Katie pulled on the door that we usually entered the building through, and found it locked. “That’s odd.” She stated, tugging the handle on one of the other doors. We both looked at each other and then started walking toward the other set of doors that we could use to gain entrance into the building. While we were walking, I fished my phone out and called Jen.

“What’s up?” she asked after she had answered her phone.

“We’re at the school, but the doors are all locked. Any idea what’s going on?” I asked her as I watched Katie tug on the fourth, and final door that made up this entrance.

“Hmm… Nope. I have no clue and they haven’t said anything on the news. Call mom and see if she knows something that we don’t. I would also recommend getting back in the car where you would be out of the wind. At least then you can have some heat…”

“Good idea.” I signaled to Katie for us to head back toward the car. “Are you on your way?”

“Yes, I’ll be there in a few minutes, assuming traffic isn’t bad.” I heard Jen switch gears. “Where are you guys parked?”

“We’re in the-“ I stopped talking and crouched behind a pillar and felt Katie do the same. There was now a group of people doing something to Katie’s car. “Jen, when you get here park on the admin side of the building, where mom parked the other day when we came over to talk to Paskly. There appears to be half a dozen people, looks like kids, doing something to Katie’s car.” I looked at Katie and she looked at her car. “Give me your phone.” She handed me her phone. Without moving my phone from my ear, I called the police department from Katie’s phone. “Good Morning, Ma’am. I’m a student at the high school, there is a group of people surrounding my girlfriends car, doing some damage to it. My name is Morgan Smith. Yes, Ma’am, that Morgan Smith. The car is parked in the student lot, it’s the only car over there right now. Thank you, Ma’am” I hung up Katie’s phone as I heard glass breaking.

“Morgan, I’m in the lot and I see you guys, come over and get in my car until the police get here.” I turned and looked at Katie.

“Jen’s here. Lets go get in her car until the calvary arrives.” I whispered to Katie. Katie crept back the way we had come and then, after we had moved out of view of her car, we sprinted to Jen’s car. We got in and shut the doors, locking them behind us. Jen had been sitting there with her foot on the brake, and the car in reverse waiting on us to get into the car. She punched the accelerator and the car shot backwards. Jen reached the other end of the parking lot in a matter of seconds.

“Who’s over there?” Jen asked, shifting the car into neutral and setting the parking brake.

“Not sure, everyone had on coats so ID’ing them is going to be hard. I don’t think they had on gloves, so lifting prints shouldn’t be that difficult.” Two cruisers pulled into the lot and flew around us, heading for the student lot. Jen put the car in gear and released the parking brake and slowly followed the cruisers around the front of the building so we could see what was going on. The two officers that had arrived first had six people on the ground as another cruiser pulled into the lot. I squinted as Lieutenant Chang and Officer Mullin got out of the cruiser. Around thirty seconds later, the only paddy wagon that the city owned pulled into the lot. After the six officers that had arrived had placed the eight people that had vandalized Katie’s car in the paddy wagon, Officer Mullin flashed his flash light at Jen and she pulled over toward Katie’s car. Jen parked the car and Katie looked at her car and gasped. All four tires were flat, every window had been broken out. Someone spray painted some obscenities that I won’t bother to repeat here.

“Are you guys alright?” Officer Mullin asked after we had gotten out of Jen’s car.

“Yeah, I don’t think that they even knew that we were here until you guys showed up. The more important question is why is there nobody here? All the doors are locked.” Officer Mullin and Lieutenant Chang looked at each other.

“The doors are locked?” Lieutenant Chang asked.

“Yeah, All of them. Also, there are no cars here, which isn’t normal.” Lieutenant Chang looked around the parking lot.

“L2 to Radio,” Lieutenant Chang said into his radio.

“Go L2.” Came the voice of one of the dispatchers.

“Can you contact the Department of Education and find out why the doors are locked at the high school?”

“Affirm sir, Stand by.” Lieutenant Chang looked at the three of us.

“You girls must be cold, get back in the car. I’ll come over if I need any of you for any thing.”

“Yes, Sir.” Jen and I said at the same time. We had been around the police force long enough to know when a dismissal was a suggestion or an order. Lieutenant Chang had just given us an order to get back in the car. Once we were in the car, Katie called her mother.

“Mom. You may want to call the insurance company.” Katie listened for a few seconds. “No eight guys attacked the car. There are no windows left and they spray painted things that I shouldn’t repeat to my mother.” There was another pause. “Ok, they spray painted the words ‘Fag Lover and the ‘C’ word’ Also, when we got here, all the doors were locked.” I glanced at Katie and she rolled her eyes. “Ok. I’ll give you a case number as soon as I get it.” Katie put her phone back in her purse and sighed. “Why can’t people be accepting?”

“I don’t know, Katie, I don’t know.” I said. “I wish they were.” Lieutenant Chang walked over, and Jen rolled down her window.

“Ok, the radio room contacted the Department of Education and found out that they had delayed school by two hours. That’s why no one was here. They said that they were looking into the matter as there was no reason to delay school.” I leaned over to look at him.

“They don’t know why there was a two hour delay?” I asked. “That’s kinda odd, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is, Morgan. Also, one of the guys we arrested here this morning was Adam Petry, but you didn’t hear that from me.” I glanced at Katie.

“James’ younger brother?” I asked.

“Older. Seems he was upset at his younger brother’s actions that got him expelled. Seems that he stated to Cassingham that you should have been the one expelled, Morgan. Said that you were causing a disturbance that was affecting all of your classes. I know you better than that.” He smiled.

“Some people never learn, do they?” I wondered aloud. “What’s the plan?”

“I’m waiting on a hook to get here so we can take the car somewhere. Katie, where do you want it to go?”

“Lets take it to my house. We can put it in the garage.” Katie said. Chang nodded.

“Mullin said he would talk to the school and have your absence excused today.”

“I’ll be here.” I said. Katie and Jen nodded.

“Alright then. I’ll let Mullin know.” Chang stood and walked back over to Katie’s car as a tow truck pulled in. The tow truck pulled in and backed up to Katie’s car and then started to hook the car up. He walked up to Lieutenant Chang, who pointed at the car we were in. The driver walked over to the car and Jen put her window down.

“Which one of you ladies is Miss Richards?” Katie raised her hand. “Ok, where are we taking the car, Miss?”

“To my house, it’s at 3421 Wagon Way.” Katie responded.

“Ok, if you ladies would follow me there, please. Miss Richards, I will need you to sign for the transport.” The driver said. Katie nodded and we watched as the tow truck driver got in his truck and started to drive away. We followed him to Katie’s house where he dropped the car in front of the garage door and then helped us get it inside, which I thought was nice. The last time that I recalled mom needing a tow the guy was nice enough, but he didn’t really go the extra mile… This guy did. After we had gotten the car in the garage. Katie, Jen and I headed for a local coffee shop. Once there we got our latte’s and sat at a quiet table in the corner.

“Did any one else find what happened this morning strange?” I asked, after sipping my latte.

“Yeah. The sudden two hour delay was strange. Especially when you consider that between the three of us we had two TV’s and two radios on and we didn’t hear a thing about it.” Katie sat her cup down. Jen was fooling with her phone.

“I can’t find the closure listed anywhere. I’m not sure, but I would expect more than just us would have shown up this morning. When was the last time that you heard of the doors of the school being locked.”

“Only when there was no one there, like over Christmas, or if we go into a lockdown. I think they even leave them unlocked at night.” Katie said. Jen closed her phone and then looked at the time.

“We should get going if we want to get there on time, two hours late…” Jen said. The three of us finished our latte’s and then headed back out to the car to go to school. This time when we arrived, there were people there.