Breaking Character

Arsenic

I always liked Thursdays. The way that it sounded like it was gonna be the best day of my life. I guess that was today for me. 

I walked into school with my hair down by shoulders and away from eyes so I could take in all that had changed without me. Not much.

The water fountains were still near the exits, the bathrooms by the Spanish room, and the school office right next to the P.E. supply closet. Just how I remember.

I made my way to science class, pushing through the crowds of students going to their classes.

 This short kid with glasses kept getting in my way I almost elbowed him in the face because he wouldn't budge. As I was moving him off of me I felt a pair of eyes staring at me. I turn around and see green eyes piercing through the crowd to get a glance at me.

I don't understand why though, I don't even know him. He noticed that I had caught him staring and walked away.

I step towards the person, following where he had gone once he had left where he was standing. He was heading towards an empty hall that had no classrooms, but walls filled with wet paint.

He stopped walking and then told me to follow him. He hadn't even turned around. 

"Not everything's the same." He said. 

We walked until we got to one of the doors that lead outside of school. I hadn't said a word to him. It's like I was only mean't to listen in that moment.

He pointed to the exit plan the school had in case of an emergency.

"Intruder." Was the word he mouthed to me. I brought my ear closer to his mouth and he whispered, "Poison."

I nodded not really knowing what he was talking about but he said that soon, I would.

He walked backwards smiling at me and asked me, 

"Come to the pool?" I nodded again. "Good."

We walked slowly up to where the pool was and got undressed. He wanted me to go in first so I did. He watched me swim and do some of my best pool tricks. Next, it was his turn. I took both of his hands and walked with him until he was in.

He grabbed my waist and twirled me in the water with some splashes hitting our faces. Something felt off. He immediately stopped spinning me and put his hands on my hips. 

"I'm ready." He stated.

I brought my hands to his cheeks and looked at him one last time. Those bright green eyes. I moved my hand to the top of his head and gently pushed on it until he was completely under the water.

He didn't come back up. He was never even there. 

The pool was polluted with yellow and white everywhere. It was gonna clear up eventually so might as well turn off the pool filter while i still had the time.

The green light switched from green to yellow to red in a span of one minute informing me that his plan had worked. Our plan.

An hour later...

"Sarah, Kennedy, it's time for swim practice hurry up." Yelled Miranda. She hated it when they wouldn't take practice seriously. 

"Ok, ok." Surrendered Kennedy. "Yeah, whatever." Sarah said, obviously annoyed.

Just like that, one by one they went in the pool. Swimming back and forth as they were doing laps. More girls piled in as they got in the pool for their swim practice that the swim teacher never attended. I wonder why.

They were in there for hours upon hours, taking advantage of the free time they had to hang out freely.

I got up and left. I walked back down the hallway the green-eyed boy had lead me through. The red paint on the wall seemed to have this rich look to it. Oops, I mean't wet.

That was when I suddenly woke up the next day in my bed, no more recollection of what happened yesterday.

I turned on the news to see if anything new had happened and let's just say, I dropped the metal spoon to my cereal.

(News broadcast)

News person:    "  Breaking news, a high school in Columbus, Ohio has had a major incident  involving the girl's swim team with 10 injured and 6 dead. The swim coach was brutally murdered in a school hallway with blood dripping from the walls while the other victims were slaughtered in the locker room. The girls that are injured were left with severe skin lesions and health issues most likely due to the high concentration of trivalent arsenic in the school's swimming p—"

I shut the TV off.