Hushed

Chapter 5: Choices

    Another week has passed and my anxiety has been severe. Every time I’m in a room, I get anxious and think of police officers barging in and arresting me, even in the bathroom. Thank God that hasn’t happened.

    I haven’t seen anyone look for John Harden, even Harvey. This is unusual since they’re practically best friends. I think the teachers told him that John’s on a vacation out of town or something.

    “Everyone, settle down,” a teacher said. All the senior students were in the auditorium for the announcements. It’s weird since just a week ago, I witnessed a body falling from the second floor and now, I see teachers sitting there.

    “Since this is your last year as seniors, we thought that everyone would have a nice school outing, without the teachers,” he says and all of the thirty seniors, except me cheered. For all I know, this is just a cover up for all the killings that happened. Three bodies in less than a month are more than what our town needs.

    “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited,” I heard Mikaela say to Max. She was seated between Max and I.

    They became really close the past week since I’ve been avoiding him and he’s done the same to me. I just have some doubts. I know that there’s no reason for me to do so but I just can’t help it. My questions just remain unanswered and he’s the person who can answer them.

    “All of you will be handed a piece of paper where you can find all that you need to know about the three day `trip and we will be requiring your parent’s signature so make sure you get those,” he explained and the students started leaving.

    The teachers moved to the door, handing out the letters to the students. I walked there and Mr. Belen, our adviser handed me one saying, “Make sure you get your parents to sign that.” I just smiled at him, I know I wouldn’t be able to, I haven’t seen them for so long.

    Besides, I won’t join that school trip. It’s filled with people which is something that I always avoid and knowing me, I might get in more trouble. I should learn from my mistakes that one, my instincts are always wrong and two, don’t trust envelopes I find in my bag.

    My routine has been the same the past week. Wake up, go to school, attend my classes, nod at Mikaela when she’s talking, not talk to anyone and go home. That’s everything that I do. I don’t feel that lonely, maybe I just got used to it.

    I stared at the ceiling of my room when I had nothing else to do. That’s a lie. I actually have some homework to do but we have this word that a lot of people use, it’s called procrastination and I do it a lot.

    The paper for the school trip was just lying there on my table. I took it out from my bag when I was about to start doing homework which made me tempted to read it. This is exactly how I felt with that envelope and I got in huge trouble, almost.

    Since lessons are supposed to be learned after two mistakes, I took the paper and read the content.

    The school trip is going to be in the smallest and farthest part of the town. It’s far past the woods; people need to take a three hour drive just to get there. I want to go. I think I’m the only person who hasn’t stepped foot on that land. The reason? Well, I don’t have parents to take me there and I only know how to ride a bicycle.

    Should I forge my parents’ signature?