Cities and Sewers

7

The next day was Monday morning and I realized I would have to go back to school after being gone for a week. Not that people would ask me why I was gone, though. If they were curious as to what had happened last Saturday, they probably would've asked one of the more interesting survivors. The superstar being the obvious candidate.

To go back to school, I decided to wear a white, long sleeved, off-the shoulder shirt with a pair of high-waisted jean shorts and white wedges with weaving on the heel. My hair's in two French braids as it's was admittedly pretty dirty.

My brother, Levi, drives me to school like he does almost every day.

"Tavi!" I heard a familiar voice yell from behind me on my way to first hour. I stop in my tracks and turned to see Liem dodging through groups of teenagers to get to me.

"Hi," I greet when he's finally in front of me.

"Hey... Heads up, Gray and I are coming to your place after school."

"Well why don't I just give you a key," I say sarcastically. "What do you mean you're coming over?"

"Somebody's cranky," Liem jokes with a big grin.

"Shut up," I laugh. I start walking again and he falls into step with me.

"Come on, Tavi. Gray wants to tell me about what he's working on and he says I have to see it to understand it."

"Fine. You can come over. Just don't be dumb, okay? My brother's actually going to be home after school today."

"Cool! Thank you. See you then."

He runs off in another direction without another word. I roll my eyes at his craziness.

In first hour, Spanish, I see Nico across the room. I wave to him and he breaks eye contact with me as if he didn't see me. He returns to conversation with two girls he was talking to.

I sit down, confused as ever.

Our Spanish teacher, Mr. Garcia, walks into the classroom just as the bell rings. "Buenos dias, clase. Gracias por estar a tiempo. Tavi, happy to see you back. Would you and Nico mind telling us what happened last Saturday."

"Um, I don't know about that-"

"I'd be happy to, Senor Garcia," Nico obliged. He stands and walks to the front of the classroom with a questionable look my way. "So, Tavi, Liem and Gray Howard, this other girl, and I were in the library for Saturday detention." Has he already forgotten Mae's name or is he just being petty? I have a feeling it's the second one since all of our numbers are in his phone. "Tavi was the first to break Principal Elmer's first rule." I give him a dirty look. "A little while later, Tavi got excited that it was raining and suggested we go watch the storm from the observatory, breaking Principal Elmer's second rule. I protested-"

"Then seconds later, followed the rest of us without being prompted," I add with a spiteful smile. He returns it even nastier.

"We heard some really close thunder and I suggested we leave."

"Actually, that was me."

"No. You're the one that wanted to stay and Gray went to look out the telescope."

"Mr. Garcia, if he's going to tell the story, he shouldn't lie."

"Keep going, Nico," Mr. Garcia says.

"Seconds later, glass is falling from the ceiling and everything goes dark. I don't know who called 9-1-1 or when the EMTs got there, I just know it was bad."

"For clarification," I begin to the class. "I suggested we leave and we were going to, but Gray insisted he look out the telescope before we leave. Nico sat back and watched everything happen."