Uncertainty

After Scott declined John's offer of friendship, John was outraged and wanted nothing more than for him to join his friend group. The second week of school was coming to an end and John was on the bleachers on the school's football field watching Troy and Laura practice for their season including homecoming. "These idiots can't do anything correctly." John looked at the football team. "Troy is just a joke and Laura is my cute baby doll for me to cuddle." "All I ask for them is to watch over Scott and all they do is spill their personality over him." "If you won't accept my offer, then I'm going to make you even if it means by force." John is thinking of different ways he can make Scott his new pawn. "Maybe I need something. Something that can help capture the moment." John had the idea, but Scott didn't have any idea about what was going to happen a few days ago.

It was Wednesday of the second week and Scott had texted Ashley about the party during the weekend. "So he just kicked you out." Ashley has no idea. "Yeah this guy just kicked me out of his party just for asking about a figure looking like him that was behind me." Scott sounded ridiculous as Ashley was unaware of the situation. "By the way Ashley, did you see a similar figure looking at you?" "Actually, no. When I registered here in the office or was around town, I never saw anyone looking at me while it was appearing as John." Ashley never noticed John before school started. "However, I did have a feeling that someone was watching me. When I was registering in the office, I had a sensation that someone was looking at me. When I turned around, nobody was there." "Other times, whenever I took the bus home, I always felt like there would be somebody watching me outside following me." Ashley was shivering a bit, feeling like that same somebody was watching her. "This school has so much uncertainty." Scott looked around the school. "It really does." Ashley looked around to ensure her safety. "John you bastard." Scott started to get angry as he never got the answers of the uncertainty. "If I see you again, I'm going to break your legs and kick your ass." Scott's hands started to vein and his face made a big grin scary enough to scare bigfoot. As he started to breath heavily, Ashley was worried that he was going to have an outburst. "Scott, please calm down, you're popping a vein on your forehead."Ashley held Scott's hands. Scott then took deep breaths knowing that his anger won't help him and it'll take time to know the uncertainty. "Here, have some water." Ashley gave Scott a bottle of water from her bag. However, Scott's hands were still shaking from his anger to the point where he accidentally dropped it, letting it spill. "Oh, I'm sorry Ashley. Not only for the bottle, but also my anger." Scott is disappointed as he can't even manage to hold a water bottle. "It's okay. I'll find some paper towels." Ashley was going to get some towels from the girls bathroom, but someone instead came in to help with the mess. "Don't worry, miss. I can handle a small spill." the person coming in to help, holding a mop. That person though was one of the janitors of the school.

The janitor went towards the spill and not even five minutes, the mess was already clean. "Thank you sir." Ashley now grateful the mess was clean and Scott didn't have an outburst. "No problem. I always like to clean messes. I've been doing this for thirty years." The janitor was old with white hair and a musty uniform that most janitors wear. "Call me Janitor Lopez. If you need a mess to clean I'll be always in my small office." Lopez pointed at the small room across Ashley's locker. "Thanks Lopez." As Ashley thanked Lopez, he left back to his office with the mop and bucket. "Wow, he was a nice guy." Scott is now in a calm state. "He really is." Ashley looking at Lopez's office.

"I'm sorry Ashley. It's just that John has been creeping me out ever since I moved in last summer and since then, he's been getting more suspicious inviting me to his party like a casual thing." Scott is regretful about not controlling his anger. "I understand Scott. You and I don't like John, he sometimes ticks me off. However, I want to focus on others who are with me, not on those who I don't consider a friend." Ashley being therapeutic towards Scott. "Like you Scott. I want to know you and help you as much as I can so we can help overcome each other's problems." Scott felt he was understood as Ashley saw him as an actual friend compared to John. "Hey Scott, I was wondering. Do you have problems managing your anger?" Ashley wanted to understand more about Scott after he was shaking his hand. Scott was scared to say that he did as he was afraid she would stop being his friend. At the same time, he didn't want to be scared as he understands that Ashley just wants to help him. Scott told her with honesty "Yes." "I see." Ashley now understands the situation. "So are we going to stop being friends?" Scott is getting ready for the worst. "Of course not. Why would I stop being friends with you? You're my first friend in this school." Ashley smiles at Scott. Scott felt relieved as he can still have his friendship with her. "Scott, like I said, I want to help you because we're friends and friends help each other." "Really. I'm so happy. It's just that many people won't be friends with me because of my anger." Scott is mentally in tears as he never heard someone say that to him. "Scott, I'll do anything in my power to help you manage your anger and find your purpose in life. That's a promise." Ashley hugged Scott with a very tight squeeze.

