Hide & Seek 2: The Return of Mr. Harmon

Chapter 2: The Book

Can you spell anxiety?

Let me spell it out for you: E-M-I-L-Y.

I have so much anxiety I'm practically the actual meaning of it. I don't have a rock in my stomach, no. I have the whole Mount Rushmore in my stomach.

It was 2 PM and I have forty-five minutes left of math class. 

Mr. Hodgson is talking about geometry and squares like he's the smartest math teacher in the world. He has this know-it-all smile on his face and is talking quickly.

Everyone's face is like, huh?

 My friend, Carmen, is staring at me. She probably sees me looking back and forth at the time. We sit next to each other so it is easy for her to ask me what is wrong.

"Pst? Fancy pants. Are you okay?" she asks.

Part of me wants to ignore Carmen, however, she has this face that if you look at her, you have to tell her the answer to anything she asks you. She has huge eyes, kind of like babies when they're first born. Her eyes resemble the color of soft caramel. Her warm medium tan is perfect and her frizzy light brown hair relaxes over her shoulders. She's the type of girl no one can be rude to at school, not even the teachers. Carmen's also really sensitive so ignoring her is a BIG deal to her.

I move my head in her direction. "Just ready to get out of here. What are you doing after school?" I whisper to her before quickly facing the teacher before he sees me talking in class.

Carmen pretends like she's taking notes and talks to me at the same time. "Nothing. Want to come over?" she asks.

Before I answer, I think about asking her to come with me after school. You know, just in case this guy plans to kidnap me or something. You can never be too careful. Carmen doesn't know about the book. I never talk about it or mention it to anyone. Everyone would think I'm crazy if I did.

Carmen snaps her fingers, breaking me away from my thoughts. "Still there?"

I nod. "Can you stay after with me until three? I have to get a book from a friend. He's coming from another school."

Mr. Hodgson is facing our direction now. "Emily and Carmen." He leans back against the board. "Is there something you'd like to share with the class?" 

Typical teacher call outs.

Carmen nods and asks him this question about squares and angles as though she has been listening the whole time. Mr. Hodgson is intrigued by her question and joyfully answers it, forgetting about our chit chat.

She's a good luck charm.

***

All the buses leave and Carmen and I are waiting for my 'friend.'

Right on time, a tall boy, probably six-feet-something, is strutting toward us. His back is hunched a bit, and his hair hangs in front of his eyes like depressed leaves on a tree. He stops a few feet away from us and holds up the book. The book doesn't look wet or even a bit damaged. It's a perfect crisp of black with symbols around it. Same as how I left it. 

He holds it in the air and gives me this look like, you're the one, right?  I nod and walk toward him with my hand out. He almost hands me the book but, like I expect, pulls his hand back.

"Money first?" He says. His voice is deep and crusty, like he hasn't hit puberty all the way.

By now, Carmen is looking at me like money?

My hands start to sweat. "Yes, I know. I'm working on getting it. Just know it will get to you soon."

His grip onto the book tightens. He's frowning and moves his hair back, revealing two small dots of eyes. His pimples get as red as his face does. "You said you'd have it. Give me my 7000 dollars or the deal's off."

Carmen is confused now. She turns to me. "What's going on?"

I tell her it's nothing then focus on the guy. "Please, you don't understand. I really need this book. I promise you will get-"

"Forget it!" he yells then walks away disappointed. However, before he can walk more than ten feet, the book jolts out of his hand and flies into mine. 

My expression reveals my shock much more than theirs. The guy sort of stands there for a minute, looking at me. His eyes are wide and his jaw is almost on the ground. His hair does a swift turn along with his body and he starts running. Carmen, on the other hand, stares at my me like I'm the scariest thing she's ever seen.