Six Little Secrets(31)

Normally, that door was locked. Q had found that out early on when he’d been part of the stage crew for a show in freshman year.

He didn’t mind picking another lock, but it would only stall him. This was his only chance. He wouldn’t be able to get Curtis out of the library again, and he didn’t know how long the task would last. So there was no time like the present.

Q tested the knob, and it easily turned in his hand. This Jacob guy had unlocked the door as a favor, probably. He knew the worst was to come, especially after watching his classmates suffer.

How thoughtful of him, Q thought as he stepped through the threshold.

Inside, the stage was dark.

‘I’ll hold it open,’ Holly said. ‘It closes automatically.’

He propped open the door with a chair, throwing light into the room. ‘Stay in the hallway and let me know if Curtis comes back. If so, you’ll need to get back to the library. I’m not going back until I win. And Curtis hearing the door close isn’t going to help me.’

Holly agreed and peered into the room before stepping back through the threshold.

The only light in the room was a candle flickering in the middle of the stage. It sat on a stool.

Q swallowed, stepping toward the candle. The thick red curtains were open, propped on either side of the stage. He was hyperaware of every sound in the room.

The flame moved in a silent dance, beckoning him closer. As he neared, he saw a thin white object next to the candle. A cigarette.

He licked his lips. After the stress of the day, he really could use a cig. But there was a zero-tolerance policy for smoking on school property. Did Jacob hope to get Q kicked out of school? On any other day, Q would have said he didn’t care, but today was different. He was determined to complete his task successfully. Even if that meant expulsion.

He glanced around the unlit auditorium. The outlines of the rows of chairs started to fill his view as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

From a few feet away, the cigarette and candle looked like two regular objects. But he wasn’t fooled. There had to be a catch.

As he reached out to pick up the cigarette, a blinding light filled his vision.

He threw his arm up, holding his hand over his eyes, shading them from the harsh light.

‘We know who you are, Jacob!’ he yelled at the light. ‘You’re not going to win this. I promise you that.’

Q turned and walked over to the cigarette. He was going to show Jacob who he was messing with.

After two steps, Q’s legs gave out from underneath him. He tried to get his balance again but realized too late that a waxy substance coated the floor underneath him. As he reached for the stool to regain his balance, he realized this was part of the plan. He failed his tasks within before starting it. The stool tipped over, knocking the candle to the ground.

Q fell at the same time. And as if in slow motion he plummeted to the ground, watching the flame remain alive against the wick.

Q slapped his hands against the ground, his wrists taking the brunt of his weight.

He let out a grunt, squeezing his eyes closed.

When he opened them, he had more to worry about than his wrists.

The flame caught onto whatever substance was on the ground. The floor around him lit up within seconds. He tried to scramble back, but it was too late. Heat spread across his hands, and he howled in pain.

He let out a string of curses while attempting to roll away from the flames. His legs slipped all over the floor, fighting to find enough resistance to stand up again.

‘Q!’ Holly said, from behind him.

‘Watch out,’ he said.

She came around the other side of him and grabbed onto his jacket, pulling him up. She helped drag him away from the ignited liquid.

‘Holy crap,’ Holly said as Q curled up into a fetal position, holding his hands. ‘We need to get the fire out.’

Holly rushed off the stage, into the hallway, hopefully to get help.

Q looked over at the flames, seeing the cigarette all curled up and blackened. His head fell back, banging against the wooden stage. He failed. He rolled over and felt his phone in his back pocket. Why hadn’t he used his flashlight to assess the situation? He would have seen the liquid on the floor and avoided it. But that stupid spotlight went off.

The spotlight…

Q sat up. Someone had turned on the light to screw him up. Jacob was in the room. At least he had been.

He shielded his eyes again, trying to squint through the harsh light to see the sound booth.

Did Holly get a look?

‘What the hell?’ Curtis shouted from the open door.

Busted.

Curtis came over to Q. ‘Are you okay?’

Q showed the teacher his hands.

‘What happened here?’ Mr. Curtis shook his head and ran off stage. He lifted the fire extinguisher from the wall near the exit door and sprinted onto the stage.

‘Stay back!’ he said, then proceeded to extinguish the fire.

Holly knelt down beside him and held out her hands. Q opened his shaking hands.

‘Whoa,’ she said.

‘Whoa, is right,’ Q said. He wanted to ask her if she’d seen anyone but now wasn’t the time. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if they informed Curtis of the one-sided game they were playing.

Once the fire was out, Curtis came over to Q. ‘We need to go to the nurse’s office.’ He turned to Holly and lightly touched her arm. ‘Holly, go back to the library. No one is to move until we return. There have been enough distractions today.’