When the second bomb threat was called in, almost all students who had a car jumped in and left, every seat packed with friends. This was even with the threat of teachers half-heartedly saying they’d get suspended for skipping. No one was buying it. School administration was too busy to care.
When the third bomb threat was called in the middle of lunch, busses were brought in, and everyone was told to go home. The boys were busy listening to police and students, keeping an eye on administration. Victor spent long hours going over video footage, especially of Mr. Hendricks. We all took turns listening, watching and waiting, on full alert at all times.
One student after another was brought in. They were no one I knew, but some had been classmates. They were quiet students. Each one didn’t seem the type to make bomb threat calls.
On Thursday, a good portion of the student population didn’t even bother to show up. It didn’t seem to matter. After the second bomb threat in third period, even the teachers had given up and was telling everyone not to bother staying.
More students. Each one using the phone. Each one threatened with expulsion. The police remained present through the school nearly the entire day. Because of this, Kota, I and the rest of the Academy team had to walk cautiously and behave like normal students.
Mr. Blackbourne was unavailable during most of it as he interviewed students and tried to keep up with the onslaught.
Doing the Unexpected
By Friday, everyone was on edge throughout the day, anticipating the next alarm. Kids kept their books in their bags, not risking taking them out and having to walk outside again.
There were security people parked at every entrance. The police had Mr. Hendricks and the school board hire auxiliary officers to not to have to babysit the school, although there were a few left walking around. K-9 units patrolled the grounds. The whole school was on lockdown. Bags were checked for cell phones, and we weren’t allowed to bring them inside. No laptops or CD players or anything electronic.
Everyone was on edge, waiting.
Nothing happened. No bomb threats all day. Every time the bell rang, everyone jumped, assuming it was the start of a bomb threat. When it was clear it was just the bell, everyone shuffled, but with cautious eyes.
I walked into Music Room B for third period, alongside Nathan and North.
I dropped my book bag onto a chair and sat in one beside it, and then thought better of it and spread out among multiple chairs in a sort of half laying down with my feet on the floor position. I hadn’t been in this room all week because of the different threats.
“I hate this school,” Nathan said. “Can we just stay in here with her this period? We’re not doing anything in class.”
“Might as well,” North said. He reached for his phone, pulling it out and typing something into it. I suspected it was to Mr. Blackbourne to let them know where we were.
Nathan sat on the floor cross-legged near where my head was on the chair. He brushed away some strands of hair from my face and then touched my forehead. “Tired or sick?” he asked.
“I’m not sick,” I said. “You’re not tired?”
“All I know is,” he said, “this plan we’ve got for homecoming better work. I think the word is that it’s school pranks leading up to homecoming. If a bomb threat happens next week, it’ll be a disaster.”
“It’s already a disaster,” North grumbled. He dropped his bag loudly onto the floor, knocked mine to the floor next to it, and then picked my feet up. He sat in one of the chairs, and kept my feet in his lap. “There’s too many cops, too many eyeballs watching what’s going on. We can’t do anything.”
“Mr. Hendricks seems to be enjoying this,” Nathan said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the one threatening kids with something worse if they don’t cooperate,” North said. “I don’t know for sure, but I’ve got some suspicions.”
“I think he knows,” Nathan said. “I’ve got the same feeling. We just can’t seem to catch him. I don’t know how he’s doing it, because we’ve been watching him at school. Victor’s computers are full of material and we go through them at night. Mr. Hendricks didn’t talk to any of these new bomb callers this week. He only talks to them after they’ve been put on the suspect list.”
“Shouldn’t the homecoming game and dance be called off?” I asked.
“Probably should,” North said, “but Mr. Hendricks is saying things should be held as normal.”
I rolled my head against the chair, staring up at the ceiling. I kept my gaze on the light, nearly burning my retinas with the brightness. I was in a daze trying to think of answers to everything going on. Like everyone else on our team, we were worn thin. “Maybe keeping us busy is part of Mr. Hendricks’s plan, too.”
“His team of goons are keeping an eye on us,” Nathan said. I heard him shift, but wasn’t looking at him to catch what he was doing. A moment later, a jacket dropped over my stomach gently. “Makes it harder to do anything. But we’re running around keeping an eye on what’s going on. We’re really scattered. Between Theo and Mr. Hendricks and the new students we’re watching, plus Mr. Morris and others, we’re going in all different directions.”
“That’s the point, isn’t it?” North asked. He shifted, and I started to lift my feet, but he pushed them back down into his lap. “You’re fine,” he said. “Just stay where you are.”
I was wearing a skirt, but it was a little longer than normal and kept me modest while laying down.
Most teachers so far today had been on needles, too, taking attendance and basically going over that we’d be doing on Monday to make up for the week we’d lost. We were going to have to shift schedules to fit lessons in before any major tests were scheduled.
The door to the music room opened. I popped my head up just enough to check and spotted Victor coming in, followed by Kota.
“What are you two doing here?” North asked.
“We’re having a meeting,” Kota said. “Mr. Blackbourne’s orders.”
“Here?” North asked. “In the middle of the school?”
