Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of "The Famous Jett Jackson."
Note from author: Feedback would be much appreciated.
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"Kay?"
"Jett?"
"Did the electricity just go out?"
"I think so."
All right, they had established the obvious. He could tell she was still behind him. But the sudden darkness made him feel disoriented. Not to mention surprised as hell. This didn't happen much. Especially not at school.
"You think it's `cause of the storm?" He tried to sound casual. It was a simple blackout after all. And he was big Mr. Himalayan Man, right?
"Yeah, probably. It should come back on in a couple minutes."
Her voice was calm. She spoke pretty matter-of-factly, too.
Good job, Jett. You're keeping her calm.
His mind wandered. She hadn't moved from his side, though he had long let go of her scarf. His senses told him that much. He tried to ignore everything else they told him.
Focus, Jackson!
"I don't think we have to wait here til it comes back on..." Kayla hinted.
Oh... yeah.
"Right! Let's go."
She could hear his shoes stomping the rest of the way to the door. There was a quiet pause. Usually the doors simply slid open because they were automatic. It was one of the new renovations the school had ordered for the old campus. Kind of silly, really, once she thought about it. It reminded her of being in a grocery store. She listened for the `zzzwik' sound they normally made.
There was nothing. Instead, she heard Jett jumping up and down on the doormat.
"Kay it's not working. The sensors aren't on."
She took in his words, her eyes widening in realization. "Oh no... the electricity..."
By this time her sight had adjusted a bit better to the dark and she hurriedly joined him on the mat. She too jumped up and down without success.
"Well... okay... there's another exit, right?"
"Umm... there's one in the back." His running footsteps on the tile floor seemed to echo in the library. As he went further, the building became totally quiet, save for the wind outside. It had grown louder and more fierce than before. Ten minutes ago she hadn't even noticed it. Too busy laughing at Jett, she supposed. She waited for him in the silence, hugging herself. Was it getting colder?
He came jogging back. She looked at him hopefully. "Well?"
"I checked the emergency exit. It's locked."
"Locked?? They LOCK emergency exits?" She didn't mean to but her question came out high-pitched.
Jett's jaw tightened. "The windows!"
Kayla sighed, restless. She fidgeted. "They can't be opened. We would have to break them."
"Oh..." He searched for something positive to say. "Hey, like you said. The electricity should come back on in a couple minutes. And Mrs. Parcel. She's coming back, remember?"
"Yeah, you're right..." She had moved to one of the windows and looked outside. Though it wasn't late enough in the day for the sun to have set, it was gray and dreary outside. Sheets of rain landed on huge puddles of water and the tree branches swayed violently. And not a single sign of someone who could help them out. Weren't they just joking around a moment ago, and now they were stranded in a library.
"My phone!"
"What?"
"I can call for help."
"Do you have the number to the main office?" It was a long shot but she asked anyway.
"No. But I'll call my dad." He bent down to where he'd dropped his backpack and pulled out his phone. There was a small click as the cover opened, and the screen glowed green in the dark. He dialed. As he waited, he noticed Kayla shaking her head at him. She smiled wryly.
"Can't believe you still have that thing. After that first day when you moved here, I would think you learned your lesson."
He smirked, remembering how his teacher had taken it away his very first day of school. That was pretty embarrassing. Can't believe she remembers that.
Instead of hearing his dad answer, Jett heard a recorded operator message. "We're sorry but your call cannot be transferred through. Service is temporarily unavailable."
He frowned. "There's no service. I think the lines are down."
Kayla's forehead wrinkled. Before she could say anything disheartening, she took a deep breath. "It's all right. We're fine. Mrs. Parcel's coming any minute now."
...an hour later...
Jett looked at his watch again.
Dang... He ventured to ask.
"Before she left, did you tell Mrs. Parcel we'd be leaving soon?"
"Are you saying she forgot about us?"
Jett reeled back from her snap. "Noooo, but maybe she thought we left for home already."
"That doesn't explain why she hasn't come back. She still has to close the library, you know." Kayla looked at him hard.
Oh don't get sassy with me, West. We're in the same boat.
Kayla tore her eyes away from him and stared up at the ceiling. She sighed before rambling, "I'm sorry, Jett. I just can't stand waiting here. And I'm worried about Mrs. Parcel. She could be hurt. What if she fell--she's pretty old."
He watched her sitting on one of the tables. One arm was on each side of her and she was pushing her hands onto the edge of the table. He imagined that if the lights were back on, he could see her knuckles turning white.
But if the lights were back on, there would be no reason to imagine. They would be out of here. He sighed inwardly. Then he sat up a little straighter on his chair.
"You know what, Kay? We gotta make the best of this."
She raised an eyebrow toward his direction. "What do you mean?"
