CHAPTER 9
A Normal Afternoon
Nobody spoke for a moment.
Even Domi stopped chasing her tail.
Alex immediately regretted speaking.
He shoved both hands into his pockets and walked ahead of the group.
"Great," muttered Kweku. "Now you've gone and made everything awkward."
"Sorry," Alec said.
"You didn't do anything."
"Exactly."
The boys continued down the corridor.
Students walked around them carrying books and chatting. A teacher rushed by carrying a stack of papers almost taller than herself.
It felt strange.
Somehow the world was still moving.
Their parents were dead.
Brick was dead.
Their lives had been turned upside down.
Yet lunch was apparently still at twelve-thirty.
"Life is weird," Allen grumbled.
"That's the smartest thing you've said all week," Louis replied.
Allen kicked him lightly.
Louis kicked him back.
Alec smiled.
At least someone was acting normal.
Or as normal as anyone in RJMTK could be.
Suddenly a bell rang throughout the building.
The sound echoed through every hallway.
"What's that for?" Alec asked.
"Activity period," Louis answered.
"What's activity period?"
Louis stopped walking.
His face became unusually serious.
"Run."
"What?"
"Run."
The corridor exploded.
Students rushed out of classrooms.
Doors burst open.
Teachers started shouting instructions.
Someone screamed something about chess club.
Another student ran past carrying a violin.
A girl with bright green hair sprinted down the hallway holding three chickens.
Allen blinked.
"What is happening?"
"Activity period!" Louis yelled.
"And?"
"You have to pick a club before all the good ones fill up!"
The five boys immediately joined the stampede.
Domi happily followed.
"Why is the dog running too?" shouted Kweku.
"Because she's smarter than us!" Alec replied.
They rushed down a flight of stairs and arrived in a gigantic hall.
A large board stood at the center.
ACTIVITY REGISTRATION
Below it were dozens of club names.
Chess Club.
Music Club.
Drama Club.
Animal Care Club.
Painting Club.
Martial Arts Club.
Inventors Society.
Journalism Club.
Cooking Club.
Photography Club.
And many more.
Alec's eyes sparkled.
"This place is amazing."
"You say that about everything," Allen groaned.
Alec had already signed up for Painting Club before Allen finished speaking.
"Done!"
"Of course."
Kobby quietly signed his name under Animal Care Club.
"Shocking," said Alex.
Kobby smiled.
The tarantula on his shoulder raised two legs.
Alex wasn't sure if that meant it was happy.
Kweku wandered over to a club called Courage Builders.
"What do they do there?" Allen asked.
"They help people overcome fears."
"That sounds boring."
"I have seventy-three phobias."
"Oh."
"Actually seventy-four."
Allen blinked.
"How do you even have time for that?"
Louis signed up for Inventors Society.
"I thought you hated being here," Alec pointed out.
"I do."
"Then why join a club?"
Louis looked away.
"My mother liked it when I built things."
Nobody spoke after that.
Alec's smile faded.
Even Allen stayed quiet.
Finally Alex stepped forward.
The others watched him.
"What are you joining?" asked Alec.
Alex stared at the board.
There were dozens of options.
None looked appealing.
Then one caught his eye.
School Newspaper.
He frowned.
"You're joining Journalism?" Allen burst out laughing.
"You hate talking to people."
"Exactly."
"Then why?"
Alex shrugged.
"If people are hiding things, reporters find them."
Louis looked up.
Alec looked up too.
The same thought crossed all their minds.
The murders.
Brick.
Their parents.
The lies.
Maybe a newspaper club wasn't such a bad idea.
"You're investigating, aren't you?" Louis asked.
Alex stared at the registration board.
"No."
"You're lying."
"Maybe."
For the first time all day, a tiny smile appeared on Alex's face.
It vanished almost immediately.
But Alec noticed it.
And somehow that tiny smile worried him more than anything else.