LUNA'S POV
The band has a set goal in mind as we enter the Royal Rumble rehearsals the next afternoon. My eyes are trained intently on Doug's belt buckle, where a set of keys clank against his thigh as he surveys the room.
"Get the keys and go." Mazzy had said. "Then meet us in the girl's bathroom."
I had opted to uphold the challenge of taking Doug's keys; I felt a numbing excitement at the thought of "going undercover".
"Where are your friends?" Doug questions as he passes by, sporting an expression of something very close to loathing. "Hmm?" He asks impatiently when I don't reply quick enough for his liking.
I try my best to meet Doug's eyes, for gazing at his belt may seem rather suspicious.
"They're all…" I fumble in my mind for an adequate excuse. "Sick! Y-yeah, it's that horrible flu going around." My voice is unnaturally high, but I try to pass it off as nonchalant.
Doug provides me with a sour expression coupled with a raised eyebrow. "Sick, eh?" He asks. "Well, tell them that this is the worst time they could possibly get sick."
I release a relieved, yet altogether quiet sigh as Doug departs. Quick as a bullet, I hook my finger around the key attached to Doug's belt, prying it away from the judge. I hastily shove it in my pocket to cover my tracks, just missing Doug's suspicious backward glance. However, he leaves without a second glance, leaving me to silently congratulate myself.
Searching for watchful eyes, I quickly make my departure from the bandroom, for I don't wish to keep my friends waiting.
Releasing ragged breaths, I enter the girl's bathroom, beaming with absolute pride. My bandmates take notice of my joyful expression, and cast one another gleeful glances.
"You've got them?" Mazzy asks, though the answer proves to be plainly obvious. I retrieve the keys from my pocket, brandishing them for my bandmates to see. Positively elated, Sam leaps into my arms and nuzzles her face within my neck.
"I knew you had it covered, Luna." Sam gushes, and I relish in the physical contact I receive from her. "Never lost hope for a moment." She adds.
None of my bandmates question me about my objective, for I retrieved the keys unharmed. In our eyes, that's all that matters right now. Mazzy takes the keys from my outstretched hand, twirling it on an extended finger.
"Awesome. You guys remember the plan?" Mazzy asks, and the four of us nod. "No later than 8:00 tonight, we're meeting outside the school. We're going in."
It took a well-fabricated lie to get me out of the house tonight. I mean, one inconspicuous, white lie isn't even the worst thing I'll be doing tonight. I'm breaking into my high school.
I told Lori that Sam needed some assistance with Royal Rumble rehearsals (not entirely false), so she dropped me off at my girlfriend's house. To just our luck, Sam's mother was told that Sam would be spending the evening at the Loud house.
Upon meeting up, Sam and I walk the couple blocks to the bus stop. It's a rather foggy afternoon, and after a bit of waiting and thorough squinting, Mazzy, Sully, and Alex approach from the haze of fog. The bus arrived at approximately 7:40, and it cost $1.30 to ride; a price I'm willing to pay considering the circumstances.
Half a block from the school, the bus comes to a screeching halt. We depart from the vehicle, the driver providing us with a rather curious glance. Five kids carrying flashlights, leaving a public bus in the dead of night. Aside from a late night gig, I'm not one to meander around Royal Woods in the dark, especially with nothing but a flashlight.
The five of us scamper around the edge of the school, nestling ourselves within the seclusion of the shadows. No one enters school property at such late hours, but the five of us choose to hide as a means of comfort. Mazzy gestures to the back of the school.
"We enter through the back, all right? There's less of a risk of being seen." Mazzy states, and we nod in understanding. I'm bold enough to take the lead, guiding us across the high school's expansive lawn. Mazzy sneaks up from behind me as we reach the school's back door. She fumbles with the keys, the jangling noise sounding unnaturally loud in the dead of night. Holding our breath as one, we listen expectantly as a gentle click echoes from the lock, and the door swings open to omit us.
Grinning broadly, the five of us exchange gleeful glances before once again shifting into a more serious "spy mode". We tromp purposefully into the building, our footfalls slapping loudly against the linoleum floor. With the assistance of our flashlights, we're able to navigate the file room.
It's rather hard to miss. It's a large door, standing out like a beacon amid all the smaller classroom doors in the vicinity. My heart halts momentarily as Mazzy inserts her key into the door's lock. At least, as far as it can go. There's a dull thump of the key in the lock, serving as a harsh reminder that the file room is under heavy security.
"Thought so." Sully mumbles as Mazzy shakes her head glumly.
"How are we supposed to get in?" Sully asks, gazing through the keyhole with no success. Mazzy's eyes scan the tall walls of the school hallway, feverishly searching for something. Finally, her gaze stops.
