RETURN TO CLASS
Gabriel ended up spending the night at Nathan’s. He sent a text to Luke to let him know where we were and inviting him over, but Luke never showed.
Kota eventually went home for dinner. I went to bed early.
By morning, the only news was from Mr. Blackbourne that Luke would be at school. I hoped we wouldn’t have to confront him right before going to class. I didn’t want to upset him before having to do any tests.
Gabriel selected my clothes for the day: a grey skirt, knee length socks and a light pink sweater, a bit nicer than what I normally wore. The plain grey Keds shoes made the outfit casual.
Nathan, Gabriel and I piled into Kota’s car when he arrived. Nathan had brought me a coffee, and I drank it quickly on the way. Gabriel gave me a bite of his heated breakfast sandwich. Kota passed around a bottle of gummy vitamins and everyone took some.
At school, I followed the guys inside, walking behind them. My eyes scanned the other students in the main hallway as we entered. Did they know where I was while I was out? Would anyone say anything about me returning?
Just as we were about to head through the doors to the courtyard, I spotted a couple of familiar faces, and paused.
Wil was headed in our direction, but he was talking to Ms. Johnson, our English teacher. Wil had a look of surprise on his face, and Mr. Johnson looked upset.
There was a gentle tug, and Kota pulled me to him before Wil and Ms. Johnson got close.
We went through the doors, but through the glass, I watched as they walked by, still absorbed in conversation.
“Ms. Johnson looks upset,” I said.
Kota paused, looking in. “And that’s Wil,” he said.
“Is he okay?” I asked. “Mr. Blackbourne seems worried about him.”
“I don’t see him at school much, but I’m supposed to report whenever I do see him.” He watched through the glass as Ms. Johnson and Wil disappeared into the crowd. “I don’t think Wil is her student.”
“Maybe he was a student of hers,” I said. “It still doesn’t explain why she’s upset.”
He shrugged. “Speculation,” he said. He turned to me and smiled. “Let’s not make a mountain out of it. We’ll look in on her.”
I let it go. Maybe it meant nothing.
In the courtyard, I quietly sat next to Gabriel on one of the concrete benches in the courtyard. I scraped the rubber soles of my shoes together, making a flicking sound as I idly waited for Luke to show before classes started. He and North weren’t usually late, so I expected him any moment.
A gentle elbow nudged at my arm, and I looked up to find Victor smiling at me, holding out a glass bottle: A Starbucks Frappuccino.
“Something to wake you up?” Victor said, his face framed by his wavy dark hair. The fire in his eyes were sparking with amusement. He was wearing the full faux uniform all the Academy guys wore, sans the tie, and his collar was open at the neck, revealing the silver medallion. He seemed tanner than the last time I’d seen him. Had he gotten out in the sun? I wondered how since it was November.
I thanked him and took the bottle from him. “I had one earlier, but I could use another. How did you know?”
“Lucky guess,” he said and then winked at Kota.
I shifted my gaze to Kota, who sat on the opposite bench, wearing his uniform, this time including a sweater underneath his jacket that matched the blue and gray of the coat and pants. It was a little cool this morning, but I wondered if it’d get hot later, making him want to take off the sweater. He smiled at me warmly and waved a brief hello with a finger.
I grinned back at him and snapped open the bottle.
“You can’t keep feeding her those,” North said, walking up to us. He had on just the gray slacks and jacket of the uniform. His T-shirt was black, he wore no tie, and had on his black boots. His hair was combed down on either side of his face, lengths of it fell into his eyes, making him appear scarier, if that was possible. “One is enough. She’ll bounce all over the room today. And she’s got tests.”
“If she’s got tests, she’ll need the caffeine,” Victor said. “She’ll need to stay awake for them.”
I stopped listening, looking around North for Luke.
Silas was walking up, and it was only when he turned to sit on the bench near me that I saw Luke, trailing behind them, his head down as he looked at his shoes.
I grinned eagerly, but tried to contain my relief at seeing him.
There was something off with him though. I didn’t realize it until he passed by Silas and saw he wasn’t wearing his school uniform. He was wearing a light blue T-shirt, and jeans, and white Keds shoes, nothing like their uniforms at all. His hair was tied back, but in a sloppy bun at the back of his head held by a black band. It looked like he’d rolled out of bed and simply grabbed what was closest.
I glanced quickly at Kota, but he was looking at Luke, an eyebrow up. “You okay, Luke?”
“All my clothes were dirty,” Luke said, lifting his head as he strolled forward, moving to the ground between the two benches. He sat down heavily, dropping his book bag, and rolled his head back, gazing at the sky for a moment before closing his eyes. “I couldn’t find the jacket.”