“We need one,” Kota said. He touched briefly at the corner of his glasses. “We’ve got other problems.”
Nathan groaned, as did I, and I dropped my head back onto the chair.
Victor crossed the room, and then nudged my arm with his thigh. “Is that even comfortable?”
I sighed and started to sit up. “I just needed a moment,”
“You’ve needed a lot of moments,” Kota said. “We all need one. We can’t continue like this.”
“No shit,” North said. He gestured toward the music room doors. “There’s a fucking con artist for a principal and we’re supposed to be figuring out what he’s up to. That’s it. That’s our job here. I’m tired of the games and the horseshit.”
“I hear you,” Kota said. “We’re all frustrated. Unfortunately, we can’t quit.”
“I didn’t say quit,” North said. “But we’re not doing what we’re supposed to.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t be doing what we’re supposed to,” Victor said.
I was up next to North in the seat, and readjusted the clip in my hair. Everyone looked at Victor but I was the one that spoke. “What?”
“Think about it,” he said and sat down in the chair next to me. “But wait until the others get here. Then I’ll tell you what I’m thinking.”
Nathan picked himself up off the floor, and then pulled one of the chairs out until he was sitting in it backwards with his legs on either side, his arms folded against the back. As he did so, the music room door opened again, and Luke, Gabriel, Dr. Green, Silas and Mr. Blackbourne came inside.
We hadn’t all been in the same room in a while. Seeing them all together in this space felt odd to me. Once, I’d been intimidated even entering this room, seeing Mr. Blackbourne as a teacher, intent on violin lessons. Today, I was less intimidated by Mr. Blackbourne himself, in a way, and I’d become more comfortable in this room over time.
r /> Luke, Gabriel and Silas all picked out chairs and shed book bags and jackets to sit in a semi-circle. Dr. Green, Mr. Blackbourne and Kota dragged chairs over to sit as well.
Mr. Blackbourne cleared his throat and started. “I’m not sure how much everyone is caught up, so forgive me if you’ve heard this. First thing,” he held up a single finger. “Theo went on a walk and came back around two in the afternoon yesterday. He was monitored and was home the rest of the evening. However, there was a fire at a church almost three miles away from those apartments. This time, the church was run down and in a bad part of town, but it was still being used. Because the church didn’t have insurance, and the place was unoccupied, the police don’t have much to follow on, and other priorities to dig into the investigation.”
“They’re too busy babysitting this school,” Gabriel said.
“That’s a big reason,” Dr. Green said. “But as far as Theo is concerned, we’re still not sure if he’s behind it.”
“We did hear from that local cop that slow-burning accelerants were used,” Luke said.
“It’s not enough evidence to point at Theo,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “And we’re not going to accuse him. So far, while it might be possible, there’s no proof. Unfortunately, whoever is doing this has picked a bad time to start.”
“But with Theo,” Dr. Green said, “we may have to ask a favor of another team to keep an eye on him while we deal with the school.”
There was a small grunt from Silas, and he shook his head.
“We’ll be asking the favor,” Dr. Green said. “And in this instance, we need the extra hands. We’ve now advanced Academy involvement for Middleton and for the homecoming dance. We’ve got our people in place ready to go.”
“What about the football game?” North asked. “We need to survive that.”
“Luckily, they’ll extend the security here through tonight,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “And the phone lines are being highly monitored. Anyone getting in or out of the game will have to show student ID, or an ID of some sort. No one can get onto the football field with anything bigger than a wallet or purse without security knowing about it.”
Luke shook his head, frowning. “The security was hired by Mr. Hendricks.”
“And I’m wondering if it isn’t Mr. Hendricks tricking these kids into calling in the bomb threats,” North said.
“We’ve got some of the same suspicions,” Mr. Blackbourne said. He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. His voice dropped a little lower. “Unfortunately, if he did plan this, or is part of this, he’s not the one provoking these students.”
“Maybe it’s that superintendent,” Victor said.
“I don’t think so,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “He’s been confirmed as being at his office all week, with only the occasional lunch meeting. If they are involved, it’s that third party.”
“Who would have the power to manipulate kids like that?” North asked. “None of them are talking.”
“I’ve been checking phone logs on their cells,” Victor said. “Whoever is talking to them, is doing it in person, because it isn’t over the phones. There’s no unusual numbers on their lists.”
“Let’s focus,” Mr. Blackbourne said. He lifted a hand, pointing at his knee. “He’s got us right now because we’re scattered. We need to set aside some things at the moment. The Theo situation is, for the most part, under control. Tonight is the football game. We should all attend.”
“I’ve actually got an idea for that,” Victor said. “I was telling the others that we’re being manipulated and watched over. We’re monitored to keep us contained so we don’t move. Maybe... maybe we should make a move.”
Mr. Blackbourne’s steel eyes focused on him. “What are you suggesting?”
“He’s keeping us distracted and busy, let’s keep him busy, instead,” he said. “Let’s set up distractions. Fake phone calls to security about a small fire here, a complaint about a fight there. I don’t want to make a dangerous situation out of this, but we can see how he and security reacts. If security is hired by him, and he’s got them trained to work according to his plan, maybe we should be occupying him.”
