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Basehor, Kansas
2018, AD
1:00 pm
The students at Darwinist High School were used to abnormal things happening. For the students there was never a dull day. The teachers hoped and prayed for a dreary day, and sometimes their prayers were answered. Days like yesterday, where the students chanted around the school filled with euphoria because the weekend was nearing, was never one of them. Now a classroom of students sat on a Saturday evening in Ms. Thomas' infamous detention room for something only one of them had done.
"Whichever charlatan killed my precious Teddy refused to speak up on Friday and now here we all are. Just know that none of you will be going home until the killer gives himself up--"
"How do you know it was a guy?" Interrupted a girl from the back corner who was relentlessly bobbing her legs up and down.
"Karnith Morgan have you still not grasped the concept of raising your hand?"
"No, ma'am. Can't you clearly see that I am actually an elementary school kid or do you need a stronger set of glasses for that? Also, it's Eddie." She retorted making the class erupt with small fits of laughter. Ms. Thomas just stood their, face ablaze with embarrassment.
"That's it! I'm leaving! When all of you have run out of ideas to waste time and found the culprit feel free to email me the gentleman," Ms. Thomas glared at Eddie, "or gentlewoman's name!" And then she left locking the door with her school keys and stormed away in resentment.
For a moment it was silent. Then the chaos ensued.
Chatter dispersed through the room shaking the ears of the students like a herd of elephants. Startled by the booming noise at the front of the room Kai Bryant shot up from his slumber with a scowl on his face. Upon waking up, he was transferred from the drunken state of voices and nightmares in his head to the real voices and nightmares of high school.
"This is so dumb. I can't even do my homework now because of the noise!" A girl spoke from beside Kai. At the sound of her voice, his face softened.
"It's alright Elly. You have all of tomorrow to finish it up."
"I really don't but thanks for the encouragement." At her crestfallen tone, the boy leaned over and hugged the girl.
"We'll figure something out. We always do don't we?" He asked with a bittersweet smile.
"Yeah," she huffed leaning into his hug, "We do."
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"I can't believe I'm missing a football game for no reason."
"Well maybe if the SELFISH JERK WHO KILLED TEDDY THE GOLDFISH WOULD SPEAK UP you could still make it on time."
"Can you not yell like you're a Freshman year old?"
"Yeah! That's Thomas Eddieson's job back in the corner."
"Why does everyone call her that again?"
"Because Sophomore year she was class president, remember? And Thomas Edison was president."
"No that was Thomas Jefferson, dumbass"
"Oh shit, really?"
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"Hey, can I see your water bottle a second?" Whispered a voice to the quiet underclassmen girl sitting in front of him.
"Uh," she said turning around, "Why? If you don't mind me asking."
"Because I have to pee and the door is locked."
"Ew, no! Besides has anyone even checked if she actually locked the door?"
"I don't know, I don't think anyone in this room is smart enough to think about that. Except for you, apparently." At his compliment the girl smiled, tucking a piece of brown hair behind her ear.
"I'm Nalani, and your Aaron, right?"
"Seems my reputation suits me."
"It would be hard not to remember the guy that put a bunch of hamsters in my class's lockers three years ago."
"I still can't believe that someone in your grade took one home and cooked it."
"Yeah...he was expelled last year."
"For what?"
"That's a class of 2020 secret. It would be treason to tell you."
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"That's it!" One of the Junior guys yelled jumping up from his seat. "I've had enough! Whoever killed the stupid goldfish better speak up now or else someone is going to get hurt!"
In the back corner, next to Eddie, a small boy whimpered. The Junior turned his head toward the boy and scowled.
"D'you kill it?"
"No," the boy said in a meek voice, "technically he isn't dead. Just lost."
At the news of Teddy's current state, the class started yelling in an uproar. Some yelled out of relief that they could finally leave and others at the fact that they had been in the same smelly classroom for hours. Standing in sullen silence the Junior boy had not spoken a word. He just stared at the Sophomore.
And then, he launched forward at the boy, grabbing him by his shirt.
"What do you mean lost?" The man yelled whilst silencing his peers.
"After school on Friday I had some friends over and they...decided to throw him into the river behind my house," he said cowering into the wall behind him, "and then Teddy swam away and we couldn't find him so we got a replacement and accidentally killed the replacement." The man's eyebrows furrowed. This news just angered him even more. And the boy could clearly see that. "M-my Dad's rich! Whoever brings me Teddy will get a cash reward from me!"
Once again the silence stopped. Only this time the sound of chatter didn't stop the silence. The breaking of a window did.