“He didn’t get in until four in the morning,” North said, in a tone that started out grumbling, and then surprisingly softened when he added, “Maybe he should take the day off.”
“I can make it,” Luke said, his eyes still closed. “I have tests. I don’t need to go home.”
Kota stood up, and shrugged off his jacket. “Hey, Luke? Come walk with me to the library?”
Luke groaned softly, but then popped up to his feet, keeping his head down. He followed Kota through the courtyard. I wondered what Kota was going to talk to him about.
“Poor Luke,” Victor said, drawing my attention and echoing my thoughts. I turned to him as he watched them leave. “This school schedule has been hard on everyone.”
“No shit,” Gabriel said. He leaned back, stretching his body. “Are we anywhere near ready to get out of here, though? I mean, with Mr. Hendricks…”
“We can’t talk about it here,” North said, cutting him off. He turned his shadowed eyes toward us. I wasn’t so sure he’d slept, either. “After school.”
He was right about that. We’d been gone for a week, and it was easy to forget we were back in school again and had to watch what we said.
I tuned out as the guys started to talk about their upcoming tests and then absently chatted about some of the other students around us.
By the end of the second bottle of coffee, I was buzzing. The bell rang for homeroom, signaling North and I to walk to class, but as we made our way down the hall, my brain wasn’t registering anyone around us.
When we got to the classroom, I sat in my chair, hoping Luke would show up on time. I was on my knees in the seat, leaning over it and waiting.
A firm palm smoothed over my back. “Sit down, Sang ba…please.” North corrected himself as he glanced around the room, making sure no one had heard him.
I sat on my chair just as the bell rang. The door opened and Luke walked in, wearing Kota’s jacket, though it was a little loose in the shoulders on him. He dropped his bag on the top of his desk, and then dropped into his seat, sliding low, folding his arms across his chest.
I hesitated, unsure what to say to him. He looked so tired; did I want to bug him?
I reached out gingerly, toying with his hair, trying to make loops.
He allowed it, but didn’t turn around.
So I continued through the morning announcements that came in over the speaker, wanting to let him know I was there and that I cared about him. Maybe he didn’t want to talk. Maybe he couldn’t say anything here.
Just after the announcements finished, the speaker crackled and then a voice came over: “Mr. Ferguson, please send Sang Sorenson to the front office immediately.”
“I will,” Mr. Ferguson said. The speaker crackled again, but then silenced. Mr. Ferguson looked at me from where he was sitting at his desk in the front corner of the room, gray eyebrows shifting up his brow. “You’re really popular up there. You don’t seem like a troublemaker.”
North spoke up before I could respond. “She volunteers in the office,” he said. “So they ask her in for some help whenever she’s not busy. Maybe they can’t find something.”
“Oh,” Mr. Ferguson said. “That’s nice of you. Hurry along.”
I forced a smile to help validate North’s lie…or was it one? Technically I did get called up to the office for help, although I wasn’t helpful to Mr. Hendricks, and it’s not like I was even trying to be helpful.
I supposed Mr. Blackbourne would vouch for me if Mr. Ferguson ever asked around the front office. I sighed, and gathered my book bag. I should have figured Mr. Hendricks probably wanted to have a chat. I’d been gone from school for a week while a fake Sang ran around Charleston. They’d prepared me for what I might be asked, telling me to be vague, say I was around town and then try to turn the questions back on him. If Mr. Hendricks got after me about not being in school for a week, I could say I was doing my best to do what he asked, to stick by the boys if they seemed suspicious.
There was a chance that someone following the fake Sang might get notified that I was at school. The big question would be: how would Mr. McCoy or Mr. Hendricks respond when they found out I was here when they thought they were chasing me around town?
It was part of the plan to confuse them and hopefully cause them to mess up.
I glanced at North, who sat still, not making a move to get up. Then I looked at Luke, who had turned around now with interest, but who wasn’t moving, either. Wouldn’t they be following me in the hallway? Maybe they were relying on Mr. Blackbourne or someone else following me with cameras in the school.
I didn’t have much of a choice but to get up and leave without them, assuming they knew better than I did. Sure enough, no sooner had I closed the door behind me, then Dr. Green came around the corner. “Oh hello there,” he said with a light smile. “Fancy meeting you here.”
I nearly floated on my toes toward him and had to stop myself from appearing too eager or getting too close. I hadn’t seen him in a while.