“It’s a risk,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “We don’t know what the bomber or anyone else has planned. And we could be barking up the wrong tree completely. We don’t have any proof.”
“Let’s get a couple of older Academy people to act as ‘parents’,” Victor said. “If we can bring some in, they can be planted in different locations to distract or monitor, and also for safety. It’ll be a good time to do it, because parents and relatives will be around, so they’ll blend in. They’ll also be less suspected of being part of our team.” Victor ticked off fingers as he rhymed off names, “Doc Roberts, Uncle, maybe Rose if she’s feeling better, and...”
My eyes widened. Uncle? Luke and North’s uncle? He was in the Academy?
Mr. Blackbourne sliced his hand through the air. “I understand,” he said quickly. “I can make a few calls. A lot of team members are focused on the dance. This game wasn’t a priority before, because the dance seemed a more likely location for attention. After these bomb threats, the homecoming game should be monitored.”
“I like his idea,” Dr. Green said. “I don’t know who can make it out tonight, but I can put in some phone calls.”
“We’ll create a plan,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “If they’ll be provided distraction, the rest of us should be the supplemental security in case anything should happen. We’ll have to monitor the field and the stands.” He pointed at Nathan, Kota and I. “I want you three on the home team stands.” He pointed to Victor, Luke and Gabriel. “You three on the away team’s stands. North and Silas, keep an eye on the teams. Try to not be on the field too much. Fake an injury if you need to. I’m willing to forego winning the game if it means you can keep a better focus.”
“Not a problem,” North said.
“Don’t take anyone for granted,” Dr. Green said. “If the phone calls are coming from kids now, anyone could be making that next call. Try to talk to them before they’re caught by the police. Maybe we can learn something.”
“But the main focus,” Mr. Blackbourne said, “and the first priority, is getting through this game without a panic. Let’s get through today. I want to make sure we address how the kids are handled as far as expulsion and see if we can’t put a stop to that, but it will have to wait until next week. We also need to meet with Gretta for final fittings. Everyone should be on alert at all times. Keep the phone lines clear for emergencies. Safety first. Family first.”
Everyone nodded at the same time. “What about school today?” Kota asked. “Anything we should do?”
“Actually, let’s start not doing what we’re supposed to,” Victor said. “Let’s pretend we’re actually making a move. We’ve already started by not being in class right now.”
“I do have to teach a class,” Dr. Green said. “I can’t leave those minions to their own devices.”
“Let’s position ourselves around the school,” Victor said. “Under orders from Mr. Blackbourne and the school board, we’re here for safety. We should be monitoring. Let’s talk quietly, communicate in false codes, and slip false information. Let’s see what kind of attention we can attract. We don’t blend in anymore.”
“There’s a plan in action to change our status at this school,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “It depends on our survival here this week. I suppose now is a good time to start.”
“Let’s not get too crazy. Not to mention not letting Mr. Hendricks find a good reason to kick any of us out,” Dr. Green said.
“One thing at a time,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Let’s just be careful.”
♥♥♥
For the rest of the day, I was assigned to Luke. We were told to walk the hallways during class. We ran into security on occasion, some of them asking us questions.
When Luke answered, he replied that he was given orders from Mr. Blackbourne. When asked what those
orders were, Luke would pass it off. “Ask the school board for details. I’m not allowed to talk about it.”
It worked. Security was following us around after a while. We made circles, tested lockers to see if they opened, but then closed them. We entered the main office, went into the private office used by Mr. Blackbourne and Dr. Green. Luke picked up a file and then we waited five minutes, left and walked around, looking at the contents of folders. We entered the library, he asked permission to use the shredder. We shredded papers and then distributed the shredded documents in different bins across the school.
Victor told us that at each bin we used, a security person came along and collected the contents we’d left and were trying to now piece them together.
Luke and I sat together on the stairs for a short time, quietly smiling. Maybe this was working. Maybe for once, doing what Mr. Hendricks suspected we would do would keep him busy, instead of the other way around.
I had a lot of hope. I wanted to believe this was the start of change on how things worked at the school. I wanted to see the boys succeed in their plan.
I couldn’t be selfish and wish they’d never leave.
Pranks
No bomb threat had been sent out that afternoon.
Since no one had homework, everyone was preparing for the game instead.
Gabriel stood inside Nathan’s closet, and started to sort through my clothes. North and Silas were at the school getting ready for the game, with Dr. Green and Mr. Blackbourne monitoring. “We are going to go shopping again,” Gabriel said. “We got cut short last time. But Mr. Blackbourne was right. You need clothes.”
“I can manage for now,” I said. “Can I wear jeans tonight? It’ll be cold.”
“It’s the only warm things you have right now.” He pulled a pair of jeans down from the shelf, and then plucked through the hanging shirts for a soft V-neck sweater. “The hoodies won’t be enough,” he said. “You need a coat.”
“I had an old one somewhere,” I said.
“Too thick,” he said. “And it’s ugly.”