Safe Hands

27. Busted

The hallways echoed with the sound of rapid footsteps and muffled laughter as a group of boys sprinted through the corridors, dodging teachers who were hot on their heels. Their heartbeats drummed in their ears, adrenaline surging through their veins as they took sharp turns, hoping to evade capture. Grayson was among them, his eyes scanning for an escape route. He spotted the bathroom door and made a split-second decision, darting inside while the others scattered in different directions.

Grayson leaned against the cool tile wall, catching his breath. He heard footsteps approaching and quickly moved to one of the stalls, where he found Julian standing near the sinks, looking surprised.

"Hey, keep quiet," Grayson hissed, shoving a small packet into Julian's hand. "Don't say a word."

Julian's eyes widened, but he nodded, slipping the packet into his pocket. Grayson climbed onto the toilet in one of the stalls, lifting his feet to hide from view. Just as he settled, the bathroom door swung open, and a teacher stormed in, his eyes scanning the room.

"You there!" the teacher barked at Julian. "Where are the other boys?"

Julian took a deep breath, pulling out a hall pass from his pocket. "I was just using the bathroom, sir. I didn't see anyone else come in."

The teacher frowned, approaching the stalls. He reached for the door of the stall where Grayson was hiding. Julian's heart raced, but he kept his expression calm.

"I swear, sir. I'm the only one here," Julian insisted, showing the teacher his hall pass again.

After a tense moment, the teacher sighed and stepped back. "Alright, get back to class."

As the teacher left, Julian exhaled a sigh of relief before frowning. "Grayson, what was that all about?" he whispered harshly.

Grayson hopped down from the toilet, emerging from the stall as he adjusted his tie, a smirk on his face. "Nice work, bleached face," he said. "Just keep quiet and stick to your story."

Julian frowned. "What were you doing, Grayson? Why are you always getting into trouble?"

Grayson shrugged, looking nonchalant. "None of your business."

"But—" Julian started.

"No buts. Just go back to class," Grayson snapped, brushing past Julian and exiting the bathroom.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully until lunchtime. As the students chatted and ate, the loudspeaker crackled to life.

"Grayson Smith, please report to the principal's office immediately."

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Grayson. He rolled his eyes, grabbed his tray, and tossed it in the bin as he made his way to the office, feeling the weight of every student's eyes on him. When he arrived, Mrs. Turner was waiting for him with a stern expression. Alex sat on a chair, his face a mixture of concern and disappointment. Grayson froze, his stomach sinking.

"Come in, Grayson," Mrs. Turner said, her voice firm.

Grayson stepped inside, avoiding Alex's gaze. The principal motioned for him to sit, and Grayson complied, his mind racing with possible explanations. It was never a good thing to be called to the principal's office. Did they find out he was among the group of boys smoking behind the school bleachers during class hours or about Bruce?

"Grayson, we've been monitoring your attendance and behavior, and it has come to our attention that you have been skipping classes for the past two weeks and rarely turning in your homework," Mrs. Turner began, her eyes fixed on him.

Alex crossed his arms, his expression stern. "Grayson, this is serious. Why didn't you talk to us about what was going on?"

Grayson opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He felt a mix of anger and shame bubbling up inside him, so he slid his hands in his suit pocket instead.