“Hi,” I said. I wanted to say so much more, but I feared I’d give too much away at school. He wore light tan khaki pants and a green sweater on top of a white shirt and yellow tie. The green matched the warmth in his eyes and his hair seemed longer than usual, slightly curly, especially around the ears. I admired his happy, nonchalant smile.
“I’m heading to the front office,” he said, already positioning himself to walk beside me. “Do you happen to be heading that way?”
“Yup,” I said, unable to help the small smile. I joined him, the soles of my Keds squeaking as I walked. “Are you in trouble?”
“Probably,” he said with a grin. “Actually, I’ve been called in by...I think it’s HR. I don’t know what about.”
“Human resources?” I asked. “Is it a bad thing?”
“It could be anything,” he said. “Ms. Johnson, your English teacher, Kota said she was upset, and it looks like they talked to her, too. Maybe a pay cut. Or they might be going over schedules for next year. Like they want me to cover another class, or they’re going to offer me a full time job, or ask me to do a number of other things.” He shrugged, the sweater shifting on his lean shoulders. “Too bad I’ve got this other thing going on. I’m a little too busy to teach more classes. Did I mention I’m a doctor?”
I giggled. “No kidding?” I said. “I heard a rumor, but I wasn’t sure if that was true.”
“Girls are always impressed. They really like the thought of marrying a doctor. I thought you might like to know.”
I rolled my eyes but kept my grin. “Funny how I’ve yet to see you doctor anyone. I seem to recall a time when a doctor was needed, and I was the one doing the doctoring.” He’d done more, of course, I just wanted to pick on him a little. Teasing him was relieving a lot of the tension I was feeling about having to see Mr. Hendricks again.
Him walking me to the office also reaffirmed they would always be just outside listening, and would pop in if I needed them.
He scoffed, grinning the entire time. “That was one time, pookie, and I’ll have you know, I’ve done plenty of doctoring since that time. Usually on you.”
I tried to hide my smile. He drifted toward me as he walked and his arm brushed mine. I wished I could reach for his hand, but I restrained myself.
We turned the corner into the main hallway. Dr. Green put his hands in his pockets. I walked with my arms folded across my stomach. The closer we got to the front office, the more my nerves started to rattle. I told myself it wasn’t anything to be nervous about. I knew what to say, and for any surprising questions, I could get away with saying I didn’t know, or—as Kota said—telling him I could find out.
I had answers for where I was all week: I was out sick and even had a doctor’s note. If he asked about the look-alike that they’d been following, I was to simply look surprised and say, “What do you mean? I was home all week.”
Dr. Green and I fell into silence. I rehearsed the lines and took deep breaths, preparing myself so I could handle any yelling and threats. I shared quick looks with Dr. Green, but I didn’t feel much like giggling with him now. Time to be serious.
He opened the door for me and held it as I walked in. He waved to me quickly as he headed down the right hallway. The principal’s office was down the left, so I wouldn’t get a chance to swing by. Would he be going to his office before he went on to his meeting? Or was who he needed to talk to behind one of the other doors down that same hallway?
I sighed and went to the counter, holding onto my things this time, as I wasn’t sure if I should leave my book bag or take it with me. It depended on how paranoid Mr. Hendricks was, and if he didn’t want my bag, I hoped Dr. Green would come back for it. “Hi,” I said, checking in with the woman behind the front desk who was familiar. I’d been in here too often.
She looked up at me. “Sang Sorenson?” she asked, although she said Sang more like Song, like she wasn’t sure how to pronounce it.
I nodded.
“Third door on the right,” she said, picking up a pile of papers and straightening them with a smack on her desk.
Out of habit, I turned left but she stopped me.
“Ah, ah,” she said. “To your right, third door on the right.”
I wanted to check in with her again. Had I been mixed up with another student? I was sure this was wrong. I gulped, and turned right, tempted to go past the third door on the right, and on to the unmarked door down the hallway. Instead, I tightened my arms around my stomach and paused right outside the third door. Was Mr. Hendricks throwing me off by meeting me in another room? That could be it. Maybe it was a just a meeting room of some sort. I had no reason to be anxious, I told myself.
I hoped Mr. Blackbourne was paying attention. I checked down the hallway, and the unmarked door was closed. Dr. Green had probably gone into that office. I wished he had stayed a bit longer. I could use some reassurance.
I touched the phone in my bra with my fingertips, feeling the rough scratches on the cover from when I’d dropped it. I considered a quick message, but was sure they were listening and watching by now. Whatever was going to happen, I couldn’t use my phone.
I sucked down some air and held my breath, wishing for courage.