Life Changing Experiences
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Last night as a complete emotional train wreck for me. I’m glad I was able to get to sleep. Garfield offered me his bed, saying he’d sleep on the floor. I tried to refuse, but I wasn’t able. He actually picked me up and put me in his bed. I couldn’t believe it! I almost snapped at him right then and there, but I calmed myself. It was only due to the fact I had an emotional break down yesterday. But now I’m fine. Although I am still absolutely sure I am falling for him. I… I even dreamt about him last night. It’s funny how it took one night of pure emotional stress to realize I like him. I don’t know if like is a strong enough word. But I know it’s at least at that point right now.
His bed was extremely comfortable. I could get used to sleeping in a bed like that. My bed is hardly as comfy as his. Because of my asshole father who makes everyone else’s life a living hell. I hope Angela is okay. I sit up in his bed, stretching and yawning. I can smell something. Something cooking. Again? He must enjoy cooking. It smells like… eggs. Tofu eggs, most likely. I got up and walked into the kitchen to see him going at it again.
“You like to cook?” I asked him.
“Oh yeah. It’s one of my hobbies. And now that I know you like it, I’m going to treat you like a queen.” I couldn’t tell if he was joking when saying this because I couldn’t see his face.
“A queen, eh?”
“Yeah. You deserve it after what you’ve told me that your father does.”
“I… guess… but no one said you have to do it.”
“Well what if I want to? Rachel, tell me…” he said, ignoring his cooking and turning around, looking at me with serious eyes. “He never… abused you… sexually, did he?” My eyes widened at his question.
“No, never.”
“Okay, thank God. I was just making sure.” He turned back to his cooking and I sat down at the table again, picking at one of the bandages. It was silent for a few moments, until he spoke up. “You have nice hands, you know that Rachel?”
“Nice hands? That’s… an odd compliment.”
“What, no thank you?” he chuckled lightly while bringing the eggs over. “Well, I was doing stuff to your hands and I just like them. Is there something wrong with that?”
“No, of course not. I… never expected someone to say that, though.”
“Well they are the most beautiful hands I’ve ever seen!” he exclaimed loudly before shoveling some eggs in his mouth. Despite the cheesy comment, I blushed. I’ve never received a compliment before in my life. I tasted his eggs and they were very good.
“Okay, I was up all night,” he started. For the second time, I choked on my food but there was, I just noticed, a cup of tea near me and washed it down with that.
“What? Why?” I cut in.
“Oh… well I was kind of thinking of ways to get back at your ‘dad’. Or to maybe get you disowned.” I almost spit out the tea I was drinking at his suggestion.
“Disowned?!”
“Yeah. It can’t be that hard, can it? All we gotta do is go to court, present our case, and then it’ll be done in no time. Judges tend to favour the younger generation in those types of things.”
“Where will I go if that happens?”
“You can room here with me. The school pays for everything, and they said if I wanted another person staying here for company, it would be okay. They’d cover that too.” I looked at him in awe. He would really do that for me?
“You would really do that for me?” I repeated my thought.
“Of course, Rachel! This is serious and I want you to be okay and out of his sight.”
“But… what if we go to court and he… his threat…?”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure after that, he never even sees you again.”
“How?” I asked. He didn’t respond for a while, and I wasn’t sure if he even had an answer.
“I… do you trust me?”
“Yes I do.”
“Then I’ll tell you after we get the case in court. Okay?”
“Okay,” I said, a little uneasy about his reaction. We dined in silence for the rest of breakfast. He got up and took my plate and put both his and mine in the sink.
“So, where did you get that bear?” he asked out of the blue. It caught me off guard.
“My mother gave it to me when she got back from a trip to Africa.” I heard him sigh slightly, but he turned around quickly and started walking to the door.
“Rachel, I’m going to go to school. I want you to stay here, though.”
“What? What about the project in drama? What about detention? Today is our last day.”
“No, Rachel. I’ll talk to that jerk about detention. You are staying here today, okay? I got stuff I have to deal with at school. Don’t worry about drama. If anyone comes to the door, don’t answer it.”
“I’ve already missed enough school though. I can’t afford to miss more,” I argued. Surely he can’t come up with a better point than that.
“I don’t care. You just went through this emotionally stressing time in your life last night, and you need an extra day to recover.”
“Excuse me? How do you know what I need and what I don’t need?”
“Rae, please do this for me,” he said, turning around and looking almost sad. I raised my eyebrow at him.
“It seems a little childish.”
