Chapter Twenty-Two
"Hey Donna wait up!" Kelly Taylor waved frantically as her friend strode purposefully down the hallway, seemingly oblivious to her presence. Hampered by the hordes of jostling students currently filling the hallways, Kelly's progress was frustratingly slow. Fighting her way through a bunch of jocks, ignoring their jeers and whistles, she finally got some space and broke in to a jog. A little out of breath she caught up with Donna by her locker "Boy are you in a dream world this morning. Didn't you hear me calling you?"
Retrieving books from her locker Donna didn't bother to turn round "I heard you".
"So why didn't you wait?" Kelly demanded.
Donna slammed her locker door shut and turned to face Kelly, her expression cold. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I was ignoring you, and that just maybe I don't want to talk to you?"
Stung, Kelly could only stare in disbelief opening and shutting her mouth like a gold fish. Eventually she found her voice "But I don't understand" she said quietly. "I thought you understood. Yesterday you said that…"
"Yeah well that was yesterday" Donna interrupted "I've had time to think and you know what Kelly, I don't understand. I don't understand how you could do something like that to your best friend."
"I told you I didn't mean for it to happen, it just did" Kelly said desperately. Donna had been upset and angry yesterday, but before she'd left she'd seemed to accept things, she'd even promised not to tell Brenda. They hadn't exactly parted on good terms last night, but she hadn't been expecting this.
"Oh come on Kelly that's not a good enough excuse and we both know it" Donna snapped. Last night she'd been in shock, everything had been confusing, but today she was seeing things very clearly, and she didn't like the view one bit.
Noticing Kelly's obvious distress, Donna's expression softened "Look Kel, I really don't feel like being around you right now. I'm mad at you for what you've done, and I'm mad at myself for not telling Brenda last night when I should have". She sighed heavily. "I just think we need some space, otherwise one of us is gonna say something we'll regret."
"Please Donna, lets talk about this" Kelly begged. "I know we can figure things out". She was beginning to feel quite tearful. "Please I don't want to fight with you. Just tell me what to do. What do I have to do to make things right?"
Donna shook her head "Well for a start you could tell Brenda."
"Tell me what?" Brenda asked cheerfully, dropping her bag and fishing in her pocket for her locker key.
Startled, Kelly and Donna exchanged guilty glances.
"… Erm… tell you…" Kelly faltered, her eyes meeting Donna's. Donna opened her mouth to speak, but Kelly shook her head, eyes pleading with Donna to understand. "…tell you that.." Suddenly inspiration struck "my father… er my father called last night. He said he might actually make it over for Christmas this year."
"Kelly that's great!" Brenda enthused.
"Yeah it is" Kelly agreed weakly, deliberately avoiding Donna's disapproving gaze.
Brenda was puzzled "You know you don't sound too enthusiastic. I thought you'd be thrilled."
Kelly sighed. "Well I guess I don't wanna get my hopes up again". She shrugged. "He doesn't exactly have a great track record."
"I guess not." Brenda said sympathetically. Kelly's father was kind of a touchy subject, he had a habit of making promises to his daughter and then letting her down, Brenda hoped it wasn't gonna happen again. Trying to lift Kelly's spirits she smiled encouragingly "Maybe this time it'll be different".
"Maybe." Kelly said softly, still refusing to meet Donna's eyes.
Brenda regarded Kelly contemplatively for a moment "Kel are you sure you're well enough to be back in school? It's just that you don't quite seem yourself."
Kelly nodded. "I'm fine. Just a little tired that's all."
"Okay." Brenda wasn't entirely convinced but she decided to let it go. Retrieving her books, she closed her locker, and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Well I don't know about you guys, but I have a class to go to, so Kel you take it easy okay, and I'll see you at lunch."
"Yeah, see you at lunch" Kelly tried hard to sound cheerful.
As Brenda disappeared amidst a throng of noisy students headed for class, Kelly turned gratefully to Donna "Thanks for not saying anything Donna. I promise I am gonna tell her, it just wasn't the right moment."
Donna frowned. Seeing Brenda just now had brought all her anger flooding back. "Don't thank me Kelly" she said bitterly. "I didn't keep quiet for you, I did it for Brenda. This is too public a place for her to find out something like that".
"I know" Kelly began eagerly. "I talked it through with Dylan and we're gonna tell her today after school, take her some place private, do it gently."
