#KILLME2

Chapter 11

#KILLME2

By: theinkslingerr

Chapter 11

When I looked up, Dr. Tifft was standing in front of his desk watching me. I hadn't even heard him come up.

    "Just realized it would've been easier for you to toss that in the trash by the door," he said evenly.

    I forced a smile, eyes flickering over to the photo again. "It's all good."

    "See you next Wednesday around the same time?"

     "See you next Wednesday!" I exclaimed, overly cheerful. I zoomed to the door and spotted the trash can that would've been "easier" for me to use.

    It was full.

    "Wait," Dr. Tifft said.

    His tone was normal enough, but I still froze with my hand around the door knob. The carpet in his office was thick, so his footsteps were muted as he came up behind me. Goosebumps exploded along my neck as I spun around.

    "You forgot this." He smiled and handed me the pamphlet for the support group for kids who had parents with mental illnesses.

    I slid it out of his hand carefully. "'Kay. Thanks. Bye!"

    I slipped out the door, shut it, and leaned against it, trying to get my racing thoughts and nerves under control. After a full minute of straining my ears, I thought I heard Dr. Tifft move away from the door. Had he just been standing there staring at it? I turned around and held my breath as I cracked it back open. Don't make any noise, don't make any noise, don't make any noise. Through the small opening, I watched Dr. Tifft pace around his desk then pick up the picture and stare at it. He ran his thumb over the silver frame before unlocking a drawer and sticking it inside.

    I closed the door softly; centimeter by centimeter, then turned around and sprinted down the hall. The brown classroom doors melted into lockers and the lockers became a blur as I ran from Dr. Tifft's office. My sneakers squeaked against the linoleum and I almost fell a couple of times. It was a good thing the school was practically empty, because I wouldn't know how to explain why I was running.

    By the time I reached the breezeway, I was winded, so I used my last shred of energy to propel myself out the side door leading to the courtyard and Steve Manganello's bench.

    I collapsed on it, breathing hard; a sharp pain stabbing my side. I was so out of shape it wasn't even funny. Whipping out my phone, I started a group chat with Finley and Ross and wrote:

    Dr. Tifft is Steve Manganello's nephew!!!

   "That's why he looked familiar!" Ross shouted. He kept hopping out of his chair and sitting back down only to jump up again.

    Finley and I were in his room, and the three of us were trying to make sense of the weird link I'd discovered. After I'd texted them, Ross told us to come over and we'd assembled like the Avengers. When I broke down what happened in Dr. Tifft's office, Ross almost swiveled out of his chair, and after asking me a million follow-up questions, Finley actually looked...surprised.

    "Yup! Him and Dr. Tifft look alike, but Dr. Tifft's eyes are lighter and Steve's hair was bleached, so the resemblance isn't obvious at first." I was at my usual post (AKA Ross's bed) playing with a fidget spinner, because I needed my nervous energy to go somewhere. "Then it just hits you! God, I wish you'd seen the photo. The family resemblance is strong once you know what you're lookin' at."