The Black Box

29

In the morning, I wake up to Toby's face right against mine, our noses just touching.

"Um. Hi Toby," I say, staring at him.

"Hi. Mommy said to come down fowr breakfast becuz you're late fowr school," he says, trying to talk with the limited space between us.

"Okay Toby. Now get off of me."

He pushed away from my face, pushing his pointy little elbows and knees into me with every movement he made.

I got up and got dressed. I took the black box from my locked desk drawer and put inside my pocket where I always keep it, and head downstairs.

I walk into the kitchen and see my mom making pancakes.

"What happened about going to school?" I ask her.

"Oh, about that. You have a two hour delay because the teachers wanted to have a meeting this morning. Want any pancakes?"

"Sure." She flips one up into the air and catches it on a plate. She hands me the plate and the syrup. "Enjoy."

I walk over to the table to enjoy my pancakes. Saige is probably at school by now, in the library to get away from this chaotic house.

When I finish my pancakes, I walk over to the microwave and check the time. It's almost time for me to go. I quickly put my plate into the sink and race up the stairs to my room.

I shove my books into my backpack and I run down the stairs, and out the front door. I yell back, "I'm going to school mom!" and run down my porch and down the sidewalk.

I just see Jax turn a corner towards school and quicken my pace to catch up with him.

"Hey," I said between my short breaths, panting like a dog.

"Hey," he replied.

We walk to school, talking to each other occasionally.

"See you at lunch," I say just as I walk through the door. I just about see him wave through the window.

Classes were pretty boring, as usual. I wanted to see my friends to see if they wanted to go to the place, as Jax would say it.

I walk through the doors of the cafeteria and get ambushed by Jason and his "crew."

I'm underneath a pile of bodies when Jason picks me up by my shirt collar. He pushes me against the wall with the little strength he has and tugs at my shirt at my shoulders. He tries to glare at me, and instead smirks.

"Why did you do this?" I ask him. "It's totally pointless."

" 'Cause I wanted to," he says, smirking.

"Wanted to what? Beat up a guy?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"That's it?" Man, this guy has no plan, but he has intentions to hurt me, if necessary.

He has a frustrated look on his face and yells, "Well if you didn't kiss Marin, you wouldn't be in this mess!"

I must've had a shocked look on my face 'cause he continued, with his smirk, oh that smirk. "Oh don't you give me that look! You know you did it." He smirks even more, I didn't even know you could smirk that much. He slams my back to the wall and I groan. It was harder than I thought so he must not be as scrawny as I thought.

Everyone in the cafeteria is looking in our direction. My friends rush over and stop at the end of the hallway.

"Is your squad gonna help you now, lover boy?"

I look away from his hideous face and close my eyes, expecting a punch or something.

"Are they?!" he screams.

I turn towards him and spit at the floor next to him. His face is a twisted rage now and slams me into the wall with all of his might.

That's when it got bad. It always does.

Right when he slammed me into the wall, the black box fell out of my pocket, tumbling on the floor like someone rolled a pair of dice. Only it was one. Everything went silent and you could only hear the box tumbling on the floor. My heart dropped down to my feet. Kevin's face was filled with anger and astonishment.

Jason looks in the direction of the cafeteria and sees Kevin. He sticks his tongue out like a little kid. One of his "thugs" noticed the black box and picked it up.

"Hey, Jason. Look at what I found," said the guy that found the box. He handed it to Jason.

"Hmm." He snatched it from the guy's hand and inspected the box. He slowly started to look at me, not directly though.
"Is this...yours?" he smirked. I hate his smirk.

I guess I hesitated 'cause Jason came closer and I could smell his disgusting breath.
"Is this yours?" he whispers into my ear.

"No," I say firmly.

"Liar."

"I am not!"

"Liar."

"Hey, just to clear stuff up, I didn't kiss Marin."

"Liar."

I give up and roll my eyes. He seems to be stumped but went back to the box.

"What does this switch do?" he has a touch of curiosity in his voice.

"Don't touch it," blurts out Kevin from the cafeteria entrance.

"Don't touch it?" asks Jason with sarcasm. He touches it. Kevin flinches. "What would happen if I switched the switch? Isn't that what switches are meant for?"

"Don't," I say. He turns his cold stare to me. A smile crept onto his face.

I reach out for his arm right before he flips it.

Since he's never been here, we're on the granite hill. He screams and drops the box.

"Where the heck are we?!" he screams.

"Sorry amigo, but you'll never find out," I say just as I grab the box before his very eyes, and flip the switch. I can just about hear his shriek when I come back to reality.