Caroline Ridge

Caroline Ridge High is known for its fabulous library. It has bookcases that swirl around the room and whole ladders set in place to help students get the books too high to reach. It covers history, Sci-fi, Romance, Science, chemistry, fantasy, logistics, and much, much more. But unfortunately Jade was not enjoying the grandeur of the library. She was too furious to enjoy it. 

Jade was usually in a state of mild annoyance but fury was uncommon for her. She had a few breathing techniques that usually calmed her down. Not this time though. 

“Honestly, Jade! You’d have more friends if you cooled it with the ‘Caroline Ridge’ thing,” Carson Pratt was saying as he spilled Cheetos onto the library table (A.K.A the most annoying human being on the face of the earth). His glasses slipped down his nose slightly, like they always did when he was being passionate. Ew, debate club kids.

“Shockingly, I don’t remember asking for your opinion,” Jade sniped back. The whole Caroline Ridge thing. Ugh. Did no one care about their founder anymore?

“I mean really, she was just some old lady who did some decent stuff,” Carson said, popping another Cheeto into his mouth. Obviously the answer to that question was: yes. Literally nobody cared about Caroline Ridge anymore. Her hero. Jade had, in third grade, tried to start a ‘Support Ridge Club’ but she’d shut that down when the only people to attend where, herself, the teacher, and a wackjob who was always discussing different ways to dismember people. 

“Some old lady! What is wrong with you! She was a hero! She promoted education and learning! Even spending her own money to help found this school in fact…” Jade was well aware that the group of freshmen by the cooking section were definitely laughing at her, but she didn’t care. She didn’t even care that Carson was shaking from witheld laughter at her outburst. She was too invested now.

“Caroline could have been mayor but she decided to spend her life supporting and spreading education! She paid for every brick of this library day by day! Even during the Great Depression she helped students go to school and learn with her library! Her personal works are here somewhere…”

“If her books are here why haven’t you already memorized them,” Carson interrupted. Jade frowned. Technically, none of Ridge’s books, diaries, blueprints, etc. had actually been found in the library. Otherwise Jade would definitely have a few quotes memorized at least. But…maybe they just hadn’t looked in the right place yet. Ridge was an interesting lady. She could have buried them in a time capsule under the library for all Jade knew.

“Just because Ridge doesn’t do things the ordinary way doesn’t mean she isn’t extraordinary,” Jade snapped.

“Is that a translation for ‘the old lady lied and didn’t give the school all her works like she said she would in her final stupid speech before she died’?” Carson stared at her with his Debate Team face which Jade had seen too many times. His Cheeto bag finally lay forgotten on top of a book.

“Did you seriously look up her last speech so you could use that argument on me,” Jade asked. She was mostly annoyed that he was so persistent but a little impressed at his commitment. Carson just flinched.

“Uh, well..,” Carson said awkwardly. “We, uh, had to read it for…English class.” Jade snorted. She’d tried to persuade the teacher to give them a speech if hers to read to promote pride in their founder last year.

“Look, it doesn’t matter why I read it. The fact is she lied about that and for all we know she never wrote a book in her life. She just fixed a couple trains.” Jade barely restrained her growl. Caroline Ridge had engineered the train system that had kept their town going in the early days when bigger cities were getting all the money in the Great Depression. People had wanted her to become mayor but instead she’d used her money to make this library. Ugh. Fixed a couple trains. The nerve. Jade decided to find a new table before she decked someone.

The library was open longer than the school. So Jade decided to stay a few more hours. At least until the snow stopped. She really didn’t want to walk home in the snow. 

Jade collected her books, weaved through the groups of gawking and laughing students, and marched to the maple table in the corner. She popped in her ear buds, turned the volume up and got to reading. Jade occasionally looked up at the crosshatched beams across the ceiling and the windows glittering with frost. All the bookshelves piled high with colorful books and the little strings of light hanging from book shelf to bookshelf, window to window. 

Jade was so engrossed in her book(It was a book she liked so much she’d read it seven times) that I took her a while to notice that everyone else had left.

Jade looked up, surprised. It wasn’t like the library was usually packed but there were always at least four or five others studying for a test or doing homework. 

“Uh, hello?” 

No answer. This was getting weird. It wasn’t like she hated the quiet it just seemed…odd.

“Hello!”

Still nothing.

“HELLO!”

This time Jade thought she heard a response. They were on the second floor though. It really was a big library. It was technically owned by the school but it was open to anyone who wanted to come. Which made it really, really strange that no one was there.

“Is someone there,” shouted a familiar voice. Fantastic. Carson. Maybe she just wouldn’t answer.

“Jade!” Carson flung himself down the stairs with an overly enthusiastic look on his face.

“Uh, hi.”

“Look! Look,” he shouted racing to a window.

“I've actually seen the library before,” she said but she walked over. Her curiosity getting the better of her.

