"Fancy meeting you here," calls a low voice from the hedge.
You turn, startled, and see stepping out into the light. "What... what are you doing here?" you ask her, trying to slow your heartbeat. She gave you quite a scare.
"I heard you snoring and shuffling around in your room at the same time, and so I figured something was up," she says. "By the way, the usual escape from the building is accomplished by going onto the outside ledge and making your way over to the fire escape ladder. Miss Stoller never checks it, she's afraid of heights and assumes everyone else is too because she's a social retard. By the way, assuming you went out the door, you broke a thread she had tied across the top of the doorframe. She'll know you've been out, and if there aren't flour footprints leading to and from the restroom when she checks in the morning, you'll be in pretty deep shit."
"Thanks, I -"
"Where were you going?"
You think quickly, trying to conjure up a convincing lie - but then remember that you've never been able to lie to . She sees through you like plate glass. "I was going to the clock tower basement," you admit. "Someone slipped me a note to meet her there tonight."
"Let's just call 'someone' by name."
"Phoebe."
rolls her eyes in disgust. "What the hell do you see in her? She's an absolutely shameless, stuck-up, brown-nosing bitch! I mean, what is it with guys that they drool all over the nasty girls?"
"Look, I was just curious to see what she wanted," you say.
"You were hoping to get laid."
"I won't deny that. But think about it - if I had refused her invitation, she has it fully within her power to make my life hell around here. I've only been here for a few hours, but I've seen how tight she is with Stoller."
still looks angry, but she concedes your point with a nod. "All right, I can see that. But she's not getting away with this. Come on."
"Huh?"
"Did her invitation specifically say to come alone?"
"No, but -"
"Fine then, You're bringing a date."
", I really don't think -"
"Want to see how loud I can scream?"
"Hi ! Gee, you look lovely tonight. Care to be my date for the evening?"
She chuckles, breaking the tension. "Dammit , I never could stay mad at you. Come on, we've got an appointment with a bitch."
Carefully, you and cover the remaining distance to the clock tower. "Wait," she says. "There's another way in, a trap door in the main lecture hall. I don't think Phoebe knows about it, my friends and I discovered it only last week, and we had to scrape the rust off the hinges. We can see what she's up to before we go in."
You follow around to a high window, boost her inside, and then climb in youself. Then, tiptoeing carefully across the floor (knowing that a single squeak could give you away to whomever's in the basement) you make your way to the trapdoor.
presses a finger against your lips to indicate quiet. You instinctively give it a little kiss, and she pulls away in surprise, then smiles at you and blows a kiss back. Then she silently slides the bolt out of the trapdoor, and gently lifts it up a crack. Dim light spills out of the basement room below. |