I put my backpack on the floor and slid into the hard seat. I shifted, trying to get comfortable. “Look, Mr. Rhodes, I don’t understand what this is about. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Mr. Rhodes raised a bushy eyebrow, then turned to Miss Preston. “That will be all Sarah, thank you for bringing Luna. You’d better go prepare for your next class.”
“Yes, of course,” she replied, blushing right down to her roots.
Miss Preston seemed pretty near afraid of him.
I sized him up. I’d definitely dealt with worse. His cheeks were red, as if he was overheated just by sitting there. A too-tight beige jacket strained against a large paunch that hung over his belt like jelly. His tie, loose against a rumpled white shirt, required a good wash, and I almost waited for the bursting buttons to pop off.
His beady brown eyes bored into me in reprimand. “Now, Miss Redwood, shall we get down to business? I must say I was surprised to find that you may have taken part in such deviant behavior. You’ve been doing so well recently.”
I leaned forward, gripping the edge of his desk. “I don’t know what you’re on about, so let’s just cut to the chase.”
I was pushing my luck talking to him like that, especially since politeness appeared to be the key ingredient in keeping P8 running smoothly. But I was sick of all these games. And he caught me at a bad time. Last night, my brain kept repeating Zander’s words over and over, preventing me from sleeping. I have memories that don’t belong to this place too, Luna.
And the trackers were an entire other problem. Tired and still a little nauseous, I wasn’t in the mood for this interrogation.
“I dislike your tone, Luna. Watch it. You’re already skating on thin ice,” Mr. Rhodes said, his voice drifting back to me. “Some cell phones were reported stolen and I was given an anonymous tip that you may have had something to do with it. I thought I would give you the benefit of the doubt and hear what you have to say on the matter. Though I will disclose that more than one person came forward, naming you as the culprit.”
He paused as he gauged my reaction. Though my pulse roared in my ears, I didn’t allow him to see my fear. I’d conned people all my life—and I needed to now. Nobody would ever have to discover the truth.
I leaned back in my hard chair, and hid my trembling hands in my hoodie pocket, grateful I put it on over my uniform that morning. Showing signs of trepidation would never do.
I took a deep breath and turned on my acting skills, preparing myself to play the part of an innocent victim.
I shook my head at Mr. Rhodes as if confused. “I’m sorry, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Whose phones were stolen?”
The principal stared at me speculatively. “We both know whose phones we are talking about. It’s all over the school.”
I lifted my chin. “I’m sure I don’t.”
Mr. Rhodes raised a chipped mug of steaming coffee to his lips. The words #1 principal were written on the front. It took everything in me not to roll my eyes. I mean come on, this guy’s manipulation techniques were classic old school. He obviously didn’t appreciate who he was dealing with.
He tried creating an uncomfortable silence, hoping I would start chattering to fill the quiet. Fat chance. I could wait forever.
When he saw I wouldn’t budge, he put his cup down and started shuffling some papers on his desk. “Well then, it seems we have come to an impasse, doesn’t it?”
I stayed silent and crossed my arms.
He sighed and looked up at me. “We have reason to believe you stole the phones from your friends, Luna. There is a rumor around school that you have had...” He paused, dramatically pressing down his ugly mustache. “A falling out.”
I detected a hint of sympathy in his voice and I immediately pounced. Find their weakness. Isn’t that what Mama had always taught me? My blood boiled just thinking about that woman. It was her fault I was stuck in this God-forsaken place. I caught myself before I did anything rash, and willed myself to shut it down. There was no damn way she would ruin my life. I could fix this. It was time to implement phase two.
I pinched myself under my sweater, twisting skin so hard tears sprang to my eyes. It wasn’t difficult, my eyes were already watery from lack of sleep. “I didn’t do it Mr. Rhodes. I swear I would never do anything to hurt my friends.” A single tear slid down my cheek as I gazed at him forlornly.
“Don’t cry, child, here,” he said picking up his small box of tissues. I sniffled and took one, wiping away the tears forming in my eyes.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“Now tell me about this feud with your classmates.”
