𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 [𝐣𝐢𝐦 𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐱 𝐨𝐜]

Chapter 21 | Trouble Brewing

Liz Walker POV

Inside Barbara's car, Liz casually rests against the back seat, her eyes closed and arms crossed over her chest, tuning out the blaring sirens to listen to the conversation between Barbara and Strickler from outside in front of the police station.

"I can't thank you enough for coming to the station. They are so lucky she didn't press any charges." Barbara said in gratitude.

"Ms. Nomura is a personal friend. She agrees with me that this was nothing more than a reckless youth run amok." Strickler replied.

Before she could hear more, Liz felt a slight movement beside her. She opens her eyes to see Toby perked up from his seat, leaning forward to peer through the front windows.

"I mean, who else do you think is hiding an evil troll face? Coach Lawrence? Steve?" Toby let out a small gasp. "What if Strickler's one of them?"

"Strickler's been teaching history at Arcadia Oaks High since the dawn of history. If he's one, I'm one." Jim replied in earnest. However, Liz wasn't convinced as she turned her sight onto Jim through the side-view mirror. She saw Jim catch the suspicious eyes of Toby, watching Mr. Strickler with an untrustful look. Jim scoffed, rolled his eyes, and pushed Toby back, grabbing the phone and finding the picture that Toby had taken of the bridge, yet the symbols were barely visible as the image was blurry with flares of light.

"I know where I've seen this bridge. It's the same one that Blinky was talking about." Jim recalls.

"What? The Killa-thingy Bridge? That's, like, ancient history, right?" Toby questions, prompting Liz to speak up. "You mean the Killahead Bridge used during the Battle of Killahead Bridge as a portal to exile Gunmar and his army to the Darklands."

Toby glances at Liz. "Yeah, that one."

"They're trying to break Gunmar out," said Jim in dreadful realization, turning his head to look Toby and Liz in the eyes. "This is bad, guys. Like, "Goodbye, Arcadia" bad. As soon as we get home, we're going to Blinky."

Suddenly, the driver's side car door was pulled open with Barbara's voice startling the boys back into their seats in panic. "You didn't have to go through all this trouble, Mr. Strickler."

Jim quickly handed Toby's phone back, hiding his hands as his face had held many emotions. Strickler appeared in the passenger window, startling Jim as he spoke suddenly. "Please, "Walter." I'm sorry we had to meet under this unfortunate circumstance."

"There must be some way I can repay you. Coffee? Dinner? Appendix removal?" Barbara suggests, making the boys' eyebrows raise in shock as Liz struggles to hide her chuckle.

"I-Coffee would be a delight. And a rain check on the appendectomy." Strickler simply replied.

"Looking forward to it, Walter," Barbara said, making Liz want to cringe at that point. Though she found it amusing at first, she did not want to stick around and listen to it any further, wishing to be somewhere else.

Glancing at Jim, Mr. Strickler warns his student. "Watch yourself, Young Atlas. Next time, the consequences could be more severe."

With that being said, Strickler left as Jim turned to look at his mom. "Did you actually just ask my teacher out on a date?"

As soon as Jim asked that, everyone flinched back at Barbara's raised tone of voice. "Don't you make this about me. You guys broke into a museum!" Then, Barbara picks up a Chubby Tracker, continuing her scoldings. "And for this? You are grounded until you apologize to that woman."

Dropping the tracker, Barbara started the car while Jim let out a large exhale before his mother pointed her finger at him again. "You got me?"

"Yes, Mom."