Crime To My Heart

When I heard the first bell ring, I knew I was, unfortunately, right on time. I planned to come right as the second bell rang so the students wouldn’t notice me, which they would now, because I was the first student to be sat in class. As the students slowly filled the class, I couldn’t help but notice their eyes on me. I smiled politely. High school wasn’t much fun for me, but I was here to help so I couldn’t just leave.

“Hello, students!” The teacher entered the classroom, immediately shutting up the students. “I see we have a new student here, Frank, right? Aren’t you a bit too old for high school?” You could see from his eyes he was only kidding and a glint in his eyes told me he was also curious. “Aren’t you a bit too young to teach?” That made him laugh, “Clever”

He started with his lesson. He was an English teacher and I was told by many, that even though he was young, he was the smartest man they’d ever met.

I couldn’t quite concentrate on what Mr. Way was saying nor doing. I noticed him handing his bottle of water to one coughing student but I didn’t pay much attention. I was thinking about what the principal had told me last night on the telephone.

“Someone’s been slaughtering the kids, no one’s safe! You’re our last hope.”

There were seven kids found dead in only 4 weeks, all found chopped up in the janitors’ closet. All popular kids but hated by most. The janitors were interviewed, but none of them seemed to know anything about the case so I’d come as soon I was told about it. I was going to find the criminal and something told me that he or she was close.

The bell rang and as I stood up, the teacher, Mr. Way, called my name. “Could you stay for a bit?” “Yes, sir”, he raised one of his eyebrows, “Sir? Call me Gee, short for Gerard, take a seat”

“Alright.. Gee”, I took a chair and sat down in front of his desk. “With what can I help you?”

He leaned in, “I know you’re leading the slaughter case...”

“What are you talking about?”, he rolled his eyes. “Don’t fool me, Frank, it’s impossible. And I have my sources. “Okay... Is that all?” I stood up and he grabbed me softly by my lower arm, “No. I wanted to tell you, if you need help, you know where to find me” and then he let me go. “Thanks. I know you’re smart and all, but I’ll be fine without your help” I reached for my schoolbag filled with books I’m not going to use and turned around to leave. “But see, that’s where you’re wrong. I can help you.”

“What do you mean by that?”, I turned 180 degrees, facing Gerard again. “What do you mean?”

“Welllll...”, he said, dragging out the ‘l’ and leaning back, “I’m pretty sure the guilty boy was someone who hated popular kids”, I rolled my eyes, “No shit, Sherlock. But what makes you think the killer has a dong?” I raised my eyebrows.

“I don’t know, just guessing”

“Well, I guess you’re not as clever as they say you are”

“Hm, sure”, he sighed as he started on grading some papers. I turned back to the door and left, I was probably late for my next class.

Walking through these hallways brought up some old memories. And not good ones either.

Sighing, I opened the door from another classroom to see teenagers all in a circle with a horrified look on their face. One girl was even crying. I pushed the kids aside to see what was going on.

I couldn’t quite believe my eyes. There on the ground laid a boy with blood pouring out of his mouth. I think there was even some blood coming from under his nails.

“What happened?!”, no one answered my question. I think the shock hit them too hard. I pulled a boy from out of the crowd, “What happened?!”

“I-I don’t know! It’s like he just- I don’t know! Like he exploded or something!” I let go of his arm right before he went back into the crowd of kids. There were more kids now. I saw a teacher enter the classroom, “Okay, kids! Stand aside, he’s going to a hospital!”