Their voices are muffled, but I can tell they’re getting closer. I keep hitting the door and calling out to them.
“Hello?” It’s a man’s voice.
My heart leaps with a sigh of relief. I won’t be stuck here much longer. “Please get me out of here.”
He pulls on the handle, but it doesn’t budge. “I need to find someone who knows the code.”
“Okay,” I say even though I don’t want him to leave. “Please hurry.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right back.”
I rest my forehead on the door, hoping he means it. Every second I have is precious. Who knows how much damage Myles has caused while I’ve been in here. I need to wedge myself between him and Mallory to stop them from seeing each other.
I’ll force her to stay home all day tomorrow if I have to. I’ll lock her in her room or pretend I’m sick and beg her to stay home. I’ll do whatever I need to. I just want her back, and I don’t care if she yells at me for the rest of my life. Or if she hates me for what I’m about to do. I just want her to live.
She has her whole life ahead of her. She’s the smartest person I know. She could become a doctor and save lives or fly to the moon if she wanted to. The world needs her. I need her.
If all I do with my life is save hers, I’ll be content until the day I die.
The voices return.“We’re going to open the door.”
I step back, waiting.
There are some beeping noises as they punch in the code and then the door creaks open, blinding me with sunlight.
“Are you okay?”
I squint as Mr. Phillips, the vice principal, comes into view. Next to him is Mr. Bauer, who’s one of the school’s janitors.
“How long have you been in there?”
I hear their questions, but I only have one thing on my mind: I’m going to find that boy.
I stumble out of the shed with fire burning in my heart as I clench my hands at my sides. “What time is it?”
“It’s uh—” Mr. Phillips looks at the watch on his wrist. “It’s 8:55.”
That means second period is about to start and I know exactly where he is. I start marching toward the school.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Mr. Phillips calls after me.
“Sorry, but I have to get to class!” I bite my lip, cringing. Mallory would scold me for not being more appreciative. I spin around. “Thank you!” Then I sprint the rest of the way into the building. I race up the stairs to the second level and storm into art class, out of breath and seething.
He sits at his spot, leaning back way too casually for someone who shoved another human being into a shed and left them there to rot.
I slap the table in front of him to get his attention. “Do you want to die?”
His eyes slowly raise, and he stares at me with a hardened expression like he isn’t the least bit remorseful.
Samir nudges him. “What happened now?”
Myles doesn’t answer him. Instead he focuses back on a round lump of clay on his desk that’s supposed to be who-knows-what.
My arms shake as my anger travels from my toes all the way to my head. The pressure is becoming unbearable and I have to do something.
“Do you realize how long I was in that shed!” I yell.
Sam’s jaw drops and he playfully smacks Myles’s arm. “Bro, you didn’t.”