“I know it does, but I promise it’ll be worth it. You just have to trust me.” I sighed at his words.
“Are you going to use that line every time you don’t want me to do something?” He scratched the back of his neck at these words. “I do trust you, but me not going to school today is irrational. You guys are going to need me in drama today.” He walked forward and put his hands on my shoulders. I sort of cringed at the touch, not being used to physical contact like this – at least, not when I’m not in a state of emotional distress.
“I’m not worried about drama, Rachel. It’ll be one missed day and I have something very important to do. But you can’t be there today because it may jeopardize you in some way. So please, please, promise me you’ll stay here.” His grip on my shoulders was very tight as he explained this. Jeopardize me? How exactly? I sighed.
“Fine, Gar. I’ll stay here. Only because you’re asking me to, though.” He smiled brightly at me, and gave a quick hug, of which I was too shocked to react to.
“Bye Rae. See you soon, I promise,” he called as he exited the door and shut it behind him. I sighed. What am I to do for six hours alone in someone else’s apartment? Maybe I could go for a walk? No, I don’t want to risk my dad seeing me in public. What does Garfield do for fun? Television now? No, I don’t like television for the most part. I walked into the room I slept in last night and sat on the bed. I looked at my bear and smiled slightly at it as the memory of my mother came back. Oh, how I miss her…
There was a photograph next to the bear. It was of three people. One I assumed was Garfield when he was younger. Maybe at the age of five? The other two were older looking, and they had a high resemblance to Garfield. A man and a woman. Could this be a picture of his parents? They were certainly well-groomed, nice looking people. I picked it up, and looked into it. They all seemed very happy. They were wearing lifejackets and were on a medium sized boat that looks like it could fit six people. There was nothing in the background other than an endless sight of water. It was a beautiful picture. Very simplistic.
I picked it up, inspecting it closer. It feels like oak wood, the frame. It smells like oak as well. It looked very nice. This must’ve been a treasured memory to frame it in oak. I turned it around, and saw an inscription on the back. I couldn’t read it though. It was cursive writing, but very un-neat. Too much so to read what it says. I guess he really does miss his parents… I wonder if this is a picture with his foster parents or actual parents. I placed it back where it was, and got up. Well, to say I’m nosy is a small understatement.
I opened his closet, looking for something to keep myself pre-occupied. Surprisingly, I saw the top shelf have a bunch of books on it. Granted, they were all small books, but they were still novels. And there was quite a few there. I guess he doesn’t read much, but he does at least read. Good, I’m falling for a guy who actually enjoys reading. I pulled out the book farthest on the left.
“Flight of Icarus?” I put the book back on the shelf. An interesting name. I could read that before he got back, probably. But I’ll leave that for later; I’m not much in a reading mood right now. Nothing much else of interest in this closet except his clothes and a small box in the back corner.
Wait, small box? I reached in and pulled out the box. There was a bunch of CDs in the box. And from all genres too. I guess he really likes his music. Yeah, perhaps too much music. Britney Spears? Eww… I threw it back in the box as if it were a vile piece of garbage. I dug through the box more, looking at all the CDs he has. Admittedly, he has a good taste in music, apart from the Britney Spears CD. There was only one in there. Thank God for that. Strange. There’s another unmarked black book in the bottom of the box. The cover page was blank. I raised my eyebrow, the book catching my interest. I opened it to the first page and there was a lot of writing in it. It was very messy writing, almost the same style that I saw on the picture.
I read the first two words on the top of the book. Dear Diary. Diary? He has a diary? Should I read it? No! I have to respect the man who could potentially be my boyfriend in the future. Although… it would help me figure out things he likes. Maybe just the first entry won’t hurt.
Dear Diary
Hi I never writ in a diary bfore, but my frends at scool say it is the cool think to do so I aske my daddy to get me 1. a few days latre, I got one. Yay. My nam is Garfield Logan. At firs I didn’t no what to right in it, but mommy says put what hapenned thru the day and what I thnk of it. Well its cool that my daddy buyed me a diary uhh, and well.. do you want to no abot me diary? I am 5 yers old and scool is prtty tough. Today that dumbo Alex pulled down my pans in front of all my frends. Every1 was laughing an I cried a lot and a lot. It isnt the firs time people dun stuff to me thats mean. Mommy told me not to lisen to them and to tell the teecher, but they dont ever lisen to me. Day tell me to not wrry about it an they wll get whats coming to them 1 day. I dont really bliv that, an I dunno why peple wont punish them when I get punished for no reason I wish peple would lisen to me more ofn. O wel, sumtyms stuff like that hapenns tomorw is a new day.