Snow was piling on the sidewalk quicker than Jade had ever seen. Huge flakes whizzed around like it was their personal mission to make sure the concrete never saw the light of day again. Icy winds laid siege to the few remaining leaves on the trees.

“Oh…wow,” she said, lamely. It was beautiful. They both stood in shocked silence(which was impressive for Carson as Jade had never seen him stop talking for more than five minutes). 

“So, uh, can I get a ride,” Carson asked. He looked like he’d rather gorge his brown eyes out.

“I don’t have a car.”

“But…someone is coming to pick you up, right?” Jade rolled her eyes. Her house was only a ten minute walk from the school.

“No,” was all she said though. Carson’s eyes went back to the window and Jade was starting to get worried too. She really, really didn’t want to walk in this.

“S’pose the librarian will give me a ride?”

“You want to ask a stranger to give you a ride? You know that’s how people get kidnapped, right?”

“It’s that or frostbite,” Carson exclaimed, like Jade was being extremely stupid about something very simple.

“Ugh, how far away do you live?”

“Couple miles.”

No way was he walking home in this then. Looked like he’d just have to stay here. Jade shrugged at him in a “that’s your problem” sort of way and walked toward the large front doors.

“Oh, come on! Don’t just leave! Jade,” Carson called after her. Jade sighed. Sometimes she really wanted to kill him. What would Caroline do in this situation? She’d probably have already made a snowmobile out of door hinges. 

“Fine, fine, you baby. Let’s look for the librarian I guess.” Carson scowled at her but let the insult go. 

Mrs. Honey was not at the front desk. Which was fine. It wasn’t like she was always sitting there. Just…most of the time. Carson tried ringing the bell on her desk like that would somehow summon her.

“Maybe she went to the bathroom,” he said.

“Maybe she wasn’t stupid enough to stay inside the library when it was being snowed in,” Jade said.

“Hey, you did too.”

“I don’t live a couple miles away from school.” Carson made his “dang, I lost the debate” face again. 

“Let’s just go check the bathroom.”

The bathroom was in the corner of the main entrance room. The girls on the right, boys on the left. 

“Come on,” Jade tugged on Carson’s sleeve. His eyes widened. “What? Do you see her?”

“I can’t go in there,” he said. “That’s the girls bathroom!”

“Ugh, she’s probably not even in there!” But all Carson did was widen his already wide brown eyes and shake his head. Carson also had thick-rimmed glasses making his eyes seem inhumanly large. Jade shook her head, annoyed, and walked in. 

“Ah, Miss? Mrs. Honey?”

Nothing.

“Ma’am?” Zilch. Where was she? Had she left? 

Jade walked out to where Carson was leaning against a column.

“She’s not in there.” Carson jumped so hard his glasses fell off. “I don’t know where else she would go. Let’s check the desk again I guess.” Carson nodded. 

She had not returned. Jade checked the desk. Which was technically rude but Jade was snowed into the library. She felt like this was an exception. There was a note: 

Left for the day. Ask assistant if you need anything.

“Huh.”

“Did you know there was an assistant,” Jade asked.

“Nope. What…should we do now?” Jade didn’t know what he was going to do but she was leaving. The librarian was gone and the so-called “assistant” was nowhere to be seen. No way was Jade staying stuck in a library with the Anti-Caroline-Kid.

“Yeah, I’m out. Good luck!” She matched off towards the door.

“Uh, Jade?” Jade ignored him. She got to the front door…and froze. Ooookay. So there was, like, three feet of snow covering the door. Whatever. That was fine. What would Ridge say? When one door closes, a window opens (not technically an original quote but Ridge used it a lot). There was a side door.

“Jade.” She continued to ignore him and marched around the bookshelves to the side door. She pushed on it. Locked. Jade rammed it with her shoulder. Nothing happened.

“Jade!” Jade still didn’t look at him. There were…windows? 

“Ja-ade!” She wanted to murder him.

“What,” she said, spinning around. The supremely smug look on his face made her want to smack him. I often feel as if the people around me are less intelligent than I. As half the world are idiots and the other half are undecided. And then there’s us. The outsiders. At that moment Jade completely agreed with Caroline. 

“There’s a door in the basement to the outside. And it’s covered with a pavilion.” Ugh. He was right. She’d forgotten about that. And now he would be insufferable. 

“You know,” he continued. “For Caroline-Whatever-Her-Name-Is designing this library, there’s not a lot of snow protection.”

“Maybe that wasn’t the first thing on her mind! Maybe she was more concerned with the free education she was giving!”

“Or maybe, she’s not as great as you think she is! I’m mean come on, Jade! She. Lied! She said she was gonna give her work away, but no. She kept them to herself.” His glasses slipped to the end of his nose.

“Wow, I guess she didn’t want to share them with idiots like. You!” Jade didn’t notice when she started shrieking, but she was now. Why, why, why did he have to prove her wrong? Why!

“I’m the idiot here?”

