Fractured Fragments Pt.1 (BoyXBoy)

36: Freedom

*Chris POV*

I sat there absentmindedly drawing circles on my assignment when my phone vibrated, jolting me from my daydreams. With a quick, furtive glance around the classroom, I discreetly pulled out my phone to see it was a message from Chelsey. "Meet me in the courtyard after class," it read. A sense of intrigue and excitement washed over me as I quickly tapped out a response using a thumbs-up emoji, hoping that class would come to an end soon.

As the teacher wrapped up the lesson, students began to file out of the room, and I followed suit, handing in my assignment on the way out. Just as I was about to make my escape, the teacher's concerned voice called me back. "Hey Chris, can I talk to you for a second?"

I halted in my tracks, turning to face her with a puzzled expression. "Is everything okay? You haven't seemed like yourself lately. You're usually much better about completing your assignments," she said, her brow furrowing with genuine concern. My response was a simple nod, followed by a mumbled, "I gotta get to class." With that, I turned and quickly left the room, eager to meet Chelsey in the courtyard. I had a feeling if she was texting me it was to skip.

The minutes ticked by slowly as I rushed to reach our rendezvous point. I sent Chelsey a text message, explaining my brief delay due to the teacher's unexpected detour. With determination, I finally made it to her side just as the warning bell rang, reminding us that we had only three minutes to make it to our next class.

"Hey, sorry," I panted slightly, my nerves dancing beneath my skin. I rubbed my arm nervously, awaiting her instructions. "Where are we going?"

Chelsey flashed a devilish grin, her eyes filled with mischief. "The tunnels," she responded with a sly tone. "Follow me; we'll go through the math and science building."

With curiosity and excitement intertwined, we made our way through the bustling courtyard, entering the math and science building. The first floor of the imposing structure housed elective classes like my beloved art class and band practice. We headed towards the back of the big square building, where Chelsey paused, her gaze fixed on the imposing doors that led to the parking lot behind the building.

We stood before the imposing double doors that separated us from the school's parking lot. Chelsey's gaze fixated on the narrow window embedded in the cold metal doors, her intense scrutiny ensuring our escape would go unnoticed. She pivoted towards me, her eyes filled with determination.

"So, we're gonna run across the parking lot and make it to the road behind it. Stick close to me, and if anyone catches sight of us, keep going," Chelsey outlined our escape strategy, a palpable sense of adventure in her voice. I gave her a silent nod, my heart racing with anticipation, and together, we burst through the double doors. My eyes darted around nervously, stealing quick glances in all directions to confirm our cloak of stealth.

We maintained our brisk pace, successfully traversing the parking lot without raising any alarms. As we reached the sidewalk on the road behind the school, we transitioned into a more casual walk, our breaths still heavy from the adrenaline surge.

"Is that where we're headed?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me when I saw what looked like the back entrance to a neighborhood.

"Yeah, sort of. It's within that neighborhood. We'll follow this road for a while, go up a substantial hill, and at the bottom, there's a park and some woods where the drainage tunnels are," Chelsey explained, her voice laced with a sense of mystery.

We moved onward toward the entrance of the neighborhood, and I maintained vigilance, casting frequent glances behind us to ensure our escape remained undetected. Soon, we reached the entrance, where a towering automatic wooden gate blocked the road, but the sidewalk remained accessible. Slipping through the gate, we continued our journey. Chelsey extracted her pack of cigarettes and extended it to me. She lit her own first and then handed me the lighter.