My lips trembled a little before speaking. “They’ve changed.” God, I’d forgotten how easily drama came to me; if my situation hadn’t been so precarious this almost could have been fun.
“From what I’m hearing, you’re the one who’s changed, Luna.”
The little breakfast Mom forced me to eat this morning whirled around in the pit of my stomach. I gulped. Come on Luna. You can do this.
I sat up straighter. “No that’s not it. They are the ones that are different. They aren’t kind like they used to be.” Bingo, I thought smiling to myself. Kindness was currency in this place.
Mr. Rhodes rubbed his chin. “Well, as you are aware Luna, we don’t tolerate insubordination at this establishment. However, I can’t fault you for not wanting to hang out with unkind individuals. It hasn’t escaped our notice that your companions were involved in an altercation with a young man a few days ago on school grounds. Still, I find it hard to fathom a teenage girl would dump her friends so quickly.”
I let the tears spill freely now, as I prepared for my well timed semi-truth. “When I saw how they bullied that boy, I decided I wouldn’t hang out with them anymore. I’ve been so stressed out about it I chose not to add to my problems by associating with them.” I released a small sob and placed a hand over my mouth as if to stifle my cries. Time for the grand finale.
“I have a lot going on at home, sir. It’s been hard.”
The principal sat up straighter, his jowls almost quivering with curiosity. “What do you mean? If you are troubled by anything, you can always talk to me about it.”
The taste in the air of fresh pencil shavings and stale coffee left my mouth feeling metallic. This dude was so full of it.
I pushed all that aside and waited a beat. Timing was everything.
“I have to decide what college to go to and there is a lot of pressure on me. I need perfect grades to get into a good school and I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
Mr. Rhodes visibly relaxed. “Ah well, that’s normal. It’s an important time in your life. All you can do is your best.”
“I swear to you, Mr. Rhodes, I didn’t steal those phones. I may not be talking to my friends but I wouldn’t risk my future on such a silly prank.”
He reached for a pad on his desk and scribbled something on it. “Here’s a pass to explain your tardiness to class. I am going to trust you are telling me the truth, Miss Redwood. And I better not hear any more troubling rumors about you. Or there will be consequences.”
Not even daring to breathe, I stood up and took the slip of paper he offered and tucked it into my pants pocket. I picked up my backpack and faced him. “I’m sorry they lost their cell phones sir, but it wasn’t me. I hope you find whoever is responsible.”
“Yes, well so do I. Thank you for your assistance. You better get to class now.”
I nodded and turned to leave the room as fast as humanly possible. As soon as I reached the hallway, I paused and breathed a sigh of relief.
I’d done it. And the phones had been in my backpack, directly under his nose during the entire conversation. I decided right then and there to return them A.S.A.P before my so-called friends requested a raid on my locker or something.
By the time the bell rang for lunch I’d worked myself into a real temper. The government tracking my every move made me want to
scream in exasperation. How dare they ruin my life? And with them constantly watching me, how the devil would I ever escape this place?
First things first. I had to get rid of these phones. I felt like they were burning a hole in my bag. But before I did that—a little recon was necessary.
I entered the crowded cafeteria, and the yummy smells bombarded my senses. My stomach growled. Now the interrogation from the principal was over, the all-too familiar hunger pangs gnawed at my belly. No big deal. I’d dealt with a lot worse. This confrontation, however, couldn’t wait.
I found my friends at their usual table by the window, their plates laden high with food. My mouth watered at the sight of it, but I concentrated on my mission. I lifted my head up higher, hoping to instill some much-needed confidence in myself. Quick and painless. Just get in and get out Luna.
They all stopped talking when they saw me approach. All my cool evaporated, and I found myself turning every shade of crimson as what I wanted to say blurted from my lips in a tumbled rush.
“Look, I don’t know who took your phones, but it certainly wasn’t me. So I would appreciate it if you quit spreading lies. Especially to the principal.” I stuck my nose in the air, desperately trying to give off an air of authority.
