“Get back here, you rotten kids!” the guard’s voice echoed.
“They’re in the vents,” Zuriya cried, “What are we going to do now?”
David crawled past the group. Upon reaching the grate cover, he desperately shook it. But it didn’t budge. Taking a quick pause, he raised his feet, reared back, and smashed them into the grate cover. No result. Again and again, he struck, each one resulting in a thunderous noise. Michael felt a shiver run down his spine. Those guards would easily be able to find them. David was shaking the entire duct. And still, the grate cover didn’t budge.
“It’s no use. It’s stuck,” David said.
“We’ll have to turn back,” Asante said, “They can’t be too close.”
“But with all the noise we just made–” Zuriya said.
“It’s either backtrack or stay and get caught,” LaNiya said, “And we should make a choice soon.”
LaNiya pointed behind the group in the direction they had come from. There was the faint glow of a flashlight. Those guards were getting closer.
“They must be right up here,” one of the guards said.
“Move over!” Michael yelled.
He pushed past the girls and Asante, squeezing himself next to David. He repositioned himself, mimicking David. Rearing his feet back, he turned to David. The two nodded in silent agreement, then resumed kicking the grate cover in tandem. Their combined force shook the ducts even more violently. Michael feared that they would all come crashing down from the ceiling. But that was still a better fate than allowing themselves to be captured and taken by those two guards.
“I can hear them! They’re this way,” one of the guards shouted.
“Hurry up,” Zuriya shouted.
“You’re welcome to join in anytime,” Michael said.
“Focus!” David shouted.
“And hurry,” Zuriya added.
Michael gritted his teeth. His legs had started to ache from the overexertion, but he kept kicking. The grate cover was now bulging out, the screws barely holding on.
“There you are!” the guard’s voice said.
“Ahhh!” Zuriya screamed.
“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
Zuriya continued screaming, hiding behind LaNiya. Michael could hear the rapid pattering as they crawled towards the group. But, the vent was almost free.
“All…most…there,” David yelled.
After one final kick, the grate cover finally gave way. It crashed to the floor below.
“You got it,” Asante shouted.
“Great. NOW MOVE!” LaNiya screamed, pushing the others forward.
Without skipping a beat, Michael dropped down into the dimly lit hallway below. Upon landing, he lost his footing and stumbled a bit. He kneeled down to rub his ankle as the others scrambled through the opening. David lost his balance and fell over, crashing into the row of lockers lining the walls. LaNiya landed silently. Asante managed to stay on his feet but immediately looked back up towards the opening. Zuriya hadn’t jumped yet.
“Jump down,” he said.
“Zuriya stared down at the group, seemingly frozen. She shook her head at Asante.
“I-I can’t,” she yelled.
“What are you waiting for?” Michael asked, “They’re right behind you.”
LaNiya and David joined Asante beneath the opening.
“It’s alright, we’ll catch you,” David said.
“Hurry,” LaNiya added.
Zuriya squeezed her eyes shut and emerged feet first. But she still hung from the vent ledge.
“It’s too far,” she screamed.
“Got you,” a guard yelled, grabbing her by the wrist.
Zuriya struggled against him, but he overpowered her. He was beginning to drag her back up into the vents. David grabbed Zuriya’s leg. He pulled back, trying to yank her down into the hallway. LaNiya and Asante joined by grabbing her other leg. David turned towards Michael, pleading with his eyes.
Michael understood. While he didn’t really like Zuriya, that wasn’t a reason to let her get taken. Plus, the others obviously weren’t going to let her go so easily. Rushing to David’s side, he joined in the effort.
“Ahhh!” Zuriya screamed, “Let me go! Let me go!”
“Smack them. Punch their nose,” LaNiya offered.
“Do something other than just screaming,” Michael added.
“Argh!”
Suddenly, they heard a high-pitched shriek of pain. For a second, he worried that the guards had done something to Zuriya. But the thought quickly settled with the second scream.
“My eye! She poked my eyeball,” the guard shouted.
Zuriya dropped. With everyone’s help, they caught her and gently lowered her. But the second her feet touched the ground, she sprinted off towards the stairwell back to the upper level. The group quickly followed her lead without so much as a glance behind them. Michael could hear the two bickering and struggling to get out of the vents.
“You idiot. Why did you let go of her?”
“She got my eye. Oh gosh, where’s the sanitizer?”
“Just get out of the way. We need to get down there.”
“Hey! Don’t shove me, I’m injured.”
After racing up the stairs, the group burst through the double doors and back into the main hallway. Zuriya, not paying attention to where she was going, collided with a student at his locker.
“Zuriya? What’s the rush? The bell hasn’t rung yet?” the student asked.
“Help us, quick!” Zuriya shouted.
The kids looked shocked at her sudden shouting. Michael glanced around them at the bustling chaos of the morning hour. Students trickled up and down the halls, chatting and gossiping on their way to class. Teachers stood in front of their classrooms, greeting the students or mindlessly swiping on their phones. Even morning announcements crackled over the intercom, announcing the lunch menu and the after-school activity schedule.
