The sound of running water comes from behind the bathroom door in our room. I get a flash of the memory of Bam standing in the door in a towel and Dahlia by his side.
Hoping Bam and Dahlia are in the shower together just like they were when I first got to Barnum, I start to knock on the door.
There's no answer at first.
I try the knob but it's locked.
I start to bang my fist, louder and harder.
Finally X's voice cries out, "Wǒ kào! Relax Bam. I'll be out in a minute."
I stop knocking.
Everything goes silent except for the water.
I'm not sure if X slipped up and by reflex mentioned Bam or if he actually thought it was Bam.
Either way he knows something.
I wait on my bed for X to come out.
I hear the water turn off slowly.
A couple minutes later and the door opens.
X walks out with wet hair and an annoyed look on his face.
When he sees me he pauses as if he has something to say but changes his mind.
I sit and watch him walk out and start to go through his drawer and put away his toiletries.
I look at him carefully trying to determine whether I can trust him.
I have a hard time reading his expression.
A few minutes pass.
He finally speaks again,
"How was your first day?"he asks.
His tone is friendly.
I can tell he's trying to act normal.
We both know it's better for us to get along since we're going to be roommates.
"It was good." I say
"Did you run into Harry and those two?"he asks.
I tell him about class with Arlon and Jacob.
Then the hike with all three.
He laughs and shakes his head.
"Hasn't even been a week and you're already finding trouble. Is that how you got kicked out of your old school?" he says.
I pause.
"How'd you know I got kicked out?" I ask.
He looks at me and lets out a subtle laugh.
"You're kidding, right?"he asks making it seem like the obvious answer was eluding me.
I shake my head, ready for the explanation.
"You transferred here second year. People don't usually enroll into a boarding school second year unless it's for a reason." he explains.
"That's a crazy assumption." I say deflecting
"Relax." he says.
"At least 80% of Barnum student body is kids who got kicked out with nowhere left to go."
He goes over to his bed and picks up a book and starts to read.
There's a silence in the room.
Finally I get the nerve to ask,
"You remember him, don't you?"
I can tell he's hiding something.
"Who" he asks coyly
"Bam." I say.
He swallows deep and turns to me.
"Yea." he says softly.
I don't make a big show but he's the first person to not make me feel like I'm going insane. Like I'd imagined everything and made up a person.
I tell him about Dahlia and how we were supposed to meet but when I got to the room number that she gave me it was empty.
X's expression doesn't change.
He's not even surprised.
"I've been here for over 3 years. Sometimes kids go missing. They usually get themselves into trouble. The best thing to do is keep your head down and follow the rules."
He talks like this isn't the first time. He knows more than he's saying. I can feel it.
He continues to read his book. I don't ask anything else.
There's no entertainment. No TVs, no computers, no board games, not even a radio.
Nothing to do besides read or think and I don't have any books.
I lie on my back and stare at the ceiling thinking about what to do next as I fell asleep.
I had a dream about the hall and the purple flowers.
I wake up to the sound of tapping.
Our room is pitch black.
I reach over and fumble around looking for the lamp switch.
I finally find it and just I turn it on the noise stops.
I look over to X who's asleep laying flat on his back, barely moving.
I'd check for a pulse if not for the soft sound of him snoring.
The sound came from the window.
I walk over and open the window.
I look around, there's nothing nearby.
No sign of whatever made that noise.
I have no clue what time it is but it must be morning.
Once I'm up I can't go back to bed.
X is still in a deep sleep.
I decide to go to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready.
My dream gave me an idea.
I'm going to go back into the tunnels.
Down there was my last memory from Saturday.
What happened after following the purple flowers on the wall?
All I remember is waking up in my bed Monday morning.
The answers could be in the tunnels.
I get dressed in all black taking precautions in case I get spotted by cutting two holes into one of my old knit hats to use it as a mask.
I grab the school map and my amethyst knife, just in case. I also grab a couple packs of beef jerky, a granola bar and a bottle of water.
There isn't much else I could pack.
No cell phones. I don't have a flashlight. Not even a watch or compass.
This is the best I have for now.
I walk to my door and slowly creek it open.
There's nobody in sight.
It's clear to sneak out.
YOU ARE READING
Unseen (Book 1)
Teen FictionStory of a young teenage boy who's been kicked out of schools only to find himself enrolled in a boarding school in another country. Little does he know the students, staff and even the school itself are more than meets the eye.
