Imperfect Pieces

18. happy birthday, jack

Jack sighed again as he glanced at the clock for the thousandth time.

Why is each lesson so long...

He looked around at his small class. Most of them were looking out of the window, waiting for the end of the school day. Others were absentmindedly doodling in their notebooks.

"-large part of your grade, so don't forget to get started on it as soon as possible. Class dismissed. See you guys tomorrow!"

As last the bell rang and Jack hurried out of the classroom, meeting with his friends at the lockers.

"So? What's going on?"

Samuel and Tracy grinned at him.

"We have a birthday present for you!"

He eyed them suspiciously. "Really? Not exploding flour balloons or empty boxes? Like, an actual present?"

Tracy hid a smile and gave him the most innocent look she could muster.

"Nice to know you trust us so much. But yeah, an actual present... though those were some genius pranks..."

Samuel led him back to his locker. "Go ahead, open it."

Jack carefully entered his combination and opened the locker door, making sure to step aside just in case of falling objects. After determining that nothing was going to jump out of the locker, he looked inside to find a yellow post-it stuck on top of his Biology textbook.

To find your book (the one you tried to make Lily read), you must go to where the Dodgeball Battle took place.

He groaned as he realized what the note meant.

"C'mon, not a treasure hunt. Besides, I really did think I lost that book. Should have know you guys took it."

Samuel and Tracy pushed him towards the glass door.

"Go on. It'll be worth it, we promise."

Jack sighed. "Ugh, fine. I'll do your stupid treasure hunt."

And so he embarked on the journey to recover The Final Empire, the first book in his beloved Mistborn series, which he had supposedly lost three months ago at school.

His first destination: the playground.

∆

The playground was rather empty as most parents had come to pick up their kids a long time ago. Some kids were playing tag, shrieking as they chased after each other. Jack trudged over to the picnic tables, looking for the next note. After searching the slides and sandbox, he still found no sign of it.

At last he looked at the dodgeball bin and sure enough, a yellow slip of paper was stuck on it.

He grabbed the note and read it over several times, his brows furrowing in concentration.

Where shaving cream was, that's where I'll be

To open the door, you'll need some candy

Hurry up and don't be tardy

For sleepy doors go to bed at three

Jack's mind wandered back to the day of Lily's birthday, where shaving cream was used quite vigoriously as a weapon and where vicious games of truth or dare took place. He grabbed his backpack and ran to 7-11, buying a pack of skittles. Then he hopped on his battered old bike and rode towards the east.

The next destination: Lily's house (or technically, mansion.) (It was seriously huge)

∆

When he saw the bright red roof of the enormous house in the distance, he slowed down and came to a full stop at the marble stairs. He left his bike lying on the pavement and ran to the tall velvet door, huffing in exertation as he banged it.