As if the clock could move any slower. Abby stared at the black clock hands, moving so slowly Abby would be convinced they were stagnant if it's ticking was not so damn loud.
The notice on her classroom desk stared up at her in large, tacky font and obnoxious fluorescent pink coloring. A Time Capsule from 6 years ago seemed so silly now. Abby could not see herself attending an event for it. The capsule was scheduled to be opened after 10 years, but since the middle school had been bought and there were plans to rebuild during the summer, the school decided it would be make sense to open it now, before it got lost or destroyed in the construction.
Objectively Abigail understood where the school system was coming from, but she had more important concerns on her mind than to go digging up the past. Packing for her Summer Arts Program was not going to happen by magic; neither was her application to Brown University, still sitting half completed on her desk at home.
She peered out of the window of her Chemistry classroom, studying the wide eyed and innocent looking sophomores wandering around campus being led by Abby's good neighbor and friend Hoagie.
Hoagie stood six feet tall now, slimmed out a little but still carrying large shoulders. Abby thought his body was more suited for football than engineering, but as long as he was happy Abby would never suggest it. The two of them still hung out sporadically, but distance had fogged their relationship and Abby was never very good at keeping friends around.
As Class let out, Abigail found herself to be moving slowly. Her emotions were swirling. One more year of high school and she would be in college. She had car payments and a part time job. She should feel like everything was falling into place as it should be.
And yet….
Abigail? Could I speak with you for a moment please?" Mrs. Sanchez called from the front of the classroom, snapping Abby out of her gaze.
"Sure Mrs. S." Abby's white sneakers scuffed against the floor with a subtle squeak as her tied up box braids gently lapped against her back.
Mrs. Sanchez's large round glasses perched at the end of her nose as she reached into one of her desk drawers. She pulled out a sheet of paper in a plastic protector and lifted it to Abby's view.
"I just wanted to make sure I gave you this before the spring break." Abby peered at the glowing letter of recommendation, similar to the three she had already received in her backpack.
"Thank you Mrs. S, much appreciated." Abby shrugged off her blue backpack and started to gently load the new piece of paper to her binder.
"I noticed you seemed a bit distracted today Abigail, is everything alright?" Abby raised her shoulder casually.
"Aw it's nothing Mrs. S, I just kinda feel like I'm forgetting something." She rubbed the back of her head with her palm. Something felt off and Abby just couldn't put her finger on it yet.
"Well hopefully you'll remember what it is soon, though I know you always have yourself organized. Are you going to the time capsule opening?" Abby shrugged again.
"I don't know ma'am. I don't even think I put anything in that capsule."
"Well it would be good to find out, Abigail. Forgotten treasures of the past can often bring nostalgia." The teacher stood up from her desk and started to wipe the front board clean of chalk.
"Nostalgia huh?" Abby considered; perhaps it would be fun to go back in time a bit and remember her childhood. Most of it had been so fuzzy she was unable to do it on her own. But was there really anything that was worth remembering? Surely if there was, she wouldn't have forgotten it.
"Maybe you could reconnect with old friends or revisit old passions Abigail, it's certainly worth considering."
Abby debated for a few moments longer in her head. What else did she have planned for that afternoon?
"Okay Mrs. S, I'll check it out. Thanks for the letter!" Abby started towards the classroom door, waving with a smile to her supportive teacher. At least she was looking to give Abby positive opportunities.
"Of course, Abigail, you deserve it. Good luck with your applications!" Abby slowly walked down the main hallway through a blur of blue and green lockers before emerging out into the pale sunlight of the front campus. Across the street was the elementary and middle schools, and behind the elementary school was the event.
When Abby rounded the side the middle school's red brick structure, she paused for a moment, noticing a white scratching carved into the brick on the side of the school.
"KND RULZ" The crooked and shaky writing glared of adolescence. She rolled her eyes and continued around the corner of the school to the playground.
Several students were crowded around the burial site, but not as many as Abigail had hoped. Most of the students were unfamiliar to her but she relaxed when she saw Hoagie.
When she approached Hoagie with a small smile he reached around her and enveloped her into a large unexpected hug. He was holding her so tight he almost cut the circulation off to both of her legs.
