The Secret Door (#Wattys2016)

Chapter II Ana

The story of Van's misadventure in the deserted corridor is quick to spread. At first his friends cannot believe it, and they only did when they met Van moments later outside the Principal's office.

"Okay Van, tell us what you did," said Alice sounding shocked and disappointed all the same. Van is not really in the mood right now to recount what happened. He just survived an excruciating hour being nagged at in the Principal's office and he reckons his ears are now bleeding after hearing words like idiot boy, or stupid lad, and mischief. Nevertheless, he did tell his friends what happened and as was expected, no one believed his story that an invisible girl in black is to be blamed.

"You're joking," Alice said for Van is insisting that he is telling the truth.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" He replied coolly.

"No wonder why the Principal is furious, it's like telling him a Sasquatch broke into your home and ate your homework."

And as if the hour-long verbal abuse by the Principal is not enough, the enraged Alice then began nagging Van on how much of a prat he is for concocting stories to cover up his carelessness. It's like being in the Principal's office again as he hears words like idiot boy, or stupid lad, and mischief.

"R-rock," Don muttered suddenly.

"What are you saying?" asked Alice.

"Van... R-rock..."

"Just say it please," said Alice before whacking Don's knee with a steel ruler.

"Hey that hurts!" Don shouted after yelping in pain, "I mean Van here, is listening to too much Rock Music."

Van slowly turns to the hysterical Don.

"Please man, I'm already having a bad day," he pleaded.

"See what I mean, he's not well! Van was never been the same since he bought the latest album of Stonehearts on Fire."

And Don explains to everyone how Van's addiction to Rock Music is causing him to go insane.

"And you will burn your CD collection tonight Van, for your own good," he added.

"You're probably the one who's driving him crazy Don," Alice retorted.

"Yes, since he's crazy enough to make friends with a girl like you," Don chuckled.

And this culminated into a loud mudslinging by the two and Van could only watch helplessly. Thankfully Cara chose to keep her silence, sort of as a respect to the already strained Van.

"What worries me now Van is that you might get expelled," she said to him calmly.

Van goes silent. The thought of seeing his friends receive their diplomas without him is simply too depressing to digest. And what would his parents say if they learned that their son won't be finishing highschool thanks to a simple mischief?

Those thoughts haunt him throughout the night and he's expecting the worst the next day. But to his surprise the Guidance Councillor only gave him a few hundred lines to write as a penalty.

"But he made me swear to never tell anyone what I saw," he said as his friends finish their studies in the library.

"It's better than being expelled Van and this calls for a celebration," Don chuckled.

"Don, breaking school rules is not something to be celebrated," Alice interrupted, "but again, it's great that you escaped expulsion. Just don't do it again Van."