Free Rumors by Erica Kiefer Page A

until it exploded, chucking
rumored debris all throughout the school. As with all rumors, the
general idea rooted itself like the trunk of a tree, allowing
branches of gossip and untruths to grow in every
direction.
    “ She cheated on Shane…”
    “ She was arrested for a DUI…”
    “ The coach is revoking her as Captain…”
    Seeking
sanctuary, I skipped lunch the next day, heading for Mr. Nordell’s
classroom.
    “ Hello there, Ms. Collins,” he said after I knocked on the
door. “I wondered when you’d be back.”
    I
slipped off my backpack and seated myself in the available chair
next to him, as if it were placed ready and waiting for my arrival.
“I was going to come sooner but…”
    “ But you got yourself in some trouble over the
weekend.”
    I
flushed, ready to defend myself.
    Mr.
Nordell winked at me. “Oh, don’t you worry now. I don’t believe one
thing about that.”
    I
sighed, wrinkling my forehead in frustration. “The rumors never
stop. Just when I think I can fly under the radar, someone throws
another one out there.”
    “ Some people like to keep negative attention off them by
pointing it at others,” Mr. Nordell offered.
    “ It just seems like, ever since Maddie died…” I stopped. I
hadn’t intended to talk about her. The recent talk going around
school had nothing to do with her. Yet, her name escaped my lips
all the same.
    Mr.
Nordell smiled. “Don’t let people distract you from growing the way
you need to.”
    “ I don’t know that I’m growing from Maddie’s death. I feel
just the opposite, like I’ve lost a part of who I used to be. I
feel stuck.”
    “ Well, that’s part of your problem right there, if you don’t
mind me saying so.” He paused, waiting for my approval to
continue.
    “ Go ahead,” I said, my curiosity peaked.
    “ You’re trying to be the Allie you were before you almost
drowned—before your cousin died. Think about a soldier who was
maimed in war, or a person who lost a limb because of an accident.
They don’t get to have that body part back. They don’t get to be the person
they once were—not physically, and certainly not emotionally. It’s
not possible.”
    I
pondered his words for a moment while he continued.
    “ Like soldiers and accident victims, lives can be altered in a
matter of moments. Those that become instant amputees have to
prepare for prosthetic limbs, rehab, therapy… It would be foolish
to believe that our experiences in life don’t shape us in one way
or another.” Mr. Nordell paused again, studying me. “You’re not
originally from Portland, are you?”
    “ No, I moved from Danville, California three years
ago.”
    “ California… so you are familiar with Yosemite
then?”
    I
laughed out loud, a rush of memories touching my mind. “It was
pretty much my backyard. Yosemite is gorgeous.” Reflecting on the
frequent camping trips we used to take as a family, I added,
“There’s nothing like it.”
    Mr.
Nordell flipped open his laptop. He pulled up pictures of Yosemite
Valley, pointing to the carved, granite cliffs, including the
infamous Half Dome and El Capitan. “Did you know that before
Yosemite became this magnificent valley, that it was just a
meadow?”
    I nodded
my head. “I had to do a report on the formation of Yosemite in
fourth grade. I learned all about how it formed from molten rock
and glaciers.”
    The
science teacher in Mr. Nordell seemed to perk up. “Now imagine, if
it were possible, that Yosemite had resisted this change—that it
hadn’t allowed nature to take its course in molding and shaping
that meadow.” He scrolled through more breathtaking photos, pausing
on each one. “We would not have this picturesque, remarkable valley
that we cherish today. Now let me ask you one more question—how
long did this formation take?”
    “ Millions of years,” I answered. “It was a very slow
process.”
    “ Yes, very slow indeed…” He enlarged a picture of Half Dome,
the granite formation