Flightless Bird

Chapter 3

"Thank you students, you are dismissed!" Headmistress Marsh called, as students began standing and filing out of the dining room. Dinner had ended about half an hour after the interruption that the Headmistress' son had caused. Lexi and I stood, and I made to join the long queue shuffling out the door, but Lexi pulled me over to one side, and took me through a small side door into the main corridor that housed Miss Marsh's office, reception and the school gallery.

"Are we allowed here?" I asked in a quiet voice. I looked across to Lexi, who was already tugging me along the corridor the the end that led out into the main hall where the staircases were.

"Sure, and it's much faster," Lexi told me as we neared the doorway. Just as we were about to step out of the shadow to leave the corridor, a silhouette appeared in front of the glass door that ended the corridor.

"D/mn!" Lexi whispered, turning abruptly, "we'll have to go out through the East side. They must be having a start of year inspection or something." she explained as we walked back the way we had come, past the door into the dining hall and down into the dark corridor.

"I'm guessing you've done this before?" I questioned as Lexi pulled the door at this end of the hallway open and led me into a small sitting room.

"Of course! This is the staff room, and through the door on the other side is all the English classrooms. We'll have to head upstairs now, and find a way back to the West side from there." Lexi told me.

"So, what you're saying is that right now we're in the boy's half?" I asked, nervous for some reason. Lexi looked at me and giggled.

"Well," she started, giving me a ridiculous seductive look which made me laugh too, "once we get upstairs we'll be in their turf." She laughed full out then, and I had to clamp a hand over her mouth so that no one would hear. When she had calmed down, I stood and helped her up afterwards.

"Let's go," I said.

We crept out of the staff room into a dark corridor; doors heading away from us on both sides of the passage. To the left lay a gradually darkening corridor that Lexi told me led toward the history department, and to the right I could see more doors for a few metres, and then the corridor turned a corner, from which a soft light was spilling around.

"That way," Lexi instructed, pointing to the corner. She walked out into the middle of the hallway, and I followed, stepping close to her as we moved swiftly to the corner. When we reached it we stopped, and since she was in front she peered around to check if the coast was clear.

"Is it okay?" I asked her, trying to see past her. She sat back quickly, causing me to rock onto my back. I recovered quickly, and Lexi sat in front of me, frowning.

"There's about four boys out in the hallway. I couldn't hear all of what they were saying but I think they're down here to put up some posters they were meant to put up earlier. But it seems as though they can't get into Mr Branner's room, where the posters are," Lexi spoke in a whisper, "it's not all bad though!" she cried suddenly, "they're kinda cute..." she trailed off, giggling softly. I tried to put a hand over her mouth again, but she turned to have another look and I accidentally hit her in the back of the head with my hand.

"Ouch! Kerri!" Lexi cried, falling back from the corner.

"I'm sorry! Are you alright Lexi?" I asked. She rubber her head, then nodded. I smiled,

"Good. Are they still there? I hope they didn't hear us!" Lexi collected herself, then peered around the corner to check if the boys had heard us. Almost as soon as she put her head around to check, she fell back with a yelp.

"What is it?" I asked.

"They saw me! They're coming this way," Lexi told me, just as four head appeared around the corner. Two were blonde, and looked very similar so I guessed they were twins. The third had light brown hair, and a nice face. The last had black hair, and dark eyes which were glinting in amusement. It was he who then spoke in a deep voice,

"Hello girls."