Gar
Wow, he was able to write when he was five years old? Granted, it was very hard to read, but understandable. I feel sorry for him. The rumour about that information sheet a few days back was not incorrect. He really did have a horrible life in school. I looked at the picture. Maybe there’s an entry relating to that? I put down the diary and picked up the picture, carefully inspecting it. In very tiny writing in the bottom right corner, there was a date. October 15th, 1995. Yeah, he was five in the picture. I put it down. Now that I have a date, maybe I can find one? He does look happy in that picture? I picked up the diary and moved to the next page. Incidentally, on the top was the date – the 15th of October, 1995.
Dear Diary
Oktobre the 15
2day, me mommy and daddy had a lot of fun. We went on a bote! Ther were lotsa water around us, but it was o kay becuz daddy told me to put on a lif jaket he said it would make me floot if I axdently fell in the water. But I didn because it was reel fun and daddy watched me. The bote went reel fast 2! Bt the best think was I got to mis scool becuz of it! Wich meens no1 tezed me today and im happy abot that becuz I get tezed lots. Bt my friends dont teze me and we hav lotsa fun. I wish they could came today, bt daddy sed it was a famly think. That okay becuz its fun to do stuff with them but funer with frends. Latre in the day, mommy started coffin a lot. Lyke ahole bunch we had to go to the hopitl. They did sum stuff to her, I dunno wut. After she started freekin a lot, saying sumtin abot ‘canser’. I dunno wat dis canser is but it cant be that bad, right? I have to go to sleep now.
Gar
Oh my gosh… his mother was diagnosed with cancer? At the age of five? Wow… his life must’ve been way harder than mine ever was. All I’ve had to deal with was that abusive asshole… and judging from his luck, it probably wasn’t too long before she bit the bullet. I didn’t have the hurt to continue reading, tears now filling my eyes. I put the book back in the box and all the CDs that came with it. Except the Britney Spears CD. I threw that off the balcony. I hope he won’t mind. He shouldn’t anyway. Poor, poor Garfield… I should do something nice for him. But what? I have no money. What if he has some? Then, if he does I can use it for bus fair to get home, get my stuff and my hidden money stash, and then come back. ‘Dad’ should be at work at this point in time, so it shouldn’t be any trouble to collect my stuff.
Now, it’s time to find two bucks for bus fair. I’m sure he won’t mind, and I can pay him back later. I searched the pockets of all his pants in the closet; there was nothing. Nothing else of interest in the closet; I put the box back in the place where it was before, and I shut the closet behind me. I didn’t want to rifle through the drawers next to his bed, as that would be his… ahem… underwear drawer. That’s strange. It’s another door I’ve never noticed before. With good reason: it’s sort of blended in with the wall, and I can see how easy it is to miss in the daylight. It was even easier to miss at night, I assume.
I opened the door and looked in the room. Strange enough, there were four screens in there, and this control panel looking thing and a chair. I sat down, wondering what this possibly has anything to do with being in an apartment. I pressed the button on the far left, and the monitor on the far left came to life. Incidentally, it showed a picture of the apartment building’s lobby room. But why? What purpose does it have? My hand glided over to the next button and I pressed that. The second monitor sprung to life, this time showing a picture just outside of the apartment. Curious now, I pressed the third button, this one showing a picture right in front of room 732. His room number is 732. What’s with all these monitors?
I pressed the last button, and this time it showed… a picture outside of the school? There were two people. One of them was Garfield. The second I think was one of our school’s VP’s. Do these things have audio?
“Hello, Garfield,” the voice spoke. Goody, just in time.
“Good morning sir.”
“How goes it?”
“It goes… well, hard to say exactly.” Huh? What are they talking about?
“Oh? Do explain.”
“I would… but I don’t think she’d be able to appreciate that.”
“Ah, I see. Regardless, is the mission nearing completion?” Mission…? What the hell? Is he a spy?
“I would say so, sir. Everything is almost taken care of. But I have to tend to some things that were not in the initial criteria.”
“No matter. Once you complete your mission, you can go back to Africa,” the man, who I now associated to being Mr. Smith, the VP, turned his back on Garfield, missing the sad expression he was giving off.
“Yes sir,” he said. It almost sounded normal, only I was able to detect a trace amount of sorrow in it. So, he’s going to go back to Africa when he finishes this… ‘mission’ he has? I’ll have to question him about it when he gets back. Right now, I needed to eat.
