The Company

Chapter Fifteen- I Thought I Was Really Emo Until I Met This Tree

The school on the inside was just as bad as the school on the outside. It reminded me of something from a horror game, like Outlast or something.

Of course, when I walked in through the broken doors, my allergies decided to pretty much explode. For good reason, of course. Everything was covered in either a thick layer of dust, cobwebs, or plant overgrowth. I had to put my hoodie over mouth and nose and tie my strings back behind my head so it would stay in place.

Almost every window was smashed and every other floorboard was cracked or just not there anymore.

"I guess a lot can happen in thirty years, huh?" I commented.

Lionel, who was walking next to me, nodded his head. "Totally."

"Well, the school is older than thirty years," the Washington said as he held the school's map. "It was founded in 1933. It's more like ninety years."

"Holy crap," I gaped. "You're kidding. No wonder this is a dump!"

We made it to what seemed like the main stairwell, and that was what awed us all the most.

In the middle of the stairwell was a huge pine tree. It was probably the biggest and most beautiful one that I'd ever seen. It grew literally in the middle of the stairwell. It started and ended in between two different stairs and went through the higher stairs like a huge toothpick sticking out of a monster-sized sandwich. Its roots had overpowered over most of the flooring around it, sticking through and poking out.

In other words, it was pretty much like the Tree of Life from "Lion King" tripped over a step and decided that was where it was going to die.

Geez, tree. Get a grip, won't you? No need to lose your level. Christ.

"I don't understand why we had to come see what's so stable," Lionel said. He hopped up and down on the floor to prove a point. "See? Sta-"

Some people like to test the brinks of humanity. Some like to test the brinks of speed. Some, like the floorboards under Lionel, like to test how loud a scream the human race can omit over a short distance.

Not mention how hard the human race can laugh.

Shiloh, which was the bassoon kid's name, and I were laughing so hard that we were almost  laying on the floor.

Lionel hadn't fallen far. The top of his head could be seen through the floorboards that had smashed under him. We heard him swear, and then a small middle finger lifted out of the hole.

"Hey, screw you two," he sighed. "Bro, I think I broke something."

"Come on, you didn't fall that far," I said through my laughs. "You couldn't have broken anything."

He cursed again before the tip of his head disappeared with another scream, followed by a snap and a slightly farther away swear.

"Yeah, now something's broken."

Now Shiloh and I were actually on the floor, including the girl, whose name was Arrow.

The Washington came up in my face and growled, "Are you finished there, Michael?"

I sat upright and blew hair out of my eye. "Yeah, alright. Fine."

We ended up spending an hour or two there before sending me out to get the rest of Us that had been hanging out.

I saw the opportunity and I took it.

"Attention all followers of the mighty Washington, Steven!" I yelled, Shakespeare-style. I had one leg on top of the rock and my jacket was wrapped around my neck like a cape. "The school, also known as-" I paused to think. "The Homestead! The Homestead is now available for setting up shop! Feel free to stay on the first floor and the basement, but the upstairs is off limits due to a lack of being able to go up there anyway! Also: Those that aren't-" I pulled out the sheet of paper that the Washington had given me. "-quoth the almighty Washington- 'extremely shell-shocked and/or extremely hurt to the point where you can't move', please stay out here for a message from the Washington! That is all!"