"That's good" Donna said slowly. "At least it shows you care about Brenda."
Kelly was incredulous "Of course I care about Brenda. You know I do".
Donna nodded "Yeah, I guess I do".
"So you do understand." Kelly was flooded with relief; finally she had gotten through to Donna. "You don't know how much it means to me to know that you're still my friend."
"I'm sorry Kelly" Donna said firmly. "But I can't be your friend, not now, not after what you've done." She started to walk away.
Kelly was distraught "Donna, you can't mean that." She took hold of Donna's arm, not willing to let her go "I'll tell Brenda, I'll go tell her right now."
Her own eyes filling with tears Donna gently removed Kelly's hand from her arm. "It's too late Kel, the damage has already been done, now please just leave me alone."
"Donna wait.." Kelly protested, "Please don't do this".
"Look Kelly I've really gotta get to class" Donna said firmly "Just do me a favour and leave me alone, I can't deal with this right now."
As Kelly stood in the deserted hallway watching Donna walk away, she wondered bitterly how many more of her friends would have walked away from her before the day was up.
***
"So Chief, any idea why this place has been crawling with cops since second period?" Brandon asked expectantly, dumping his lunch tray on the table and sliding into the seat opposite Andrea. More slowly, Steve followed.
"Well." Andrea leaned forward and lowered her voice, as though afraid someone might be listening, though it was doubtful given the current decibel level in the lunchroom. "My sources tell me that someone broke into the school last night."
Steve swallowed hard.
"Whoah, you're kidding." Brandon exclaimed almost knocking over his glass of coke in his excitement. "So did they take anything?"
"That's just it" Andrea explained excitedly "nothing was taken and the only room that seemed to have been disturbed was the school office. But, and this is the really weird part, the history final paper was left in the staff copier." She paused as a student hovered by their table before spotting a bunch of friends in the far corner of the lunchroom. "They checked the copier and it turns out multiple copies had been made". She leaned back in her seat, a satisfied smile on her face "You'll never guess whose code was used to make the copies."
"Go on" Brandon demanded gesturing impatiently with his fork.
"Mrs Teasely's." Andrea announced gleefully.
Steve cursed under his breath, how could he have been so stupid as to leave the paper in the copier? He guessed he must have missed it in his panic. All that planning and then he had to leave one lousy paper lying around. He forced himself to pick up his burger, but for once he had little appetite. This morning had been a living nightmare; all those cops on campus made him jittery. Everywhere he went they seemed to be watching him, he was sure they could tell he was guilty. All morning he'd expected to be called in to Mrs Teasely's office, but so far nothing had happened.
"I don't get it." Brandon complained, his journalistic instinct taking over, his lunch now forgotten. "What makes them think that someone broke in? I mean nothing was taken, maybe the paper just got left on the copier by mistake, and besides any number of people could know Mrs Teasely's code."
"You're right" Andrea replied, her eyes shinning with excitement "but they've already questioned all those people and none of them had any cause to copy the history final. Besides" she continued smugly "someone tripped the alarm late last night. When Hutch went to investigate, he found the door to the back entrance open and.." she finished triumphantly "the alarm had been turned off."
Steve continued chewing and swallowing mechanically but he didn't taste any of his food. He couldn't stand to listen to this conversation but he had to, he had to know.
Brandon frowned in concentration "So you're telling me that someone went to all the trouble of figuring out how to open the door without making a forced entry, and managed to deactivate the alarm, and all they did was copy a history final." He shook his head "It doesn't make any sense. Why would someone do that? Why not go for cash or equipment?"
Andrea thought for a moment "Well I guess they might need to get a good grade in the history final"
"Or maybe… maybe they plan to sell copies of the paper to other students" Brandon added excitedly.
"Or it could just be a prank." Andrea finished victoriously.
"Okay." Brandon pushed his tray aside and leant forward eagerly "So we got motive but what about opportunity? How was it done? How did someone open the door without forcing it?"
Andrea smiled "Well I have to admit that one had me stumped for a while, but I talked to Hutch this morning and something he said gave me an idea." She hesitated "It's kind of a long shot but I think it's worth investigating".
"C'mon Chief don't hold out on me now." Brandon pleaded.
Andrea checked to make sure no one else was listening "Have you ever heard of the legacy key Brandon?"
Burger halfway to his mouth Steve froze.
