*Watty's 2021 Shortlist*
Samantha Roberts and Ben Evans have one thing in common - they both attend Sir Robertson's School for the Gifted, an elite boarding school for the children of the world's wealthiest. Both scholarship students, they gravitate...
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My alarm goes off at 7:00 – not that I need it. This is just when I wake up now, for some unknown reason. It was a miserable and lonely few weeks before Sam and I figured out that we both wake up inexplicably early.
Now I set my alarm so that I'm not late for our meeting. I think she likes to use the time to wake up or get ready for the day or something.
I just like hanging out with her.
I sit down on the couch in the boy's common room. It's a nice room, but it's messy. Our Dorm Supervisor, Mr. Arden, isn't very good at persuading us to clean up. He tries to once in a while, but I think he's given up—I don't even see him around anymore. But the fireplace in front of me is going well, so it looks like Mr. Arden came early this morning, because nobody else lights the fire and keeps it going. I also notice that some things are tidied up. At least, a bunch of things are off the ground now.
Looking around the room, I'm kind of surprised. And disgusted. There are dishes and crumpled papers littering every available surface. The floor is covered in a mixture of dirty clothes, abandoned shoes and dirt tracked in from our impromptu soccer games in the field behind the dorm.
Rifling through the trash, I notice something: Anthony's smartphone.
He was looking for that yesterday, wasn't he...? I smile evilly. Anthony should've been more careful with his possessions. Sure, he's my friend, but friends don't hesitate to prank each other should the opportunity arise. I quickly slide the phone into my pocket, grabbing a muffin from the kitchen before heading back to my room. I shut the door as quietly as I can and cringe as it makes a screech.
Did I wake someone up? Anthony's room is right by mine.
I hear noises, then footsteps in the hall.
I shove his phone into my pocket, sitting on my bed casually as I hear my door open.
I look up and see Anthony standing there. I'm sure he's only just woken up, but he's fully dressed, hair combed, shoes shined ... I'm kidding. He doesn't shine his shoes. That would be overkill, even for him. He's such a neat freak, I sometimes wonder how he deals with the rest of us.
"Hey, dude," I say, running a hand through my already messy hair.
"Good morning." He shifts, stepping further into the room. "I was wondering... have you seen my phone?"
I smile and lie. "I told you I didn't last night. You probably just left it in the food hall or something."
"This is really important, Ben. I really need to find it, okay? I just... I get that maybe someone found it and wanted to play a joke. But it's not funny."
I narrow my eyes. He seems a lot more freaked out than misplacing his phone for a day warrants – I lost my phone for a week last month. The cell service out here is so spotty, that they aren't a whole lot of use anyway. "What's up, dude? Are you okay?"