"Hey Abby! How are you? Long time no see!" He exclaimed with a beaming grin. His messy brown hair flattened from what appeared to be a bad case of hat hair.
Abby gently tore herself away from Hoagie, straightening out her jersey T shirt and jeans.
"It hasn't been that long Hoag. How have you been, kid?" Abby voiced with a chuckle.
"Oh you know, looking for anything to distract me from English homework." Abby chuckled again. She crossed her arms over her chest before jutting her thin hip to the side.
"Did you put anything in that time capsule, Hoag?" She inquired as she watched an elementary school teacher continue to shovel the dark soil into a pile behind him.
"Ah, I don't remember. I can't think of anything that I would have wanted to put in there to begin with. Probably something like trading cards. Did you throw anything in there?" Abby shrugged.
"I'm here to find out honestly. Maybe some nostalgia will do me some good." Hoagie shrugged as well.
"Well it can't hurt just to see, right?" Abby nodded to her friend's statement as the teacher slowly dragged out the large silver canister with the assistance of three teen students. The canister had green lettering on the side, stating the year it had been sealed and the year that it was meant to be opened.
The teachers and students quickly gathered around the metal tube, snapping pictures with their cell phones and sending them to their social media accounts. Abby barely touched hers. She couldn't help her eyes starting to roll while she watched Hoagie take a selfie with the canister, his cheesy grin exacerbated for the camera. Abby did not understand the practice, but then again she did not understand a lot of things.
The teacher unceremoniously jabbed the pointed end of the shovel into the lip of the canister's latch, denting the metal and chipping the paint. Throwing his weight onto the shovel, he was able to pop the lid open. Abby wondered if he had considered another method to getting it open of if this made the teacher feel cool.
The container let out a hiss as the vacuum seal was broken. Students started to actively crowd around the canister, sorting through the items they may have left behind with their names. Abby stood back and waited as Hoagie joined the group of eager teenagers. The bustling and pushing would make Abby claustrophobic.
When Hoagie came back, he handed Abby a red Gatsby hat that had an envelope stapled to the brim. Her name written in red shaky crayon. She almost felt embarrassment of her childhood handwriting.
The hat appeared old, dim in color with some scuffs and tears. The material was silky and familiar to her in a way that she could not place. It smelt lightly of smoke. It must have gone through alot in its short life.
Abby vaguely remembered wearing a hat throughout kindergarten and elementary school. Her mother's photo album was checkered with the red hat and Abby's favorite oversized blue jersey, but why would she throw it in the time capsule? Seemed like that spot should be reserved for something more important.
Then again, Abby struggled to remember her childhood and perhaps this hat meant more to her back then than it does now, 5 years later.
Hoagie ripped open the envelope he held with excitement, the paper covered in hand drawn crayon airplanes and the number 2.
"Aw, Yipper cards. Of course." He signed, disappointed with the trading cards loaded into the envelope. "I was such a dorky kid. I must have been so boring, all I remember are these stupid cards."
Abby peered down at the yellowed envelope as she picked off the old staple attached. Did she leave herself trading cards like Hoagie did? Why did she feel so much hope and anticipation well up in her chest?
The back of the envelope had a giant 5 in matching red crayon, the wax starting to age and flake off. As she peeled open the envelope, her breath hitched in her throat. All that was in the envelope was a photograph.
Abby recognized herself, side eyeing the camera with that apathetic smile that she had become so famous for in her youth. One arm slung over what appeared to be a young and chunky Hoagie Gilligan and the other raising an ice cream cone over her head.
"What did you get, Abby?" Abby turned the picture around to face her friend.
"Is that you?" She asked, pointing to the boy standing with her in the photo. Hoagie stared at it for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah, that's me. My grandfather gave me that pilot's hat and goggle set. I think i still have them somewhere." Hoagie pointed to the small dark haired girl behind them in the picture, her hooded eyes smiling brightly with a stuffed monkey and an ice cream cone. She was perched in the arms of panicked looking blonde boy.
