atmosphere in the room returning to normal, like in a movie after they seal the air lock. “He’s right though, it’s time to get out of here.”
“Wow,” said Jason, looking out the window. It was just white out there. It looked like a thick fog, but we knew it wasn’t.
“That is not good,” I said.
There was a little shuffling around as Pete and Jason checked their cells. Still nothing. Pete’s text was still in the UNSENT/PENDING folder, along with a second one from him and a new one from me to my mom.
“Think your dad might show up early anyway?” said Pete.
“Yeah,” said Jason. “Can’t imagine they’re doing much work in all this.”
“Maybe we should get over there,” I said, “in case he shows up.”
“Yeah,” said Jason. “In case he shows up early.”
In case he shows up at all.
SIX
There was a little circle of people in the hallway outside the gym when we arrived: four kids and one teacher, all standing near the double doors. It looked like a field trip just beginning to assemble. The three of us joined the group, bringing the total to eight. That was the most there would ever be. From here on out, the number would only go down.
I was feeling wired and nervous. Looking out the windows on the walk over, I’d been blown away by the view but also kind of relieved. There was something to look at again, instead of that blank white void we’d been looking at out the back windows of the shop. Out front, there was a wide front lawn and some trees.The lawn was a solid field of white now, and the trees were covered in thick snow. Their limbs were bent under the weight, but at least I could see them. I used them to gauge distances and estimate where the empty parking lot was buried.
The slope beyond the school was just barely visible through the storm, climbing through the slanting snow up toward Route 7. There were no cars on 7, though. There was no movement at all except the steadily falling snow. No cars: That’s when I began to understand, and my nerves stretched tighter and tighter as I walked.
The sight of the little cluster of people huddled near the door an hour and a half after the school had shut down didn’t help much, apart from making me feel like we weren’t in this alone. I thought about my mom again. With my text still backed up on the runway, she had no way to know that I’d stayed after. Even if Pete’s phone got enough service to send the thing, there was a decent chance that my mom’s wouldn’t get it.
I should’ve tried to call earlier, before it got so bad, even just from the office phone. I guess I didn’t see the point. She worked till five, and I was supposed to get picked up at four. Home by four thirty, I figured, but that scenario was looking a little rosy at this point, and she’d be home from work by now. There’d been an ice storm a few weeks earlier, not even all that bad, and they’d sent her whole office home early. She’d definitely be home by now. I just kind of told myself that and turned the page.
The first kid I recognized in the little group was Les. Hewasn’t facing us, but we’d just seen him and I knew what he was wearing. He was standing just outside the little circle, as if he was trying to start a new ring but no one had joined him. I could tell from his body language that he hadn’t gotten good news, or if he had, he hadn’t cared for the way it was delivered. He wasn’t slouched and defeated; he was coiled up and tense. He looked like he was going to hit something, maybe the wall.
And there was Gossell — Mr. Gossell, Coach Gossell, whatever — and I wasn’t too thrilled to see him, either. He was running his hand through his beard the way he did in history class. He probably thought it made him look more manly or “distinguished” or whatever, but it just made me wonder why anyone would want to grow a beard. There were patches of gray in it that made him look old, probably older than he was, because other than the
“Wow,” said Jason, looking out the window. It was just white out there. It looked like a thick fog, but we knew it wasn’t.
“That is not good,” I said.
There was a little shuffling around as Pete and Jason checked their cells. Still nothing. Pete’s text was still in the UNSENT/PENDING folder, along with a second one from him and a new one from me to my mom.
“Think your dad might show up early anyway?” said Pete.
“Yeah,” said Jason. “Can’t imagine they’re doing much work in all this.”
“Maybe we should get over there,” I said, “in case he shows up.”
“Yeah,” said Jason. “In case he shows up early.”
In case he shows up at all.
SIX
There was a little circle of people in the hallway outside the gym when we arrived: four kids and one teacher, all standing near the double doors. It looked like a field trip just beginning to assemble. The three of us joined the group, bringing the total to eight. That was the most there would ever be. From here on out, the number would only go down.
I was feeling wired and nervous. Looking out the windows on the walk over, I’d been blown away by the view but also kind of relieved. There was something to look at again, instead of that blank white void we’d been looking at out the back windows of the shop. Out front, there was a wide front lawn and some trees.The lawn was a solid field of white now, and the trees were covered in thick snow. Their limbs were bent under the weight, but at least I could see them. I used them to gauge distances and estimate where the empty parking lot was buried.
The slope beyond the school was just barely visible through the storm, climbing through the slanting snow up toward Route 7. There were no cars on 7, though. There was no movement at all except the steadily falling snow. No cars: That’s when I began to understand, and my nerves stretched tighter and tighter as I walked.
The sight of the little cluster of people huddled near the door an hour and a half after the school had shut down didn’t help much, apart from making me feel like we weren’t in this alone. I thought about my mom again. With my text still backed up on the runway, she had no way to know that I’d stayed after. Even if Pete’s phone got enough service to send the thing, there was a decent chance that my mom’s wouldn’t get it.
I should’ve tried to call earlier, before it got so bad, even just from the office phone. I guess I didn’t see the point. She worked till five, and I was supposed to get picked up at four. Home by four thirty, I figured, but that scenario was looking a little rosy at this point, and she’d be home from work by now. There’d been an ice storm a few weeks earlier, not even all that bad, and they’d sent her whole office home early. She’d definitely be home by now. I just kind of told myself that and turned the page.
The first kid I recognized in the little group was Les. Hewasn’t facing us, but we’d just seen him and I knew what he was wearing. He was standing just outside the little circle, as if he was trying to start a new ring but no one had joined him. I could tell from his body language that he hadn’t gotten good news, or if he had, he hadn’t cared for the way it was delivered. He wasn’t slouched and defeated; he was coiled up and tense. He looked like he was going to hit something, maybe the wall.
And there was Gossell — Mr. Gossell, Coach Gossell, whatever — and I wasn’t too thrilled to see him, either. He was running his hand through his beard the way he did in history class. He probably thought it made him look more manly or “distinguished” or whatever, but it just made me wonder why anyone would want to grow a beard. There were patches of gray in it that made him look old, probably older than he was, because other than the
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