The Door That Wasn't There

Arthur

The first thing Arthur Egerton noticed about Panorama High every morning was the ocean.It was impossible not to notice it, really, considering the school had been built directly along the American coastline, with enormous windows stretching across the eastern side of the main building and a view that made even the most exhausting Monday mornings seem almost tolerable. Beyond the glass, the water glittered beneath the pale morning sunlight, waves rolling toward the shore in long blue lines while gulls drifted above the cliffs, and for a few seconds Arthur could forget that he had a mathematics test after lunch, soccer practice that afternoon, and three older brothers who seemed to have developed a mysterious talent for making him feel like he was twelve years old again.

He adjusted the strap of his school bag and walked through the entrance of the main building, trying not to get caught in the crowd of students rushing toward their first classes. Panorama was always loud in the morning. There were students speaking English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Italian, Norwegian, and languages Arthur couldn't even identify, all of them mixing together beneath the high ceilings of the academy. The school prided itself on having students from all over the world, and Arthur supposed that was one of the things he liked about it. Nobody here seemed particularly strange for having an accent, speaking another language with their friends, or coming from somewhere halfway across the planet.

Arthur, however, still felt slightly conspicuous sometimes.Perhaps that was because he was British.Or perhaps it was because his brothers were impossible to ignore."Arthur!"Arthur turned at the sound of Jamie's voice and immediately saw a blond head weaving through the crowd toward him.Jamie Rose looked as energetic as ever, despite the fact that it was barely eight in the morning. His golden-blond hair was parted neatly down the middle, though the rest of it had already started falling out of place, and the small silver piercings scattered across his ears caught the light whenever he moved. He had his blazer hanging open over his sweater and his tie was slightly crooked, which meant a teacher would probably tell him to fix it before first period.Arthur smiled despite himself."You're late," Jamie said when he reached him."I'm two minutes early."

"Exactly. Late for you."

Arthur gave him a look. "That's not how being early works."

"It is when I'm already here."

Jamie grinned and fell into step beside him, casually stealing one of the books tucked underneath Arthur's arm.Arthur immediately reached for it. "Give that back."

"No."

"Jamie."

"You carry too many books."

"I happen to like reading."

"I know. That's why I'm trying to save your spine."

"My spine is perfectly fine."

"Give it ten years."

Arthur rolled his eyes, although he couldn't stop himself from smiling as they continued down the hallway.This was how most mornings went with Jamie.Somehow, despite being only fifteen, Jamie had decided that Arthur was his personal responsibility, and Arthur had never quite figured out how it happened. They weren't related, they hadn't known each other since childhood, and there wasn't even a particularly dramatic story behind their friendship. They had simply met during their first year at Panorama, started talking, discovered they both liked running, and eventually Jamie began appearing beside Arthur almost every day as though someone had assigned him there.Arthur didn't mind.In fact, he liked having him around."Soccer after school?" Jamie asked.

"Obviously."

"Run before practice?"

Arthur glanced at him. "You said you were going to stop making me run on practice days."

"I lied."

"You're terrible."

"You still run with me."

"Unfortunately."

Jamie laughed.

They passed a group of students wearing the same aquamarine-and-white uniform, the school emblem stitched neatly onto their blazers. Arthur's own uniform was considerably more organized than Jamie's, with his aquamarine blazer buttoned properly over his lighter aqua V-neck sweater, his white shirt tucked in, and his aquamarine-and-gold striped tie sitting exactly where it was supposed to.Jamie looked at him.Arthur looked at Jamie."Your tie."Jamie sighed and fixed it."Happy?"

"Very."

They reached the staircase, and Arthur's eyes automatically moved toward the upper floor.He stopped.Three boys were standing at the opposite end of the corridor.His brothers.Josh was the easiest to recognize. At nineteen, he was the oldest of the Egerton brothers and had a presence that seemed to fill whatever room he happened to be standing in. He was tall, athletic, pale, with green eyes and the kind of posture that made him look older than most of the students around him.Beside him were Mason and Elis.Mason's red hair stood out against the aquamarine uniforms, while Elis looked considerably calmer, his expression difficult to read from this distance.Arthur's stomach tightened.He hadn't expected to see them.He knew they attended Panorama, obviously. They were his brothers. It wasn't as though they were strangers.But knowing they were somewhere on campus was different from actually seeing them.Arthur lowered his eyes.Jamie noticed."You okay?"

"Fine."

