week. Jen-I mean Janeand Gabe; you'll be riding the bus. It comes when your done. Have fun!" Free said. He then ran away. Chicken, I thought.
Mrs. Jerome led us into the sad, gray building. It was just as gray and bland as the outside. "Ok, we do everything in the next room where you can meet other children, children." Mrs. Jerome laughed at her own 'joke'.
Jane and I finally were able to sit. We sat on old, rickety desks, and the rest of the students looked like juvenile delinquents. Our instructor was a tall, thin woman with very long greasy black hair that covered her face and muffled her voice.
"Could this get any worse?" Jane muttered a little too loudly.
"Hey you there!" the instructor said to Jane, "You have no more permission to speak than the rest of us! Get into the front of the class and come do this 50 page packet. It's due before lunch."
Jane reluctantly stood up and got a pencil from the instructor and sat at her desk in front of the class, looking at her packet. She started peering over the class and stopped at me. She mouthed the words any person wanted to hear from their sibling if they were in our shoes:I hate Free!