Amazon High

14. Alone

 Friday morning, one of the storms from the slowly-building system was directly over Allen. Those storms lasted through February and they were a welcome change from the usual constant sun. That was the only year an El Niño would develop.

It was cozy in class with the dark storm clouds outside. All through history, it poured. All through earth and space, it poured. Our teacher looking very excited and self-assured. Between classes, kids would sprint between the buildings, trying desperately to stay as dry as possible. I buttoned up my rain jacket and kept my head down as they all ran wildly down the wet halls. Algebra, still nothing.

In English class I bounced my leg and chewed my nails, hoping the outage would come at a good time and not during lunch.

"Alex, you okay?" Mr. Brown asked, concerned.

"I'm okay. Just cold." I responded.

James was also suspicious of my behavior. I shrugged his glances off, strangely embarrassed that he was worried about me. Finally, in the middle of us reading some book aloud, the power went out. Dead silence in the room.

"I gotta go to the bathroom, be right back." I said in one quick breath as I got up and out the door before Mr. Brown had time to respond.

I walked as quick as I could down the hall and outside into the pouring rain and sudden, deafening lightning. I stepped out from under the awning connected to the big building and was instantly drenched.

I walked in the office. Chloe's parents were in the waiting room. There was one lady at the front desk, typing away, and another in the room behind her, going through old metal drawers.

"Kathy, I can't find the flashlights, do you know where they are?"

The woman got up from the old computer and headed to the back room "they should be in there unless someone moved them."

I ran up to the mail basket and grabbed at the mail. There were only two pieces, both junk. The principal must have already grabbed it and called in Chloe's parents to show them. I walked down the hall to the principal's office and peaked through the window. It was empty, and the door was cracked open. I opened it gently and searched the desk. Nothing on top. I ran around to the back of the desk and opened the drawers. Top drawer, pens and pencils. Second drawer down, students' files by grade, third drawer was locked. I jiggled it back and forth with all my might and the envelope fell out the back of the drawer, onto the floor under the dresser. I grabbed it and stood to leave when the lights started to flicker back on. I opened a multi-level closet next to the door and rolled onto the middle level, squished myself in and closed the closet door. I felt plastic and metal trophies jamming into my side. I heard footsteps approaching the room.

"So you have no idea what this is concerning?" the principal asked as they all sat down around the desk.

"No. Should we?" Mrs. Barnes asked, concerned.

"Maybe not. Listen, this is all very unusual. I, uh..." the principal coughed suddenly, stopping mid-sentence, then pulled out what sounded like a hefty ring of keys and opened the drawer, "well that's funny, it was just here."

"What?" Mr. Barnes asked.

"Well, something was brought to my attention..." the principal kept fishing through the drawer, "but I can't seem to find it. This is embarrassing, you'll have to forgive me."

"Well what is it?"

The principal sighed in frustration, "it would be better if I just showed you."

"Show us what?"

"I don't have it."

"Okay." Mr. Barnes said sarcastically, "can we go?"