"That." Mazzy finally murmurs, pointing a quivering finger above her. I gaze in the direction she points, interest peaked. Finally, my eyes find it: the ventilation system.
"That's our ticket to success." Mazzy states before pushing away from the door and standing within the center of the hallway. She crosses her arms, pouting mid-thought. The band and I maintain silence, allowing Mazzy the time to consider our options.
"Ok," Mazzy finally begins. "We aren't tall enough to access the vents from here, so we'll have to find another classroom first."
None of us question our friend; we can see how determined and educated she is. How she's educated within the field of breaking and entering a school, we have no idea, but it feels incredibly refreshing to have somebody confident on our team.
We're shepherded down the hall by Mazzy, who fumbles with the keys a moment before inserting them into the classroom door. With a soft click, the door swings open.
The classroom is completely dark; the blinds are drawn, but I manage to distinguish a couple desks and chairs within the darkness. Mazzy aims her flashlight towards the vent grate on the other side of the room.
"Sully," Mazzy starts, aiming the flashlight towards Sully. Sully winces at the sudden brightness, and Mazzy is quick to lower the flashlight, features clouded with guilt.
"Oh, sorry." She murmurs apologetically. "You're strong, right?" She asks a few moments later, and Sully glances down at his arms, as if assessing his physical capabilities.
"We'll see with these noodles." Sully jokes, cracking a small smile at Mazzy within the dim light. Mazzy returns the smile. The two work together to push a collection of desks, the loud groaning and squealing noises setting me on edge.
Swallowing hard, I allow myself to sneak a glance outside the classroom door and down the hall. There's nobody. Then why do I feel as if somebody is here?
Dropping my inappropriate paranoia, I watch as Sully makes a humorous comment that never quite reached my ears, sending Mazzy within a fit of laughter. Sam is scanning the room with her flashlight, and Alex has their arms stiff at their sides, eyes downcast since we entered the classroom. Their once-persisting confidence has now suddenly faltered, much to my confusion and concern.
"Awesome!" Mazzy interjects loudly. She and Sully have clustered a group of desks together, serving as leverage to enter the ventilation shaft. Mazzy is standing on the desk on her tiptoes, peering into the vents.
"We can probably fit. It's just a teensy bit tight." Mazzy states before pulling away, turning on and off her flashlight in thought. "We're all pretty thin though, so that serves as a benefit." She adds, though this seems to do nothing to heighten Alex's spirits. I hear them emit a feeble whimper from beside me.
"I'll lead the group through." Mazzy states. "Who wants to be behind me?"
There's a brief pause as the remaining four of us glance between one another thoughtfully. Alex, however, seems to lack a lot of this thoughtfulness. I can almost hear their loud swallow within the quiet space.
"A-are we all going in?" Alex questions feebly, and Mazzy and Sully nod.
"M-maybe I can keep watch." Alex's voice spikes to a higher degree. "What if, y-you know, someone enters the building?"
I shuffle my feet with a meek chuckle. "Dude, nobody besides us will be in the school at this hour." I speak mainly for the purpose of dwindling my own anxiety, though, thinking rationally, who else would be at the school this late at night?
"Yeah," Mazzy agrees gently with the hope of alleviating Alex's anxiety. "Besides, we need an extra set of eyes to search for the Royal Rumble file. You have good eye-sight, bro." Mazzy winks, and Alex's eyes crinkle in what I assume to be genuine positivity, but their mouth does nothing more than twitch.
"I'll be in the back, just in case anything happens." Sully pipes up.
"I'll be behind Mazzy." Sam states.
I take a moment to peer in Alex's direction. I catch them glancing at me with evident nervousness.
"Are you alright with being behind me, dude?" I ask, and Alex blinks momentarily, as if they haven't registered that I spoke to them.
"P-Perfect." Alex murmurs, though their evident anxiety counteracts their statement.
I take to heart the extremity of our situation, and how Alex must be feeling. These past few weeks have been strange, haven't they? I suppose these recent events must be fueling Alex's anxiety.
I barely have time to think on the subject, for a loud, metallic banging sends my heart into my throat. Mazzy and Sully-though mostly Mazzy, to remain truthful-are hammering on the grate with their fists, rattling the vent's loose screws. Finally, the screws give out, and the vent grate meets the floor with a resonating clatter. Sully stands by the opening, shepherding me, Mazzy, Sam, and Alex into the ventilation shaft.
I hunch my shoulders back as I wriggle into the shaft, my exhalations reverberating against the small space. I'm undoubtedly scared, yet I'm ready. Ready to discover what Michelle and Doug are up to.
