Desolation Row

Two

"Hey, Ray! Hey, Patrick!"

Patrick and Ray turned their heads. Ryan was waving at them from across the room.

"What do you think?" Ray asked out of the corner of his mouth. "Pity him?"

"Ray, you must be joking!" Patrick said. The two laughed as Ryan popped up between them. He kissed them both on the cheeks.

"What's for lunch today?" Ryan asked.

"Spaghetti," Patrick answered.

"Aw, that's the worst!"

"Yeah, well, tomorrow's hot dog day, so suck it up. It's just one day."

Ryan rolled his eyes. They went through the lunch line, then took their spots at their usual table.

"Did they forget to clean this table or something?" Patrick asked, wiping a few bits of food off of the cafeteria table.

"Must have," Ray said, doing the same. They talked for a little bit, passing the time while they ate.

Then, when lunch had almost ended, there was a loud scream from across the cafeteria. It led to a series of more cries of terror as students jumped up and ran.

"W-What's going on?!" Ryan cried.

"There's a rat!" someone else yelled.

And then the three fell into the chaos, trying to get out of the big room.

~

"Attention students. You will report to the auditorium by grade level. There will be an important announcement made by Principal Wilford."

Ray rolled his eyes at the intercom. "I bet it's about that rat."

"Of course it's about that rat," Tyler said, placing his pencil down on his desk.

"Will you shut up?"Josh said. "You were the one who screamed in the first place!"

"It was you?" Patrick asked. "I thought it was Jamia or someone!"

They laughed at each other, teasing.

Then, their teacher told them to get up. They all walked down to the auditorium and took places in their seats, waiting for Wilford to come out and tell them what was so important.

It didn't take long.

"Students, faculty, and staff members of Inland Pike High, as you all know, today, there was an... incident in the cafeteria," Dr. Wilford said. "Upon further investigation, we have discovered that there is a rat infestation."

Murmurs rippled throughout the auditorium. No one knew how it could've happened. They were a pretty sanitary school.

"Now, looking even further into the issue, we have realized that the school will need to be shut down and the infestation will need to be professionally taken care of."

"Shut down?" Ray whispered. "Then where are we supposed to-"

"I understand that this might come as a shock to you, and that some of you might not like this option, but... You all know that the nearest school is... Over the fence."

No. There was no way-

"Effective Friday, all of you will be transferred over to Redwood Drive High School in Redwood City."

"That's not a high school, that's a homeless shelter!"

The shout was met with laughs and cheers.

"I can't do this," Ray muttered.

"Me either," Patrick whispered.

Ray glanced down at his friend. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"