He didn’t know what to expect, but somehow this felt jarring. It was as though everything they had been through hadn’t happened. No one knew what had happened to them. He felt a bit relieved but uncomfortable with the thought.
“Maybe we should just get to class?” LaNiya whispered.
“What? No!” Zuriya shouted.
A few of the students turned towards the group at the sound of Zuriya’s outburst. David moved next to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.
“Let’s not make a scene right now, okay?” David said.
“I’m going to make every scene! Everyone’s in danger. We have to warn everyone.”
A group of girls stopped, exchanging nervous glances with one another. One student approached a teacher, whispering and pointing towards the group. Michael stepped in front of Zuriya, trying to block her from the onlookers.
“Keep your voice down,” Michael whispered, “We can’t–”
“Help!” Zuriya shouted.
“Calm down, Zuriya,” LaNiya said.
“Principal Mays! Principal Mays!”
Zuriya cupped her hands over her mouth. Her shouts drowned out the sounds of students and teachers. Everyone was focused on their group now. Vice Principal Mendoza soon came running down the halls. She maneuvered through the crowd that had started to form, a panicked expression plastered on her face. When she finally reached them, she knelt down to Zuriya and rapidly inspected her, checking for anything amiss.
“What is it? What’s wrong, Zuriya?” she said, “Are any of you hurt? Anyone injured?”
“No, no, no. Nothing is wrong,” Michael said, “We were just heading to class.”
Michael tried to start pushing Zuriya away. He wanted to cover her mouth and prevent her from saying anything else. But Zuriya shoved him away from her and turned to Ms. Mendoza.
“We’re not okay,” she shouted, “We have to get everyone out of the school. There’s evil guards disguised as janitors. They’re with the people who kidnapped Dr. Reed from the underground secret lab. And they’re still in the basement.”
Michael had never experienced such silence. Even Ms. Mendoza could only stare at Zuriya. Her eyes grew wide, then furrowing in confusion. She took hold of Zuriya’s shoulders, locking eyes with her.
“Zuriya, are you feeling well?” Ms. Mendoza asked, lowering her voice to a whisper.
“What? Yes, I’m fine.”
Ms. Mendoza looked at the rest of the group as if to corroborate her story. Michael saw her, noticing the group was standing in front of the basement doors. Her face immediately narrowed, her mouth sinking to a frown as she addressed the others.
“Were you all down in the basement levels? Oh, Zuriya, you must have just been frightened by all the loud noises of the equipment they store down there. But there was no one down there.”
“What? No, we were,” Zuriya said, “We have to escape through the vents. And they even chased us there, too. They’re dressed as janitors. They could be out here with everyone right now.”
“There are no janitors that come early in the morning. And I don’t recall any of you having permission to be in any unauthorized area. If I hear of any of you down there again, you will be held responsible, and there will be consequences. No amount of lies or stories will get you out of that.”
“We did have permission. From Principal Mays,” Asante said.
“You did? Well then,” Ms. Mendoza said, “I’ll confirm this with Principal Mays when she arrives. Now, on to class, all of you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” David said.
He quickly grabbed Zuriya, trying to pull her toward their first period classroom. But Zuriya refused to move, a look of bewilderment quickly enveloping her face. She resisted being pulled away, still calling to their vice principal.
“B-but we’re telling the truth,” she said,” You have to believe us.”
“I will look the other way this time, Zuriya, in honor of your record of not causing problems in the past. But I will be alerting your parents, should you continue this stream of lies.”
“Sorry, Ms. Mendoza,” LaNiya said, stepping between the two.
“But…but…,” Zuriya stammered.
“That’s enough, Zuriya,” Michael said.
Ms. Mendoza turned around, addressing the other people in the hallway.
“Everything is alright, everyone. Just a false alarm. Please quickly make your way to your classrooms.”
Those watching the event unfold breathed an audible sigh of relief. Most of the students just went on with their morning routines. Some still held lingering glances at Zuriya and the group. Zuriya seemed to realize the looks her classmates were giving her. Some of the teachers even watched, their faces full of pity.
“I expect there to be no other interruptions today from any of you. That includes regulations and violations. Do I make myself clear?” Ms. Mendoza addressed the group.
“Yes, ma’am,” David said.
“Yes,” LaNiya and Asante said.
Michael nodded. But Zuriya still stood frozen in place, unsure of how to respond. Michael bumped into her shoulder, pleading for her to go along. She looked back at their vice principal before dropping her head.
“Yes, Ms. Mendoza,” she said.
Ms. Mendoza nodded and walked away. Her heel clicked against the hard floors. Soon, she disappeared into the sea of students and faculty. Once she was gone, Michael could hear the whispers start to grow.
“Was that Zuriya?”
“Wow, I didn’t know she was so easily scared.”
“Michael is probably rubbing off on her.”
“Didn’t she get in trouble the other day?”
“She almost got suspended.”
David quickly led Zuriya away.
“I’ll see you guys after class,” Asante said.
He waved to the group, then took off down the hall.
“She…she didn’t believe me. But they’re supposed to believe us. We told the truth,” Zuriya said.
“Well, welcome to the real world,” Michael teased.