Into the Shadows (19 page)

Ugh, she thought, not turkey again. What I wouldn’t
do for some chicken nuggets or a slice of pizza.

The door to the classroom was thrown open, startling
everyone out of their daydreams. Agent O’Higgins stormed through
the doorway followed by two more agents.

“Can I ask why you are disturbing my lesson, sir?”
Dr. Hasenpfeffer inquired curtly, unfazed by the intrusion of three
burly agents with their glowing badges and guns.

“We’ve had a report about this class,” stated Agent
O’Higgins as he strolled through the aisles, looking at all of the
students closely.

Dr. Hasenpfeffer remained silent, but looked
extremely angry.

“These two students,” he pointed at Paivi and Tyler
Matthews, “why are they not at the table they are required to sit
at?”

“I do not segregate my students, Agent O’Higgins,”
she answered evenly. “These are their seats and that is where they
will sit.”

Paivi quickly gathered up her things and started to
get up from her seat. Tyler, however, was frozen in his chair. He
looked too scared to move an inch. Dr. Hasenpfeffer was staring at
Agent O’Higgins, locked in a defiant gaze.

“Paivi, you sit down in that seat,” ordered Dr.
Hasenpfeffer, not breaking her lock on Agent O’Higgins. Paivi
plopped back down in the chair.

“EOS students are required to sit at these tables
and these tables only. Teachers are not allowed to alter those
requirements on a whim,” he responded coolly. “Now go to the
table.”

Paivi jumped up and this time so did Tyler. They
didn’t move more than an inch before Dr. Hasenpfeffer returned
fire.

“You will stay in your seats!” she shouted. “That is
an order!”

Paivi and Tyler dropped back into their seats,
confused and wide-eyed.

“And as for you, Agent O’Higgins, leave my classroom
at once.”

Agent O’Higgins chuckled. He spoke slowly, but
clearly.

“I’m afraid you don’t quite have the authority you
think you do. One has to appreciate your passion regarding
this…trash.” He waved his hand in Paivi and Tyler’s direction. He
gave a nod to the two other agents by the door. They moved swiftly
towards Dr. Hasenpfeffer.

“You have broken the law by violating the policies
regarding Enemies of the State. The government is forced to believe
that you have some reason for protecting EOS students, who are
considered criminals. Thus, you must be a criminal as well,” he
concluded.

He began to read her her rights.

“You have the right to remain silent,” he began. The
other two agents grabbed Dr. Hasenpfeffer by the arms and forced
her to the floor, face down. The class looked on, jaws dropped,
frozen in shock and fear.

Paivi jumped up out of her seat, turning to Agent
O’Higgins.

“Please let her go! I’ll go sit at the table!
Please!” she pleaded.

“You and the other one will go sit at the table,” he
said coldly.

Paivi and Tyler rushed to the front of the room and
sat down.

“However, she’s still going to jail. She broke the
law.”

Jason jumped out of seat, getting in front of Agent
O’Higgins.

“You can’t do this! We have rights! This is
illegal!”

“Not any more. Now if you know what’s good for you,
you’ll shut up and mind your own business, or you’ll end up like
your courageous teacher.” He laughed as he pushed past Jason.

Dr. Hasenpfeffer was still struggling between the
two agents, who had put her in handcuffs.

Jason turned to face Agent O’Higgins’ back.

“She is courageous. And you’re nothing but a coward
with a badge and a gun.”

Agent O’Higgins turned around quickly, his arm
moving in one fluid motion with the rest of his body. His fist
landed on Jason’s left eye, throwing him sprawling across the desks
and students. Dr. Hasenpfeffer flew into a rage.

“You can’t do that! You can’t assault our students!”
she screamed, kicking the larger agent in the shin.

Agent O’Higgins turned towards Dr. Hasenpfeffer. His
fist connected with the back of her head, sending her into a
crumpled heap on the floor, unconscious. A few of the girls,
including Paivi, cried out, but were too terrified to move.

“I think you’ve all learned a valuable lesson
today.” He motioned to the other agents. “Let’s go.”

