Study Hall Smoke (6 of 10)

The young man in the suit returned to the Study Hall, dropping his briefcase on the table. He looked around the room. His eyes were searching for the book stacks. He had returned for the thing Mr Carmichael had spoken about. The thing Mr Carmichael had revealed. The thing that was worth that big briefcase full of money.

Dawn spotted him first, and instantly knew. He's here for the files on the girls of Ivy Ridge Academy! She wondered if Mr Carmichael knew that he had returned. The grouchy teacher wasn't here, and from the way their meeting ended, it had sounded like their business transaction had been interrupted unknowingly by the Head Mistress. Was the handsome man in the suit here to steal the documents before Mr Carmichael could return them to the filing cabinets in the school offices? Dawn felt the sudden obligation to stop a crime in progress.

"Bryce!" Dawn exclaimed. She startled the young man with the sound of her delicate voice. His stance seized in alarm, obvious that the last thing he expected was to discover that someone else was in the room with him. Looking toward the direction of the feminine tone, his eyes settled upon the slender form of a young blonde girl with wide emerald eyes staring at him from behind a pair of studious glasses.

"Bryce? Oh... so you overheard all of that?" The shock had passed and his voice reclaimed its calm demeanor after he identified the appearance of the student.

"What? No! I--- I didn't hear anything! I don't know why I said that!" Dawn's voice backpedaled, adopting the tone of a girl failing confidence, flush with self doubt, self consciousness, nervousness, and lack of conviction. In other words, she sounded like a teenager in the presence of someone in authority.

"No, it's actually quite polite of you to let me know that you were here the whole time," explained Bryce, his voice taking on a gentle and understanding tone.

Click. Click. Snap. Snap. He clicked open the briefcase which lay flat on the table.

"It... is? I mean... you're not... mad?" Dawn felt the words stumbling out of her lips, sure that her face was flush a deep shade of red. Why was it so difficult to speak around this guy!?

"Of course! And mad? Why would I be mad at discovering such a beautiful young girl eavesdropping on our meeting?" he chuckled, reaching into the case.

"Oh... well, that sure is a relief. I thought for a moment that... I mean... I felt bad. I definitely wasn't eavesdropping... I---" Dawn stuttered away, feeling her heart beat faster as she noticed the young man appraise her where she stood there looking a fool. He looked so sophisticated in his expensive suit, and she felt so young and inexperienced in her boring school uniform.

Bryce cut her off mid sentence.

"---Like a snoop. You were eavesdropping like a nosy little snoop who likes to pry into other people's business---" he chided, his words beginning to cut.

"---Hey! I---" Dawn's feelings were stung by his words, and she interjected to defend herself, but once again, he cut her off.

"---It's okay. Because now it leaves no doubt in my mind that I have do this..." he interjected as he pulled something out of the briefcase. There was an object in his hand. His free hand closed over it, manipulating something.

"Do... what?" Again, that molasses in her naive brain.

Ching! Pop!

He dropped the item on the table, and gave it a shove. The object had weight to it, sounded like metal as it rolled down the long wooden table that stood between himself and the bewildered blonde schoolgirl.

Rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle...

The object rolled right off the end of the table and made a thunking noise as it heavily dropped onto the hardwood floors right at Dawn's feet.

Pifffffffffff!!! SSSSSSssssssssssss!!!

Suddenly a noxious green cloud began puffing out of the small metal object. The fumes billowed and curled around Dawn's slender legs obscuring the sheer offblack pantyhose that glazed them.

"Oh my goodness! What is THAT!?" Dawn exclaimed seeing the growing cloud of gas forming at her feet. Her eyes closed as she felt an involuntary cough seizing her chest. The air suddenly felt acrid and it stung to breath!