Best prepare oneself.
Mr. Rotwell was that teacher; the grammar nazi and police of the bathroom. There's one in every school. The one who picks favorites and least favorites, who never quite justifies the grades given, who is quick to call students out. Unfortunately, Lucy Carlyle grated on his nerves past the point of extreme. Even if Carlyle was the perfect angel of a student (she wasn't), he still would have been hypercritical. He couldn't blow up at her all the time or risk being fired. But he took consolation in the fact that he could make her life miserable. It was one of the small joys he found in life.
Lucy just wanted to go to the bathroom. That's all. But nope, Rotwell needed to give his express permission. He was legit the only teacher to do this.
The conversation went something like this:
Lucy walked calmly up to him and said,
"Can I go to the bathroom?"
He met her gaze and gave a smug little smile.
"Can you?"
He meant to correct her grammar, and not give an open challenge. But Lucy look every opportunity handed to her.
"Yes."
She said simply. Then she walked off.
Rotwell raised his voice to an angry splutter.
"Carlyle! Get back here."
It was Lucy's turn to give a smug smile.
"You asked me if I could, and yes, I am perfectly capable. That question was rather vague."
The students around who had stopped to watch laughed.
Rotwell seethed with annoyance.
"You need to learn when to stop Carlyle. That's detention. Be here right after school."
The students around looked at each other, passing and did what teenage students do best. They gossiped.
The consequence of this was that the grapevine was faster than the speed of Lucy walking back to her friends.
"Detention?"
"Yeah."
Lucy sighed, then shrugged.
"Oh well. I could have gotten worse.
It's right after school until who knows when."
Lockwood groaned.
"We need you for practicals tomorrow, we have to study tonight."
"I know, I know. Sorry."
Lucy's last class of the day was English, because, even in a age where children grew up to fight manifestations of the dead, they still needed to speak, read, and write.
As it ended, she had to part ways with Lockwood and Holly. George wasn't in that class.
"Good luck."
"Hope he doesn't keep you for too long."
Lucy walked against the crowd to Rotwell's office. It was attached to the gym, and only had a couple of chairs.
"Listen up Carlyle. I'm not taking any funny business from you. Wait here while I get the custodian. You're going to be cleaning. Don't touch anything."
He slammed the door on the way out. Lucy looked around the neat office, fully intending not to follow directions.
She headed to the desk and opened up the first drawer. Nothing interesting. Pens, pencils, notepad. The other drawers yielded nothing of interest either. Files, students test results, and other teachery stuff. Lucy didn't exactly know what she was looking for, but she still searched.
She ran a hand under the top of the desk, and, to her suprise, her hand felt a latch.
A rush of adrenaline shot through her system as a hidden drawer popped into view. She darted her head around, looking and listening for Rotwell's return.
"Let's see what you're hiding..." she muttered quietly to herself.
The drawer was small and shallow, not holding anything except an opened envelope. Lucy opened it quickly with nimble fingers and read the short note inside.
Meet me tonight. Same time, same place.
Her eyes widened with the implications of this short note, and a hundred theories flooded her mind.
She only stood immobile in shock for a couple seconds before common sense and logic kicked in. She replaced the note and shut the drawer completely. She just made it to the chair she had previously been sitting on and arranged herself to look bored and casual, when the door opened.
"Carlyle get going. I've told the custodian that you can go as soon you've finished."
She was buzzing with energy and excitement, so finishing the tasks (scraping gum off the underside of desks, scrubbing toilets and dusting bookshelves) wasn't too hard.
As soon as she made it to the student rec room, she was just about bursting with the need to tell someone about her discovery.
"Oh there she is! Lucy over here!"
She walked quickly over even though her limbs were sore from the scrubbing.
"How was detention?"
"Oh never mind that! I found something very interesting in Rotwell's office desk."
Lockwood sat forward, interested. George perked up too.
"What?"
"A note. All it said was, 'meet me tonight. same time, same place.'"
George had removed his glasses to rub them on his sweater.
"Meaning that this person has met with him before, at night, while everyone else is asleep."
Holly scrunched up her nose.
"Meaning it's likely illegal."
Lockwood's smile dawned slowly.
"Meaning that have to be there when they meet."
