Firebug: Ch. 28 - Waiting Game

"Okay," Theo wheezed, "don't panic... Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic... You stupid, stupid bastard, don't bloody panic!"

It was no use. Despite the long, thin ventilation slats cut into the door, there was no air at all in that cramped metal box. At the very least, the slats offered a few precious slivers of light. Without his glasses, though, looking through them wasn't much help. All he could see were vague, fuzzy shapes. And the harder he strained to see, the worse his growing headache became.

With one sense down, Theo was forced to rely on the other four. Through his stilted, panicked breathing, he listened for any signs of life. The chortling gits who'd done this to him were long gone, but surely there had to be somebody: a teacher; Coach Guff; perhaps a janitor with bolt cutters or a sturdy pen knife. Despite his best efforts, however, Theo heard nothing. Apart from the first and second bells, letting him know he was woefully late for Mr. Hastings' class.

Taking a shaky breath to will himself to calm down, Theo ran his fingers around the locker's surfaces as far as he could reach. For once he was grateful to be so small and willowy; there was just enough room to let him move his arms and tiptoe around in a full, tight circle. A bigger bloke would be stuck solidly facing the locker's interior until someone deigned to let him out. To his dismay, his blind palpating didn't discover anything overtly useful: a pair of old, sweaty trainers with socks; a spiral-bound notebook; a blender bottle and a small stash of protein bar wrappers.

When Theo found himself facing the door again, he pressed his face tight to the ventilation slats. There was so little air, he was going dizzy. And the heat... Why was it so unbearably hot?

A spark and a sizzle near his waist answered his question instantly. Both his hands were crackling, teetering dangerously close to ignition. Under normal circumstances, such a sight would've sent Theo spiraling into a panic. This time, it was an almost welcome sight.

If he couldn't open it, why not melt the lock off from the inside?

Theo was sure he could do it, and desperate enough to try. Yet, he hesitated. Melting solid steel was no easy feat. The last time he'd sustained such a hot, intense flame, he'd spent two days in hospital and the rest of the week under house arrest. If he succeeded, and didn't manage to severely injure himself in the process, there was another glaring issue. Conjuring a flame was simple; controlling it afterwards, however, was nearly impossible. In his fervor to escape, Theo could accidentally torch the entire building... or the entire school.

Then of course, there was yet another problem. If Theo got himself out without reducing Hill Academy to a smoldering pile of ash, he couldn't just walk to the principal's office in his skin. The very idea flooded him with shame, imagining all the jeering, laughing faces surrounding him if he were caught streaking across campus..

Theo's only viable option was to wait for rescue to come.

Sucking a few more deep breaths through the slats, Theo closed his eyes and thought of Roman. He had to calm down, for his own sake and for the sake of everyone within Hill Academy. If Nurse Flanagan was right, just thinking of his boyfriend should do the trick. With all his might, Theo focused on everything he liked best about Roman: his deep, soothing voice; his caring, selfless personality; the feeling of those strong, olive arms around him; the taste of his lips.

Bit by bit, the stifling hot atmosphere within the locker cooled. It was still uncomfortably warm, but tolerable for now. At least, for someone of Theo's ilk. Before he knew it, he was startled from his trance by another bell. He'd missed first period completely. And - the way things were going - it seemed as if he were going to miss second period as well.

Hope sprang anew in him when the locker room door opened, letting in a flood of chattering voices and scurrying footsteps. As soon as he saw movement, Theo rattled the latch and slapped the door, hoping to get his schoolmates' attention. The other lockers around him were so noisy, as were the boys opening and closing them, that his muffled cries fell on deaf ears. After nearly everyone had filtered back out again, miraculously, he was heard... but the face leering back at him through the slats was the last he ever wanted to see.

"Teddy Bear?" Jasper's obnoxious voice cooed, "Is that you in there? Golly, what happened to you?"

Of course, he was behind this. Theo wasn't a bit surprised. As much as he would've enjoyed singeing off the blackguard's eyebrows, though, getting out of the locker was higher up on his priority list.

