Stonebrook High School

Chapter 20

I accidentally published this when it was still unfinished and now I feel like an idiot ("-v-)

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"Shirley, please grab my coffee from the kitchen."

The lady with the dark up-do in the corner nodded. "Yes, sir." She briskly skittered to another room and came back holding a cup of coffee on a small plate, gingerly placing it down on his desk.

"Thank you." The man took a sip from the cup before violently rotating his head to the side and spitting it out.

He wiped his mouth. "Uh, Shirley... What is in this coffee?"

She twiddled her thumbs nervously. "You asked for black. Am I mistaken, sir?"

He shook his head and put the cup down on the petite plate. "No, you're correct, but I'm asking what is in it."

"I used your own ground mix, two teaspoons of vanilla, a touch of sugar, a tablespoon of milk, and a tablespoon of cream."

"But... that's not black. Hmm. Milk- a tablespoon of— Oh dear, oh, throw this away instantly, Shirley, get rid of this immediately!" He stood up and handed the cup and plate to her.

"U-uh, yes sir, but may I ask what was in it?"

"It was my blasted– agh, you don't need to know. Just throw it away!"

Instead of waiting for her to respond, the man walked to the bathroom and grabbed a toothbrush, fiercely washing away his sin on his tongue.

Swirling some water in his mouth, he spat it out. "Damn it, Gabriel..."

He stood there, leaning against the sink, and stared at himself in the mirror before listening to the light rain outside.

Leaving the bathroom, he looked out a nearby window.

"Hm. It's letting up. It should be gone by nine at this rate. So, that's in..." he checked his watch, "fifteen minutes."

Gabriel returned to his desk, searching for something. "Where is that cursed-" he was interrupted by Shirley coming in.

"Sir, as today is Sunday, September 4th, it seems we have an unexpected man by the name of Mr. Orvi visiting at noon. We must clean up your desk before any exposed documents are revealed."

"Yes, we must, although I don't understand how he found us here. Take this pile and throw them in the trash." Then he pointed at another stack. "Come back and throw that pile away as well. Be careful with what you grab, however. I'm looking for something in this mess and don't want to lose it."

"Yes, sir." She attempted to turn around but almost toppled over had it not been for a nearby table. Recomposing herself, she walked to the garbage chute and tossed them down the almost seemingly infinite drop.

Walking back, she grabbed the next stack of papers but did not bother checking them. She assumed that whatever he was looking for could not have been in what she was carrying. After all, it looked simply like a stack of papers.

She dumped it down the garbage chute as well before a loud clank caught her attention. And then another. And another. This worried her and she returned to Gabriel with broken nails and a chipped tooth.

"Sir... Was the item you were looking for metallic?"

Gabriel was putting papers away neatly in their respective cabinets. He turned in his chair and nodded. "Why, yes, Shirley. Have you seen it?"

"Not- not exactly, sir, but I think I may have accidentally dropped it down the garbage chute."

"You- YOU WHAT?!"