"Legacy key?" Brandon looked blank "Can't say I have".
"Supposedly it's a master key to the school passed down from student to student for generations." Andrea explained, hardly able to contain her enthusiasm.
Steve laughed nervously "Oh come on Andrea don't tell me you actually believe that, it's just a myth."
"You know, that's exactly what Mrs Teasely said when I told her." Andrea admitted sadly.
Shocked Steve dropped his burger "You told Mrs Teasely someone used the legacy key to get in to the school!" His heart was hammering against his ribcage and his mouth had gone dry. Andrea was so close to the truth it was terrifying. If she'd figured out about the key, it wouldn't take her long to figure out who had access to the security code, Hutch would be sure to remember Steve had helped him on the weekend.
Andrea sighed. "Well of course I did, I mean it makes complete sense. How else could someone get in without any visible signs of forced entry? They had to have had a key." She shook her head "But Mrs Teasely wouldn't listen, she just dismissed it right off. She's not even sure if the alarm and the history final are even connected". She shook her head in dismay "You know she even said that the alarm could be faulty."
Steve let out a breath; he was off the hook. "Well there you go, I mean Mrs Teasely's a smart lady right? If she thinks it's no big deal then it's probably no big deal." He leant back in his seat; arms behind his head, his trademark broad smile already back in place.
"Maybe." Andrea nodded thoughtfully "But I still think there's something in this. I don't know, call it women's intuition or journalistic curiosity, but I just know there's something.." she smiled at Brandon "I couldn't call myself a journalist if I didn't try and get the story now could I?"
Brandon returned the smile "Sounds to me like 'The Blaze' is back in business, guess I'd better dust off my keyboard."
Steve's smile disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. "Hey what about finals guys?" He complained. "Haven't you got enough to worry about without getting all bent out of shape over some non-existent legacy key?"
Brandon patted him on the arm sympathetically "I think you're forgetting who you're talking to here Steve. You know Andrea's never happy unless she's doing a million things at once!"
Smiling Andrea raised her glass of milk in a mock toast "Here's to solving the riddle of the legacy key trickster, and to showing Mrs Teasely exactly what investigative journalism is all about."
Raising his glass Brandon beamed "I'll drink to that." He hadn't seen Andrea this happy in a long time. She really seemed to come alive when she was chasing a story; there was something about her intensity and drive that made her enthusiasm infectious. Already he found himself running through a list of possible sources he could talk to.
"Get ready Brandon" Andrea cautioned him "I know there's a great story in here somewhere, and we're just the people to find it."
With a sinking feeling Steve observed the determined look in her eyes. If he knew Andrea Zuckerman, she wouldn't stop until she'd got this mystery solved, and unfortunately for him, she was the one person smart enough to solve it.
***
"Okay, so you've got the play list?" David asked anxiously as he set to work cuing up the tracks.
"Yes David, for the fifth time, I have the play list" Donna replied irritably waving a sheaf of papers at him". David opened his mouth, but before he could get the words out, Donna continued "And I know how to work the equipment, and I have all the announcements." She sighed. "I have done this before you know, I'm perfectly capable of covering your show."
"I know you are Donna it's just.." David hesitated unwilling to provoke an argument.
"Just what?" She asked eyeing him suspiciously.
"Well you seem a little distracted today is all" David admitted reluctantly as he checked the sound levels one last time. "And last night you were awful quiet, and you hardly touched your dinner." He sighed "and we never even made it to the movie." His eyes were full of concern "I'm just worried about you. Are you sure you're not sick? I mean that bug hit Kelly from out of nowhere, maybe you're coming down with it too".
"I'm fine David, and I've got everything under control here" Donna reassured him, struggling to keep her voice even. "Besides you don't have time to worry about me right now, you need to concentrate on your study". Gathering up his books she dumped them in his arms, pecked him on the cheek and pointed at the door "Go."
"But…" David protested.
"Go, get out of here, you're supposed to be in the library". She sighed. "Look David what's the use of me filling in for you if you're gonna spend all your time checking up on me instead of studying?"
Reaching for the door handle David admitted defeat "Okay, okay, you win, I'm going". He hesitated "But you do have the play list right?"
"David!" Donna yelled in frustration.
He smiled "I'm just kidding." Then ducked as the play list flew through the air towards his head.
