Chapter Four: 20 Questions!
“Messed you up? Ethan, what are you talking about?” Kimberly looked at him, her eyes wide and a worried look on her face.
“Don’t worry about it, ‘Kimmy’, they didn’t do anything that bad to me,” he shrugged. “What do you guys want with me this time? Mrs. Verlac said I’d never have to go back” Ethan crossed his arms over his chest.
“Mrs. Verlac doesn’t work there anymore. She died of tuberculosis a couple months back” Johnny looked at the stairs beneath his feet.
“So what was it you needed me for?” Ethan turned to Kimberly. “It wasn’t for this, was it?”
“Um,” she whispered. “I have to go to ‘Lock & Key’, and I wanted both you and Jean to go with me”
“Jean has to go there too? What did she do?” he asked.
“Jean Miller hasn’t done anything. Her parents heard that Constance—” Johnny started.
“I go by Kimberly at school” she said crossly.
“Sorry,” he apologized. “Well, Jean’s parents heard that Kimberly got accepted into Lock & Key and decided that they wanted Jean to go there as well. They paid for the school to get more supplies and everything just so their daughter could go to ‘the most secure private school’ in all of America” Johnny explained.
“So they’re just sending Jean because she’s,” Ethan jabbed his thumb in Kimberly’s direction. “going there?”
“Yes” Johnny nodded.
“But why is she going?” Ethan glanced down at Kimberly before turning back to Johnny.
“That part I don’t know. They only gave me the key information I’d need to find her, like her home address, phone number, school address, and personal file.”
“Personal file?!” Kimberly asked.
“Yes,” Johnny nodded. “Lock & Key has gotten your medical files, your school profile, and even your criminal records”
“Criminal records?” Ethan looked down at her.
“That was once!” she exclaimed.
“Kimberly’s mother was the one who requested for me to come to your school to talk with her” Johnny explained.
“But why?” Kimberly held her books lazily, her arms falling slack.
“She thinks this will be good for you,” Johnny pulled out a piece of paper from the brief case he held. “She thinks some time away from the city will help you, although I don’t think she knows Ethan and Jean will be accompanying you”
“I never said I was going” Ethan added.
“Ethan, please” Kimberly caught his wrist in her small hands and gave a gentle tug.
He looked down at her, with her hands on his arm, her green eyes wide with a fear she didn’t know of, her lip starting to shake. “What papers would my parents have to sign?” he asked finally.
“Don’t worry about it, ‘Kimmy’, they didn’t do anything that bad to me,” he shrugged. “What do you guys want with me this time? Mrs. Verlac said I’d never have to go back” Ethan crossed his arms over his chest.
“Mrs. Verlac doesn’t work there anymore. She died of tuberculosis a couple months back” Johnny looked at the stairs beneath his feet.
“So what was it you needed me for?” Ethan turned to Kimberly. “It wasn’t for this, was it?”
“Um,” she whispered. “I have to go to ‘Lock & Key’, and I wanted both you and Jean to go with me”
“Jean has to go there too? What did she do?” he asked.
“Jean Miller hasn’t done anything. Her parents heard that Constance—” Johnny started.
“I go by Kimberly at school” she said crossly.
“Sorry,” he apologized. “Well, Jean’s parents heard that Kimberly got accepted into Lock & Key and decided that they wanted Jean to go there as well. They paid for the school to get more supplies and everything just so their daughter could go to ‘the most secure private school’ in all of America” Johnny explained.
“So they’re just sending Jean because she’s,” Ethan jabbed his thumb in Kimberly’s direction. “going there?”
“Yes” Johnny nodded.
“But why is she going?” Ethan glanced down at Kimberly before turning back to Johnny.
“That part I don’t know. They only gave me the key information I’d need to find her, like her home address, phone number, school address, and personal file.”
“Personal file?!” Kimberly asked.
“Yes,” Johnny nodded. “Lock & Key has gotten your medical files, your school profile, and even your criminal records”
“Criminal records?” Ethan looked down at her.
“That was once!” she exclaimed.
“Kimberly’s mother was the one who requested for me to come to your school to talk with her” Johnny explained.
“But why?” Kimberly held her books lazily, her arms falling slack.
“She thinks this will be good for you,” Johnny pulled out a piece of paper from the brief case he held. “She thinks some time away from the city will help you, although I don’t think she knows Ethan and Jean will be accompanying you”
“I never said I was going” Ethan added.
“Ethan, please” Kimberly caught his wrist in her small hands and gave a gentle tug.
He looked down at her, with her hands on his arm, her green eyes wide with a fear she didn’t know of, her lip starting to shake. “What papers would my parents have to sign?” he asked finally.
