LIFE WITHIN THE HALLS
Gideon
Wednesday, 11th February, 1:29 p.m.
After almost an hour and a half of searching, Sandra, Jayden, Victoria, and I were no closer to solving the mystery of my best friend, Daniel, who had been replaced by his look-alike. Despite our efforts, we hadn't found any significant leads or clues, except for what Jayden claimed he had seen.
Sinking into the sofa, I looked at the others. "So Mr. Bennett is our only suspect now."
Sandra sighed, shaking her head.
"Yeah, but it's hard to believe someone like him would be involved in something like this," she said, her eyes scrutinizing the picture of Mr. Bennett we had shown her, since she hadn't met him yet.
Mr. Bennett, the physics teacher, had only been at the school for a year. With his charming smile and movie-star looks, he became the object of affection for many of the girls, which, not for my dislike toward him but honestly, made the classroom dynamics a tad awkward.
"Is it just because of his pretty face?" Jayden leaned in. "Believe me, I saw him chatting with Daniel... Daniel's look-alike in the second-floor hallway ten minutes after lunch break was over. Right smack dab in the middle of class hours."
If Jayden wasn't mistaken about what he saw, then Mr. Bennett had some explaining to do. While I wasn't exactly the type to worry about following school rules, there was one rule that everyone knew and respected: teachers weren't allowed to engage with students outside of class during school hours.
"Mr. Bennett can't be involved. There must be a misunderstanding," Victoria expressed her doubt.
The final bell rang, and we packed up our belongings, leaving the prefect room together. The halls were abuzz with students eager to head out—some rushing off to sports practices, others to music and drama rehearsals.
"What's our next move?" Sandra asked, lowering her voice.
Victoria scoffed, "Next move? I don't want my face plastered across the front page of the school newspaper tomorrow. Especially not with the three of you." With her typical air of superiority, she added, "School's closed. My copper will be here any minute. Bye," and strode away.
Sandra turned to Jayden and me, her eyes flicking between us. "Is she always like that?"
Jayden replied dryly, "Yeah, she's always been a bit too concerned about her image. But at least she's consistent." He shared a knowing look with me, expecting me to find it funny, but I remained serious.
I scanned the hallway, making sure no one was listening in. "Let's go home and meet back at school around 6:30 p.m.," I suggested. "We'll break into Mr. Bennett's office without anyone noticing."
Jayden nodded in agreement, though he seemed hesitant. "Sounds like a plan, but I don't think Sandra's parents will let her—"
"I'll come, don't worry," Sandra interrupted, speaking with utmost confidence. "Just focus on getting here without an entourage of girls, Mr. Influencer." She turned with an eye roll aimed at Jayden and walked away.
Jayden went in the opposite direction, joining his friend Henry and a group of basketball players, while I merged with the crowd of students heading toward the parking lot.
In the lot, I anxiously waited for my driver to arrive. I was desperate to get home before my dad returned from his trip to Canada. Minutes stretched on, each one feeling like forever as my impatience grew. You'd think growing up in a wealthy family would mean never having to worry about things like this, but the truth was, it only made the waiting feel even more agonizing.
Eventually, I gave up waiting for my driver and ordered an Uber home.
Slumped in the backseat of the grey car, I stared out at the passing scenery, my mind racing with thoughts. I couldn't shake off the numbers running through my head — fifty-two to fifty-four hours since I last saw the real Daniel in the cafeteria, two hours later he vanished, and then his look-alike popped up out of nowhere twenty-four hours after that. Was I losing my grip on reality, or was something sinister at play?
The car pulled up to the place I'd called home for sixteen years, and I stepped out. I tiptoed through the front door, trying to avoid my mom's attention. She always failed me when I needed her most, so I wasn't willing to indulge in her fake displays of love.
As I began to climb the stairs to my room, fate threw me another curveball.
"You're home," she greeted, approaching. "I wanted to pick you up from school since the driver was unwell, but work got in the way."
I stopped, her words grating on my nerves. She never performed her motherly duties, always too busy with her own affairs.
