Chiron Academy

Chapter 29.7: Nobler In the Mind to Die

_____EARLIER THAT EVENING_____

Wyatt dropped the box from his dad onto his bed with a thump as he dug through his drawers for his uniform.  

Luckily, William hadn't been in the room when Wyatt got in. Wyatt thought he saw him still in the cafeteria at dinner when he had left talking with the rest of the squad, but then Todd had mentioned that there was a captain meeting today so WIliiam would hopefully still be at that. Wyatt wasn't sure if someone would tell William that about Wyatt's probation but if someone had, he would rather not explain to one more person that he was still going to in town even though, yes,  he was on probation and, no, he couldn't explain why. 

He had to go, he repeated to himself.  How could he not? Lt. Davis was depending on him. Wyatt and Flyerman were a vital part of the investigation. If he wanted to be taken seriously, he couldn't tell the police that he couldn't help because of school. It sounded so childish. 'sorry, everyone I want you to treat me like peers. I can't help stop criminals because I'm having problems at school. Can this whole thing wait until I get my grades up?' He might as well tell them he still wets the bed. 

He flipped his shoes off and tore his socks off, tossing them into his hamper. He threw his pants and shirt off onto the bed and started sliding his feet into the costume's stretchy fabric.

How aware was the school that he had been leaving campus all the time? Maybe they didn't realize it all. He knew they had cameras around the school, but no one from the school had even acknowledged that he left the school at least a few nights a week. Was he on some sort of watch list or something? Maybe if he snuck out just right, no one would see him. There was a spot near the gym building where he remembered there being a spot without any visible cameras. Maybe he could give that a shot? But then wouldn't wearing a costume around the school indicate that he intended to leave it?

'Dang it," he breathed to himself. Was it worth it to change out? No. He was in a hurry. It was already almost six o clock and it would take him half an hour to fly into town, longer if he had to avoid being seen leaving and Wyatt wanted to make sure he didn't get there too late.

If, that is, he should be going at all. 

He grunted to himself as he sat down on the firm bed. 

Wyatt knew he was overthinking it. His mind kept bringing up the same questions over and over. It seemed like what people meant when they said to stop overthinking was to just pick one of the two paths and stick to it and neither of his options felt like something he could accept. 

His eyes caught the box from his dad next to him on the bed. What had his dad sent him? He knew that Todd's parents had sent him emails and knowing them, he had probably received some of his homemade brownies. He had never met anyone who enjoyed baking more than Todd's mom. 

William and his mother exchanged letters exactly twice a week. William wrote letters after his morning run on Mondays and Thursdays and he received responses Wednesdays and Saturdays. The letters were long too, multiple pages each time. Wyatt had been close with his mother but that seemed excessive to him. What on earth was there to talk about for that long twice every week? Wyatt wondered what they talked about to fill out all of those pages.

He had asked William about it once. He just that he told her all about his week and she told him all about hers. Sometimes she gave advice. 

Wyatt had felt a bit jealous at the time. He imagined it would feel nice to receive all of that attention and feel listened to but on the other hand, he wasn't sure he enjoy that. Having to run through the events of every week with another person sounded exhausting.