Finding Faith

by Anthony Lampe

  Johnny held the spray can close to the brick wall and pressed the button. As the blue paint was sprayed on the side of the school building, Max and Shawn positioned themselves further along the wall and started tagging their own messages.

  Darren pulled the hood of his jacket over his head. His shadowed faced looked eerie in the dark. “Okay, they’ll take care of the outside, we’ll take the inside.”

  Andrew glanced over at what Johnny was spraying. Westview Weasels. He was very overwhelmed by what his friends were doing and what he was about to be a part of, but he did not know what to say to them. They were the only people he ever spoke to at school, and without them, he would be alone.

  “Come on,” Darren said authoritatively, “let’s look for an open window.”

  They walked along the side of the school, peering at the darkened windows, until they finally located one that was ajar.

  Darren stood below the window and motioned for Andrew to come closer. “You’re lighter than me. I’ll lift you up, and after you climb through the window, head down the hallway until you find the exit door near our cars and then open it up for me.”

  “I don’t know about this,” Andrew said, fear apparent in his voice. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and the palms of his hands were sweating. Am I seriously about to break into the school and vandalize it? This is wrong…I know it is wrong, so why am I still going along with it?

  “You’re the only one who can do this,” Darren said as he grasped Andrew’s shoulders. “Can you imagine the Weasels’ faces on Monday when they see what we’ve done? It’ll be priceless.”

  “What if they know we did it?” Andrew tried to think of a way to get out of it. “I don’t want to get caught.”

  “We won’t get busted,” Darren said with confidence. “Westview may figure out that our school was responsible for it, but they can’t do anything to us. They won’t be able to prove a thing. Besides, it’s just spray paint. The school can easily scrape it off or paint over it. Seriously, it’s no big deal. It’s just for fun.”

  Andrew stared at him and then glanced back at Johnny and Max who were busy spraying messages all over the brick wall. He saw how much they were getting into it, and that they seemed to be smiling and suppressing their laughter.

  “Don’t let us down again, Andrew. We are in this together. It is time you prove yourself to us. Do this and we will know you are really our friend.”

  “Alright.” Andrew said feeling himself capitulate. I need these guys. Like Darren said, it is just for fun. No harm is being done. “Lift me up. We’ll have to be quick though.”

  “Yes,” Darren said quietly, “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

  Andrew stepped on Darren’s readied hands and was hoisted up towards the high window. He grabbed hold of the frame and slipped between the slanted window and the sill. He peered down in time to see a spray can being tossed up to him. Andrew balanced on the windowsill and caught the can with one hand.

  “I’ll meet you at the door,” Darren said before taking off.

  Andrew lowered himself on the inside onto the tiled floor. He peered through the darkness and gave his eyes a moment to adjust. Soon he realized that he was standing in a men’s restroom. He took a deep breath and carefully stepped towards the wooden door ahead.

  As he pushed it slightly open, he looked down the dimly lit hallway. He remained still while listening for any movement or echoes, but there were none. Andrew walked into the hallway and glanced down the other direction. When he was satisfied that the coast was clear, he ventured down the hall in route to the side door.

  From the outside of the building, the walk did not seem long. However, with Andrew’s heart beating rapidly and with him on edge, the trek felt like it was endless. He knew Darren was waiting outside, counting on Andrew to let him in.

  I can do this, Andrew thought. I’m almost there.

  He continued towards an exit sign that hung halfway down the hallway. He focused on reaching that point and ignored his fears as he took each step forward. As he approached the sign, he looked to the side and saw steps leading down to the metal door. He silently rejoiced as he followed the stairs and reached the bottom.

  Andrew was about to push the metal bar to open the door, but he noticed a small red blinking light. He was furious as he realized that the door was armed with a security alarm, and there was no way past it without setting it off. He stared at the metal door, then made a fist and did two soft knocks on it.

  A slight echo went down the hallway, which he halfway expected. A moment later, he heard Darren whisper from outside, “Andrew, is that you?”

  “Yes,” he quietly replied, “it’s me.”

  “Good,” Darren said. “Now, open the door and let me in.”

  “I can’t,” Andrew said hurriedly. “The door is rigged. If I open it, the alarm will go off.”

  “Okay,” Darren said, “If there is no way to let me inside, then go ahead and tag the hallway without me. Write some dirty things that will rile up those Weasels.”

  Andrew glanced at the blue spray can in his hand, and then replied, “I’ll see you at the window in a few minutes.”

  “Right,” Darren said with suppressed mirth.

  Andrew turned around and walked away from the exit and back up the stairs. He stared down the hall for a moment as if he heard something, but after he paused to listen for it, he shook his head.

  Walking alongside the lockers, he looked at the spray can once more. It seemed to glint ominously in the dark.

  Darren would never know if I used it or not, Andrew thought. Except that he will notice that the spray can is still full. Maybe I should empty some of it into a trash can.

  Andrew walked over to a trash can beside a water fountain. He took the cap off and shook the spray can a few times. He then put his finger on the trigger button.

  “Stop right there,” said an authoritative voice from behind him.

  Andrew jumped in place and then froze.

  The man continued, “Set the spray can down and slowly turn towards me.”

  “This isn’t what it looks like,” Andrew said as he thought desperately what to do.

  “You are trespassing,” the man stated, “and by the looks of it, you were also vandalizing the school.”

  “No, I didn’t do anything. I mean—”

  The man voice was sharp as ice. “Listen, kid, I’ll be honest with you. This doesn’t look good for you at all. If I were you, I would do exactly what I tell you to. Now, let’s try this again. Set the can down and turn around. Keep your hands in the air.”

  Andrew slowly put the cap back on the spray can, then placed it on the floor. He then turned towards the man and noticed his uniform. By the gray scrubs he was wearing, Andrew realized that he was a janitor.

  He’s not security, Andrew thought shrewdly. I bet I can out run him, but I don’t think I’d make it out the restroom window in time.

  “Alright,” the man said. “Let’s see what you look like.”

  He walked over to a light switch on the wall and he used a key to activate it. The hallway lit up within seconds as all the lights came to life. Suddenly, muffled voices came from outside, followed by car doors shutting.

  “You didn’t come here alone, did you?” the man asked.

  Before Andrew could answer, tires screeched on the pavement outside.

  The man pointed to Andrew and said, “Wait here. Don’t move an inch. I’m going to trust you.”

  The janitor ran down the hallway towards the exit door and disappeared down the stairs. Rather than wasting any time finding the key, he pushed the door open and the alarm went off.

  They left me here, Andrew thought. The cops will come, and they just left me here.

  Andrew debated whether running was a good idea or not. With the janitor outside, he was not sure if escaping out the restroom would just get him caught on the parking lot. He felt angry at himse
lf for going along with all this, and frustrated that his friends abandoned him.

  Minutes passed, yet Andrew remained still. As heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, he saw the janitor come back into view.

  From the distance, and over the sound of the alarm, the janitor said, “Well, kid, you were smart to stick around. Your friends are long gone anyways.”

  “They’re no friends of mine,” Andrew said bitterly.

  “Well,” the janitor said, “apparently not.”

  Andrew, desperate, tried one last time. “Please let me go. I didn’t do anything.”

  The janitor rolled his eyes and replied coldly, “You can save your story for the police.”

  18