George, Holly and Lucy all looked quickly at him.
Holly was shaking her head slightly.
"Shouldn't we just go to another teacher? Miss Fittes maybe?"
But George grimaced in reply.
"No that's no good. What if that teacher is in on it? Can't trust anyone now."
Lucy nodded.
"I agree."
George had a thought, and his grimace deeped.
"We don't know the where or when..."
Lockwood thought for a moment then said,
"Well, we know it's tonight. Frankly, I don't think it'll be too hard to spot a shady meeting going down, especially with Rotwell. He's no small man, if you know what I mean."
Holly opened her mouth to speak, then shut it, as if rethinking it. Then she spoke up.
"I don't think I'm really cut out for that. Sneaking out, looking for two possible dangerous criminals."
Lucy nodded in understanding, and George found himself opting out but for different reasons.
"I'm not very sneaky. It's quite obvious that it's going to have to be you two."
Lockwood and Lucy looked at each other, looking for any hesitation or fear in the others face, and found none.
Instead they both grinned.
"I'm game."
"Let's do it."
That night, as soon as lights out was called, they met outside Lucy's dorm, Lockwood leaning causally against the wall as she slipped through the heavy door.
They ghosted quietly up to the main school house, as silently as a Specter.
Lockwood whispered.
"What do you think Luce, inside or outside?"
She thought for a moment then gestured to the door.
"Don't use the key yet. Its supposed to be locked, so if it's not someone is inside."
Lockwood grinned.
"Someone's been hanging out with George."
"You've been friends with him longer than me and you've still haven't managed to match him."
"Defiantly hanging out with George."
He tugged at the door, and it swung open.
"Inside it is."
They creeped inside, shutting the door silently behind them.
Lockwood gestured for her to follow him. The main build of the school was rather confusing, as Lucy discovered on her first day.
But luck was on their side, at least for the moment.
As Lockwood peaked around a corner, he stiffed, then turned back to Lucy.
He breathed in her ear,
"They're right there."
She nodded, and they crept to the corner again, and looked around.
Rotwell and the unknown person were at the end of the next hall, and visibly arguing.
"Who is that?"
"No idea."
They couldn't get closer because, though they were out of whispering ear shot, the hall was open space.
As they watched, the arugument grew more and more heated, and now the shouting was audible.
"I asked you to do a simple task, and you couldn't even produce one! Not one!"
"Relic men are always cheating and unreliable. How was i supposed to know that-"
"No-!..."
The shouting became indistinguishable again, and Lockwood and Lucy looked at each other in amazement.
"Relic men?"
"produce one?"
"Wait look Rotwell is leaving. And he's heading...right for us!"
They backed away from the corner then turned around. The hall was so long, and they would never be able to reach the next bend silently.
Lockwood opened the nearest door, and beckoned Lucy over.
They slipped inside the tiny broom closet, shutting out all light except the thin sliver under the door.
Lucy could barely seen Lockwood's face, but she knew they had to be very close.
She could hear his breathing. She could hear Rotwell's footsteps grow louder and louder, then start to quiet. He was headed away. Lucy could afford to step a little away from Lockwood. She had been feeling a little too warm. But the closet was tiny, and contained a number of cleaning supplies.
As she backed away, a broom clattered to the floor, upsetting the others on the way down.
The racket sounded like a sonic boom to Lucy with the previous hush.
Both teens froze.
Rotwell's footsteps did too. Then they started growing louder again.
They would be caught for sure, and Rotwell would have to ask the logical question. Why would two students sneak out, and be found alone, in a broom closet, at night?
Lockwood reached the most obvious solution before Lucy.
He stepped close quickly, and Lucy instantly felt flushed again. He put his hands on the wall behind Lucy. She was cornered. His face was only inches from her's.
"Lockwood what are you doing?"
"Trust me."
And then he kissed her, full on the lips.
Hehe. aHAha. MUHAHAHA! I gave myself the feels writing that! Hoped y'all enjoyed that bit of mystery and romance! What is Rotwell up to? How will Lockwood and Lucy react to the kiss? You'll have to see! I LOVE Y'ALL SO MUCH AND THIS EMOTIONAL TORTURE JUST MEANS IM INSPIRED BY Y'ALL!
Much love,
Sparkle