Last night as a complete emotional train wreck for me. I’m glad I was able to get to sleep. Garfield offered me his bed, saying he’d sleep on the floor. I tried to refuse, but I wasn’t able. He actually picked me up and put me in his bed. I couldn’t believe it! I almost snapped at him right then and there, but I calmed myself. It was only due to the fact I had an emotional break down yesterday. But now I’m fine. Although I am still absolutely sure I am falling for him. I… I even dreamt about him last night. It’s funny how it took one night of pure emotional stress to realize I like him. I don’t know if like is a strong enough word. But I know it’s at least at that point right now.
His bed was extremely comfortable. I could get used to sleeping in a bed like that. My bed is hardly as comfy as his. Because of my asshole father who makes everyone else’s life a living hell. I hope Angela is okay. I sit up in his bed, stretching and yawning. I can smell something. Something cooking. Again? He must enjoy cooking. It smells like… eggs. Tofu eggs, most likely. I got up and walked into the kitchen to see him going at it again.
“You like to cook?” I asked him.
“Oh yeah. It’s one of my hobbies. And now that I know you like it, I’m going to treat you like a queen.” I couldn’t tell if he was joking when saying this because I couldn’t see his face.
“A queen, eh?”
“Yeah. You deserve it after what you’ve told me that your father does.”
“I… guess… but no one said you have to do it.”
“Well what if I want to? Rachel, tell me…” he said, ignoring his cooking and turning around, looking at me with serious eyes. “He never… abused you… sexually, did he?” My eyes widened at his question.
“No, never.”
“Okay, thank God. I was just making sure.” He turned back to his cooking and I sat down at the table again, picking at one of the bandages. It was silent for a few moments, until he spoke up. “You have nice hands, you know that Rachel?”
“Nice hands? That’s… an odd compliment.”
“What, no thank you?” he chuckled lightly while bringing the eggs over. “Well, I was doing stuff to your hands and I just like them. Is there something wrong with that?”
“No, of course not. I… never expected someone to say that, though.”
“Well they are the most beautiful hands I’ve ever seen!” he exclaimed loudly before shoveling some eggs in his mouth. Despite the cheesy comment, I blushed. I’ve never received a compliment before in my life. I tasted his eggs and they were very good.
“Okay, I was up all night,” he started. For the second time, I choked on my food but there was, I just noticed, a cup of tea near me and washed it down with that.
“What? Why?” I cut in.
“Oh… well I was kind of thinking of ways to get back at your ‘dad’. Or to maybe get you disowned.” I almost spit out the tea I was drinking at his suggestion.
“Disowned?!”
“Yeah. It can’t be that hard, can it? All we gotta do is go to court, present our case, and then it’ll be done in no time. Judges tend to favour the younger generation in those types of things.”
“Where will I go if that happens?”
“You can room here with me. The school pays for everything, and they said if I wanted another person staying here for company, it would be okay. They’d cover that too.” I looked at him in awe. He would really do that for me?
“You would really do that for me?” I repeated my thought.
“Of course, Rachel! This is serious and I want you to be okay and out of his sight.”
“But… what if we go to court and he… his threat…?”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure after that, he never even sees you again.”
“How?” I asked. He didn’t respond for a while, and I wasn’t sure if he even had an answer.
“I… do you trust me?”
“Yes I do.”
“Then I’ll tell you after we get the case in court. Okay?”
“Okay,” I said, a little uneasy about his reaction. We dined in silence for the rest of breakfast. He got up and took my plate and put both his and mine in the sink.
“So, where did you get that bear?” he asked out of the blue. It caught me off guard.
“My mother gave it to me when she got back from a trip to Africa.” I heard him sigh slightly, but he turned around quickly and started walking to the door.
“Rachel, I’m going to go to school. I want you to stay here, though.”
“What? What about the project in drama? What about detention? Today is our last day.”
“No, Rachel. I’ll talk to that jerk about detention. You are staying here today, okay? I got stuff I have to deal with at school. Don’t worry about drama. If anyone comes to the door, don’t answer it.”
“I’ve already missed enough school though. I can’t afford to miss more,” I argued. Surely he can’t come up with a better point than that.
“I don’t care. You just went through this emotionally stressing time in your life last night, and you need an extra day to recover.”
“Excuse me? How do you know what I need and what I don’t need?”
“Rae, please do this for me,” he said, turning around and looking almost sad. I raised my eyebrow at him.
“It seems a little childish.”
