We're Not Strangers Anymore

Chapter Eighteen - The School Assembly

It had been four days now since Jamie Manley's first official school absence, and there was still no sign of him.
Charlie was worried sick; what if I imagined the whole thing? What if he's genuinely unwell, just like his Dad had told me? What if he's lying in his freezing cold bedroom, dying of cancer, and I'm sat here opening up to my girlfriend about a potentially kidnapped boy in his basement that doesn't even exist?
Charlie Broomer had asked Emily Webb to be his girlfriend two days ago, yet he was still unable to find the time to meet up with her outside of school hours. For the past two days, Irene Broomer had been a busy woman indeed; her priorities currently lay on sorting the massively overgrown garden out, and as a result, she required her only son's help. Despite this extra-curricular matter, Charlie had promised Emily that he would meet her when he next got the chance. But for now it was assembly time, and they had priorly agreed to sit next to each other. Emily was playing mindlessly with the sleeve of Charlie's blazer, and as for Charlie, well, he was trying to keep it all together; it had began to tickle his arm (although given the recent circumstances, this was a strangely warm and comforting feeling).
The pupils of Belgrave Academy were chattering away, various worrying phrases being thrown around the room. Some of them made Charlie shake uncontrollably with fear. Emily picked up on this, offering a sympathetic smile, comforting him as best she could.
'-Alien abductions too, apparently. Yeah. Did you not hear? Well basically, this like "mysterious" overweight bloke was driving an unmarked white van, handing out free sweets and hamsters. Bercow's son fell for it, and that's where he is now. Yeah, that's right. Daniel in year ten reckons he saw her son in the upstairs window of the Belgrave Pet Shop, hanging upside down in a cage full of spiders and rats.'
Charlie shuddered, suddenly feeling the urge to scratch his skin all over. After five minutes the various subject teachers began to fill the corners of the room, whispering to each other and nodding cognitively.
The stern headmaster, a mister Brian Jones, pulled open the fire exit doors, entering the crowded hall through the back. Upon his entry, the entire room fell silent. Mrs Davidson, the assistant headmistress to the academy, stepped forward elegantly.
'Good afternoon everyone - it has been a year of great success for the academy thus far,' she said, gripping her left hand with her right. 'However, despite the riveting pleasure we take in the achievements of you pupils, we have a rather important message to give to you. I'm going to now hand you over to Mr Jones, who will explain everything.'
Headmaster Brian Jones stepped forward, fiddling with his moustache as he did so. Charlie's legs twitched.
'First of all, may I welcome all of you to this assembly, as I always do, and may I say how proud I am of recent academy achievements. In this academy we simply thrive on our accomplishments, and everything we do we do together.'
Emily frowned, looking to Charlie for a sign of approving agreement.
'Wonder what this is all about?' she whispered to him. Charlie returned the glance, smiling and shrugging it off.
Got to play it cool. If she thinks you're a worrier, she'll be off.
'Yeah,' he quietly replied, 'guess we'll soon find out.'
Mr Jones continued.
'So with that said, I'd like to address a little rumour. A rumour that seems to be spreading around the premises like wildfire, and if there's one thing I simply won't have, it's rumours. Last week I was made aware of some tittle tattle that has been circulating throughout the academy. According to popular belief, a man was spotted in a white van just outside of the school gates, and the rumour says that he's been approaching the younger students from this very academy.'
The younger students in question, who happened to be sitting front and centre during this formal assembly, sunk their heads deep into their shoulders. Both Charlie and Emily noticed their faces, pale and obvious, painted with guilt from top to bottom.
'But let me just get one thing straight,' Mr Jones continued, 'this has not yet been confirmed, so there is absolutely no need to panic. We may be a firm institute, but the very last thing we want in this academy is for pupils and students alike to be scared of leaving the grounds.'
He took a pause for breath and then resumed his speech.
'If we catch anyone spreading rumours, doesn't matter whether they're "jokes" or not, you will be reprimanded. We'll be sending out an awareness and safety letter to parents and carers in due course, but as for the time being, I don't want to hear anymore of these ridiculous rumours. Because that is all that they are; rumours. For the most part we live in a fairly safe town, and I will not stand by and watch students of mine sit there in fear, worried about going home of an evening. Failure to oblige with this little rule will result in a lunchtime detention, and anything further than that will be an immediate exclusion. Now, do I make myself clear?'
Everyone present in the room nodded slowly, acknowledging and understanding the headmaster's words. Everyone except Charlie.
The headmaster cleared his throat and continued.
'I'd also like to make it clear that we are a school, not a brothel, so any student caught smooching and smacking in the corridors will also be punished. Is that clear? I said, is that clear?'
'Yes sir,' everyone called back. Again, everyone except Charlie - although with that said he was fairly certain it was aimed at him and Emily in the first place. Charlie was quickly beginning to lose his hold on authority and the figures who held it; specifically, he couldn't get to grips with society's views of it all.
He began to think:
That's how today's world works. People do bad things and get rewarded for it. People like Mr Manley and Jack Hodges do awful, awful things to other humans, yet they are still treated well by others? I need to see Jamie as soon as I can. I need to go over there. I need to tell him what's going on. Wait, do I even know myself what's going on?
Charlie began to fidget relentlessly, screwing up his face and clenching both his fists. He was nervous now. It had all finally sunk in.
At this moment, everything else happening in the room around him was irrelevant. Since he'd last tuned in, Charlie noticed that the headmaster had now moved on to the subject of politics, a topic Charlie couldn't understand in the slightest. He couldn't wrap his head around any of it; the different politicians, the lies that most of them told, the lot.
Charlie sighed and tuned back out again.
Why isn't he talking about Bercow's missing kid? Why is it all just "a rumour"? Mr Jones stands there, droning on about politicians and the importance of the upcoming local election, but he isn't talking about what actually matters? One day Mrs Bercow's son left his home through the front door, not realising that he wouldn't see his Mum again for quite a while.. and why doesn't anyone care? Why isn't this a bigger thing? Fuck, I'm not expecting a big news report or anything, but what the hell? Where IS he? Where is her son now?
Charlie put his thoughts on hold, and then it hit him.
Oh my god. That boy, the one in Jamie's Dad's basement.. the boy with the bleeding smile.. it's him.. it's her boy.