Mara tossed her blonde curls back and stared at me in disgust. “Luna, we’re sure it was you, just admit it. First, you refuse to be friends because you think you’re better than everyone, and then to make it worse, you steal our stuff. I bet you ratted us out to the principal over that stupid kid, too. Seems like something you would do. You get whatever you deserve.”
I thought of the kind girl I’d met on the P8 platform, compared to now. What had this warped place done to her? All the anger I had held onto evaporated. I’d been selfish. My memories hadn’t been erased. But poor Mara had no choice in the matter. Pity for her welled up inside me.
Orion puffed up his chest and squinted at me. “Look at you—guilt plastered all over your stupid face. Go find someone else to bug, Luna.”
Jonah, who’d sat quietly up to this point, raked a hand through his thick, dark curls and smirked. “Man, I can’t believe you put up with her as long as you did Orion; this girl’s a fricking freak. Who would have guessed a book nerd could be so dumb?” He threw back his head and laughed.
I leaned forward over the table, my voice low. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m not interested. Leave me out of it. I didn’t take the phones.”
The lies flowed off my tongue effortlessly. The instinct to survive was strong. They didn’t understand how far I would go.
Mara spoke up. “Why don’t you leave? This isn’t getting you anywhere.” I glimpsed a pleading in her eyes, a spark of humanity. I hoped that maybe somewhere in there, the Mara of W1 still existed.
It hit me then, this wasn’t just about me. I owed it to everyone to get the facts. Something strange was happening to all the people of this place. I hoisted my backpack over my shoulders. It seemed heavier with the contraband inside. Mara was right, I needed to get out of here.
“Fine. Don’t listen,” I said to the group, and turned on my heels and left.
As I walked away, I imagined their faces if they learned the truth. Were they aware everything they said and did was monitored?
After leaving the crowded cafeteria, I slipped unseen down to the corridor of lockers that lined the hallway leading to the double-doored exit. I looked around. The coast was clear. Most of the teachers would be in the teacher’s lounge, having lunch. I’d done some recon work earlier and figured out where Jonah and Mara’s lockers were. Since I already had a memory of Orion’s, I hit up his first, twisting my hair pin into the lock. It opened effortlessly, nothing I couldn’t handle. I’d picked locks and snuck around my whole life. That was why I was so shocked when I heard a voice behind me—just as I was about to make the drop.
“Luna, would you like to explain to me what you are doing in someone else’s locker?”
Chapter 18
I slammed the locker shut and whirled around to find a short, muscular man in a brown tweed coat peering at me through round owlish glasses. He stood so near that his obnoxiously strong cologne invaded my senses.
I stepped back, leaning against the lockers. I needed some breathing room. His pale face appeared waxen under the artificial lights, and his mouth curled up in a sneer of contempt, revealing perfectly polished white teeth. He moved closer. This guy wasn’t even pretending to keep up the pretense of the P8 kindness policy. Maybe once you were considered a criminal all that went out the window and they treated you like garbage. Either way, it was bad news for me.
How had I forgotten about the hall monitors? It seemed thoroughly obvious to me now that he was staring me down. It was the student teacher’s job to roam the hallways on breaks and after school. I could’ve kicked myself. What a stupid mistake—one I would normally never make. I’d completely miscalculated. I licked my dry lips. What the hell should I do? The old me would never have been caught in such a predicament. But to be fair I was at a disadvantage here, and it was too late for regrets.
I needed a plan and fast.
I analyzed the man before me, schooling my features to hide my fear. Time to test my acting skills again. I smiled apologetically. “Oh, this locker?” I rolled my eyes and pointed to Orion’s locker where I’d almost stashed his phone moments before. “I know, right? I had a total brain spasm. I thought this was mine. Weird, isn’t it? I clearly didn’t have breakfast this morning.” I leaned against the rows of lockers and crossed my arms like it was no big deal.
