Page 53 of Nitro

TOMMY

I blushed, glancing around the staff room as I read Nitro's dirty text message.

I knew I shouldn't be indulging in this kind of texting during work hours, but I couldn't resist.

At least, I consoled myself, I was in the staff room and not in the middle of a classroom.

Chuckling softly to myself at Nitro's last message, I closed the chat, only to notice a message from Dylan awaiting my attention.

I abruptly sat up in my seat, realizing we were supposed to meet in the cafeteria for lunch five minutes ago.

Panic set in, and I left the staff room in a hurry, my mind still preoccupied with Nitro's messages.

When I arrived at the cafeteria, having navigated through a sea of excited kids in the hallway, I came to an abrupt halt.

Dylan was nowhere in sight. That was odd. My best friend was always early, and he usually let me know when he arrived.

Concern crept in as I scanned the crowded room, searching for a familiar face that was notably absent.

Maybe one of his students kept him back?

I backtracked my way to his classroom, hoping to find Dylan there, offering an explanation for his tardiness.

But the room was empty, and there was no sign of him.

Pulling out my phone, I quickly messaged him, my fingers tapping anxiously on the screen.

Still, no response. A knot of worry tightened in my stomach. Just relax, I reminded myself, trying to stave off the rising concern.

No point in jumping to worse-case scenarios right away.

I'd always been a little paranoid, especially since regaining my freedom.

The memories of that weird and frightening figure I'd seen at my window after waking up from a nightmare flooded back.

Nitro had come crashing into my room like a maniac, and for a moment, both of us were maniacs in our own right.

"Focus on Dylan," I scolded myself, pushing those unsettling thoughts aside.

There had to be a simple explanation for his absence, and I needed to find out what it was.

I made his way back to the staff room, my steps growing more urgent with each passing moment.

My anxiety shot up surface as I scanned other areas in the school that Dylan and I frequented.

I even questioned some of the teachers and staff, hoping for any information about Dylan's whereabouts, but none could recall seeing or talking to him.

I briefly debated the idea of calling Nitro or Whizz. However, I quickly dismissed the thought.

Why was my first instinct to reach out to Nitro? It was a knee-jerk reaction, and I needed to handle this situation on my own.

Calling Nitro or Whizz felt like an unnecessary escalation at this point.

Taking a deep breath, I attempted to calm the racing thoughts in his mind.

I considered that Dylan might have had to rush out due to an emergency.

Involving Whizz could potentially cause unnecessary worry. For now, I resolved to handle the situation independently, hoping to find Dylan and put my growing unease to rest.

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