Open Floor

OF - Chapter 11

Unedited Chapter

Chapter 11

The drive to school wasn't as boring as the usual drives I have. I was able to go a bit faster than usual, and maybe even breaking the speed limit for the first time. I felt safe in doing so because there weren't that much cars on the road. It was too early for some people to even wake up for work or school. The number of free parking space lightened up my mood a bit more. I haven't really seen this much in a long time. Going to school early is definitely giving me an easier lifestyle, except for the waking up part. But who doesn't get a headache from an alarm clock? Or in my case, a Leroy tickling machine.

What's not easy to do was to make up an excuse to the three boys to refrain them from going with me. It took me approximately fifteen minutes to make up a believable lie, and thankfully, the odds were in my favor. They let me go on by myself.

So if you're wondering, I'm currently sitting on the cabinet in Mr. Ward's classroom at 6 in the morning.

He's leaning on the same cabinet by me sipping on his cup of coffee.

"Would you like some more bread, Telly?" he offered politely.

"No thank you, sir." I said.

"I was just wondering why you wanted me to be in school earlier today," I stated honestly.

"Ah, I needed some help in grading the papers I made the students do yesterday if you don't mind, and I wanted help from someone who's not a guy, nor a squeaky flirty girl."

I'm taking his statement as a compliment. "I'd love to help." It's not everyday teachers needed a student's help. Specifically mine.

"Great. You may get the papers from the storage room. It's in a drawer with the label: 3A" he ordered. I couldn't stop my jaw from dropping as I looked at him who took a sip from his cup of coffee without looking at me. "Ahhh."

I furrowed my eyebrows and began to walk towards the back of the classroom and disappearing from his view as I entered the dark storage room.

It took me a while to search for the light switch and when I found it, I hurriedly flipped it on.

Light flooded the room, it was half the size of a regular classroom. Boxes were piled up at the right, racks of bottles at the left, and at the back were ceiling high drawers.

It didn't take long for me to spot the one with the label 3A since the drawers were labeled in order. The problem was, it was ceiling high, and it was impossible for anyone to reach without using a ladder.

I began to look for one and spotted it just by the rack of bottles of God knows what.

I set it up beside the drawer and worked my way to the top. I got there successfully, but another problem came my way. How am I supposed to bring down the box of papers? I groaned silently to myself. This is harder than I thought. I took the box out of the drawer and placed it between my arm and waist before pushing the drawer close.

Slowly, I climbed down the ladder step by step being extra careful, but the sound of Mr. Ward coming from beneath me made my heart jump and so did my foot.

"How're you- shit!"

My other foot slipped off the ladder and everything came in slow motion for a moment. The drawers and ceiling slowly distancing from me, papers flying everywhere, and my hair slowly dominating my view, then time returned to it's normal speed.

"Argh!"

I shut my eyes closed and kept it like that until I felt no signs of movement anymore. All I could feel is warmness by my left, and something supporting my back and the back of my knees.