Death Trap: Season 5 of Greenhouse Academy

Escaped

I took a deep breath, settling my nerves. "Yes, Daniel. Yes, I do." Daniel smiled. "Well, don't be afraid to fall. I'll be right here. I'll catch you." I nodded, attaching my harness to the carabiner and securing it. "All right; let's go!" Coach Davies yelled, tugging on the rope. I started to climb, my feet gliding naturally across the footholds, hands adjusting as they went. I kept my cool, climbing swiftly, surely, up to the top of the wall. I rang the bell, raucous applause breaking out below me. "Alright, Talia.... let go!" I let myself fall backward, imagining bungee-jumping of a bridge. The air whipped past, blowing my hair away from my face, and I let out a delighted whoop. I was flying for a split-second, soaring..... I opened my eyes suddenly, snapping back to reality. Daniel stood below me, ready to catch me. I felt myself shifted slowly into his arms, my carabiner undone, and felt land sooner than I would've liked. "See? You had nothing to worry about!" Daniel exclaimed, high-fiving me. "All right! Since Hayward was the heavier-weighing of the pair by a significant number, you don't have to catch him today, Lockwood." I nodded, beaming at Coach Davies. "I was impressed by your performance. Miss Lockwood, your footwork up there? Commendable." 

"Thank you, Coach!"

"All good! You two can go play some ball or whatever you'd like."

I grabbed up a ball. "Wanna play, Hayward?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Bring it."

Daniel started the game going easy on me, but he was at optimum performance by the end-I could see it. I wasn't stellar at basketball, but I had excellent aim. Tying my hair back (I really needed a haircut) I aimed at the hoops. "Three pointer!" I whooped, leaving the court. "Well, looks like I beat you!" Daniel looked down, smiling. "Yeah, I guess you did." I took a large sip of water. "Well, I'm definitely not playing ball in free period now," I huffed, walking toward the change rooms. "Might as well go get a haircut," I said to myself while changing. 

Second period was a blast-I spent the whole session on an aerobic bike. I don;t know why, but I really liked those. Great exercise for your legs-probably what got me this tall in the first place. Drama extension was-as usual-extremely dramatic. Things were going wrong front, right and center, but it was still good fun. Then, finally, free period. I asked Sophie where I could go to get a haircut. She pointed toward Alyssa, the hairdresser and stylist who gave haircuts on campus. I headed to her small cottage behind the academy building. She welcomed me. "What sort of haircut do you want?" she asked. "I just want it shorter.... I dunno, up to my shoulders or something?" Alyssa nodded. "I know what to do."

(Talia's new haircut-I do not own the artwork)

"Oh, wow! Thanks!" I looked so much better with the new haircut. My curls were more waves, the hair flip structured perfectly. The hairstyle complimented my sharp features, long nose and olive skin. I was going to rock this new hairstyle! "It's my pleasure, hon," Alyssa said as I stepped out of the chair. "Any time you want hair and make-up, just come on down here, k?" I nodded, smiling, before leaving the cottage. As I walked down the halls to the clubhouse, I realised that I felt more at ease. It was almost as if the haircut had cut away some of the pain. I liked this feeling. I also liked the feeling I got back at the clubhouse-everyone complimenting my new look, and Daniel just staring, open-mouthed, at me from a corner. I walked over. "Take a picture, it'll last longer," I sassed, walking toward the lockers. "Yo, stop messing with me!" I chuckled. "Well, I'll stop when you stop."

"Stop what?"

"Staring at me."

"I am not-"

You know very well." 

"It looks good, that's why-" 

"So take a picture, if you like it so much!" 

"Maybe I will, then."

"Well, what're you waiting for?" 

When I was done with him, Daniel was positively red in the face. He pulled out his phone taking a selfie. "Now you can treasure it forever," I mused, walking away. "I will not-" I turned, both eyebrows raised. "You want a Polaroid? So cringey." Daniel huffed. "No, not what I meant-" It was too late. "We took a Polaroid, you signed you name upon it, I put it in my wallet..." I smirked triumphantly. "You wanna remember?" Daniel edged closer. I knew what he was planning. So I kissed his cheek. "You're not forgetting that." Daniel had turned scarlet all over. I turned, winking, and left. I heard Parker teasing Daniel a while later and I laughed to myself. 

I'd retired to the couch and was watching Fast and Furious 7 when I heard something strange-something questionable-a police siren. I listened carefully, hastily pulling up a compass on my Louie. The sound of the siren seemed to carry due west, toward the-"Fast and Furious! I love the series!" I shushed Daniel. "There's a siren," I whispered. Daniel looked over at my Louie, nodding. The siren was sounding near the now-destroyed magnetite crater. "Daniel," I whispered urgently, "I need a hacker. ASAP."

Ten minutes later, I was sitting in the computer room with Max, Emma and Daniel. Max was hacking into the surveillance footage from the camera that had been set up near the crater. "Try running this algorithm," Emma offered. Max nodded. "The bypass system is locked with a passcode... I'll run another algorithm.... There! We're in!" I laughed in astonishment. "Guys, that was magic!" I breathed, looking down at the screens. Max rewinded the footage, revealing a squad of police officers standing around the crater, a few of them looking around. "Let me just run a lip-reading algorithm-the automated voice should just run it now." As if on queue, a digital female voice began to speak. "Jason Osmond has escaped the asylum. This seemed to be the best place to look for clues. Nothing here though. Maybe we can trace his steps? Yeah. Get the forensic team involved. Pilfer through the footage on the CCTV. Why bother? He gone. Jason Osmond is one of the most dangerous fugitives alive. His mental disorder does not disadvantage him. It, in fact, makes him even more dangerous."