Missing Notebook

Oh god. Oh dear god. It's that time of year again. The time where even the calmest and most nonchalant high school students lose their chill facade. Even the smart kids are anxious, if not as anxious as the rest of us. The one time that would decide whether we pass or fail. End of year exams.

I traversed the hallways with extreme difficulty. They were filled to the brim with other students rushing to get home at the earliest time possible. There was never a time when the hallways were empty. With kids shoving their odored backs and fronts against you, it was easy to succumb to the tsunami-like movement and just let them push you out the door. I'm not letting that happen though. I hurried to the front of the crowd, bouncing against other students like a pinball in a pinball machine. I overheard them yelling at me for being so reckless, but I didn't care. I burst out the door and I let the June sun dance on my face. I looked for the school bus, only to find that it was about to leave. Fudge! I bolted towards it as fast as I could with all my books and supplies, managing to make it on at the last second. Phew, I made it.

I slammed my books down on my desk with a sliver of aggression. The books themselves were all jumbled up, and I hate it. I take the topmost book from the pile and set it down next to it, marking the pile for textbooks. I did the same thing for the next few books, until I was left with only my laptop, pencil case and... wait, where's my notebook?

"NO!!" I screamed in panic. I checked the piles again, disorganizing them in the process. It's not there. I rushed to open my closet and checked my backpack. Not there either. I started to hyperventilate, and I felt like fainting. That notebook contained all my notes for the exams. And the first one is tomorrow, and of course it's math. My worst subject! A feeling of dizziness overcomes my head, and I collapse to the ground, leaning my head against the wall.

I'm absolutely screwed.

I didn't take a single bite of my dinner that night. It was my favorite meal of spaghetti and meatballs. I wanted to eat so badly, but the giant pit in my stomach made minimal, if not no room at all for it. I stared at my plate, not having the energy to eat, but the overpowering desire all the same. What am I going to do? I was supposed to study tonight, like I have been for the past month, but somehow, I lost my notebook. I retraced my steps back to when I first woke up. I packed all my books the night before, so the notebook was in my backpack. When I got to school, I took everything out, put the stuff I didn't need in my locker, then brought everything else to first period.

Which was P.E.

I only needed my duffel bag and my water bottle for that period, and we didn't have any "exams." Not in the sense of pencil and paper. After that, I went to English after grabbing my notebook and the textbooks I needed for the next 2 periods. Those just happened to be math and science. After recess, it was business and French. After lunch, it was art, geography and chemistry. I had my notebook for all those subjects. I can't seem to remember whether I had misplaced it somewhere because I always had it in my hand, regardless of what subject.

I lay in my bed after dinner, still thinking about how I lost my notebook. Then it clicked. Right then, I knew what might have happened. Earlier today, I was in such a rush to get out. I must have dropped it in the hallway, or outside. Best case scenario, I'd find it in the lost and found. Worst case, I'm failing the exams. And I have a tendency to worry that things will take a turn for the worst.

It's okay. I'll hopefully find it tomorrow, and I don't have math first thing, so I can probably cram in some study time during lunch or after finishing my work for that class. Don't freak out.

But what if I lost it for good?

I probably haven't.

But what if I have?

Shut up and go to sleep.

***

The next day, the tension pulled me as tight as a guitar string. My heart beats at a rate faster than I can keep track of. I try to navigate through the tsunami of students as best I can, without succumbing to the movement. I manage to find my locker and I open it, putting my backpack in the lowest shelf, and grabbing all the materials I needed for first period. However, that wasn't where I went first. I went to the office to check the lost and found. The office was relatively small for such a big school, but it was alright. At the front of the desk, there was a dirty old box labeled "Lost and Found." From what I heard, anything could turn up in there. I put my hand in and searched for the notebook. I came across something wet and sticky and I cringed. Revolting. Then, when I took my hand off the substance, I felt it. Hard covered, with a coiled spine. I picked it up and there it was. 1000 pages worth of notes right in my hands. I sighed in relief, then realized I was going to be late for first period. I bolted out the office and down the hall to the French classroom. When I got there, I sat down at my desk and brought out my materials, including my notebook. The teacher informed us that it was a catch up period for some work we were doing. I already finished everything so I had some time to study. Thank god I found my notebook. There's one question, though.

Where was it? Who found it? Did they know it was mine? Ah, whatever. At least I have it back.