"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...
Claire and Mia had spent their weekend gossiping, dancing, watching movies, and eating every available snack in the Davis' house, but the weekend had to come to an end and Claire had to go back to her aunt's home. When she returned, Claire brought her aunt all the groceries she had asked for, just as she had promised.
It was Monday, and after a long day of classes, the only thing Claire had to look forward to was a long list of chores, courtesy of Aunt Gail.
When the last bell struck, Claire left Physics with a headache and much more homework than was necessary. The only highlight of her day was the fact that less people would stare at her as she approached her locker as the rumors stopped spreading.
Mia met Claire at her locker, which had become a part of their daily after school routine. "Could you give me a ride today? I really need to get home as soon as possible," Claire asked while she filled her backpack with as many things as she could, then when it was full, she held a binder that wouldn't fit.
"Sure, but what's the rush?" Claire thought about all the chores waiting for her, all the brushing, the wiping, the washing, and the drying that would take her hours. On top of all that, she had her physics homework and an essay to write that were both due the next day.
Not wanting to mention her aunt or the labor that is forced upon her, Claire gave Mia a simple answer that would require no further questions: "Homework."
Mia didn't understand why her perfectionist of a friend was in such a rush to get started on her homework, but she saw the vexed expression on Claire's face and didn't ask any questions. Mia led the way to her car through the crowded parking lot; her bright blue car was hard to miss between the dull minivans surrounding it.
As Mia started the engine, Claire, who was mentally planning a list of assignments that she had to complete, remembered that she had forgotten to bring her Calculus textbook and told Mia that she had to run back to get it, promising not to take too long. "No problem, I'll just wait here!" Mia called after Claire as she slammed the passenger door shut and ran towards the main entrance.
Claire was surprised to see that there were still a few students lingering in the halls as she made her way to her locker. Just as she grabbed her textbook, the football team came running down the hallway and one of the team's brawny members rammed Claire into her locker and toppled her over. He apologized quickly then ran to join his team, but Claire was too busy trying to steady herself to listen to his apathetic apology.
Asshole. Claire stood back up and brushed herself off before picking up the textbook that had slid across the yellowed tiles. As she was about to close her locker, Claire noticed that the back panel of the locker had moved when she was pushed into it, revealing a dark room behind it. Claire assumed that it might have been an old storage room, but when she leaned in to put the panel back into place, she saw soft beams of sunlight on the other side that proved her theory wrong. How could there be sunlight without any windows?The locker was in the middle of the building, Claire thought.
Claire's curiosity got the better of her, so she looked around the hallway to make sure nobody was staring at her, then climbed into her locker, closed the door behind her, and pushed on the back panel which swung open to reveal a spiraling stone staircase. The place looked like it was a scene from a horror movie, but there was something ethereal about the way the light came down from the top of the stairs, just enough to illuminate one's path.
Her foot collided with something as she stepped onto the first stair, and Claire looked down to see a small leather-bound book. Strange. Claire picked it up and saw that there was no writing on the front or back covers, but kept the book under her arm with her textbook so that she could investigate its contents later.
Claire reached the top step and found a closed door which was elevated enough above the ground for daylight to enter from the opening below it. She stood there for a moment, gathering her thoughts, until ultimately deciding that if she didn't discover what was behind the door, her curiosity would continue to gnaw at her head, so she let out a breath then turned the handle.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The door flew open with minimal effort and Claire blinked at the blinding sunlight that followed. When she was able to open her eyes, Claire saw a cloudless sky blanketing a grassy field. Flowers bloomed across the field in an abundance of shapes, sizes, and colors. A soil pathway winded between the flowerbeds to allow one to walk between them and admire the flowers. A soft wind picked up the light, floral scent of the blossoms as it passed between them and spread the fragrance through the air.
Petals dancing in the breeze drew Claire's attention to a castle of glass straight ahead of her. Sunlight reflected from the castle's smooth, spiraling towers and sparkled in a multitude of colors, casting rainbows in the clear sky above. The castle was encircled by a stone wall and battlements for protection, yet the warm, inviting feeling created by the castle's magical glow remained.
Beyond the fields of flowers and the castle, buildings clustered together in the distance formed a busy town. People could be seen bustling about the area: purchasing items from street vendors, coming to and from a dress shop, or simply out for a stroll on this fine day. It was a scene straight out of a fairytale.
What was this place? Claire knew she was no longer within the walls of Crestview High, but where could she have gone? Was she dreaming?
Claire walked away from the door, towards the castle as she heard hoofbeats and saw a horse-riding figure coming towards her from a distance. Perhaps she could ask him where she was.
Claire still had no idea what this place was or how it was possible that she came here through her locker, but she could wait to tell Mia all about it. Mia! Claire had completely forgotten her homework, chores, and most important of all, her friend who had generously agreed to give her a ride home and had been waiting outside the school for the past fifteen minutes.
Suddenly coming back to reality, Claire ran to the door she had just come from, rushed down the stairs, and stepped back into her locker. She poked her head out to see if there was anyone still in the hallway, and to her relief, there wasn't. Claire stepped out of her locker and closed both the inner and outer doors before running to the main entrance.
Thankfully, Mia was still waiting for her. As soon as Claire was seated in the bright blue car, Mia turned slowly and looked at her breathless friend for a moment before she spoke. "Where the hell were you? Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting out here?" It was as if Mia was reprimanding a child.
Claire wanted to explain how she had stumbled upon a wonderland within her locker and she wanted to describe the strange staircase that led to it. She wanted to tell her friend about everything she had seen only moments ago: the colorful garden, the magical, glowing glass castle, and the bustling village. Not to mention the smell of the flowers that had surrounded her when she heard hoofbeats and saw villagers moving about. But she couldn't. Mia would think she had gone mad. Claire herself could not believe what she had just seen. No, she couldn't tell her the truth.
"My locker was stuck." Claire lied, hoping Mia would believe her.
Mia sucked in a breath and paused to think. "Okay, but if something like that happens again, the least you could do is call to let me know."
Her phone! Claire's phone had been in her pocket the entire time. She could've taken a picture of the place or called Mia while she was there. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"I forgive you, but you might have to make it up to me by cleaning that mess in the backseat." The girls laughed as Mia started the engine and drove away from Crestview High.