“I know it does, but I promise it’ll be worth it. You just have to trust me.” I sighed at his words.
“Are you going to use that line every time you don’t want me to do something?” He scratched the back of his neck at these words. “I do trust you, but me not going to school today is irrational. You guys are going to need me in drama today.” He walked forward and put his hands on my shoulders. I sort of cringed at the touch, not being used to physical contact like this – at least, not when I’m not in a state of emotional distress.
“I’m not worried about drama, Rachel. It’ll be one missed day and I have something very important to do. But you can’t be there today because it may jeopardize you in some way. So please, please, promise me you’ll stay here.” His grip on my shoulders was very tight as he explained this. Jeopardize me? How exactly? I sighed.
“Fine, Gar. I’ll stay here. Only because you’re asking me to, though.” He smiled brightly at me, and gave a quick hug, of which I was too shocked to react to.
“Bye Rae. See you soon, I promise,” he called as he exited the door and shut it behind him. I sighed. What am I to do for six hours alone in someone else’s apartment? Maybe I could go for a walk? No, I don’t want to risk my dad seeing me in public. What does Garfield do for fun? Television now? No, I don’t like television for the most part. I walked into the room I slept in last night and sat on the bed. I looked at my bear and smiled slightly at it as the memory of my mother came back. Oh, how I miss her…
There was a photograph next to the bear. It was of three people. One I assumed was Garfield when he was younger. Maybe at the age of five? The other two were older looking, and they had a high resemblance to Garfield. A man and a woman. Could this be a picture of his parents? They were certainly well-groomed, nice looking people. I picked it up, and looked into it. They all seemed very happy. They were wearing lifejackets and were on a medium sized boat that looks like it could fit six people. There was nothing in the background other than an endless sight of water. It was a beautiful picture. Very simplistic.
I picked it up, inspecting it closer. It feels like oak wood, the frame. It smells like oak as well. It looked very nice. This must’ve been a treasured memory to frame it in oak. I turned it around, and saw an inscription on the back. I couldn’t read it though. It was cursive writing, but very un-neat. Too much so to read what it says. I guess he really does miss his parents… I wonder if this is a picture with his foster parents or actual parents. I placed it back where it was, and got up. Well, to say I’m nosy is a small understatement.
I opened his closet, looking for something to keep myself pre-occupied. Surprisingly, I saw the top shelf have a bunch of books on it. Granted, they were all small books, but they were still novels. And there was quite a few there. I guess he doesn’t read much, but he does at least read. Good, I’m falling for a guy who actually enjoys reading. I pulled out the book farthest on the left.
“Flight of Icarus?” I put the book back on the shelf. An interesting name. I could read that before he got back, probably. But I’ll leave that for later; I’m not much in a reading mood right now. Nothing much else of interest in this closet except his clothes and a small box in the back corner.
Wait, small box? I reached in and pulled out the box. There was a bunch of CDs in the box. And from all genres too. I guess he really likes his music. Yeah, perhaps too much music. Britney Spears? Eww… I threw it back in the box as if it were a vile piece of garbage. I dug through the box more, looking at all the CDs he has. Admittedly, he has a good taste in music, apart from the Britney Spears CD. There was only one in there. Thank God for that. Strange. There’s another unmarked black book in the bottom of the box. The cover page was blank. I raised my eyebrow, the book catching my interest. I opened it to the first page and there was a lot of writing in it. It was very messy writing, almost the same style that I saw on the picture.
I read the first two words on the top of the book. Dear Diary. Diary? He has a diary? Should I read it? No! I have to respect the man who could potentially be my boyfriend in the future. Although… it would help me figure out things he likes. Maybe just the first entry won’t hurt.
Dear Diary
Hi I never writ in a diary bfore, but my frends at scool say it is the cool think to do so I aske my daddy to get me 1. a few days latre, I got one. Yay. My nam is Garfield Logan. At firs I didn’t no what to right in it, but mommy says put what hapenned thru the day and what I thnk of it. Well its cool that my daddy buyed me a diary uhh, and well.. do you want to no abot me diary? I am 5 yers old and scool is prtty tough. Today that dumbo Alex pulled down my pans in front of all my frends. Every1 was laughing an I cried a lot and a lot. It isnt the firs time people dun stuff to me thats mean. Mommy told me not to lisen to them and to tell the teecher, but they dont ever lisen to me. Day tell me to not wrry about it an they wll get whats coming to them 1 day. I dont really bliv that, an I dunno why peple wont punish them when I get punished for no reason I wish peple would lisen to me more ofn. O wel, sumtyms stuff like that hapenns tomorw is a new day.
