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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.
