It started that Friday morning. Rohan wasn't at the bus stop, and when the bus went past his house, there were emergency vehicles parked up outside. I was worried, he hadn't been feeling well since Roger dared him to lick those test tubes during the museum field trip. I tried telling him there was no knowing what they were used for, but he said he couldn't back down from a dare. Now he was missing school because of it.
I knew something big was up when Rohan wouldn't answer his phone. Even if he didn't respond right away, I'd at least see the blue tick next to the message to prove he'd read it. The entire school day went by and not a single read message or notification from him. I even tried face-timing him and nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. The dial tone ended early, as if he'd declined my call.
So on the way home, I decided to get off the bus early and walk over to his house. All the hubbub from the morning was gone, which was a relief. I ran up to the front door and Rohan's mom answered. Except, she seemed distracted. When I asked to see Rohan, she dismissed me, saying that he'd caught something, and she didn't want it to spread.
But I couldn't take no for an answer, he was my best friend! So I crept around the back of the house, and clamored up the big tree in the yard. This wasn't my first time sneaking in, after all. Lucky for me, he'd even kept his bedroom window open so I didn't have to do my secret knock.
I stumbled through the window in a less than polite fashion and brushed myself off. "Rohan?" I asked aloud. I heard the door to his wardrobe shut and hangers clang together. Amused, I laughed, "Why are you hiding?"
"Go away!" He seethed. He sounded weird, like he had a cold. His voice deeper than usual. "You can't be in here!"
"No way!" I replied. "I gotta know what's wrong. I saw all the vans outside your house this morning, your mom wouldn't let me in, you won't even answer my texts. You promised we'd never keep things from each other."
"I want to tell you, really. But..." He sighed. "This is bigger than you know... I can't bring you into this."
"Fine. Don't tell me. I'll just find out why my best friend is hiding like a baby some other time." I grumbled and stomped toward the window when I had an idea. I waited a few moments before slamming the window down hard. Then I ducked down and hid as best as I could behind the bed and held my breath. Poor, gullible guy. He didn't even wait a minute until he opened his closet door and slunk out with a sigh. We locked eyes almost instantly, and he knew he was busted. But I was the one who screamed out loud, because that man wasn't my friend.