“The papers you have to sign are right here” Johnny held out a form.
“Me?”
“Your parents are dead, aren’t they Mr. Stone?” Johnny said, feeling like a smartalack.
“How did you know?” Ethan blurted.
“Ethan!” Kimberly yelled.
“Yes?” he took the papers from Johnny and his gaze turned to Kimberly’s.
“You lied to me?” she murmured softly.
“No,” he shook his head. “You asked if my parents were home and I said no. I didn’t lie, my parents really weren’t home”
“You could have told me” she whispered.
“I’ll explain it to you later, promise,” he gave her shoulder a squeeze before turning back to Johnny. “When would I have to give this back to you?”
“When the bus arrives at your house to get you tonight” Johnny said.
“The bus? You mean they’re taking other kids from this school? Who?” Kimberly asked.
“Not from this school, school’s all over California, and some of the other west coast states.” Johnny shrugged.
“Will Jean, Kimberly and I be on the same bus?” Ethan asked.
“Yes, everyone will be on the same bus.”
“How big is the bus?” Kimberly asked.
“It’s big enough to hold 200 people, two to a seat”
“You do realized that Jean’s going to want a seat to herself if I sit with someone else right?” Kimberly asked.
“Yes, and we have seats reserved for her and her ‘carry-on’ bags, or for you whether you chose to sit with her or not”
“Will the three of us be able to sit near each other?” Ethan asked.
“Yes, you will be no further than 2 rows apart from each other at maximum. You may even be seated acrost the aisle from each other” Johnny nodded.
“What do we have to bring with us?” Kimberly said, looking for a piece of paper in her bag.
Here is the list of school supplies, clothing and other things you are permitted to bring and use” Johnny gave them both a piece of paper.
“We can’t use our cell phones on weekdays?!” Kimberly shouted.
“Sorry” Johnny apologized, not seeming all that sorry.
“When I went we weren’t allowed to use them at all, you got lucky” Ethan commented.
“I will see the two of you on the bus tonight then? You will be excused from school at 1 o’clock due to the fact that the bus will be coming to get you at 4 o’clock tonight.” Johnny turned and started to walk down the stairs.
“Why is the bus coming so early?” Kimberly muttered, looking at Ethan.
“Because New Hampshire is all the way on the other side of the U.S., smarty-pants” Ethan started towards the library.
“Me?”
“Your parents are dead, aren’t they Mr. Stone?” Johnny said, feeling like a smartalack.
“How did you know?” Ethan blurted.
“Ethan!” Kimberly yelled.
“Yes?” he took the papers from Johnny and his gaze turned to Kimberly’s.
“You lied to me?” she murmured softly.
“No,” he shook his head. “You asked if my parents were home and I said no. I didn’t lie, my parents really weren’t home”
“You could have told me” she whispered.
“I’ll explain it to you later, promise,” he gave her shoulder a squeeze before turning back to Johnny. “When would I have to give this back to you?”
“When the bus arrives at your house to get you tonight” Johnny said.
“The bus? You mean they’re taking other kids from this school? Who?” Kimberly asked.
“Not from this school, school’s all over California, and some of the other west coast states.” Johnny shrugged.
“Will Jean, Kimberly and I be on the same bus?” Ethan asked.
“Yes, everyone will be on the same bus.”
“How big is the bus?” Kimberly asked.
“It’s big enough to hold 200 people, two to a seat”
“You do realized that Jean’s going to want a seat to herself if I sit with someone else right?” Kimberly asked.
“Yes, and we have seats reserved for her and her ‘carry-on’ bags, or for you whether you chose to sit with her or not”
“Will the three of us be able to sit near each other?” Ethan asked.
“Yes, you will be no further than 2 rows apart from each other at maximum. You may even be seated acrost the aisle from each other” Johnny nodded.
“What do we have to bring with us?” Kimberly said, looking for a piece of paper in her bag.
Here is the list of school supplies, clothing and other things you are permitted to bring and use” Johnny gave them both a piece of paper.
“We can’t use our cell phones on weekdays?!” Kimberly shouted.
“Sorry” Johnny apologized, not seeming all that sorry.
“When I went we weren’t allowed to use them at all, you got lucky” Ethan commented.
“I will see the two of you on the bus tonight then? You will be excused from school at 1 o’clock due to the fact that the bus will be coming to get you at 4 o’clock tonight.” Johnny turned and started to walk down the stairs.
“Why is the bus coming so early?” Kimberly muttered, looking at Ethan.
“Because New Hampshire is all the way on the other side of the U.S., smarty-pants” Ethan started towards the library.
