|| Simon says ||

{chapter 16}

Nate
The worst thing that i ever did, was what I did to you.

It's past midnight, and I'm alone outside Bayview high. Not too long ago, I thought I'd never be back here. But I am.

We've had another message, to me this time.

Break into the school to find a note. On your way out, egg the front wall.
I'd laugh at the last part if I wasn't in this situation.

Addy and cooper are coming later with a couple dozen eggs, but I haven't told them about the first part yet. I have to do this part alone.

First off, I have to find out a way to get into the school which won't set off the highly secure alarms. Not. Bayview high has worse of security than Primark.
Not so bad that the front doors will be open at 2 o'clock in the morning though, so I creep around to the back of the building and try the fire escape door. Locked. I look up and notice a wide open window, on the second floor of the school. I don't know how I'm going to get up there, but I will somehow.

It turns out that Bayview's desperate need for a renovation helps out though, I realise as I note the bricks jutting out of the wall, right next to a drain pipe stretching toward the top of the building.

I could fall, but I also might not. It doesn't look safe, but neither does Bronwyn's chances of survival if I don't do this.

I gingerly put my foot on the first brick poking out, and it doesn't collapse to the floor, so I'm safe for now.

It's gets easier as I climb higher, and it almost becomes simple as I clutch onto the pipe and get up there. I feel like Flynn Rider, especially since there's no hair to climb up like in the new live action.

As I get to the window, I push it forward as much as I can and grab onto the windowsill, heaving myself up and through. And then I look around and realise, where do I start? Bayview is massive, how am I going to see a piece of paper?

I decide to start in the gym, and I search every corner and under every bench. Nothing. And for some reason, this breaks me.

Suddenly, I'm unable to breathe. Unblinking, I sink to the floor with my back against the wall. Not crying, just sat there. I gasp for air and stare at a crack on the wall, trying to focus myself and take a breath.

I close my eyes. And suddenly the air fills my lungs again and I can see.
I sit for a couple of minutes, steadying myself before standing and going on like nothing happened.

I check the cafeteria, which is just as empty. Surely Simon Says doesn't expect me to find it without any kind of clue. I re-think back to the text I clearly remember.
Break into the school to find a note. On your way out, egg the front wall.
Nothing.
Or maybe..
"On your way out,"
I'm grasping at straws here, but it could mean something. Its worth a check anyway.

I walk across the school until I get to the front entrance, and first just look around the walls and floors. Around the stars, behind all the furniture.
Nothing.

I would've kept looking, but then I heard the familiar sound of a jeep in the parking lot, and then two voices.

"You're joking, he begs us to bring him 2 packets of bloody eggs then isn't even here." I hear Cooper say.

"Why does he even need eggs bought here?" Addy asks.

"Too make an omelette in the kitchens at half two in the morning, Addy. Why do you think?"

"Well yeah, I know, but why does he so desperately need to egg the school?" She says.

I can practically hear Cooper roll his eyes, and I run back upstairs and through the window I go, practically sliding down the pipe this time.

"I could hear you up there, you know?" I announce, sliding around the corner.

Addy practically jumps out of her skin, and Cooper laughs.

"Why were you in the school?" Addy exclaims.

"For some late night nostalgia, why else." I say sarcastically. "Give me one of those bastards, then." I say, gesturing toward the cardboard box of eggs. Cooper opens his and passes me one, and I take the first shot. I hit one of the, luckily, strong windows, so it doesn't break.

Coopers jeers behind me, takes an egg, and hurtles it into the wall. Turns out his baseball skills really did help us out.

I offer one to Addy, who looks reluctant at first, but ends up picking one up with a mutter of "we're going to get arrested."
But there's a ghost of a smile on her face as the egg makes a satisfying crack as it hits the wall.

And, for the first time since Bronwyn's disappearance, I laugh. I feel free.

Of course, this is ruined when my phone beeps.

You couldn't find it? Okay, I'll help then. It's in Mrs Avery's room, before you got her fired, I mean.

I look up at Addy and Cooper, who give me expectant looks back.

"I have to go back in there, you can go if you want."

They both shake their heads. "We'll wait in the car."

I begin to protest, then realise there's no time. I just nod and run back around, climbing the wall again and falling through. I practically run toward the classroom, and it's only then when I'm left alone with only the sounds of my footsteps and my breath.

Then I stop by Avery's science room, about to open the door, when I realise.

The footsteps haven't stopped.

I swivel my head, looking around, my breath hitching in my throat and the panic rising. That's when I notice the graffiti on the wall in front of me.

Big mistake.

I hear a lock click coming from the window I used to get in and out.

And suddenly, it's just me and my heavy breathing again.

And the smell of smoke from behind me.

Nobody's heard from me for months so vote or else no more chapters

HEY HO SORRY LADS IVE FORGOTTEN TO DO A CHAPTER FOR SO SO LONG I DONT EVEN KNOW HOW LONG but I went to that Waterstones event today in Manchester and Karen McManus signed my books and I suddenly have motivation again I think I'm even gonna write another chapter from Nate's POV again rn AND I GOT ERAS TOUR TICKETS FOR EDINBURGH NEXT YEAR AHH anyway bye lyl thanks for sticking with me xxx and sorry I made coop sound British when he was on abt the eggs