Part 10

Three days went by before the ghost-gang was completely flu-free. They did have their own nurse during the time. Thad made sure they were all getting whatever they needed because he was still free to come and go as much as he liked… even though they tried to get him into bed, lie down and take it easy. But Thad was not going to.

When the boys woke up morning after Thad's return they had first been shocked to see him there and then lots of hugging had commenced. Thad had told them what had happened to him in the archives. He told them that he'd grabbed hold of the box that had room-arrangements for 1977 because he had remembered something about it. But when he'd grabbed hold of the box someone else had on the opposite of the shelf… and this someone had pushed the 1977 shelf from the support and it fell onto Thad, who had crashed on the floor.

His memory after that was a bit hazy, but he could still remember one thing… the first person to reach him was not the seniors. It was a grownup. After that the others told him about their theories and Thad agreed, Carmichael had something to do with his accident and now that everyone was healthy. They were going to give him hell, they were going to make sure he gave them answers and answered to his crime of hurting their tiniest member, to which Thad objected wildly.

Arthur Carmichael had known this day would come as soon as everyone was healthy again and he had also known it would happen sooner or later. It being the boys that had a connection to room 213 would stand in front of him, demanding answers. It was a Saturday so there were no lessons today so the boys would have all day. Carmichael heard the door slam shut and without looking up he pointed at a file.

"In here is everything you'll want to know", he said.

"That's good", Blaine said dryly. "But I want to hear it from you."

"Oh really?"

"Yes I wanna know why you try to make us all think we're crazy, what more you are hiding and why you tried to get Thad killed."

"That was not me and not my intention, all I told Mr. Parker he was to get me the box and he promised to make sure I got it."

"And what about me", Thad asked.

"He said that was an accident."

"Will you look at me when you say that?"

Carmichael looked up and watched the boys, Thad's head was not bandaged anymore but he could see that his head was still hurting by the look he had on his face. Carmichael sighed and put his pen aside and folded his hands on top of the folder he'd been looking through.

"Thad, it was an accident", he said.

"He pushed me", Thad said. "He pushed a student so that he got hurt."

"I've already taken care of things", Carmichael said. "Mr. Parker will be held responsible for causing a student harm."

"Why", Blaine suddenly said and Carmichael got a bit confused.

"Pardon", he asked.

"Why did you need that box in the first way? Was it to hide the fact that you were Wes' roommate in 1977? Or that you know what was going on but ignored it and forced me to stay in that room even though I was scared?"

"It was for the better that you stayed."

"For who?"

"You."

"Me?!"

"Did you not get a new friend? Didn't you all get to know a boy from 1889? Well it should be 1890 right now."

The boys looked at each other and Carmichael sighed and motioned for the boys to sit down in the chairs in front of his desk and pull up extra chairs. The boys looked at him and Carmichael sighed again.

"When I was 17 my principal was adamant that I should stay in room 213", he explained. "I had no idea on why and didn't find out until I became principal and the journal that belonged to a missing student ended up in my hands." He opened a drawer and took out an old looking journal. He put it on his desk.

"In 1890 a boy went missing…", Carmichael continued. "The rumors started at once. There were talk of him being murdered and hidden underneath the floorboards, put into the wall or cut into pieces and spread around the area. There were also rumors about him running away and also about him becomming a sex slave for some of the teachers. Mr. Dalton himself was accused of making the boy disappear, but there was no proof and no signs. They looked for this student for years but he never showed up again. What happened was a mystery. But everyone was dedicated to find him."

"Why", David asked. "Was he a much loved student?"

"Not at first", Carmichael explained. "But he became. He was the first student from Dalton to ever win anything. Mr. Dalton himself was so proud of this young man."

"Who was he?" Trent asked.

"Do you boys know what was the first win ever at Dalton?"

"Yes", Thad said while the others shook their heads. "A young man won a painting contest."

"Do you remember his name?"

"No", Thad said and shook his head. "It was never mentioned… was it?"

"No because after all… the boy didn't belong anywhere."

"Who was he then", Blaine asked and Carmichael got up.

"Follow me", he said.

The boys all got up and they left Carmichael's office and headed for the teachers' lounge. They walked inside, it was empty since it was a Saturday. Carmichael waited to make sure they were all with him before he walked up to a door on the left side of the room. He opened it and let the boys in. The room was completely dark and bare.

"What is this place", Blaine asked and Carmichael flicked a light switch. One of the walls were lit up and they saw fourteen paintings on that wall. Thirteen of them were portraits of young men, sitting, standing or lying somewhere.

The first one was of a young man sitting in the library, the boys recognized his face. It was Ivan Roberts. The next one was of a young man sitting underneath a tree, Tyler Rodriguez. The next one was of a young man looking a bit scared sitting by a desk and looking suspicious as well as scared. The boys realized who it was at once. It was the man who was right now standing in the room with them, it was Arthur Carmichael. Simon Oakeheart was the next boy in the painting. He was smiling and playing the piano. The last painting was of a boy balancing on the rail to the staircase, he was standing on one leg, it was Peter Bishop.