"Hey," Hoagie began "I didn't realize we used to hang out with Kuki Sanban." Abby flipped the picture over, unable to recognize the girl but was aware of the quirky girl in Hoagie's advanced Biology class; She was the only sophomore in the class.
She squinted at the photo for a moment longer, recognizing the boy holding Kuki.
"Or Wally Beatles." She mused, having seen Wally in multiple fights on the school courtyard. The boy could not seem to keep his temper level so Abby avoided him often; all she knew is that he had gone to a boarding school for the last three years in Australia before coming back to the United States.
"Is that who that is?" Hoagie asked, before pointing to the next child in the photo, his bald head punctured by the staple that had pinned the envelope to the hat. "And who is that?"
"Abby stared at the picture. The thin boy looked so familiar that Abby felt a flush of guilt. Surely if they hung out enough to preserve a photo, she should know who he was.
"I'm not sure. Maybe he's someone we used to go to school with." Abby signed, disappointed. She was hoping to recall memories, perhaps even pieces of her that she had left behind, but all she had was an old hat and a picture of strangers.
'Jeez, that's weird. I don't remember hanging out with those guys. I guess it's been a lot longer than we thought." Hoagie gently plucked the photograph from Abby's hand, holding it up towards the light.
Abby grumbled in response, unable to articulate how her emotions felt like they had been shaken. She watched as the other students dug through the capsule, some of which appeared excited or embarrassed, while others seemed to have the same empty expression that Abby had exhibited just moments ago.
Liz Devine shoved past the other students to reach into the capsule, screeching that the other students clear the way for her. Abby and Hoagie cringed, forgetting how crass she could be. Liz dug through the capsule, throwing unclaimed items to the ground. When she was unable to find what she was looking for, she collapsed in defeat. A teacher demanded she leave the area, having damaged several items and appeared to have ruined the experience for others.
Liz approached Abby and Hoagie, head bowed as she walked by. Abby did not want to associate with Crazy Lizzie, but could not help the words coming from her lips.
"Hey Liz, you cool?" Liz glanced up slowly, nodding before looking back at the capsule.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just hoping a friend had left something behind for me….But I guess he didn't." She shrugged sadly.
"I should know better. Did you guys get your stuff out of the capsule?" Abby and Hoagie both held up their items disinterestedly, Liz's eyes widened and suddenly the picture had been snatched from Abby's hands and ended up in Liz's.
"Was this it?" She asked, staring at the photo with wild eyes. "I knew you had to have put something like this in there; you had to." Abby raised her eyebrows. Crazy Lizzie was at it again, it seemed.
"What are you talking about, Lizzie? It's just an old picture." Hoagie scoffed before trying to take the photo away from Liz. She pulled back.
"No, Hoagie, this must be the last picture that was taken of Nigel! I took it our last summer together before…"
Hoagie scrunched his face "You took the picture? Who's Nigel?"
Abby stepped forward, opening her arms to show her willingness to listen. "Before what, Liz?"
"Before he disappeared. Right before my 12th birthday, he vanished. No one would tell me anything. His parents were devastated" She narrowed her eyes. "And you guys all acted like everything was fine!" Abby bit her lip as Hoagie's jaw dropped.
"What are you talking about?" Abby asked slowly "We don't know anybody named Nigel." Liz scoffed crossing her arms before raising her voice.
"You used to, playing secret agent or something... Kids Next whoever. Always getting into other people's business and getting hurt. That's probably what got him in trouble in the first place. And then next thing I know you guys all stop talking to me and pretending that you don't know me." She raised her arms, screaming now. Teachers and students all frozen and staring at the three teens. Hoagie turned red. "Now you have the nerve to pretend that you forgot about Nigel?! You guys are truly heartless after all!"
Lizzie pushed the photo into Abby's chest as she shoved the tall girl aside.
"You guys are assholes, I hope you know that." She grumbled before stomping off. Abby couldn't move for a moment, unsure on how to react.
"Well, that escalated quickly." Hoagie drawled. Abby could not speak. She looked down at the photograph again, crinkled slightly from Lizzie's aggression and focused on the bald child's face.
Nigel. What was his story?