"I can't breathe," he insisted, "Just let me out already, you wanker! And tell me what you've done with my ruddy clothes!"

Jasper's blurry face scrunched up in a puzzled frown. "Clothes?" he parroted innocently, rubbing his chin while he pretended to think, "Clothes... clothes... Nope, can't help you. Oh, wait: you mean your clothes! Yeah, I know exactly where they are."

"Then hurry up and bring them back!" Theo snapped.

He was in no mood for such stupid, childish games. Jasper, however, definitely seemed to be in a playful mood. He looked over both shoulders before answering, poorly feigning embarrassment.

"Gee, Ted, I'd really like to," he lied, "...but they're in the girls' locker room. A guy could get in real big trouble, y'know, going in there without permission. You don't want me to get in trouble, do you?"

Theo grit his teeth, punching the locker door as hard as he could. The force of it even startled Jasper, as he suddenly leapt away from Theo.

"You rat bastard!!" Theo snarled, "Let me out at once!!"

"Hey, that's a great idea, Teddy," Jasper grinned, his mock sincerity nauseatingly thick, "I'll let you out, and you go get 'em yourself! Boy, are you smart!"

Theo covered himself instinctually, his face glowing with horror and embarrassment. "Wh-What?! No! I-I can't! Not that! Please, I-I'll do anything! I won't even tell anyone about this! Jasper-"

"What the hell are you doing in my locker room, Pierce?!" Coach Guff's voice boomed suddenly, "You're not supposed to be here 'til fifth period!"

"Sorry, Coach," Jasper chirped, pressing his back to Roman's locker, "I Just wanted to leave a quick note for my good buddy, Durant. You haven't seen him today, have you?"

"Don't be cute with me, Pierce," Coach Guff snapped, "Get to class! Now! Or else you'll be doing laps until Graduation!"

When Jasper sauntered out, he took any hope Theo had of leaving that locker anytime soon with him. It was cruel enough taking Theo's things to begin with, and locking him away in such a state. Hiding his belongings in the girls' locker room, however, was an unexpectedly painful twist of the knife. Theo would be mad to even think about going in there. It was a sure-fire way to earn himself a suspension, or even expulsion. Heading in there stark naked, though, could easily lead to criminal charges. Not to mention a lifetime of shame and expensive therapy bills.

One more bell quickened Theo's heartrate all over again. He'd missed two classes now, soon to be three. At this rate, he'd miss lunch, too, and his three remaining courses of the day. If only he had his mobile; he could call Roman, and be out of there before he could say "indecent exposure".

Theo shut his eyes and let his head rest against the locker door. He was quite dizzy now, and his headache worsened by the minute. His legs and feet ached from being forced to stand for hours on end. All he could do was loiter there quietly, using the bells and his grumbling stomach to help him keep track of time. A little after third period, he dropped off to sleep, because he hadn't anything better to do. He was awakened again with a jolt by the lockers on either side of him slamming open and shut. Theo was so disoriented from the noise - and his unplanned nap - that he'd forgotten where he was for a moment. Then, with no warning at all, the locker door he was leaning against flew open.

Theo's legs had gone completely numb, so he tumbled out with a startled squawk. Instead of the floor, however, his face landed in the middle of a broad, muscular chest. Immediately, his nose was filled with a warm, familiar medley of juniper berries and leather; a scent he knew better than any other. Just like the arms that were suddenly wrapped tight around him.

"Theo?! What the hell?! Are you okay?!"

"Romeo," he whimpered, fighting back tears, "I-I'm alright... I think. How did you find...?"

The question died on Theo's tongue, sliding back down his throat with a dry swallow, at the look on Roman's face. First shock and a smidgeon of horror, followed by confusion and deepest concern. Then, anger; the purest and hottest Theo had ever seen Roman wear.

Theo hadn't a clue why his boyfriend was so upset... until his senses finally registered the painfully bright camera flashes and howls of insane laughter directed at them.