Gar
Wow, he was able to write when he was five years old? Granted, it was very hard to read, but understandable. I feel sorry for him. The rumour about that information sheet a few days back was not incorrect. He really did have a horrible life in school. I looked at the picture. Maybe there’s an entry relating to that? I put down the diary and picked up the picture, carefully inspecting it. In very tiny writing in the bottom right corner, there was a date. October 15th, 1995. Yeah, he was five in the picture. I put it down. Now that I have a date, maybe I can find one? He does look happy in that picture? I picked up the diary and moved to the next page. Incidentally, on the top was the date – the 15th of October, 1995.
Dear Diary
Oktobre the 15
2day, me mommy and daddy had a lot of fun. We went on a bote! Ther were lotsa water around us, but it was o kay becuz daddy told me to put on a lif jaket he said it would make me floot if I axdently fell in the water. But I didn because it was reel fun and daddy watched me. The bote went reel fast 2! Bt the best think was I got to mis scool becuz of it! Wich meens no1 tezed me today and im happy abot that becuz I get tezed lots. Bt my friends dont teze me and we hav lotsa fun. I wish they could came today, bt daddy sed it was a famly think. That okay becuz its fun to do stuff with them but funer with frends. Latre in the day, mommy started coffin a lot. Lyke ahole bunch we had to go to the hopitl. They did sum stuff to her, I dunno wut. After she started freekin a lot, saying sumtin abot ‘canser’. I dunno wat dis canser is but it cant be that bad, right? I have to go to sleep now.
Gar
Oh my gosh… his mother was diagnosed with cancer? At the age of five? Wow… his life must’ve been way harder than mine ever was. All I’ve had to deal with was that abusive asshole… and judging from his luck, it probably wasn’t too long before she bit the bullet. I didn’t have the hurt to continue reading, tears now filling my eyes. I put the book back in the box and all the CDs that came with it. Except the Britney Spears CD. I threw that off the balcony. I hope he won’t mind. He shouldn’t anyway. Poor, poor Garfield… I should do something nice for him. But what? I have no money. What if he has some? Then, if he does I can use it for bus fair to get home, get my stuff and my hidden money stash, and then come back. ‘Dad’ should be at work at this point in time, so it shouldn’t be any trouble to collect my stuff.
Now, it’s time to find two bucks for bus fair. I’m sure he won’t mind, and I can pay him back later. I searched the pockets of all his pants in the closet; there was nothing. Nothing else of interest in the closet; I put the box back in the place where it was before, and I shut the closet behind me. I didn’t want to rifle through the drawers next to his bed, as that would be his… ahem… underwear drawer. That’s strange. It’s another door I’ve never noticed before. With good reason: it’s sort of blended in with the wall, and I can see how easy it is to miss in the daylight. It was even easier to miss at night, I assume.
I opened the door and looked in the room. Strange enough, there were four screens in there, and this control panel looking thing and a chair. I sat down, wondering what this possibly has anything to do with being in an apartment. I pressed the button on the far left, and the monitor on the far left came to life. Incidentally, it showed a picture of the apartment building’s lobby room. But why? What purpose does it have? My hand glided over to the next button and I pressed that. The second monitor sprung to life, this time showing a picture just outside of the apartment. Curious now, I pressed the third button, this one showing a picture right in front of room 732. His room number is 732. What’s with all these monitors?
I pressed the last button, and this time it showed… a picture outside of the school? There were two people. One of them was Garfield. The second I think was one of our school’s VP’s. Do these things have audio?
“Hello, Garfield,” the voice spoke. Goody, just in time.
“Good morning sir.”
“How goes it?”
“It goes… well, hard to say exactly.” Huh? What are they talking about?
“Oh? Do explain.”
“I would… but I don’t think she’d be able to appreciate that.”
“Ah, I see. Regardless, is the mission nearing completion?” Mission…? What the hell? Is he a spy?
“I would say so, sir. Everything is almost taken care of. But I have to tend to some things that were not in the initial criteria.”
“No matter. Once you complete your mission, you can go back to Africa,” the man, who I now associated to being Mr. Smith, the VP, turned his back on Garfield, missing the sad expression he was giving off.
“Yes sir,” he said. It almost sounded normal, only I was able to detect a trace amount of sorrow in it. So, he’s going to go back to Africa when he finishes this… ‘mission’ he has? I’ll have to question him about it when he gets back. Right now, I needed to eat.