"Sam, you're gonna be late!" My dad yelled as I ran down the stairs, trying to simultaneously buckle my belt and hitch my overburdened backpack higher on my shoulders.
"Nah, Rick's driving today!" I yelled back at him as I ran past the couch into the kitchen to burn some toast for breakfast.
I heard my dad snort in disgust as he turned the volume up on the TV. Drinking some orange juice straight from the jug, I plopped on the couch next to my dad as the news came on.
"January 21st, 2028, this is channel four news. It's just after 6am, and I'm Fred Robinson. The storm of the century is blowing in tonight, with an expected 6-8 feet of snow to drop over the next two days. Recent storms across the world have been outrageous, so stock up, and stay safe! Expect several days to pass before the city is back to normal. More reports of missing people have come in from Denver, raising the total to 186, mostly beggars. The Federal Supermax Prison in Canyon City reports several suicides over night, and new laws were rushed through Congress last night, requiring states to test all students over the age of 17 for implant compatibility...."
"What the hell, 186 missing people and that's all they're saying?" I asked, dumbfounded. My dad just looked at me in disgust, "They've been reporting on it every day for nearly a month. How many times have I told you to stop spending all your time playing games and pay attention!"
Fortunately, I was saved from yet another lecture about the evils of gaming by a really loud *BANG* Rick's beat up 2010 F-150 with rust holes in the tailgate, and a dent the size of my head in the passenger door, backfired as it pulled up to the driveway. I threw the OJ back in the fridge, grabbed my charcoal with my teeth from the toaster, and hopped out the door trying to force my tennis shoes on without untying them.
Rick was his usual redneck self, about 5'9" with a beat up John Deer hat his dad probably bought way back in the 1900's, jeans with real holes, and a denim jacket unbuttoned over a wife beater. 'At least he's not chewing anymore' I thought to myself as I hopped in his truck. My dad yelled out the door, "Come straight home after school, I don't want you stuck out in the storm tonight!"
A couple hours later, I was trying to stay awake in A.P. Literature, cursing the day I let myself get talked into taking a lit. class as a senior when I wasn't required too. Mr. Gibbins is droning on and on, I'm too busy staring at his copious nose hair twitching back and forth to pay attention to anything he's saying. He turns to take a look at the clock, and I follow his gaze. 9:28, Thank God, I'm outa here in two!!! Glancing down at my notebook, I realized that yet again I failed to write a single word, heck I didn't even doodle. Packing up quickly, I was about to rush out the door when, "Wait, we have 1 minute left Mr. Hughes!"
Mr. Gibbins' usual dull, uncaring tone disappeared as he stared me down until I slowly sat down in the too small desk chair. "As I was about to say, there will be an announcement at 9:30 you're to stay here until the end of the announcement." then he turned around, grabbed his jacket and a small briefcase before limping out the door.
Instantly the room erupted in noise as everyone said, "screw that", and rushed out of the stuffy, overly hot sauna pretending to be a classroom. "Seriously, It's supposed to snow like 10 feet tonight and this room is still 90 degrees and humid as hell." I heard someone complain from behind me as I lead the class out the door, booking it for the anatomy lab. I had a test on all the blood vessels that feed the heart today, and I didn't study at all. 'Should've studied in Lit. class' I thought as I ran into Rick, Connor, and Beth all rushing to Anatomy too.
"Told you he forgot to study again" said Beth mockingly to Rick and Connor who just snickered. 'What assholes!' I flipped them the bird, which just made them snicker louder as they followed me up two flights of stairs. Just as I was about to burst into our anatomy lab, the announcement started and I came to an abrupt halt.
"All students 17 or older are to report to the main gym for a mandatory assembly at 10:00. Attendance will be taken and anyone not excused will be suspended for at least a week! All classes are canceled at lunch time in anticipation of the storm, buses will be here to pick everyone up at noon. Go directly home and be safe this weekend. I want to see everyone back here on Monday!"
"YES!" I celebrated not having to take the test, my voice joining in as all the students celebrated getting out early on a Friday. Ms. Johanson, our Anatomy teacher, was surprised by the noise. I had opened the door to find four men in generic government issue suits. You know, the kind Mr. Smith wears in the Matrix.
"Mr. Hughes, what are you doing up here?" Ms. Johanson's shrill voice pierced my surprised state, and I tried not to stare at the men in the room as I turned to her. I've always been a bit afraid of Ms. Johanson. No one knows how old she is, or when she started teaching at the school, she'd just always been here. Once, I came to class early and I thought I heard her chanting something in her office down the corridor. I went to peek through the crack in her door, next thing I knew I was in the infirmary with no clue how I'd gotten there.
Looking at her, everything slowly disappeared except her eyes, which slowly grow bigger, flashing with a poisonous green light. Gulping, I somehow manage to break eye contact with her. "I uh, I came up early. Yeah, I came early to get some uh, last minute studying done!" I ended on an excited note, already turning around to head back to the gym. Rushing out the door as fast as I could, I said over my shoulder, "I'm headed to the gym now though, sorry Ms. Johanson."
Before the door had shut behind me I was already down a flight of stairs, running straight into Connor who had just turned around and started heading down himself. We rolled down the final flight of stairs ass over teakettle, Connor cursing me the whole way. Luckily, Beth and Rick managed to dodge at the last second.
"What happened? You look like you saw a ghost." asked Beth as she sauntered down the stairs to us. All the blood had drained from my face, I couldn't even feel anything from the fall, and my eyes were bugged out.
"Worse, I walked in on Ms. Johanson with four guys." I shuddered in memory, already starting to scramble towards the gym.
"WHAT?!?!" They all exclaimed. Beth nearly jumped out of her boots as she interrogated me, "How far did they get? I always knew she was kinky! Four guys! Good for you Ms. Johanson."
*Blergh* Connor and Rick could be heard trying not to throw up at the idea of our ancient teacher with four dudes, but I was already too far gone to feel nauseous.
"No, it wasn't like that." I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to calm down. "They were government types, suits and all. Seemed really tense, like they were going to arrest her or something."