Retrieve it while foot traffic is light. Besides, you need that change of clothing in it, unless you would rather wear your gym clothes.
“Yeah, right. Good idea. That would be embarrassing.”
Cameron hurried out of the gym and sped at a half jog down the hallway toward the center of the high school. The janitor’s supply locker was next to the cafeteria in a less-traveled side hallway. The door to the room was in an older part of school and had one of those old-school skeleton key locks. Even Cameron with his pedestrian skill at lock-picking had little problem with those. He slowed down as he crossed the cafeteria. Again, more looks. This time, one of the looks was from Mr Hunt, the teacher watching over the room.
Slow down. Act natural.
Cameron took a deep breath and recalled the tricks Tao had taught him to blend in. Move with purpose. Act like you belong. Relax.
“Cameron.” Mr Hunt moved to intercept him.
You cannot allow him to detain you. There are too many eyes about. Draw him into the hallway before you disable him. Hunt is a heavyset man and favors his right. A hard kick to the side of his knee should do the trick.
“Are you serious? He’s my math teacher!”
Lives are at stake.
“Yes, Mr Hunt?” he said, looking at him with what he hoped was the proper balance of respect and deference without looking like he was hiding something.
If you are trying to look innocent, you are not succeeding.
“Where’s the fire?” Hunt asked.
“I’m sorry,” Cameron said, gesturing at his torn and dirty shirt. “Fell on the way to school. Need to get a change of clothes.”
Hunt looked him up and down, and then at the angry red cut over his eye. “Did you fall or did you get into a fight with a lynx? You’d better stop by the nurse’s office.”
“Yes, sir,” Cameron replied, touching his brow and backing up. “It stings. I’ll get it checked right away.”
Ease up. Always underact, not over.
“It does hurt though.”
“Get going, and stop running in the halls,” Hunt said.
Putting on what he hoped was an appropriately chastised expression, Cameron retreated into the hallway. A few seconds later, he reached the janitor’s supply room and stood dumbfounded by the padlocked handle and latch that had replaced the old skeleton lock.
Some kids must have broken the old door. Well, get lock picking.
Cameron scowled. This was the last thing he needed. He pulled the lock picks out of his pack and got to work. Padlocks were not too hard, but still a pain for a complete neophyte like Cameron. He was fortunate that this hallway was rarely used, because if caught, his only option would be to flee the school. A few students walked by, but most didn’t give him a second glance. One even gave him a thumbs up. Ten minutes later, he was still working at it.
“I can’t get this, Tao.”
You have to keep your left hand steadier. Move your right in small increments.
“It’s too hard. I’m just going to smash the door in.”
You do not think that will cause a lot of noise? Here, find the calm and let me try to help.
Cameron felt the control of his body loosen slightly, as if an invisible hand was helping steady his left arm. Then, that same unseen force slowed down his small adjustments just by a smidgeon as the lock pick worked through its puzzle. A minute later, he heard a click.
“Wow, Tao. That was awesome. Tao?”
I need to rest a bit. That was more draining than I realized.
His mentor became silent. Cameron pushed his worry for his Quasing into the back of his mind as he walked into the janitor’s supply locker and closed the door. It was a small room with two rows of shelves in the center and against the walls. The locker was filled with cleaning supplies, vacuums, mops, and everything else needed to keep the school tidy.
He ran to the back corner to a metal vent near the ground. It only took him a few seconds to unscrew the vent, reach in around the corner, and retrieve the pack. Everything looked as he had left it. He opened the pack and pulled out the change of clothing from last year. Cameron quickly threw it on. He checked the envelope of cash and cursed. It only had sixty dollars. He had forgotten he had used some of the emergency cash this year to buy a couple of video games behind his parent’s back and forgot to replenish it. Tao had warned him about that, too. Now, when he really needed the money, he might not have enough.
“You’re always right, Tao,” he muttered as he consolidated everything into one bag. He checked the time as he hurried back: 8.00am. He was running low on time. It had been over twenty minutes since he had left Alex. Was she waiting for him? He had better get back to her before she got in trouble. Cameron slung the pack over his back and hurried out of the room.
The hallways were now crowded with students, and he had to navigate the flow of traffic. He had hoped that his change of clothing would help attract less attention, but it seemed to have done the opposite. Even more kids now glanced his way, though this time their looks were accompanied with snickers. Well, nothing he could do about it now. He sighed and pressed on, passing the cafeteria back toward the gym. It felt like it took an eternity just to push through the crowds to get to the gym.
Cameron reached the locker room entrances and looked around; Alex was nowhere to be seen. His worse fears leaped to mind. Had one of the teachers found her? Was she sitting there wondering where he was? No time to worry about that now, he ran into the boy’s locker room and hopped into the shower.
He originally had intended to only take a very quick shower and hurry out, but once the hot water hit him, he felt himself melt as days of grime and travel washed off his weary body and loosened his tired muscles. All his worries evaporated and time seemed to tick by slowly. He caught himself, but it was still 8.10 by the time he got out.
“Oh crap!” he yelled as he hurriedly got dressed. When he looked up at the mirror, Cameron couldn’t help but gasp. He looked ridiculous. Everything he wore looked two sizes too small. He had had quite a growth spurt since last year, having gained a few inches and some weight. His ankles and wrists were completely exposed, and that tightness around his pants… He felt his face turn crimson. Tao had told him to swap clothes more often, but he had been too lazy. Well, now he was going to pay the price.
I hope those video games were worth it.
“I swear to God, Tao. If you say I told you so…”
Would I do that?
“All the frigging time. By the way, are you all right? You sounded bad after you picked the lock.”
You picked the lock, Cameron. I just helped a little. And yes, I am all right. It was just draining. You should get into your gym clothes. You can’t move in pants this tight.
“There’s no time.”
Then do it quickly.
Cameron ran to his gym locker and threw on the much larger t-shirt and shorts he had stored there. They still smelled, but at least not as badly as what he had been wearing before. And they were both completely intact, and the right size. He hurried out of the locker room with the thin hope that Alex would be there. She wasn’t. Deflated and unsure of what to do, he lugged his pack along the floor out into the hallway. It was so late by now that the hall monitors would be in place. He probably couldn’t even sneak out of the school now if he wanted to. He hadn’t even gotten to go to the nurse’s office to get something for his cut. On top of that, he had lost Alex. How had everything gone so wrong so quickly? And it wasn’t even 9.00am yet!
“I suck at this. I’m an awful strategist,” he said, shaking his head and dragging his feet. He looked to his left, where a monitor was manning an exit.