Project Nebula

Some Kind of Nerve

    The red and black travel bag soaked up the fresh snowflakes dancing in the wind. All the items thrown about on the stage were cleared by two school police officers. Now, it was just a bundle of flimsy nylon. The melting snowflakes seeped through my sneakers and rinsed my socks. Though my jacket didn't stand a chance against the biting cold, Helix's knightly stand told me to ignore it. All the buses departed and the only cars in the lot belonged to the drama teacher and a few cop cars. Helix turned off the lights to the hallway that led to the backdoor to make us less obvious. Even if there were some students, all different, against the bricks just nearby, waiting to get in.

He looked out at the dusk sky as the sun sunk into the horizon. By that point, I had forgotten about how angry he got at Xander. I could hear his heartbeat in my ear when I rested my head on his chest and stuck to him.

    "Don't you think Mrs. Ralston would want her kid's stuff back?" I asked.

    "I don't wanna talk about it, Castor," he combed my hair. "Everything's gonna blow over."

    "Everything does... It's just that some people stick around too long."

    "That's what I used to think about us."

    "You did?"

    "Yeah. I thought I should've just moved back to Massachusetts."

    "But you stayed? I would've left. No offense."

    "Leaving kinda helps. No one's gonna remember some snarky kid who switched schools. Especially as seniors."

I couldn't talk against the heavy wind. Footsteps raced up the hallway so loudly, I heard them through the door. Intruding on our bittersweet conversation was that same cop I felt has been following me for months and still didn't have a name to call him by. He kept half his body inside and stuck his head through the doorway, the microphone from his earpiece muffling his voice a little.

    "You two got permission to stay after?" he interrogated. "You two doing anything besides cuddling?"

    "I'm helping with the talent show," I explained, gently pulling away from Helix's chest.

    "Can't you pry these loiters off the wall and inside the school?"

    "I could try, but—"

    "Get in the building before your lips freeze together!"

Xander opened the door for us from the inside. He held a clipboard with an extra set of index cards clamped onto it and a Sharpie behind his right ear. He let out a scoff as the officer passed him by. Folded chairs were stacked on the cart that stretched down the hall. Outdated posters were still posted on the cinder blocks. All the janitor carts were stocked across from the chairs. As I walked through, he supported the door with the inside part of his shoe and caught my shoulder. I almost fell backwards and Helix bumped into me.

The officer looked behind him and questioned him. "Have I spoken to you, Mr. Belmont?"

    "No, Officer." Xander let go of the door and stepped in front of me with his back to the officer. "Now, I have to go."

    "I scheduled a meet-up back in October, but I must've gotten it mixed up or—"

    "I wasn't there that day, Officer."

    "Make sure I see you before six, then."

Xander grunted like a lion that was awakened too early and shoved past me. He disappeared around the corner with a gust of wind ruffling my hair.

    "Alexander!" the officer hollered throughout the dark hallway. "Hey! Alexander!"

    "I'll get him, sir," I said. "I'll talk to him."