We're Not Strangers Anymore

Chapter Sixteen - Mrs Bercow's Kid Goes Missing

Today is a fresh day. Today is a new day.
Charlie Broomer was once again walking the empty corridors of Belgrave Academy, hoping to find his (hopefully) recovered friend.
He pushed open the double doors that led down towards the science corridor, keeping his eyes peeled for Jamie. A pair of small fingers tapped him gently on his right shoulder.
'Emily, hey!'
Charlie was ecstatic to see her this morning.
She is just what I need, he thought peacefully.
'Hey yourself. I've just sat my history exam, ask me how it was!'
'How was your history exam?'
'F to the U to the C to the king great,' she replied, a small fit of laughter following.
'Nice one,' Charlie replied supportively, taking her into his arms. 'I'm proud of you, and it's nice to see you as well. Reckon you did alright then?'
'Alright?' she said with a scoff, 'Charlie, I think I might've just smashed it!'
He smiled a warm smile.
'That's excellent, well done. You should be really proud of yourself.'
'You're such a sweetie,' she replied, 'a sweet, sweet broomstick.'
Charlie shook his head jokingly.
'Piss off. So, what you got planned for the rest of the day then?'
The two continued to walk the length of the corridor, Emily beginning a fresh rant about how her next class was a double geography lesson with the mentally unstable Mrs Bercow.
Even though Emily was one of the few people on this planet that didn't disinterest him entirely, he found himself completely unable to focus. During her five minute rant, he managed to pick out five or six solid sentences at max.
The boy. The boy in the basement. Mr Manley standing in the doorway, as a sort of protector. I completely forgot about the boy, but how could I? I stood there face to face with him. I need to tell Jamie. That's his house too. Standing there, house proud like a king, hiding a soon-to-be decaying body in the basement. The body of a little boy. Bloody lips, a pinned face.
'..and then I said to her, well I'm not being funny or nothing Miss, but you can't give me one sheet more of homework than you have to James, and-'
Mrs Manley. Blissfully unaware of the bleeding schoolboy downstairs. Underneath where they all eat their tea of a nighttime. Maybe Jamie knows, but just hasn't said anything. After all, he does try to restrict me from coming over to his place. If not, then what is it that he doesn't want me to see? Is it the boy? It must be. I've solved it. I've got it. It's that. That is it.
'..I'll tell you what else as well, I'm not staying for ten minutes extra after school, just so I can finish up an essay on that Mountain Everest, when I could just do it at home! I mean, am I being irrational or what? I'm being irrotational, aren't I, and another thing-'
Bodies. Multiple bodies. That's what there very well could be, if I don't get Jamie out of there. He doesn't even look like a monster though. He's a bit posh and a bit tall, yeah, but that's never been the recipe for a psychopath. Charlie? Charlie, are you listening?
'Hello?'
He snapped himself out of it and turned to face her, something he instantly regretted not doing a couple of minutes earlier.
'Sorry, what were you saying?'
Emily sighed.
'I'm on about Buster, my dog. I'm just saying that, and I don't want to get upset again, but-'
Jesus, she's got a dog? I had no idea. I love dogs. My Mum would never let me get a dog. Too much hard work, walking it and stuff like that. Why am I even listening to this drivel? Why am I contributing to this drivel? I should be in the canteen looking for Jamie. Oh, sod this.
'Well, what do you think's happened to him?'
'What do I think has happened to who?'
'The boy. The one who went missing last week. You know, the one I've just been speaking about for a minute straight?'
Charlie stopped walking.
'What? Have I been speaking aloud?'
Emily frowned at him.
'Erm.. no? Charlie, is everything alright?
'Yeah,' he answered nervously, 'everything is fine. I just need to find my mate, that's all. Who's this lad that's gone walkabout, then?'
'Mrs Bercow's son, the one two year's below us. Think he's about eleven, something like that. Terry Bercow his name is. That's what I've just been banging on about for a good five minutes. She had to come in today, 'cause there was no cover for any of her lessons, and she got upset in class and took it out on a few of us. I only know all of this because they had an assembly on it.'
'Oh my god..'
'I know. You never listen, typical boy.'
She laughed the whole thing off, Charlie not so much.
'Come on, let's go. Think I need to speak to Jamie. I'll explain everything later.'
'Well then, what are waiting for? And can I come?'
'Course. Come on, we need to get to the canteen before lesson time. I need to find Jamie.. it's urgent.'