Kidnapped

Chapter 14: Field Trip

The next morning, I woke up, brushed my teeth, and changed into my shirt, jeans, and sneakers. I grabbed my backpack leaning against my chair and ran to the school parking lot.

When I showed up to the bus, almost half of the kids were already sitting in their seats. In the front seat, Madison was sitting next her friend. She gave me a smug look as I walked passed her.

While I walked, I stepped on someone else's chewed up gum, sitting on the floor. The pink wad oozed, leaving a trail of bits on my shoe. Every student was accompanied by their friends or siblings, except me.

I breathed a sigh. Now I know how Lindsay Lohan feels. Luckily, Luke sat two seats close to me. He pulled me up to the seat and handed me a chewed up pencil.

"What's this for?" Luke pointed at the wad of gum still wedged on the bottom of my shoe. I thanked him dearly and scraped the gum on to the tip of the pencil.

Soon, more kids filled up the seats. They reunited with their friends and chatted noisily. I opened my backpack, pulled out Sherlock Holmes and started reading the second chapter.

I read to where Sherlock Holmes was evaluating the dead woman's secret message. Just then, someone threw a spit ball at my head. It belonged to one of the stupid jocks.

Five of them, including Jeff,  snickered in my direction then continued discussing football. Unable to control my anger, I called Jeff's name.

His eyes perked when he looked at me. "How's Madison?" I snapped. "Was she a good kisser or did she break your heart?" Jeff's friends oohed and laughed at him.

Jeff cast me a an evil look and went back to his friends. My classmates resumed their old loud ways until the art teacher stepped into the bus. Everyone, including the jocks, quieted down.

"Hello class," Ms. Jacob greeted. "Are you kids having the time of your lives?" "Not really," someone answered. Everyone bursted out laughing, especially me and Luke.

Ignoring the comment, she took a seat across from us and smiled at  the bus driver, who nodded and steered its course to the museum.

As the bus hummed to life, the kids continued talking to their friends while me and Luke read our books in silence. Ms. Jacob seems to notice this, however she didn't say a word.

The bus driver drove straight down and made a sharp right turn. Some idiot in the bus made stupid fart jokes. His friends laughed along with him.

The driver kept heading straight until slammed the brakes. He looked at the bus window and groaned. In front of him was a line of cars, anxious for the traffic light to turn green.

I tried glancing at the window and looking at the inked pages of my book at the same time. Turns out, my book fell off of my lap and bumped into Luke's leg.

He quickly snatched it and handed the book to me. I blushed as I took the book, even noticing that he put me to the page that I was reading.

I thanked silently and read the paragraph. Ms. Jacob tilted her head and furrowed her eyes. "You are interested in Sherlock Holmes, are you?" she asked. We looked at each other and back at the art teacher.

"We're into mystery and suspense novels," I replied. She gave me a curious look. "You didn't answer my question." "Yes," I said firmly. "We like Sherlock Holmes." "Is that a problem?" Luke asked.

Ms. Jacob politely shook her head. "Just curious is all," she said. Even though I didn't  believe a single word she says, I nodded. She leaned her body towards us as if she wanted to tell a secret.

"I have heard a lot of rumors about you two," she whispered. "Want to hear?" "It's true," Luke sighed. "I hate citrus fruit." Ms. Jacob laughed merrily like a tiny bell.

"No silly," she said. "People think of you as really successful workers in the future." "Really?" I asked. Ms. Jacob nodded and darted her eyes at Luke, who was sipping from his water bottle.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Ms. Jacob asked. Luke nearly spat out his water. Every time someone says that question, I feel like throwing up. "We're friends."

"I'm just teasing you children," Ms. Jacob giggled. After she was finished laughing, she went back to staring at the window. Luke remained reading his paperback book while I stared at Ms. Jacob.

She wore a white blouse with blue jeans and sandals. This time, she didn't wear any jewelry, just light makeup. Something small and folded appeared on my lap. It was a piece of pink paper.

I looked behind my seat and saw no evil looks or smirks on my tormentors. Taking a deep breath, I opened it and read the cursive letters.

Nicole Porter and Luke Hamilton are in love, it said. I took out a sheet of paper out of my backpack, wrote something cruel, and wrapped around it with a chewed up pencil.

I raised it in the air, expecting someone to get it. A kid from behind me took the note and read it to his or herself. I heard her gasp and threw it on the ground.

He or she must have seen my message, Get a life written on the paper. That will tell the person to get lost. The traffic lights suddenly turned green and the line of busy cars were moving faster than expected.

I turned the third page of the Study in Scarlett and read the paragraph until I could barley open my eyes. Some of the kids whined and groaned if they are there at the museum or not.

Ms. Jacob told them to be patient and adjusted the creases in her shirt. The bus driver drove until it was nighttime. Ms. Jacob gets up from her seat and asked him what was wrong.

The driver whispered in her ear. The art teacher's face was angry and blotchy.  It looks as she was trying to convince him to drive. The bus driver gets up from his seat and trudged out of the door.

Furious, Ms. Jacob reached into her pocket and stabbed the driver with a yellow syringe. The driver closed his eyes and fell on the stairs.

Millions of kids started screaming, and tried to leave the bus. They ran to the emergency door and rammed their hands onto the glass. It didn't work. Meanwhile, Luke and I dropped our books and crouched into our bus seats.

"Idiots," Ms. Jacob sighed. She reached into her pocket and threw something on the ground. She walked out of the bus, closing the door behind her.

As it turns out, the small round object began spitting purple gas. The kids stopped panicking and collapsed near the door. "Sleeping gas!" Luke cried. "Cover your nose!" I did, but the thick fog grabbed me and Luke.

Holding my breath, I tried breaking turning the knob, but it was no use. Along with the others, I was a victim to the fog. I knelt to the ground and lay on the floor. I didn't hear anything after that.