Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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With that, Harriet stomped off, her ponytail beaming behind her. A few boys tried to drag Quindyn away, waving their superhero toys in her face. But she just stored her ground.
“Wait,” she said, her mind racing. “Where’s the teacher’s office
Launch had emptied the halls, leaving only a few stragglers shuffling toward the stairs
The teacher’s other was halfway down the hallway Quinlyn saw the nameplate and noticed the eene silence
seemed like no one was there,
The closed curtains only added to her confusion, but she was sure Mandy had come this way.
She didn’t want to knock, so she quietly dragged a chair from the next classroom, stood on it, and squinted through a crack in the curtain
The room was dim, but she could just make out shapes shifting in the shadows. Eugene was the first to catch her eye–tall and already stripped of his suit jacket. His white shirt was dusted with chalk, and he was working on unbuttoning it
She figured he was just changing out of his dirty clothes, but then she noticed Mandy standing by the desk, and something
felt off.
It reminded her of back home, where the old bachelors would sometimes strip down in front of girls without thinking twice. The older women would catch them and call them “creeps”
And it wasn’t just Mandy in the room. There were a few other girls with ponytails, all standing there quietly with their heads down.
Quinlyn stood there for a beat, then hopped off the chair and jogged over to the door. She gave it a quick double–knock, and the sound rang out in the empty hall
A second later, the door swung open, revealing Eugene. He looked a little caught off guard, but he quickly grinned. “Hey, Quinlyn. What’s up?” he asked, his tone casual.
Quinlyn glanced at his shirt, noticing the second button was off and only one side was tucked in. She looked past him and said, “Tin here for Mandy”
“Mandy?” Eugene’s eyes widened, and he shifted to the side, blocking her view again.
“Oh, right. Mandy’s staying late for extra help. She’s been having a tough time with her schoolwork” he explained, his voice softening. “So she can’t leave with you today. If you’re hungry, you should go grab something to eat,”
He reached out to pat her head, but Quinlyn took a step back, wrinkling her nose. “Mr. Lambert,” she said, her voice wavering a bit. “You should wash your hands.”
Eugene paused, his smile faltering just a bit. He looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. “Why?” he asked, his tone curious.
Quinlyn hesitated, then shrugged. “It just stinks,” she said, scrunching her nose again. She was always extra sensitive to smells, and this time was no different
Eugene’s smile looked strained, but he didn’t want to make a fuss. He waved dismissively. “Alright, I’ll wash my hands. You go get something to eat,” he said, walking past her toward the restroom without even thinking to close the door.
Eugene figured most kids her age would never step into a teacher’s office, and anyone inside would definitely wait for his permission to leave. But he had no idea that Quinlyn wasn’t like most kids.
Quinlyn waited until Eugene ducked into the restroom, then she slipped into the office and hurried over to Mandy. “Are you getting extra help, or are you snitching on us?” she asked.
Chapter 23
Mandy just shook her head, her eyes wide and wared
Quinlyn could see her hands shaking and pressed on. “Are you scared: Is there something in here?
The room was ordinary–just a phone on the table and Quinlyn saw nothing to be afraid of. But the silence from Mandy and the other girls was eerie, as if they’d all agreed to stay quiet, no matter what
Quinlyn glanced around, serising the strange, tense energy in the air. She didn’t want Mandy to be here when Eugene returned, so she took Mandy’s hand and began leading her toward the door.
Mandy gasped, surprised by how strong Quinlyn was. In just a few seconds, they were almost at the door
Quinlyn looked back when the realized no one was following her. “If you don’t leave now, I’ll tell everyone you’re tattletales
-and nobody likes a tattletale,” she said, her voice firm.
The girls exchanged nervous glances. At their age, fitting in was everything, and the thought of being called out was enough to make them grab their backpacks and scramble out of the room.
When Eugene returned from the restroom, he found the office empty. “They’re getting bold,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
He clenched his teeth, his gaze falling on the ruler and marbles still on the table–remnants of the thrill he’d planned.
Just then, another teacher, clutching his stomach, came back for some medicine. Spotting Eugene, he smiled and said. “Mr. Lambert, giving extra lessons again! You’re way too nice”
Eugene quietly moved the stuff on the table to a lower shelf and walked over, smiling These kids are the future,” he said “Happy to help out.”
The teacher found some medicine, took two pills, and turned to Eugene. Teachers like you are rare,” he said, impressed “I’m having lunch with the principal. You should join us–it could be a great chance to make a good impression for your evaluation.”
Eugene’s face lit up as he nodded eagerly. But before he could grab his things, the teacher was already pulling him along. “Let’s go. We don’t want to keep the principal waiting, the teacher said.
Meanwhile. Quinlyn was leading Mandy downstairs when Mandy suddenly pulled away
“No, I can’t just leave like this. Mr. Lambert will get mad the mumbled, tears streaming down her face. She looked absolutely terrified.
Quinlyn was puzzled by Mandy’s breakdown, but with Mandy crying uncontrollably, she knew she couldn’t just force her to go to lunch. So she stayed, called Joseph, and waited by the roadude.
When Joseph’s car pulled up thirty minutes later, he saw the two girls under a big tree on the campus path. Quinlyn sat on a bench, with Mandy asleep in her lap
Joseph crouched down beside Mandy. “What happened here?” he asked softly, looking at Mandy’s tear–streaked face
Quinlyn pointed to her eyes. “She cried herself to sleep,” she said quietly.
Joseph gently lifted Mandy into his arms and glanced at the closed cafeteria door. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you?” he said to Quinlyn, his voice apologetic. “Are you hungry? Let’s get something to eat.” He hadn’t eaten either–he’d been in a get there.
Quinlyn’s stomach was rumbling, but she had more important things to worry about. She shook her head and looked at Joseph “You got a laptop?” she asked.
Joseph’s brow furrowed “Yeah, but what do you need it for?” he asked, clearly thrown off.
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Chapter 23
Just bring it,” Quinlyn said, already heading for his car. She moved so fast that Joseph barely had time to think Herred after her with Mandy in his arms.
Joseph had an extra laptop in his car. Quinlyn, who had used a similar one before at the electronics store, effortlessly powered it up. She then grabbed the charging cable and pulled out a phone from her pocket to hook it up.
Joseph finally settled Mandy and turned to Quinlyn. “Hey, whose phone is that?” he askedd
Quinlyn didn’t even look up, her fingers already tapping away. “Mr. Lambert’s,” she said.
