The Key to Oz

Chapter 14- Earth to Oz

"After school, we're meeting at the house," James mutters in a low voice, glancing around as if wary of eavesdroppers.

Eric shifts his locker shut with a metallic clang and slings his bag over his shoulder. "Can't, man. I've got football practice," he replies with a quick shrug.

Grayson, leaning casually against the lockers, chomps on his gum. "Then your cut gets cut," he smirks, folding his arms in front of him.

Eric chuckles as he starts backing away from the group. "Coach'll kick me off the team if I skip," he says, shaking his head. "But pick me up after practice, alright?" With that, he spins around and vanishes into the crowd of students.

"My brain's already hurting from all the brainstorming we're about to do," Jessper groans, dramatically resting her chin on Oz's shoulder.

Oz smiles softly, lowering her head to rest atop of hers. "Lets get to bio, so our brain can focus hurting on something else,"

Jessper let out an exaggerated sigh, slumping her shoulders as she peeled herself away from the lockers and followed Oz down the hall. Behind them, Grayson and James veered off in the opposite direction.

In the biology classroom, Oz tossed her bag onto the table with a thud and dropped into the chair next to Jessper. The classroom was half-filled, buzzing with chatter. She rummaged through her bag, fishing out a worn notebook and a pencil with bite marks etched into its wood. Oz glanced up at the door just in time to see Pyke walk in, laughing with his buddies. His laughter echoed briefly before he spotted her. Their eyes locked for a fraction of a second. His expression darkening like a storm rolling in. Her stomach tightened, but she quickly looked away, pretending to focus on a random page in her biology book. She waited, expecting him to toss a paper ball or mutter something snide like he always did.

But this time, nothing came.

Instead, he silently dropped into his seat, staring straight ahead, his usual cocky demeanor strangely absent. She stole a glance in his direction, her pulse quickening.

The biology room was quiet except for the faint hum of the overhead lights and the soft scratch of pencils against paper. The sun filtered through the large windows, casting golden streaks across the desks. Oz sat next to Jessper, who was absentmindedly doodling on the corner of her notebook while pretending to listen to their teacher drone on about photosynthesis.

Pyke was at the back of the room, slouched in his seat, arms crossed as he stared out the window, clearly uninterested in the lesson. Even when he was quiet, he had a way of commanding attention.

The teacher's voice buzzed in the background as Oz flipped through the pages of her biology book, trying to focus on the diagrams, but her mind was elsewhere—on the treasure hunt, the clues, and what they might mean. As she tried not to think about Pyke and the words she'd said to him yesterday, she knew they had hurt him. But they needed to be said. He had to understand there was no future for them, she couldn't let him hold on to any hope that there could be. She was unknowingly tapping her pen when she felt Jessper nudge her with an elbow.

"Earth to Oz," Jessper whispered, smirking. "You're spacing out again."

Oz blinked, snapping back to the present. "Sorry, just thinking about... you know." She shot a quick glance back at Pyke, who hadn't moved. He seemed lost in his own world.

"About what?" Jessper asked, leaning in, her voice low so they wouldn't be overheard. "The clue? Or him?"

She rolled her eyes. "The clue. Definitely not him."

Jessper raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. "Sure, Oz. Whatever you say." Before she could respond, Jessper leaned back in her seat and turned her attention to Pyke. "Speaking of him, what's his deal lately? He's been... weird."

Oz shrugged, trying to act indifferent. "Who knows?"

"He usually can't go five minutes without some snarky comment to you," Jessper said, eyeing him cautiously.

He must have sensed their eyes on him because he suddenly turned, locking eyes with Oz from across the room. His expression was unreadable, a mixture of disinterest and something darker. She quickly looked away, feeling a sudden rush of heat to her face. Her stomach flipped, and she hated herself for it.

Just then, the teacher called out from the front of the room, "Alright, let's get into your lab pairs. We're going to start with some basic experiments on plant respiration."

Oz sighed, grateful for the distraction, and turned to Jessper. "Let's just get through this," she muttered, pulling out their lab materials.

But as they were gathering their things, Pyke sauntered up to their table. His shadow casting across the desk as he leaned against it, arms crossed.

"Need a hand, ladies?" he asked, his voice smooth, but there was a sharp edge to it.

Jessper rolled her eyes and turned back to the plants they were supposed to be working on. "No, thanks. We've got it."

Oz didn't say anything, but she couldn't help glancing up at him, trying to gauge what game he was playing now. Pyke gave her a crooked grin, the kind that made it impossible to tell if he was being friendly or mocking her.

"You sure?" Pyke asked, leaning in slightly, his eyes locking onto Oz's again. "You seem a little... distracted today, Oz."

She tensed at the way he said her name, like he was trying to get something out of her. She opened her mouth to respond, but Jessper beat her to it.

"She's not distracted. Maybe you should focus on your own lab, Pyke."

He shrugged, unbothered, and straightened up. "Just trying to be helpful. But fine, I can take the clue." he says with a serious expression. "I'll leave you two to it." He flashed a quick grin, turning on his heel and strolling back to his own desk at the back of the room. Even as he walked away, Oz could feel his eyes lingering on her for just a moment longer.

Jessper let out a long breath, shaking her head. "See...weird."

As they started their lab work, Oz couldn't help but glance back toward him. Pyke was no longer watching her, but something about his sudden shift in attitude gnawed at her. He had always been a troublemaker, always the loudest guy in the room. But now he was quiet, calculated. It felt like the calm before a storm, and Oz couldn't help but wonder if he knew more about their situation— maybe even about the treasure hunt, which seemed ridiculous, because how could he? She knew she was just paranoid. But still, the thought made her more nervous than anything else.