It was the first day of school and there was already a rumor swirling through the halls of Crestview High. Whispers were exchanged, gasps were heard, and faces were shocked as the tale of the mysterious locker 647 travelled from one classroom to the next.
"Hey! Did you hear about that locker?"
"Yeah, my older brother told me that every year the student assigned to the locker goes missing."
"I know. I think they all probably killed themselves from the stench."
Two freshmen whisper and giggle then rush to their homeroom as a bell sounded throughout the school.
And so, the story of the locker that made people disappear was passed from one person to the next, changing a little each time. While some heard the story of the disappearing students, some heard that the locker was haunted, and conspiracy theorists claimed that the locker was somehow related to the Bermuda Triangle.
While most seniors were dreading the few remaining months until graduation, Claire was ecstatic. Seeing as she had spent the summer confined in her aunt's suburban home, allotted with a list of chores to complete each day, it was no wonder Claire preferred to spend a few hours at Crestview than live the life of Cinderella with her stepmother and stepsisters all rolled into one person. So, dressed in her favorite white blouse, jeans, and sneakers, Claire looked at her schedule and made her way to class.
Like every person in the building, Claire had heard the rumours about the locker, but magic lockers were the last thing on her mind since she had Calculus, Physics A, and AP English to worry about. Besides, being assigned to that locker and disappearing, never having to see her aunt again, would be more of a blessing than a curse.
"Um, excuse me. Hi, I'm Mia Davis. I'm new here." A girl with bouncy strawberry blonde curls taps Claire on the shoulder.
"Claire Aldrich. Can I help you?" Claire says, not used to interacting with anyone.
"Yeah, I'm in homeroom 231, but I'm lost. Do you know where it is?" Mia was carrying a stack of papers and eyeing a sheet with a full schedule printed on it as Claire came to the realization that they were headed to the same class and that it wouldn't hurt to make a friend.
"I'm in the same class. Come on, we'll go together." Mia smiled in gratitude, complimented Claire's blouse, and followed Claire to room 231.
The girls sat down next to each other in the second row just as the second bell rang through the school signaling for class to begin and who they assumed was their homeroom teacher walked into the room, heels clacking on the tiled floors and hair slicked into a top knot.
"Good morning everyone and welcome to Crestview High! I am Mrs. Alvarez and I will be your homeroom teacher this year. I understand that you are now seniors and you only have nine months of school left, but that is no reason to start slacking. Keep your grades up because... " Claire looked down at the schedule in front of her and tried to make better use of her time by planning study breaks in between classes rather than listen to another teacher's monologue about the importance of maintaining good grades as a senior in order to guarantee a scholarship.
No scholarship would interest her because Claire already had her heart set on taking a break from her studies and moving to Europe for a gap year. She had been saving money for her trip for a couple of years now and thanks to her part-time job at the local Starbucks, Claire was just a few dollars away from reaching her goal.
Claire took her planner out of her bag and began to jot down her class schedule, underlining time for study breaks, and marking her shifts at the cafe with stars. When she was done, she returned her planner to its pocket in her bag and looked up to see Mia with her head down on her desk, fast asleep as Mrs. Alvarez droned on about grades and scholarships.
Finally, Mrs. Alvarez pulled a sheet of paper from her binder and explained that she would be assigning locker numbers. "When your name is called, please take your things and place them in your locker then return to your seat. Abigail Beckett, locker 636."
"Mia, wake up, they're assigning lockers." Claire whispered, attempting to wake Mia without drawing any attention towards herself.
Two students in the third row murmured to one another and Claire couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation. "Did you hear that? Locker 636. That means someone in this class might get 647."
"... Alex Cortes, locker 637."
"I heard that some kid cast a spell on locker 647," A student behind Claire said.
"I heard that it smells like feet," another added.
"... Brandon Evans, locker 640."
Mia finally lifted her head from her desk, turned to Claire, and asked what was happening. "Locker numbers," Claire explained.
"... Cate Adams, locker 646."
Claire realized what was coming and struggled to convince herself that it wouldn't matter, that they were just foolish rumors spread by foolish people, but that did not stop the utter silence in the room or her own complete shock, when Mrs. Alvarez called the next name.
"Claire Aldrich, locker 647."
YOU ARE READING
His World
Teen Fiction"Claire realized what was coming and struggled to convince herself that it wouldn't matter, that they were just foolish rumors spread by foolish people, but that did not stop the utter silence in the room or her own complete shock, when Mrs. Alvarez...