After David had gone Donna busied herself with final preparations. She was due on air in just over 10 minutes and despite her earlier insistence that everything was under control, in reality she was a mess. Oh she wasn't worried about the broadcast, she'd covered David's lunchtime slot lots of times, and she was getting pretty good at it too.
It wasn't the pressure of the show she couldn't handle; it was the pressure of knowing. Last night at the restaurant had been torture. She hated lying to David, they'd promised never to have secrets from each other, and besides she was a terrible liar. In the end she'd called a halt to the evening, claiming a headache, and had gone home early and alone. She felt awful knowing she had ruined David's evening but it couldn't be helped.
She'd spent last night tossing and turning, going over and over the argument with Kelly and Dylan. By morning she'd realised her dreadful mistake, she should have told Brenda. But what could she do about it now? Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to imagine herself telling Brenda. How on earth was she supposed to do it?
Donna groaned. She had to stop thinking about it, at least until she'd gotten through the show. Forcing herself to focus on the broadcast, she quickly scanned the play list to make sure everything was in order, and then began a final check of the sound levels. Her preparations were rudely interrupted by a knock on the sound booth door. "David I told you everything's under control" she said in exasperation.
To her surprise it wasn't David standing outside but Kelly.
Face pale and eyes red from crying, for once Kelly looked awful "Please Donna, can I come in? We really need to talk".
***
Brenda broke her chicken salad sandwich in half and handed some to Dylan. They were sitting on the steps outside the chem lab enjoying the winter sunshine. All around them students were making the most of the lunch period that marked freedom before the constraints of afternoon classes began.
Shading his eyes against the glare of the afternoon sun, Dylan munched on his half of the sandwich, and watched as the day-to-day life of West Beverly unfolded around him. A bunch of guys from the team were tossing a football around, trying to impress the cluster of freshman girls who were giggling and lunching nearby. Dotted across the campus, small groups of students were relaxing on the grass, laughing, talking and generally enjoying the respite between classes. He sighed heavily. It was just another day at West Beverly.
"Okay, so it's something that I can always keep with me, and it has to do with my passion". Brenda frowned. She'd managed to wheedle some information out of him, but she was still no closer to figuring out the nature of his Christmas gift. She looked at him pleadingly "It's no good Dylan, I need another clue."
Dylan smiled. She always did this whenever he bought her a gift; it was almost like a ritual now. She'd try and sweet-talk him in to giving her clues; he'd spend weeks teasing her with snippets of information. "Okay one more clue but that's it Bren."
"Okay I promise, one more clue and then I won't ask again". She smiled. They both knew she would.
As Dylan struggled to concoct the perfect clue, Brenda let her gaze wander idly over the campus. Despite the regular hustle and bustle of lunch period there was a sense of tranquillity about the campus today. There was something about these quiet moments that really felt right. As much as she loved spending time with her friends, there was nothing quite like being alone with Dylan.
***
"Look Kelly I really can't talk now, I have a show to do" Donna protested, brandishing the play list as if it were a weapon.
"I know that Donna" Kelly replied apologetically, and I promise I won't take up much of your time." She stood awkwardly by the door waiting to be invited in. "Please I can't leave things the way we left them this morning".
Donna sighed and dropped the play list back on to the desk in a gesture of defeat. "Then I guess you'd better come in".
Kelly perched uncomfortably on the edge of the desk and surveyed Donna apprehensively. She felt as though she were on trial and from the expression on Donna's face she was gonna have a hard time talking her round.
"Well? I'm waiting." Donna gestured impatiently.
Taking a deep breath Kelly began "Look Donna I know you don't approve of me and Dylan, I know that." She hesitated "And I'm not asking you to. I'm just asking you to try and see it from my perspective."
"Your perspective." Donna scoffed "Don't you think you have that backwards, shouldn't you be seeing this from someone else's perspective? Like Brenda's for instance." She shook her head in dismay "Kelly what you and Dylan are doing is wrong. Why can't you see that?"
"Because I love him Donna, and he loves me". Kelly answered simply.
***
Slowly, very slowly as if she were 100 years old and had difficulty moving, Brenda turned to look at Dylan. Their eyes met. Around them the buzz of conversation grew louder, people pointed and stared, some giggled nervously, but neither of them noticed. In the background Kelly and Donna's argument was still blaring over the PA system, but Brenda and Dylan were no longer listening.