They picked up Dr. Hasenpfeffer’s limp body off of
the floor and dragged her out the door, which slammed shut behind
them. The students all sat silent for a moment, staring at each
other, not quite sure what had just happened. Jason was lying
across a desk, holding his face. When he pulled his hands away
blood ran from his nose and down his chin, spreading a bright red
stain across his shirt. His eye appeared to be swelling fast. Paivi
ran over, helping him off the top of the desks. Crystal helped her
get Jason into a seat.

“We need to get him to the office. Paivi, he needs
the nurse,” said Crystal frantically.

Paivi didn’t answer. She helped Jason to his feet
and pushed him towards the door. She could hear the class
muttering, some kids were still crying, but she could hear the
others.

“…all their fault.”

“…maybe they shouldn’t be allowed in school…”

“…I can’t believe we have to be in class with them.
It’s too dangerous.”

“Wait until my parents hear about this!”

She stopped at the door and turned back, seeing
Tyler still sitting at the table, staring off into space. She
couldn’t just leave him there. It was too hostile.

“Hey, Tyler, come on, I could use some help.”

He jumped up, startled and joined them at the
door.

“Let’s go.”

They walked quickly down the hallway towards the
main office. Paivi had her arm around Jason, and Tyler was on the
opposite side, not sure what to do.

“Why did you make me come with you?” Tyler
asked.

“They were pretty mad and I was worried what they
might do to you if you stayed.”

They turned into the main hallway.

“They blame us for this, you know,” she added.

Through the main entrance they could see black cars
parked in the front drive, with numerous ATC agents milling around.
She didn’t see Dr. Hasenpfeffer anywhere.

At that moment, Principal Carson came storming
through the front doors. Ms. Merriweather rushed behind, trying to
keep up.

“I will have that man’s badge, I tell you!
Assaulting and arresting one of our most senior teachers! It’s bad
enough we have to put up with them milling around and enforcing
their ‘policies,’ but they have to behave like tyrants as
well?”

He spotted Paivi, Jason and Tyler stumbling down the
hallway. Noticing Jason’s bloodied face he asked, “And what
happened to him?”

“Agent O’Higgins,” Paivi answered.

“That’s it!” he shouted, causing Ms. Merriweather to
jump. “I want that man out of this building! He’s a menace! Now
he’s attacking the students! Get that boy to the nurse’s office and
when he’s taken care of, I’ll see you three in my office.”

Paivi and Tyler rushed Jason past the startled
secretaries and into the nurse’s office. The nurse, Mrs. Moeller,
jumped up from her desk, dropping her copy of Glitz magazine, and
ran over to them.

“Oh my, what happened to him?” she asked, helping
him to the nearest chair.

“Agent O’Higgins punched him in the face,” offered
Tyler.

“My word! All right, let’s move your hands out of
the way, I need to see what you’ve got going on here.” The nurse
lowered his hands. Jason’s right eye had swollen completely shut
and was a bright purple. At least his nose had ceased gushing
blood, leaving a trail of dried blood behind. Paivi gasped and
looked away.

“Oh my,” Mrs. Moeller clucked. “You’re going to need
to go to the hospital for an x-ray. I want them to make sure
nothing is broken in there.”

Jason groaned and looked towards Paivi.

“Am I really that hideous? You’ll still go to the
dance with me, right?” he attempted to crack a smile.

She almost smiled, but then remembered the events
that had put them in the nurse’s office.

“Shut up! This is very serious.” She sat down next
to him. “At least it’s temporary ugliness. Maybe it’ll look better
by the dance.”

Tyler joined them, not saying anything. Mrs. Moeller
returned with some gauze and antiseptic to clean the blood off of
Jason’s face, and a bag of ice for his eye.

“Here you are, you poor thing,” she fawned over him,
wiping his nose and chin. “Now put this ice on your eye, we’ve go
to stop that swelling right away. I called your mother as well.
She’ll be in to pick you up in a little bit and take you to the
hospital.”

Jason groaned and Paivi wasn’t sure if it was
because his mom was coming or from the pain of putting the ice over
his eye.

Ms. Merriweather popped in the door, startling
them.

“Mr. Carson wants to see you three right away.” She
looked to Mrs. Moeller for consent. “Is he okay to go?”

“Yes, just keep that ice on your eye!” Mrs. Moeller
ordered Jason.

He rolled his one good eye.

They made their way through the main office
following Ms. Merriweather to the principal’s door. She knocked
lightly and heard him answer.

“Come in.” Mr. Carson eyed them as they entered.

