Johnny and Rhea

"I can't believe you're making me do this!" Lene cried. I pulled her hair into a ponytail, or as much as I could.

"You got yourself into this mess," I said grimly.

She clutched the towel nervously. "What if Mrs. Fields hears?" The lights flicked threateningly above.

"She won't. She's two floors under us." I turned Lene around so she was facing me. "Perfect," I said, "you look just like a slut."

I had draped a towel around her and applied make up. Slutty make up. Her hair was pulled up and she was wearing a pair of dangly earrings.

Lene glared at me.

"Now," I said," all you have to do is say what I told you-- exactly how -- and we'll find Ichey. Or rather, we'll find his friend."

She got out in the middle of the hall. Then she took a deep breath.

" BJ'S FOR TWO BUCKS!!!"

Suddenly, there was a frantic scratching sound, then the very last door on the right flew open. A boy from our class popped his head out of the doorway and waved two dollars in the air. He started running towards Lene, his blue jeans around his ankles.

"Hey! Hey!" he shouted. "Gimme some!"

I grabbed our bags and ran for the room he just came out of because he was Ichey's room mate. I heard Lene's footsteps running quickly behind me. We just made it in time and slammed the door in his face.

Ichabod was sitting in a bed, reading his book on Celtic knots. He looked up and laughed.
"I should've known," he said. Then he looked at Lene. "What the hell happened to you?"

Before Lene could say anything, I said, "She was bait." Lene dropped the towel and slid the straps of her nightie back up.

"Thank God!" cried Ichabod. "I thought you were naked under that towel."

"So did Evan," I smirked. Ichey laughed again.

"Yeah, he's the only one pervy enough to open the door," said Lene.

" Who would've known that having a perverted room mate actually paid off," said Ichey.

We sat down on either side of him. The lights flickered again and Lene shook her hair down.

I looked up at the lights cautiously. "Do you think the power'll cut off?"

BZZT!

"Yup." Ichabod moved around, the was a cranking noise, and I saw Ichey holding a flashlight. It was one of those Sharper Image flashlights, the kind you wind up on the side for power instead of batteries.

Wordlessly, Ichey pulled two more out of his bag and handed them to me and Lene. We winded them up and followed Ichey out of the room. Lene started to whine.

"Why are we going back outside?" She stamped her foot.

"We've got to round up the others," said Ichey. "Then we'll all go to Mrs. Fields. She'll tell us what to do next."

There was a ring of authority in his voice and I thought we would be just fine without her. I think Lene heard it too because before we walked out, she raised her eyebrows and whistled.We went knocking on each door, greeted by frightened teenagers.

"Okay people," said Ichey once we had everyone together. "We need to stick together."

Another kid in our class had brought flashlights, so most everyone had one. Some kids were listening intently to what Ichey was saying, while others were running around, the beams of light bouncing playfully off the walls.

Another CRAACK! of thunder sounded so loudly, I thought I had gone deaf. A faint buzzing filled my ears. Then the black sky lit up. Above us, a window shattered and we watched the glass pieces fall down, glittering like diamonds. Something clicked in my brain.

"Everyone get away from the windows!" I shouted. Ichabod had opened the stairway door and was practically pushing people through it. I watched pixie-like Lene run down the stairs with her bag. Ichey ran up to me.

"Is that all?" I asked him.

"I don't think so; I only counted thirteen heads," he panted. I looked around and saw two girls standing by the elevator, appearing to be waiting for the elevator to arrive. Fucking Dumb asses.

"You go ahead," I told Ichey. "I'll get them."

I ran over to the girls and recognized them as Traci and Joanie.

"Okay, guys. Down the stairs." They shot me looks of pure loathing.

"No way," said Joanie. "We're not going to get all sweaty from the stairs."

"So go away..."

"And leave us alone." They did this preppy little handshake, which really pissed me off.

I grabbed Traci's curly, black ponytail and Joanie's limp, platinum blond hair and started pulling them towards the stairs.

"Ouch!"

"Omagod, let go!"

These and many other complaints arose as I dragged them down the stairs. I was pleased to see that Ichey and Lene were waiting for us, no, me in the lobby.

"Mrs. Fields and the rest of the class are outside on the bus," Ichey explained. "We're gonna stay somewhere else for tonight and the rest of the trip."

Lene interrupted him. "Why are you holding their hair?"

I quickly let go and watched the girls make a mad dash for the bus. We laughed and followed.