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The lighting overhead grew dim as they moved into the next exhibit hall, and Saint-John was tempted to take out his Zippo lighter to bring some illumination to the gloomy room. He was surprised, however, to see Jean-Paul's expression of impatience; he would've expected his melancholy friend to be right at home here.
"Well, this is more fun than I know what to do with," Saint-John commented as their group of students filed into the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life.
"Manuel chose the right week to go Spain. This is incredibly dull," Jean-Paul replied. "I'm planning to depart as soon as possible. Would you join me?"
Saint-John feigned shock. "J.P., are you truly suggesting we ditch this field trip?"
"Yes, immediately," Jean-Paul said seriously. "Notice that the lighting in this exhibit isn't as bright as the others. It's easier for escape. Here, let a few people pass."
The friends allowed several other museum visitors ahead of them, separating themselves from their group.
"Why do you want to leave?" Saint-John asked curiously. "This is no party, but it's not that bad."
"I don't like crowds, I didn't sleep very well, I didn't eat breakfast or dinner last night, and I have severely misanthropic tendencies to begin with," Jean-Paul said tonelessly.
"Quite the list," Saint-John noted, nodding. "I'll ditch with you. What's the plan?"
"We find an exit and leave," Jean-Paul said without fanfare.
"Betsy- " Saint-John began.
"Doesn't want to be doing this in the first place," Jean-Paul cut him off. "She's only here because Mr. Summers asked her to chaperone. We're with other ninth graders, so she knows she'll be able to let us on our own for a half hour at each exhibit and nothing will happen to us. She's been texting someone, probably that heir to the fortune of his nouveau riche family. Wallace Worthington. I can't believe he managed to stay at the school and avoid all of this. Prick."
"That's inattentive of her," Saint-John said, frowning. "His name is Warren, by the way."
"I don't think that a college student's idea of entertainment is to escort several fourteen-year-olds throughout museum for the entire day," Jean-Paul said, watching Betsy. "She's wandering over to the exhibit on whales, and . . . she is removing her cell phone from the pocket of her jacket in order to text. Let us depart to the stairs."
The two fluidly moved through the throng of other visitors perusing the hall. They made their way up the staircase easily, Jean-Paul careful to stay a few paces behind and on the opposite side from Saint-John in case one of their classmates saw them and grew suspicious. Once at the upper level, Saint-John continued walking briskly till the wall prevented those on the staircase from seeing him and leaned against it, waiting for Jean-Paul.
"What now?" He asked, once his friend arrived.
"Do you see any emergency exits?" Jean-Paul asked, scanning the ceiling for the red signs.
Searching the hall with his eyes, Saint-John found nothing. "No," he replied.
Jean-Paul nodded. "There has to be one around here somewhere. Fire safety codes demand it. You follow the left hallway and look for one, or an 'Employees Only' sign. I'll take the right."
An amused grin stretched across Saint-John's face. "You've done this before, haven't you? So tell me, how many field trips did you desert at your last ritzy boarding school?"
Jean-Paul refused to admit anything. "It was far from ritzy. The St. Thomas Aquinas Academy for Young Men was Catholic, and the teachers were allowed to cane us if they thought it was necessary. Just get moving."
Still grinning, Saint-John strode down the hall, glancing around at the several dioramas he passed. Then, he saw it, in an alcove isolated from the other dioramas. A door marked "Employees Only."
"Bingo," he said with a smirk. Looking around to make sure no one saw him, he cautiously turned the handle, and to his surprise, the door opened. Pushing it just wide enough so he could see, he was gratified to glimpse a stairwell that formed an "L" shape, with an "Exit" sign at the bottom. He turned back to find Jean-Paul.
"Found it," he told Jean-Paul when the two met up again.
"Excellent," Jean-Paul said, offering his friend a rare smile, so brilliantly white it could be in a toothpaste advertisement.
Eager to escape the museum they found so dull, the two of them strode to the door, passing the "Ancient Oceans" diorama on their way.
"You should proceed," Jean-Paul said, once they had reached the door. "I'll keep watch."
Within seconds, the friends were quietly hurrying down the stairs, their freedom in sight.
A/N: Reviews and input are always appreciated. I'm going to be tackling the chapter with Kitty and Jubilee next; where do you think they should go? Or should they ditch at all?