"Work?" My lip curled in disdain. "Mom, you're a housewife. The only thing you work on is updating your Whatsapp status and cooking food."
Her face flushed with anger. "How dare you speak to me like that? I am your mother."
I liked it that way;when she got all too angry.
"You remember that now? You didn't seem to remember it when you left me stranded at school," I retorted.
"I'm sorry, really sorry," she pleaded.
"There's no need. I ordered an Uber," I said, unwilling to dwell on her apology.
"Well, your father will be home very soon so—"
I clamped my hands over my ears, clicking my tongue repeatedly as I hurried upstairs to my room.
Once inside, I tossed my school bag aside and let out a deep sigh. Frustration boiled within me as I paced back and forth, my mind spinning with questions.
Where could the real Daniel be? What connection could Mr. Bennett have with his look-alike? The more I thought about it, the more my unease worsened.
A notification chimed on my phone, indicating a message in the new WhatsApp group chat I had created. Jayden had sent a link to his livestream. Though I had never watched his live videos before, I had to for once, knowing he was willing to help me find my best friend.
I clicked the link begrudgingly.
My screen lit up, showing the backdrop of his setup. The chat had already begun filling with messages and reactions as the stream went live.
"Yo, what's up, everyone! It's Jayden Scott here, coming to you live from my studio. I hope you're all doing awesome today!" he said enthusiastically.
The viewer count soared, from hundreds to thousands in minutes.
"So, I wanted to jump on here real quick to give you all a heads up. Unfortunately, I won't be able to livestream this evening like I usually do," he announced, his tone apologetic.
His words reminded me of our plans to meet up, which I had almost forgotten.
"And hey, maybe this is a sign that you guys should take a break from your usual stuff too, go outside, enjoy the real world for a bit..."
I swiped away the Instagram app, checking the time. I had about four hours before the meetup. I quickly changed into blue shorts and a white shirt with dot designs, then headed downstairs for a quick meal.
As I descended the stairs, the doorbell rang. Without even needing to glance, I knew who it was.
"Bro!" my little brother, Jasper, yelled, bounding toward me. "Canada is awesome!" He had accompanied my dad on his trip. Seeing Jasper again was the only good side of my dad's return.
My dad cleared his throat, interrupting our reunion. I gently patted Jasper's cheeks. "Go to your room, we'll catch up later," I told him, and he obediently darted off.
"Welcome, Dad," I greeted half-heartedly, looking away.
"Well done, my boy! I heard you topped the math test again," he praised, his words feeling like salt in an open wound.
Topping tests was all he cared about.
I forced a smile, heading to the dining hall. "Is the food ready?"
"Yes, but why are you eating early today?" Mom asked.
Eating early wasn't my habit. I made a point of microwaving my food, not out of preference, but as a silent protest against how my parents treated me like a machine, solely focused on producing good grades.
"I have somewhere to go," I replied, scanning their faces.
"Is it for a school project?" Dad asked.
If anything involved school, he would approve without thinking twice, even if it meant spending a lot of money. All he cared about was me following in his footsteps as a pharmacist, but my interests lay elsewhere.
"Yes, please," I lied, and he gave me the go-ahead.
Mom then brought a tray with steamed rice and vegetable stir-fry to the dining table.
As I ate, my phone rang from upstairs. Since Dad never allowed me to take food to my room, I usually didn't. I was torn between leaving the food unfinished to answer the call or finishing my meal and ignoring the call. I wasn't one to leave my food half-eaten, but I also didn't want to miss the call.
Dad looked up at me. "You can take your food upstairs, just for today."
I wasn't entirely surprised when he gave in, probably because I had aced the math test and was his pride and joy.
I quickly grabbed my plate and headed upstairs to my room.
Flopping onto my bed, I checked my phone and saw three missed calls from Sandra. A smirk crossed my face. To be frank, it bothered me that she had started her paper late but still managed to make it into the top four. Maybe Jayden was right; Sandra's success did seem to threaten mine. My position as class topper meant everything to my father, and I dreaded losing it to her, just like I had lost it to that scholarship girl two years ago.