Love Conquers All

Curiosity Killed The Cat

I walked down the empty hallways, my boots echoing through the empty halls. School was creepy once everyone went home. Why am I here in my high school after hours you may ask? The answer is because I'm a freaking idiot! Honestly, what 17 year old girl finds a folded up note in her locker saying "Meet me in Storage Room B after school" and actually goes to said Storage Room?! Well I do apparently. My curiosity had been nagging me all day and it's not like the school would just let some homicidal maniac wander onto campus, right? I rounded the corner, expecting to see my friends standing outside the door but it was just another empty hallway. It's not surprising that the entire school was empty just 10 minutes after school let out, people fly out of here like they think spending one more minute here would kill them. I glanced back, sort of hoping I would see a teacher or a janitor somewhere near enough to here my screams if it is some crazy wackjob. I stopped in front of the door and double checked the note, even though I knew exactly what it said. I was stalling for time, simultaneously trying to talk myself into and out of this moronic idea. Before I could make up my mind someone grabbed my arm, flung open the door and pushed me in, slamming it behind me. The sound of the outside lock clicking shut sounded overly loud in the still air. "What the fuck!" I shrieked into the darkness.

"Alex?" A low voice spoke from behind me. Oh please god let it be serial killer who just sounds eerily like the jackass whose voice that belongs to. "Alex is that you?" Annoyance dripped from his words as he practically growled at me.

"Does it look like I knew what was happening when I was shoved through the door?" I snapped in what I assumed was his general direction. It was really dark in here. His chuckle gave me goosebumps, and sadly not in a bad way.
Suddenly there was a cackling sound like a speaker being turned on. I tried to peer through the darkness but I couldn't see a thing. "What are you doing here?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"I found a note in my locker and was hoping it was from the hot blonde in my calculus class." I bristled at his words before shaking my head. I don't care, I don't care, I do not care I silently chanted in my head.

"You would met up with some trashy girl to sleep with her in a storage room." I snorted.

"Jealous?" His voice sounded smug but there was something else underneath that sounded weirdly like hope. I shook my head, it was just my fear playing tricks on me.

"Sadly it's just us." Tyler's voice filled the air before the light switched on, nearly blinding me.

"What in hell?" I muttered staring at the speaker sitting in front of us on the ground. 

"We decided you guys needed some private, personal time to talk without any interruptions." Kat's voice was irritatingly cheery sounding.

"Kat let me out of this fucking room before I break the door down." I snapped at the ceiling.

"Good luck with that, this door has a two-inch thick steel center." Chase laughed before the speaker cut out.

"Chase let me out now!" Damian yelled, punching the door. I heard muffled laughing from the hallway as our friends celebrated our confinement. "Tyler, I swear I'll beat you black and blue!"

"I don't think threats are going to work, especially because he knows even if he does let you out right now your still going to punch him for locking you in here in the first place." I muttered, sliding down the wall into a sitting position.

"So your just going to give up?" He raised his eyebrow at me, glowering down at me.

"No, I'm going to wait and think but by all means continue to use brute force instead of brains and see how far that gets you." The sarcastic remark was out of my mouth before my brain could even process what I said.

"Your brains got you into this mess too so don't act all high and mighty to me." He snapped.

"More my curiosity." I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the wall. I listened to Damian pound on the door, screaming and swearing until he was hoarse. I cracked my eyes open when I heard a thump and was greeted with a tired looking Damian sitting next to the door, rubbing his temples. I took a moment to really look at him for the first time in a couple months.

His black hair was shaggier than before, styled in a messy-not-messy bed head look that fell across his forehead artfully. The muscles in his arms were bulging from how stressed out he was. I forgot how much I liked his arms, they had that perfect amount of muscle that looked like you would feel safe when they were wrapped around you but not enough to scream "I live at the gym and only drink protein shakes."

I shook my head to snap my train of thought away from him. I should not be thinking about his muscles, I should be figuring a way out of this situation. I glanced around the room, taking inventory of anything that might be useful. There wasn't anything we could use to pick the lock, note to self mention to the janitors it might be nice to get doors that locked from the inside.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out, silently cursing my stupidity for not remember that I had it earlier.

Kat: just talk to him!!!

Me: FUCK YOU

KAT: rude.

I sighed in annoyance and tried to think of who I could call to get me out of here. "Is there anyone scared enough of you to come back and free us?" I asked Damian. His eyes snapped open at my words, brow furrowing for a moment.

"Not anyone who could get through Chase and Tyler." He grunted, shutting his eyes again.

"Wonderful." I muttered to myself as I looked around again. I noticed something behind a box on one of the top shelves and stood up. I walked over and stood on my tippy toes, my finger tips just brushing the brown cardboard. I grunted, trying to stretch my arms just a little farther. Being 5'3" has its limitations and they get more annoying by the day I swear.

I felt him before he even touched me, pushing his front against my back as he reached up and easily plucked the box off the shelf. He stayed behind me as we both looked up at the air vent grate he had just uncovered. I smiled, because being 5'3" also has some advantages.

"Can you fit in there?" Damian's breath was hot as he whispered into my ear. I suppressed a shiver as I nodded. I glanced at the door, laughing in my head at what I was going to do to my friends after I shimmed through this vent. "Okay I noticed a vent in the hall outside on my way here, so that one must lead to this one." He was still all up in my space and it was making it hard to focus.

"Okay, lift me." I couldn't suppress the shiver at how good his hands felt on my hips when he lifted me up to the vent like I weighed nothing. I wiggled it out of the wall and it hit the metal shelf with a bang that I winced at. I shone my phone flashlight at the hole and sure enough I could see the other vent.

I squeezed in, army crawling towards freedom. It was a tight space even for me and I struggled to keep my breathing even as claustrophobia started to settle in. Please God do not let me run into a giant spider web.

I reached the other vent and peered through the cracks, seeing the empty hall around the corner from the storage room. I wrapped my finger around the slots and started wiggling it out. It slid out easier that the other one, so easy it almost slipped from my surprised hands. I slipped it in the vent next to me and looked down towards the floor.

Crap.

It was like a 6 foot drop to the floor that I was going to have to take face first if I wanted out. I glanced towards the ceiling and almost cried when I saw one of the ceiling panels had been left open by some forgetful janitor. Note to self: find that man and hug him. I reached out and gripped the metal edge of the ceiling and began pulling the rest of my body out. The muscles in my upper arms protested from disuse as I held up the majority of my weight, trying to get my feet out. I finally slipped through and dropped to a crouch on the ground. Okay, that kind of hurt.

I peaked around the corner to see my captors sitting on the floor across from the door on their phones. I glanced back at the vent and started laughing quietly. I never promised Damian I'd go back for him, I thought as I turned and started jogging towards the front doors.