Freaks by Brett Riley

Author:Brett Riley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: literary fiction, science fiction, fantasy, young adult fiction
Publisher: Imbrifex Books
Published: 2022-03-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

The next morning, a Thursday, when Christian’s mother dropped her off at school, the campus was overrun with police and school officials. Cop cars took up most of the visitors’ parking spaces. Uniformed officers and people in dark suits and darker sunglasses scurried about. Some had been posted at the various doors. Despite the moderate temperature, Christian shivered.

She saw Jamie pedaling onto the grounds and up to the bike rack. As he chained his ride, Mr. Hoon conversed with two men in coats and ties. Christian trotted over to Jamie while the adults at the doors checked bags and purses, dumping books and gym clothes and phones on the ground while furious teenagers picked everything back up.

“Look at all this shit,” Christian said.

Jamie seemed strained, his jaw set, his brow furrowed. “Yeah. My dad heard the FBI’s here. To assess the terrorist threat.” He made air quotes around the last two words.

Christian’s mouth went dry. Of course. Just what we needed. Thanks, Micah, you jackass. She had not expected things to happen this quickly. Quapaw City hardly seemed like a terrorist target.

“Shit,” she muttered.

“Yeah,” Jamie said. “Micah stepped in a big pile of it. And he’s tracking it all over our lives.”

They walked toward the building. A tall, skinny cop stood in the doorway, his gun prominent on his hip. Was it true some cops could read guilt on your face? Could they really tell when you lied to them, like on TV? As Christian and Jamie approached, the cop gestured at their bags. They handed them over. The cop set Christian’s down and unzipped Jamie’s and pawed through his school stuff. Finding nothing suspicious, the officer searched hers next. He didn’t dump out everything like some of his colleagues had done, so Jamie and Christian kept their mouths shut as he violated their privacy. Once he gave them back their property and moved aside, they entered the building.

“Well, that was fun,” Christian said. “Maybe next they can strip-search us. Full body-cavity probe.”

“They’re just trying to keep us safe,” Jamie said. “Nobody wants another school shooting.” But he didn’t sound like he really believed that.

“Micah used fire and ice, not bullets,” she said. Jamie could try to see every perspective if he wanted to, but Christian focused her worry on herself and her friends. Nobody else would.

They turned down the hall where the freshmen lockers were stacked two high and sealed with combination locks. The tile floors had been waxed and reflected the glow from the double fluorescent lights overhead. Jamie and Christian passed an English classroom bearing posters of Shakespeare and James Baldwin; Mr. Singh’s math class door and its little whiteboard with the problem of the day scribbled on it; Mrs. Kather’s room, its door bare. From the ceiling hung a drooping banner reading, “Go Buffaloes! Beat Star City!”

Christian stopped at her locker. Jamie paused before heading on to his. “Speaking of which,” he said, “you hear anything about how they’re explaining away the ice and burned

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