The Art of being Strangers

xix.

"Maybe she overslept," he shrugged.

"That's what I suggested to Marigold too, but she told me it rarely happened to Esther. Do you happen to know If she oversleeps?"

"Who knows. It's not like she ever told me if she overslept," he paused. "Ah, actually, if she's not coming to school today, that means we could look through her stuff."

"You mean inside her desk?"

"That, and the locker."

"I don't have the key to it, though."

He swore. "I forgot about that. We can't get inside her locker without a key, could we? No, perhaps not. Do you think Marigold has a key to Esther's locker by any chance? If I remember correctly, the locker comes with two keys, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does. But I don't think Marigold would have any reason to have her key."

"We can never be too sure."

I sign. "Are you making me ask her?"

"Something like that."

I rolled my eyes and stuck my hand in the back pocket of my black jeans. I took out my phone and typed in her number. I didn't want to go out again, so I decided I should just call her instead. She immediately answered.

"Creek, do you need something?" her voice ringed.

"Uh, yes. Do you happen to have a key to Esther's locker?" I ask her.

"Esther's locker? Why do you need a key to her locker for?"

I froze. I probably should have thought about what I was going to say to her before I called. Basil saw my panicked face and told me what to say.

"I gave her my pair of brown gloves yesterday because she was cold, but apparently she forgot to give them back to me because I saw her putting them in her locker," I lie.

"Oh, then luckily for you, she gave me her spare key!" she says.

I knew I should just thank her and go get them, but I was curious as to why Marigold had Esther's keys.

"How come you have her keys, though?"

"Well, she gave me her spare keys so I could get her books when I'd go get mine. She would usually wait in class for me because she was too lazy."

I smiled. "That sounds like Esther."

"Definitely does. Do you want me to come inside to give you the keys, or would you rather come outside again and get them?"

Of course, I didn't feel like going out again, but if I didn't, Marigold would probably stay inside. And I couldn't look through Esther's locker while she was with me. I looked at the clock. Three minutes left before the bell rang and physics started. I looked over to Basil who noticed my action, and he shook his head. It wasn't enough time to look through her stuff.

"The break ends in three minutes, so you can give them to me when class starts," I murmur.

"Are you sure you don't need them now?"

"Yeah. Don't rush."

I ended the call after she told me she would see me in a few minutes. I was really glad Marigold had the key.

"Let's look through her desk until the break ends," Basil suggests.

"She probably doesn't have any stuff here, though. Knowing that this isn't technically only our class, other students might sit at her desk. So what we find might not even be hers," I warn him.