Suddenly there was a gasp and Blaine turned to Hunter and saw him stare at a portrait of a young man. The young man was blonde and had green eyes. He was standing on an alcove overlooking the students underneath him moving up the stairs and just bustling around. He was clearly watching what was going on with a small cocky smile on his face. But the reason Hunter gasped… Well it was Hunter himself on that painting.

"That's me", Hunter said and walked up to the painting and ran his fingers over the frame. There was a small sign added to the frame, naming it. Hunter snorted.

"What is it", Jeff asked.

"The guy named this painting: 'The Ranger Keeping Watch'."

"What's so fun with that?"

"You'll see", Hunter mumbled, he had a good idea of what was really going on here. The guy could never remember his name and Hunter was aware of that, he always had to remind him that his name was not Ranger, Tracker, Shooter, Knight, Soldier or Watcher.

"Oh my God", Trent suddenly exclaimed and covered his mouth with one hand while staring at another painting. It was a painting of a young man with brown hair and brown-green eyes. He was leaning on a wall and looking out the window. He had a dreaming smile on his face and his eyes were distant, since he was thinking of something. He had a really soft look to him. It was Trent. Trent looked at the name of the painting and smiled, feeling a tear trickle down his cheek because he was so touched. The title read:

"I Can Hear The Bells."

"Wow Trent it really looks like you", Jeff said.

"I know…" Trent answered.

"Is that me?!" Nick suddenly exclaimed as he watched the painting beside Trent's. It was him. No doubt about it. Nick was on this painting sitting on the fountain beside a boy with his back to the "audience" so you couldn't see his face but you could see blonde hair. Nick was leaning his head on this person's shoulder and they were holding hands.

"It says that the name is 'True…'" Nick read.

"'…Love'" David finished.

"What?" the others asked and turned to him. He pointed at the painting next to Nick's. It was the same painting only… watched from the other side. This time it was a blonde with dark eyes that you were seeing and beside him was a black-haired young man, leaning on his shoulder, watching a fountain and with his back to the audience.

"He turned the 'camera' around", Jeff said and grinned. It was him on this painting. He was smiling wide and his eyes shone with happiness.

"Wow", Sebastian then said with a grin. "This was interesting."

"What is", Thad asked and then stared. "You have got to be kidding me?!"

The boys hurried over and watched and couldn't keep the grins off of their faces. The painting was named: 'Bear Witness To The Fighter'. The painting was of Thad. He was encircled by blurry shapes that were looking slightly like bears, the painting was dark except for Thad who was in the sunlight holding a stick that looked a lot like a lacrosse stick. He was dressed in his Dalton uniform though and had an angry almost feral look on his face, standing in a fighting stance. He was prepared to fight off the bears surrounding him.

"Well we did speak a lot of your attack on the Boston Bears" David sniggered and Thad glared at him.

"Really funny", he said.

"Well the painter had humor", Jeff said. "I mean the title is 'Bear Witness To The Fighter' and you're surrounded by bears."

"Who is the next one of", Blaine asked and they looked and saw that it was of David. He was lying underneath a tree, resting peacefully in the sun with a tiny smile on his face.

"Captured your laidback nature perfectly Dave", Nick teased and read the name. "'Cheer Up Sleepy Teen'."

"I am sure he based that off yesterday when you lead us through Daydream Believer", Hunter sniggered.

"Hey it's a good song!" David objected and they all laughed.

"Who's next then", Trent asked and they looked at the next painting and saw a young man pretending to study. He had brown hair and green eyes. He also had a smirk on his face as if he'd pull of a prank or knew something no one else did and was very smug about it. He was looking as if he studied but it was clear that he wasn't if you looked him closely enough. The books around him all had French titles. Thad sniggered as he watched his boyfriend cock an eyebrow.

"Is he trying to show that I'm lazy", Sebastian asked.

"Nope", Blaine said and read the painting's name. "It says here that the painting is named: 'Perfection Needs No More Work'. Well you are already fluent in French and know everything about France."

The boys laughed and then turned to the last painting of the portraits and Blaine froze. It was him. He was standing on a stage… no not standing. He was dancing, performing in front of a crowd and he looked so alive and happy that they all expected him to start moving right in front of their eyes. They all read the title. It read:

'Blaine'

"That's all", Blaine asked confused.

"I think it is quite enough", Thad said. "That's everything you are Blaine… and so much more that the same time."

Blaine smiled and looked at the paintings but then realized there was one more and moved over to it. The title read: 'My Roommates'. It was room 213 and a young black-haired man was sitting by his desk, writing and all around him was young men, thirteen to be exact. But they were all almost completely transparent. You could make out their faces and the color of their skin, clothes, eyes, hair and so on but still… the painting showed that they weren't really there.

