ahead of me. As we left the gym, he suggested, “We need to let others know we are here.”
“You mean besides Beverly’s dad?” I said.
“Yeah,” he sighed, “I think she’s going to need to come to terms with that…”
We both knew what “that” was. We knew it was unlikely anyone was coming for us, and it only emphasized the need to signal an SOS, either by hanging a sign on the front of our school or arranging it in the rocks on the roof. We would need to be the ones to draw them to us. So, for the next hour, as Harrison and I checked the remaining parts of the school, we brainstormed on what we could do. By the time we made it back to the main hall we had a list in our minds and the rest of the group was beginning to stir.
Mei’s head lifted from Doc’s shoulder when we were only two locker rows away. She looked around, confused, saw Doc, and scooted a locker length back from him just as he started to blink. He yawned, opened his eyes fully, and the terror of what he’d seen the day before flooded his face, making his jaw slack and his face ashen.
Harrison saw it too and distracted him by mentioning, “You have a solid snore, Doc.”
It seemed to work. The fear left his face, he chuckled quietly, and then he commented, “You should hear me after a night at the lake.”
Harrison and I snickered as Mei radiated a slight grin. She still looked unnerved to have woken up on his shoulder, but she’d get over it. The only person who remained stoic was Beverly. She shoved herself up, opened her bloodshot eyes, and ignored us in favor of checking her phone.
Mei turned to her and asked in a way that confirmed she was torn between wanting to know and not wanting to know. “What does the news say today?”
“It’s…” she replied, scrolling through the headlines.”It’s the same as it was last night.”
She stopped scrolling, punched in a few numbers, and drew the phone to her ear. A voice drifted out from it and my heart leapt, until I realized it was an voicemail greeting.
“Dad, where are you?” Beverly demanded into the phone. “I’m stuck at school with G.I. Jane and the Lone Ranger.” As if she understood she was being offensive her eyes flicked to Harrison and me before landing on Doc and Mei. But that didn’t stop her. “And The Hulk and the Whiz Kid.” She sighed loudly into the phone. “Come get me.” As an afterthought, she added, “Please!”
When the phone dropped to her lap, she drew in a deep breath, and I thought she was about to break down and cry. Instead, she remarked miserably, “I’m hungry.”
There was a tense silence and I wondered if anyone was going to criticize her for her attitude. I guess everyone came to the same conclusion I had…she wouldn’t change anyway.
Instead, Doc replied, “I thought you didn’t eat.”
“What?” she asked snidely, her head swooping down and aiming at Doc.
Obviously he sensed that he’d hit a nerve because he literally cowered from her. “I just…I was…I just never saw you eat anything…and you’re so skinny.”
She didn’t know whether to appreciate that observation or continue being offended, but she eventually chose the latter. “Well, I do eat,” she snapped back. “And I’m hungry .”
Harrison stepped in before Beverly could continue her rampage, which seemed to be exactly what Doc feared. “Kennedy and I were just about to head to the kitchen and assess the food supply.”
“Food supply?” Beverly muttered, hauling herself to her feet. “What is this, the military? All I want is a damn bagel with cream cheese.”
After Doc and Mei stood we walked down the hall silently, until Doc mumbled something.
“What?” Beverly asked, although her tone was less aggressive this time.
“Steak and grits,” he said. “I want steak and grits.”
“Fruit salad for me,” Mei mentioned.
“Cereal, I don’t care what kind,” I added.
Harrison remained suspiciously quiet, which made me wonder if he
“You mean besides Beverly’s dad?” I said.
“Yeah,” he sighed, “I think she’s going to need to come to terms with that…”
We both knew what “that” was. We knew it was unlikely anyone was coming for us, and it only emphasized the need to signal an SOS, either by hanging a sign on the front of our school or arranging it in the rocks on the roof. We would need to be the ones to draw them to us. So, for the next hour, as Harrison and I checked the remaining parts of the school, we brainstormed on what we could do. By the time we made it back to the main hall we had a list in our minds and the rest of the group was beginning to stir.
Mei’s head lifted from Doc’s shoulder when we were only two locker rows away. She looked around, confused, saw Doc, and scooted a locker length back from him just as he started to blink. He yawned, opened his eyes fully, and the terror of what he’d seen the day before flooded his face, making his jaw slack and his face ashen.
Harrison saw it too and distracted him by mentioning, “You have a solid snore, Doc.”
It seemed to work. The fear left his face, he chuckled quietly, and then he commented, “You should hear me after a night at the lake.”
Harrison and I snickered as Mei radiated a slight grin. She still looked unnerved to have woken up on his shoulder, but she’d get over it. The only person who remained stoic was Beverly. She shoved herself up, opened her bloodshot eyes, and ignored us in favor of checking her phone.
Mei turned to her and asked in a way that confirmed she was torn between wanting to know and not wanting to know. “What does the news say today?”
“It’s…” she replied, scrolling through the headlines.”It’s the same as it was last night.”
She stopped scrolling, punched in a few numbers, and drew the phone to her ear. A voice drifted out from it and my heart leapt, until I realized it was an voicemail greeting.
“Dad, where are you?” Beverly demanded into the phone. “I’m stuck at school with G.I. Jane and the Lone Ranger.” As if she understood she was being offensive her eyes flicked to Harrison and me before landing on Doc and Mei. But that didn’t stop her. “And The Hulk and the Whiz Kid.” She sighed loudly into the phone. “Come get me.” As an afterthought, she added, “Please!”
When the phone dropped to her lap, she drew in a deep breath, and I thought she was about to break down and cry. Instead, she remarked miserably, “I’m hungry.”
There was a tense silence and I wondered if anyone was going to criticize her for her attitude. I guess everyone came to the same conclusion I had…she wouldn’t change anyway.
Instead, Doc replied, “I thought you didn’t eat.”
“What?” she asked snidely, her head swooping down and aiming at Doc.
Obviously he sensed that he’d hit a nerve because he literally cowered from her. “I just…I was…I just never saw you eat anything…and you’re so skinny.”
She didn’t know whether to appreciate that observation or continue being offended, but she eventually chose the latter. “Well, I do eat,” she snapped back. “And I’m hungry .”
Harrison stepped in before Beverly could continue her rampage, which seemed to be exactly what Doc feared. “Kennedy and I were just about to head to the kitchen and assess the food supply.”
“Food supply?” Beverly muttered, hauling herself to her feet. “What is this, the military? All I want is a damn bagel with cream cheese.”
After Doc and Mei stood we walked down the hall silently, until Doc mumbled something.
“What?” Beverly asked, although her tone was less aggressive this time.
“Steak and grits,” he said. “I want steak and grits.”
“Fruit salad for me,” Mei mentioned.
“Cereal, I don’t care what kind,” I added.
Harrison remained suspiciously quiet, which made me wonder if he
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