Smashing Into You •• BWWM

3. Challenge Accepted: Hello

Ch. 3. Challenge Accepted: 'Hello': (Sweet Disposition  by The Temper Trap)

Cy
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The school wasn't just a big square, it had levels; stories of staircases interwoven with each other. Travelling felt like Hogwarts... If it were, this place wouldn't be so mind-numbing.

Blue Ridge Preparatory could serve as a local college, it was that big, but the rich got to it first and added their crooked, special, wealthy touch.

One potato. Two potatoes. Three potatoes, four. Seven potatoes. Eight potatoes. Nine potatoes, more!

If this isn't how the song goes... well, I don't give a fuck. That's what I learned as a kid.

Often at the Children's Center, volunteers would sing this to the little shit-heads that had a hard time accomplishing whatever they wanted. I played alone but would find myself watching the funny scenes unfold. They cried, screamed, and kicked; it was hilarious, gross, and annoying. Yet, the volunteers were there.

Sometimes I forget—never thinking to sing it when she pops into my head unlike now.

Now? I was about to turn right, down this hall, and come face-to-face with the one thing that scared students and faculty alike. No discrimination here.

One potato. I swallowed as its concrete, steepness appeared. Two potatoes. The staircase of Death. I'm not kidding... whoever designed it was probably high off of cow gas. Like, what the fuck?

Three potatoes... The fear that was elicited in me was just too much, man.

Okay, so here's the breakdown: this used to be the central stairwell. It lead to the old engineering and science wings but, during renovations, the architects discovered that it was attached to some of the prominent pillars that really supported a bulk of the structure of the building.

That meant tearing down the entire school, or a majority of it, and... you know, the Board said no—because rich people like to save money too, right?—and kept it. Now it's the 'basement' of the school (not really, though.).

From just a glance, anyone could be deceived into thinking it was ordinary. 

Constructed of two large connected platforms and a smaller one at the bottom. The first portion is wide—like Subway Station wide—and towers over the second portion. Then... the steps start getting narrowed and very steep for some odd reason until it reaches the end structure. The railings are sturdy enough but when you have students and faculty trying to get to their destinations, it gets crowded quickly. Accidents happen.

Honestly, I'm pretty sure there's some type of sacrificing-ritualistic-shit going on. I've witnessed too many people fall and break everything in their body—how else are these parents so rich?! But let me mind my own business. That's just my tin-foil hat tingling. Rumor has it, your life flashes before your eyes.

If they couldn't get rid of it why not add extra precautions and put railings in the middle...

I stopped when I caught a glimpse of the girl dressed in black from earlier. Reached the edge of the platform to take my first, careful, step down. (Of course, I was close to the left railing.) Holding onto that shit for dear life!

She was reading, flip phone and a couple papers in hand. I eyed her, equally, checking my feet as I made my descent. No one else here except the two of us but she made sure to move farther away from me when I reached the more confined surface she was on.