New Guy on the Street (Larry)

Chapter Two: Good News

‘Where are you?’ I text Mr. Tomlinson.

‘Come to room 840,’ he responds quickly. I’m glad it didn’t take him four class periods to respond this time.

‘Okay.’ Its fifteen minutes after school has ended and I’m just now finding out where Mr. Tomlinson is. I let out a long sigh and run my fingers through my hair before picking up my backpack and walking back into the school building. People look at me strangely. I don’t blame them, either. You’re supposed to leave the school once the day is over, not go back into it.

After realizing that I have no clue where room 840 is, I decide to go to the front office and ask. Once I get the directions, I continue to walk further into the school. Apparently, Mr. Tomlinson’s classroom is located in the oldest part of the school. Hoping I won’t get lost, I turn down a hallway –scratch that – a deserted hallway and look for the numbers on the doors, wishing that one of them would read ‘840’ so I could see a familiar face. Of course, the doors read nothing even remotely close to ‘840’.

Great.

“Eight-forty, Eight-forty,” I mumble to myself as I walk down the never-ending hallway and look for the room. I’m nearing room 835 when some kid (who looks like Gus from first period but more scary) comes out of nowhere, making me scream like a little girl. Clutching my heart, I mutter an ‘I’m sorry’ and continue down the hallway as the Gus look-alike laughs at me. I just wanted to find Mr. Tomlinson and go home.

“What’s your name?” kind-of-Gus asks from behind me, making me slowly turn around. Louis said I wasn’t supposed to converse with his kind.

Oh, and now he’s coming closer. Gee, he sure is creepy looking. Oh gosh, he’s staring at me. Why is he staring at me? Oh yeah, he asked for my name.

“H-Harry,” I reply nervously while I glance to the side to see what room I’m next to. It’s 837. Mr. Tomlinson’s room should be just on the other side of the hallway.

Lord keep me alive for the journey to room 840.

“I’ve never seen you down here before,” he says, looking me over. Wow, did this guy look like Gus.

“Well, I just moved here a few days ago,” I say, swallowing the nervous lump in my throat. “I’m actually just down here to find Mr. Tomlinson.” Gus squints his eyes at me.

“Hm,” he says slowly, “and what do you want with Louis?”

“You call him Louis?” I question, trying to avoid telling the kid that I’m down here to collect my babysitter.

“Everybody but you does,” somebody says from behind me. I whirl around to see whose talking. “I let my students call me by my first name because I want them to treat me like a friend, not a teacher. Anyway, Alec, I think you’ve frightened the poor boy enough. Go home.” Mr. Tomlinson seems annoyed with the kid, as he stares him down.

So the creepy guy’s name is Alec. Not Gus.