The Amanda Project: Book One

The Amanda Project: Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN

For a split second, I did not react. And then I was instinctively shoving the envelope into my pocket, slamming the drawer shut, and racing for the door of the office.

As I pulled the door open, I half-expected to find myself face-to-face with Mr. Thornhill, but the outer office was empty. I raced to the door and hurled myself through it, landing on the floor in a heap with the contents of my bag surrounding me.

And that's when I heard them.

". . . really not a problem, Jane."

"You have no idea how much I appreciate your helping me, Roger. If these financial aid applications aren't postmarked today, we're out of luck."

"We'll get those transcripts Xeroxed for you."

I scrambled to my feet, sweeping my phone, lipstick, wallet, and half a dozen pens and pencils into my bag.

"It's lucky I thought to knock on the library window. I figured when I saw your car in the lot, you had to be somewhere in the building."

I could see the tip of Mr. Thornhill's shoe as I flung myself into the small alcove next to the door of the office, where the school's one pay phone was. My breathing was fast and shallow, and so loud I was positive Mr. Thornhill and this Jane person had to hear it. But then there was the click of the office door shutting behind them-I couldn't hear their voices anymore, so I shot down the hallway and down the corridor toward the library.

Nothing makes me have to pee worse than being scared. So it took me about one second after tumbling through the door of the library to realize I had to pee so bad I was going to wet my pants if I didn't get to the bathroom soon. I had time to register Nia's face looking up at me and Hal, half-standing, his phone in his hand. Nobody else really seemed to be awake, so I took the chance.

"Here," I called, chucking the key in his direction. "No file." Then I turned my back on them and raced out, hoping against hope that I wouldn't run into Thornhill and that Nia had been lying about the bathrooms being locked.

She had been. I sat on the toilet for what felt like a long, long time, holding the envelope on my lap and staring at the familiar writing. I wanted to open it. A few times I even started to, but then I stopped. What was I going to find when I read what was inside? Was it possible I was sitting here holding an old permission slip or late note, something no more significant than the rest of the junk I'd dug through in Thornhill's drawer? Or what if it were something from the opposite end of the spectrum-a suicide note or a love letter that would explain why my dad hated Thornhill so much? Was I really prepared to walk back into the library having just discovered that my mom was secretly in love with Mr. Thornhill? Um, no. I folded the envelope back up and shoved it deep into my pocket.

By the time I got back to the library, Hal was gone. I'd barely had time to sit down in my seat and turn to Nia to ask her where Hal was when the door opened and Mr. Thornhill came in. I fumbled with the strap of my bag, trying to look like that's all I was doing.

"Where is Hal Bennett?" Mr. Thornhill demanded.