“YES!”

“I’m not the one that spends all her time researching a dead lady and being rude to ev-e-ry-one! I actually have a life!” Has a life? Has a life?!? HAS A LIFE?!? Ha!

“You? You spend all your time doing debate club! You're annoying enough to be a popular kid but too nerdy! You're-just-you-I-ugh!” Now Carson was shouting too. His face was red.

“Hey! This isn’t about me! I was just talking about Caroline-Freaking-Ridge! Why does it always have to get personal?” 

“Don’t you think it’s ‘personal’ when you offend the most important thing in my life!” Carson actually looked a little ashamed for a moment.

“Fine, fine. I’m sorry! Is that what you wanna hear?”

“I’d prefer begging for forgiveness.” Carson threw his hands up.

“Can I do anything right? I try to be your friend but you say I’m being annoying. I try to learn about Caroline but you say I’m mocking you! What do you want?” The first step in the lifelong process of peace is understanding. Okay, Ridge, Jade would try.

“Look,” Jade sighed. “I…I’m sorry. What about we…start over. Truce?” She stuck her hand out. He nodded and shook it.

“…friends?”

“Ew. No. Let’s not go crazy.” He blushed.

“Er, shall we…find that basement door?”

Jade nodded and they walked down the basement door. It was of course locked but the keys were next to the door. Jade felt a twinge of guilt but really, it was just asking to be used. They walked down the steps. Carson jumped at every creak of the floorboards.

“It’s creepy down here,” Carson moaned.

“Not to mention dusty.” Jade wondered if anyone had been down here in the century since it had been built.They heard the heater humming. Carson led the way to the other side of the rather small basement. To a small, dark door. The basement was only one room. Filled with only a heater. And some boxes in the corner. Jade tried to open the door. It wasn’t locked but it was stuck. She shoved her dude against the door. It creaked slightly.

“Hey, Jade?”

“Hold on.” She tried ramming it again. No luck. Perhaps she could use a stack of some sort.

“Jade, come look at this.”

“Give.” Shoulder ram. “Me.” Ram. “A.” Ram. “Sec!” It moved inch by inch. Brute force is strong but not always the strongest. Too true, Caroline. Jade briefly wondered if she had been ramming a door open when she’d thought that one up.

“No, really! Look.” Jade sighed and walked over. There was a thin outline on the wall beside the heater. Huh. This time Carson did the shoulder ramming. Nothing happened. He shrugged. 

“Useless,” he concluded.

“What about that lever?” There was indeed a small lever stuck into the wall. Carson blushed deeper.

“Oh, yeah. I saw that.” He pulled the lever down. The door popped open. They looked at each other. Eyes wide.

Jade marched in immediately. It seemed to be a narrow hallway. Leading to a curtain. Jade turned on her phone flashlight. To be clear, her mom and dad, and Carson’s parents were working. And neither of them really had any friends to call, asking for a ride.

“Uh, no way! We are not going into that hallway of death!”

“You're such a baby. Come on! We found a literal secret room!” She marched into the hallway. It was covered in spiderwebs. And dead spiders. And live spiders. She heard Carson main behind her. Wimp. 

Jade shoved the curtain aside. Inside was a circular room. The sides were covered in tables and bookcases. Jade moved the flashlight around the room.

“We should definitely not be here,” Carson squeaked.

“This is like the girls bathroom.”

“It would have been rude, Jay!” Jade snorted. 

“Hey, look at this little machine,” she said, gesturing. There was a little box with wires. She pushed a very dusty on button. It started to whir.

“Careful! It could be a bomb!” Then there was a flickering sound. Carson yelped and Jade was embarrassed to admit she full-on screamed. Then the dusty light bulbs turned on. They both sheepishly looked and…wow. It was…incredible. How were the lights still working? However it was, the lights were on a sort of chandelier. Except Jade had never seen anything like it. It was made up of metal cogs that rotated in place. The little box (perhaps a generator?) buzzed annoyingly. With the whole room now illuminated, Jade got a better look. It was between a workshop and a library. Long ago dead plants laid atop several tables. Blueprints and books were scattered across the floor. Pencils, pens. Half-created machines. Papers.

“Oh my goodness. You were…actually…right,” Carson said, wonderingly. 

“Huh,” Jade asked absently. Then it hit her. Like a hammer to the face. The name on the desk. The books on the shelf. Her hero. Her life. 

“Caroline Ridge,” she murmured. It was all here. Just like Ridge said it would be. Of course it wasn’t here in a normal, conventional way! Ridge wasn’t a normal lady!

“Oh my goodness, Carson! We found it! We found it!” She wrapped her arms around him and jumped up and down with glee. It was here! It was here!

“We…we did it! Well, you did it,” he said, happily. Because, while he had technically been proven wrong, it was hard to be upset when the girl you’d wanted to be friends with for a year was hugging you and jumping up and down.

“We did it.” And they had so much more to do.