The teacher observed me for a moment, his bushy caterpillar eyebrows wiggling together. “We’re both aware that’s not a plausible answer, Miss Redwood. You’d better come with me.”
I swallowed hard. How did he know my name? I’d never seen this man before. The hairs on my arm prickled. Something fishy was going on. He reached out and grabbed onto my elbow. “Ouch,” I yelped. But my protests were useless. He ignored me and proceeded to drag me down to the principal’s office.
Shit.
I dug my heels in, but it did nothing to stop him, he was too strong.
“You’re hurting me,” I gasped, trying to pull away from his grip.
“It’s no matter where you’re going,” he snarled in my ear. “Now get in there.” He gave me one last shove, propelling me through the door into Mr. Rhodes’ office for the second time that day. Mr. Rhodes sat behind his desk, his beady eyes assessing me as I practically fell into the room. He wiped at his profusely sweating brow with a handkerchief and motioned me to take a chair.
“Have a seat, Miss Redwood.”
I hesitated but the hall monitor clamped hold of my shoulder, pushing me down. I winced under the pressure.
“I found her snooping in someone’s locker out in the hall,” the obnoxious man growled. “I decided to bring her in here so you can take care of her.”
His sneer made me shudder.
“Thank you for your assistance, Burt. It is no longer required. I can take it from here.”
Burt seemed a bit put out, his bottom lip folding into a pout. I bet I was his first hall conquest. The sick bastard wanted to watch me go down in flames.
I gave him a stare that could cut glass and waited for him to leave. Burt didn’t budge.
“Now,” the principal bellowed, slamming his hand down on the desk.
The normally chilled room practically rippled with heat as the two men faced off, but in the end, Mr. Rhodes won out and Burt scuttled off, his tail between his legs.
Mr. Rhodes pulled himself to his feet and crossed to the door, flinging it closed with a resounding thud. Then, without a word returned to his seat.
My fingers trembled as I twisted them together in my lap waiting him out. Another game.
I stared at him in challenge, daring him to speak. A strange expression passed over his face, almost smug, but not quite.
What was he playing at?
After what seemed a
n eternity, he leaned back casually against the chair and crossed his feet at the ankles, placing his hands on his extended belly as if he had all the time in the world. Unfortunately for him, the sweat pooling on his forehead gave him away. “So, Luna. Would you like to tell me what all this is about?”
“I don’t understand what you mean,” I said, my tongue thick and wooden in my mouth. Burt hadn’t called me out about the phones. All he’d seen was me opening another person’s locker. Did the principal know? Were they watching my every move? Why hadn’t I been more careful? I’d been so intent on staying under the radar with my parents and getting rid of those trackers I never stopped to speculate the school might be booby trapped.
I gritted my teeth. My Mom and Dad in this dimension had made me soft. Complacent in their love. I vowed it wouldn’t happen again.
Mr. Rhodes leaned in closer. “Oh, but you do, Luna. Let’s not play games, all right? Neither of us has the patience for that.” I noticed for the first time the sandwich at the side of his desk. He pulled a piece of greasy bacon from the middle and stuffed it in his mouth, leaving a residue of oil dribbling down his chin.
I tried not to appear disgusted as he wiped off his face and licked his fingers clean. “You and I both realize I have you over a barrel, Miss Redwood. What you have done cannot be ignored. And as such I should do my duty and report this to the government agency.” He leaned forward and just for a moment, I detected some kindness in his eyes. But it was just as quickly gone, replaced with a steely determination. “But I’m not going to.”
The rosiness in his cheeks deepened as he stood and came around to perch on the front of the desk, mere inches from me. His voice rumbled deep in his throat, and his fingers twitched. What the hell? Why wasn’t he going to report me? There had to be a catch.
“What’s going on?” I demanded, trying to get a read on Mr. Rhodes. His face remained impassive, his gaze never wavering from my face. “It’s obvious now that you are the one that stole the phones. Why else would you be hanging out at Orion’s locker? Hmmm?”
Cage of Glass (Cage of Glass Trilogy Book 1) Page 11