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Note from author: Feedback would be much appreciated.
-----------------------------------
"Kay?"
"Jett?"
"Did the electricity just go out?"
"I think so."
All right, they had established the obvious. He could tell she was still behind him. But the sudden darkness made him feel disoriented. Not to mention surprised as hell. This didn't happen much. Especially not at school.
"You think it's `cause of the storm?" He tried to sound casual. It was a simple blackout after all. And he was big Mr. Himalayan Man, right?
"Yeah, probably. It should come back on in a couple minutes."
Her voice was calm. She spoke pretty matter-of-factly, too.
Good job, Jett. You're keeping her calm.
His mind wandered. She hadn't moved from his side, though he had long let go of her scarf. His senses told him that much. He tried to ignore everything else they told him.
Focus, Jackson!
"I don't think we have to wait here til it comes back on..." Kayla hinted.
Oh... yeah.
"Right! Let's go."
She could hear his shoes stomping the rest of the way to the door. There was a quiet pause. Usually the doors simply slid open because they were automatic. It was one of the new renovations the school had ordered for the old campus. Kind of silly, really, once she thought about it. It reminded her of being in a grocery store. She listened for the `zzzwik' sound they normally made.
There was nothing. Instead, she heard Jett jumping up and down on the doormat.
"Kay it's not working. The sensors aren't on."
She took in his words, her eyes widening in realization. "Oh no... the electricity..."
By this time her sight had adjusted a bit better to the dark and she hurriedly joined him on the mat. She too jumped up and down without success.
"Well... okay... there's another exit, right?"
"Umm... there's one in the back." His running footsteps on the tile floor seemed to echo in the library. As he went further, the building became totally quiet, save for the wind outside. It had grown louder and more fierce than before. Ten minutes ago she hadn't even noticed it. Too busy laughing at Jett, she supposed. She waited for him in the silence, hugging herself. Was it getting colder?
He came jogging back. She looked at him hopefully. "Well?"
"I checked the emergency exit. It's locked."
"Locked?? They LOCK emergency exits?" She didn't mean to but her question came out high-pitched.
Jett's jaw tightened. "The windows!"
Kayla sighed, restless. She fidgeted. "They can't be opened. We would have to break them."
"Oh..." He searched for something positive to say. "Hey, like you said. The electricity should come back on in a couple minutes. And Mrs. Parcel. She's coming back, remember?"
"Yeah, you're right..." She had moved to one of the windows and looked outside. Though it wasn't late enough in the day for the sun to have set, it was gray and dreary outside. Sheets of rain landed on huge puddles of water and the tree branches swayed violently. And not a single sign of someone who could help them out. Weren't they just joking around a moment ago, and now they were stranded in a library.
"My phone!"
"What?"
"I can call for help."
"Do you have the number to the main office?" It was a long shot but she asked anyway.
"No. But I'll call my dad." He bent down to where he'd dropped his backpack and pulled out his phone. There was a small click as the cover opened, and the screen glowed green in the dark. He dialed. As he waited, he noticed Kayla shaking her head at him. She smiled wryly.
"Can't believe you still have that thing. After that first day when you moved here, I would think you learned your lesson."
He smirked, remembering how his teacher had taken it away his very first day of school. That was pretty embarrassing. Can't believe she remembers that.
Instead of hearing his dad answer, Jett heard a recorded operator message. "We're sorry but your call cannot be transferred through. Service is temporarily unavailable."
He frowned. "There's no service. I think the lines are down."
Kayla's forehead wrinkled. Before she could say anything disheartening, she took a deep breath. "It's all right. We're fine. Mrs. Parcel's coming any minute now."
...an hour later...
Jett looked at his watch again.
Dang... He ventured to ask.
"Before she left, did you tell Mrs. Parcel we'd be leaving soon?"
"Are you saying she forgot about us?"
Jett reeled back from her snap. "Noooo, but maybe she thought we left for home already."
"That doesn't explain why she hasn't come back. She still has to close the library, you know." Kayla looked at him hard.
Oh don't get sassy with me, West. We're in the same boat.
Kayla tore her eyes away from him and stared up at the ceiling. She sighed before rambling, "I'm sorry, Jett. I just can't stand waiting here. And I'm worried about Mrs. Parcel. She could be hurt. What if she fell--she's pretty old."
He watched her sitting on one of the tables. One arm was on each side of her and she was pushing her hands onto the edge of the table. He imagined that if the lights were back on, he could see her knuckles turning white.
But if the lights were back on, there would be no reason to imagine. They would be out of here. He sighed inwardly. Then he sat up a little straighter on his chair.
"You know what, Kay? We gotta make the best of this."
She raised an eyebrow toward his direction. "What do you mean?"
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