The Lost and Found (A Sequel to Change of Identity)

Chapter 4 The Toys

Pacifica and I slowly walked to our AP Chemistry class, both grateful we'd ironed out all the issues. I'd already explained to her a million times that no, I wasn't aware of Mabel's plan at first and no, Mabel didn't not have a justified reason and no, we didn't give up, you just don't waste time looking for something you know doesn't exist.

We walked into the class and sat at a lab station to see on the board: CHOOSE LAB TRIOS!

We had to have a third person?

Luckily, Mabel giddily skipped in and joined us, so we didn't end up stuck with a stranger.

"Hey, you two." She got a little eyebrow game going between us.

"Mabel. We. Aren't. Together." I said through gritted teeth.

"Yet!" She giggled as she plopped her bedazzled binder onto the countertop.

"No we really aren't-" Pacifica started, but Mabel stopped her.

"Hush." She put a finger to Pacifica's lips. "Let it happen."

The teacher walked in, a short, plump woman. "Howdy, kids! Ah'm Miss Smith!"

"What is it with these teachers and their accents?" I asked.

"Don't know." Mabel and Pacifica said at the same time.

"Now, y'all are gonna find a pretest on the periodic table on your table." She laughed. "Now, remember. Ah don't want you gettin' any failin' grades on such an easy thing, so ah hope ya know what yer doin'!"

"I do." I muttered.

"Oh, and I almost fergot!" She giggled. "Attendance!"

Mabel sent me a panicked look, and I laughed. "Mabel, really? Do you think our first period teacher didn't take attendance?"

Mabel looked from me to Pacifica and back then breathily whispered, "So she knows?"

I nodded.

Pacifica waved nervously from behind me.

"Well okay!" Mabel grinned and looked at her test. All you had to do was fill in the entire periodic table. Piece of cake.

Miss Smith did attendance, and I raised my hand and said "here" when my name was called. I wasn't afraid to this time.

I finished my quiz quickly, and my eyes began to wander. I noticed a strange wooden toy chest across the hall. It was filled to the brim with old stuffed toys and dolls of all shapes and sizes. "Lost and Found" was painted across the front in big, black letters. Weird. What kind of high school lost and found is full of kids' toys? And they all seemed to be looking at me, too. It was...unnerving.

I pulled out my sketchbook. I opened to a blank page and began absentmindedly doodling Mabel, Pacifica and I. I was having so much fun I barely even noticed the bell ringing.

Once again, I set my paper on the teacher's desk on my way out. Mabel had Choir (she'd gotten into singing), and Pacifica and I both had Band. Who knew we'd both taken up tuba?

But on the way out I noticed the lost and found again. It was just...sitting there. And I could've been imagining it, but the toys seemed to have moved to be facing me again. Moved quite a lot, to be honest. It was eerie.

But I ignored it.

I was just being paranoid again.

Right?