The whole weekend, Scott had always been thinking about Ashley as she actually cared for him. Scott looked at the ceiling of his room laying on his bed thinking of how his life is going to change for the better. "Ashley, thanks for being the person that I needed the most." Scott made a small smile.

It was now the third week and Scott got ready for school. He ran to Ashley's locker like always before he was stopped by her unusual expression. When seeing her, Ashley was confused as she saw something that wasn't supposed to be there. "What the hell happened." "What's wrong Ashley." Scott being close to her. Ashley pointed at the room that was supposed to be the janitor's room. But the room wasn't the room they knew. It was now instead a room meant for the school newspaper. "This room is supposed to be the janitor's office. Why did they remove it?" Ashley, now concerned as a room isn't supposed to change this fast in a weekend. Even last Friday, she still remembers that the room was still there. So Ashley decided to tell the other students around her about what happened to the janitor's office across her locker room. But no matter how many students she tried to talk to, all of them gave her the same answer that it didn't exist. "Sorry, but I don't remember a janitor's office being there." Many students told Ashley. "How? I know the room was there. I know I'm not going insane." Ashley putting her hands on her head. "Am I going insane Scott." Ashley looked at Scott. Scott nodded as he still remembers that the office was supposed to be there. "Speaking about the office, where's Lopez? Maybe he knows what happened." Ashley wondered if Lopez knew what happened. Suddenly, Scott and Ashley were flashed by some sort of camera. When they both saw where it was coming from, they found out it was a student with a camera who was shorter than Scott and Ashley. "Sorry about that, I need pictures for the school newspaper." The boy with the camera told Ashley and Scott. "By the way, I'm Andrew, a freshman and the school's photographer for the school's newspaper, the Sunshine Daily." Andrew introduces himself with the camera on his strap. "Oh um hi Andrew. So I was wondering since the room you work at was supposed to be the janitor's room, what happened to the janitor's office and Lopez." Ashley questions Andrew. "I'm sorry but that room was always where I worked and who's Lopez?" Andrew thinks that Ashley is crazy. "How do you not know what happened to the room? This is the damn room that Lopez was in last week." Ashley was irritated about what Andrew was saying. She was soon scaring the freshmen student to the point where he started sweating. "Um, can you please let me go to the newspaper room? I got to work on this week's paper." Andrew moved past Ashley and headed to the room. Once he went in, Ashley was also now feeling about the uncertainty that this school is trying to hide. Not only that, Scott felt as if there were many more cameras around the hallway as if they were watching him. "Scott, I think I'm starting to believe you about this uncertainty you went through." Ashley now a little scared of what was going on. "Ashley, let's just head to class." Scott holding Ashley's shoulder. Ashley was terrified but tried to just let it go. Both Scott and Ashley went upstairs to head to their class knowing that the school they were in was filled with uncertainty.

Back in the newspaper room, Andrew was putting down his camera and got on the school's computer to edit the school papers. Suddenly, Andrew felt as if someone was behind him. "So Andrew, what was Scott doing in the hallway today?" John was massaging his shoulders. "John, I didn't know you were here. Well this Scott guy was usually with this girl and I have the picture on my camera." John snatched the camera out of Andrew's table and scrolled through the photos. When he saw it, Scott and Ashley were usually around each other. "So you think you can be friends with her and not me. Well let's see about that." John dropped Andrew's camera on the floor and walked towards the door. While walking, John looked down smirking at the floor. "Oh Lopez, you should've retired while you still had the chance."