Alright, so fifth period is almost over.
And… yeah. These last few minutes? Weird. Uncomfortable. Borderline horror movie weird. Especially that part where I got scorched. You know, just another casual school day where my skin almost becomes barbecue.
Rudolph Greywick slouched in his seat, bored out of his mind, and deeply regretting being left alone in the classroom with the one man he'd rather avoid—the security guard.
The guard hadn't spoken much since Rudolph's earlier "comedy routine," but he hadn't stopped staring either. The silence pressed down on the boy like a heavy blanket. To Rudolph, it felt like the guard was waiting. Waiting for him to slip up, to do something—anything—that could be reported and turned into a suspension slip or worse.
The boy shifted uncomfortably. This is unbearable. If he keeps glaring at me like that, my soul's gonna pack up and move to another body. This guy looks like he's just waiting for me to sneeze too loud so he can call it "terroristic threats."
The guard's foot started to tap against the floor. A steady beat. Heel to tile, back and forth.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
It almost sounded like he was trying to calm himself.
Or maybe trying to keep something else inside.
Great, he's got his own soundtrack now. The "I Hate Rudolph" playlist, track number one: foot percussion solo.
The tapping grew faster.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
Then—silence.
The sudden stop made the room feel heavier, colder. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that made Rudolph's skin itch.
Something wasn't right. He could feel it.
He raised a hand. "Uh, hey, Mr. Angry Bird—uh, I mean, Mr. Security Guard… can I go use the bathroom?"
The man's eyes lit up. Literally. A faint, unnatural glow burned in his gaze, sharp and furious, as though a fire had been trapped inside his skull.
Rudolph froze. Oh crap. Did I really just call him Angry Bird out loud? Way to go, genius. His face already looks like a villain skin you'd buy in a mobile game. The kind of face only a mother could love—and only if she was drunk. Very, very, very drunk. Good thing I didn't say that last part out loud, or my head would already be mounted on a wall.
The glow faded, but not the tension. The guard's lips curved slowly into a smile. It wasn't the kind of smile that said, everything's fine. It was the kind of smile that said, I've just figured out how to ruin your day.
Fantastic. Creepy. Very creepy. Somebody should tell him, but it's not gonna
"So… bathroom?" Rudolph asked carefully.
The guard chuckled under his breath, low and scratchy, like gravel grinding together. He lifted a hand and pressed it against his face, shifting it slightly, as though his skin were some kind of mask that didn't sit quite right.
"Sure," he said at last. "You can go. If you don't mind any company. I need to go myself anyway. And since the period's almost over, the bathrooms will probably be locked up by now…"
He unhooked a ring of keys from his belt and let them jingle inches from Rudolph's nose. The metallic clatter rang far too cheerfully for the situation. "…But don't worry. I've got keys."
Rudolph blinked. Okay, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but did that sound insanely suspicious to anyone else? Because I'm hearing "Sure, kid, let's go get murdered in the bathroom" and not "Routine school safety." Yeah, you know what—better plan: I'll just sit here, wet my pants, and risk lifelong humiliation. Seems safer.
"Actually," Rudolph said quickly, "turns out I don't have to go anymore."
"Is that so?" The guard's grin widened.
"Yep," Rudolph said, nodding far too quickly.
"Well then," the man said, his tone far too calm, "you can still accompany me. I can't leave you here unattended."
He stepped toward the door, still pressing at his face as though it didn't belong to him. When he passed Rudolph's desk, the boy's breath caught.
For just a fraction of a second, he saw it. A crack. Thin, jagged, running across the guard's cheek like a fracture in porcelain.
Oh, fantastic. He's not just creepy. He's creepy and cracked. Perfect. New record. Okay, Plan B: find the nearest teacher, scream "stranger danger," and hope I live long enough to regret my life choices.
"Come along now." The guard's voice was steady, his keys dangling in his hand.
The jingle echoed like chains.
And Rudolph realized he might be in far deeper trouble than he'd ever joked about.