They took a seat in the chairs in front of his desk.
He was no longer as agitated as before. Instead, he slumped in the
chair and ran his hands through his thinning blond hair.

“Normally I would have you kids in here, ask what
happened, you know, get both sides of the story,” he muttered.

“But it doesn’t matter this time. No matter what you
tell me, we’re still wrong. No matter that an agent of a
governmental department has been able to segregate my students,
physically attack them, and assault and arrest one of my own
teachers. Despite all of that, we are the ones who are in the
wrong. We could possibly be punished. We are the bad guys!” he
shouted, slamming a fist hard on his desktop.

Ms. Merriweather looked a bit shocked, but said
nothing. Paivi glanced quickly at Jason and Tyler. They both looked
as uncomfortable as she felt, unsure of what to think of Mr.
Carson’s words.

“Now here’s what’s going to happen. Because of this
incident, the ATC intends to send more agents to our school and
allow some of our students to join a group called the YATC. The
Youth Anti-Terrorism Coalition. They’ll be helping the ATC agents.
As if we need more of these goons patrolling our halls. If there is
another incident like today, they will kick us both out, Ms.
Merriweather, and install Agent O’Higgins as the principal.” Mr.
Carson leaned back in his chair, gripping the armrests until his
knuckles turned white.

Ms. Merriweather eyes welled with tears that
threatened to spill down her cheeks.

“I really want to help you and protect my students,
but according to the ATC, that’s against the law.” His voice got
quiet again. He looked at them carefully, brimming with
desperation. “I can’t help you. You kids are on your own against
these people. All I can say is do your best to follow the rules and
steer clear of those guards. I wish it wasn’t this way.”

“I’m really sorry,” offered Paivi quietly.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Paivi. I’m proud
of you kids for standing up for what you know is right. At the
moment, however, right is wrong, and there doesn’t seem to be much
we can do about it.”

He rose from his chair.

“You can go for the day. Pick up passes to leave the
building from Mrs. Medina. Just try to stay under the radar here at
school for the next couple of days.”

As they exited the principal’s office, they stopped
by the stern looking secretary’s desk to receive their passes.
Heading towards the front of the main office, Paivi noticed a woman
with dark hair sitting nervously on one of the chairs in the
waiting area. She jumped from her seat as they approached.

“What on earth did they do to you?” she shouted,
rushing over to Jason and pulling the ice pack from his eye.

She gasped.

“Oh, my poor baby!”

She wrapped him in a big hug, which was difficult,
because she was so much smaller than Jason. He looked mortified.
After disentangling himself from the woman’s embrace, Jason turned
to Paivi and Tyler.

“Um, this is my mom.”

“Hi there, you poor things. The nurse told me what
happened. Thank you for helping my son.”

“Oh, it’s okay, really,” said Paivi. She worried
Jason’s mother might be angry with them, but she did not appear to
be in the least.

“We better get you to the hospital, I want them to
make sure nothing is broken,” said Mrs. Santos.

“Fine,” Jason sounded exasperated. “Can Paivi come
with us? It’s okay, we’re allowed to leave, the principal gave us
permission.”

He held up his yellow pass.

“Yes, of course.” Mrs. Santos turned to Tyler.
“Would you like a ride home, dear?”

“Um, no, but thank you. I just live down the block,”
Tyler answered sheepishly.

The ride to St. Andrew Hospital was short and as was
the wait in the emergency room. While Jason was taken for x-rays,
Mrs. Santos made small talk with Paivi, mostly regarding the latest
movies. Finally, they were asked to the small examining room where
Jason waited with the doctor.

“According to the X-rays, your son does not have any
broken bones in his face,” the doctor said, holding up the black
and white film. He smiled at Jason’s mother, but when he turned to
Paivi, he looked straight at her EOS badge and his smile faded. “I
am prescribing him medicine for the swelling and the pain, and he
should probably stay home from school tomorrow.”

He wished them a good day and then left them to
collect Jason’s belongings. Paivi looked at Jason’s swollen and
bruised face. She felt so awful. This was all her fault. She
couldn’t understand why Jason and Mrs. Santos were so nice about
it. On the ride home, Paivi was quiet, just listening to Jason and
Mrs. Santos talk as they drove across town. She spoke only to give
them directions to her house.