"Who mad all these", David asked and turned to Carmichael. The man turned to a small laver and pushed it upwards. When he did lights came on, but on another wall. There was a painting there as well. The boys slowly moved over to it and they all smiled.

"He really was real then", David said and what little doubt he had left dispersed as he watched Wes' smiling face. But in this painting he was not looking like the frail, scared and lonely young man they had seen… well most of them. This young man looked strong, sure of himself, firm and calm. He looked like a leader.

"After he won the painting contest Dalton had a painter make his portrait", Carmichael explained. "He was supposed to be in the hall of fame but when he disappeared Mr. Dalton made the shrine instead. Wes Montgomery didn't only win that contest. He was the first none-white person to sing lead for the Warblers, he was the one that formed the student council, he was the one that started a martial arts club so that the boys could learn defend themselves and he was a bright and amazing student."

"What happened to him", Blaine asked.

"No one knows", Carmichael said and sighed. "That journal I showed you was his. He wrote in it constantly and he wrote about meeting us all… but then he stopped writing and disappeared."

"When was that", Thad asked.

"He started writing in 1889… in June or July, when he met the first 'ghost'", Carmichael explained. "And he stopped writing in March 1890."

"March", Blaine asked. "But… that's soon!"

Carmichael nodded.

"I'm afraid so", he said. "But I'd hoped that you boys would be able to give me the answer of what really is going to happen to him. I stayed in that room for a month back in 1977 and never found out what happened. My principal… Ivan Roberts wanted me to stay there to figure out what he could never do himself. And then I did the same when I became principal… the room was left empty during those years it was because there were no names in the journal that matched the student body."

"But why move me in there this year", Blaine asked.

"Because Wes wrote in his journal that the new ghost appearing in his room claimed to be from 2011."

"So what now?" Thad asked.

"I have no idea boys, I wanted to keep you from finding out that you have such a short time with your new friend ahead of you. I also wanted to spare you from all the stories about boys going crazy in room 213 and other things that the newspapers and people at this school wrote."

"But… there's two months left until March", Jeff said. "What date did he go missing?"

"March 15", Carmichael said.

"It's exactly two months", Nick objected. "There's must be something we can do!"

"I don't know", Carmichael said. "I don't know what's gonna happen boys. But I know one thing for sure… we can only wait and see."

The room became completely quiet and they all looked at each other and the painting of their friend.

"This is… very interesting but scary at the same time", Trent said. "Sir did you just see him or did you hear his voice as well?"

"No… he never spoke to me. He just watched me and in some way that helped me getting over my stage fright. He helped me. But… I do know what he sounds like."

The boys all stared at him.

"How", Blaine asked. Carmichael smiled and walked over to an old gramophone and got a small thing out, it looked like a roll.

"The Warblers recorded him", he explained as he got the gramophone set up. "This is what he sounded like…"

He started the gramophone and the boys waited in anticipation. At first there was nothing but then… A light voice came through.

"The actor must learn to use the magical 'if'", it said and the boys couldn't help but gasp, they heard Wes' voice! "What 'if'? From the moment of the appearance of this 'if', the actor passes from a plane of actual reality into a plane of another life, created and imagined by himself. Believing in this life, the actor can begin to create…"

"Wait a minute", David said. "That's from Fame!"

A piano started to play and Wes started singing:

I wanna make magic
I wanna be bigger than I am
I wanna make people really care
Really give a damn

"His voice is beautiful", Trent said while trying to keep his tears back.

I wanna make magic
I wanna breathe fire on the stage
I wanna make every single line
Jump right off the page
I wanna make magic

I wanna do it all from A to Z
I wanna do 'The Lion in Winter'
Brecht and Harold Pinter
Sophocles, Eugene O'Neill

Hunter put his arm around Blaine's shoulder as he noticed the smaller boy crying slightly.

I wanna really see what I can be
Another Jason Robards or DeNiro
Play a tragic hero
Go for it all and really show the way I feel

Jeff and Nick held hands and Sebastian pulled Thad to him. They were all smiling hearing the voice they had wanted to hear for so long now.

I wanna make magic
I wanna electrify the place
I wanna be more than just a fool
With make-up on his face

I wanna make magic
Magic
Magic

Magic… that was the only word that could describe this boy's voice. It was magical. Blaine felt tears slide down his cheeks but it was tears of joy and tears from being so touched by the emotions in the song. The recording was not perfect though, it was an old way of recording that had been used but if Wes' voice sounded like that when it was recorded in 1890… what would it sound like live? Blaine was adamant to find out. He would find out and he would find it out soon. Sooner than he knew because he had no idea that when he next saw Wes his stay would be…

TBC

Bia - We'll see. But I've paried them up in another story and really liked the couple. They'd be cute together I think ;)