Jamie looked toward the three brothers and then back at Arthur.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Arthur started walking again before Jamie could ask anything else.He had gotten very good at saying he was fine.He had needed to.When Arthur was little, his brothers had treated him strangely. They had rarely included him in things, rarely talked to him unless they had to, and sometimes looked at him as though he were something they didn't understand. Arthur had spent years wondering what he'd done wrong.Eventually, he'd decided they simply didn't like him.It was easier than wondering why."Arthur."He heard Josh's voice behind him.His steps slowed.Jamie glanced at him, but Arthur turned around.Josh had crossed the hallway and was standing several feet away."Morning," Josh said.Arthur stared at him for a moment."Morning."Josh's expression softened slightly."You going to practice later?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Arthur nodded.There was a pause.It was always like this.Awkward.Uncomfortable.As though there were an enormous conversation between them that none of them knew how to begin.Josh looked like he wanted to say something else.Instead, he only nodded toward Arthur's bag."Don't forget your water."Arthur blinked."I won't."Josh nodded again before returning to Mason and Elis.Arthur watched him leave.Jamie waited until they had reached the staircase before speaking."Your brother seems nice."Arthur looked at him."He's not."Jamie raised an eyebrow."Okay."Arthur didn't elaborate.He couldn't explain something he didn't understand himself.The rest of the morning passed normally enough.

Classes came and went, and by lunch Arthur had nearly forgotten about the strange encounter with his brothers. He sat with Jamie and several other students in the cafeteria, listening to conversations happening around him while the huge windows provided a spectacular view of the ocean.Across the room, Arthur spotted Françis.His boyfriend was sitting beside Antonio, talking animatedly about something while Antonio laughed. Françis caught Arthur looking at him and smiled.Arthur felt his face warm slightly.Jamie noticed immediately."Oh, look at that."Arthur frowned. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Jamie."

"Your French boyfriend is staring at you."

Arthur glanced back toward Françis.

"He is not."

"He absolutely is."

Arthur tried to ignore him.A few seconds later, Françis stood and walked over."Bonjour," he said, smiling."Hello."Françis leaned against the table. "How was your morning?"

"Fine."

"Only fine?"

Arthur shrugged. "It's school."Françis smiled. "Fair enough."Antonio appeared behind him, carrying his lunch."Are you two coming to soccer later?"Arthur nodded. "Of course."Antonio looked at Jamie. "You running beforehand?"

"Obviously."

Antonio shook his head. "You people are insane."Arthur smiled.For a while, everything felt normal.Just another day.Just another school.Just another morning surrounded by people from all over the world.Arthur didn't know that it would be the last completely normal day Panorama High would ever have.After lunch, he headed toward his next class alone.He had forgotten his mathematics book in the library, and although he knew he should probably wait until after class, the thought of sitting through another lesson without it was worse than being late.The library was on the second floor of the older section of the school.Arthur had always liked that part of the building.It was quieter there, with tall windows, dark wooden floors, and old photographs of Panorama High lining the walls. The academy had been renovated several times over the decades, but the original section remained almost untouched, and students often joked that it felt more like a museum than part of a modern school.Arthur walked past the portraits without paying much attention.He reached the library, found his book exactly where he'd left it, and tucked it into his bag.Then he heard something.

A faint sound from the hallway.Arthur froze.It sounded like something scraping against the floor.He waited.Nothing. He frowned.Probably a chair.He stepped outside.The hallway was empty.Arthur looked toward the staircase.Nothing.He started walking.Then he stopped.There was a door on the other side of the hallway.Arthur stared at it.He knew this building.He knew Panorama High.He knew where every classroom was because he'd spent enough time getting lost during his first year to memorize most of the campus.There was not supposed to be a door there.It was tall and dark, with gold trim around the edges and an old-fashioned brass handle. The Panorama High emblem was carved into its center, but the design looked wrong somehow. The school's usual crest had a wave surrounded by stars, while this one appeared distorted, almost as though the wave were curling around something hidden beneath it.Arthur slowly approached.His first thought was that it must be some kind of storage room.

His second was that he should leave it alone.His third was that he really, really wanted to know what was inside.He reached toward the handle.Then he heard Jamie's voice from behind him."Arthur?"Arthur turned.Jamie stood at the end of the hallway, looking confused."What are you doing?"Arthur pointed toward the door."Was that always there?"Jamie stared.His expression changed."What?"

"The door."

Jamie looked at it.Then at Arthur."Arthur..."

"What?"

"There isn't supposed to be a door there."

A cold feeling settled in Arthur's stomach.He turned back toward it.The brass handle was slowly turning.Neither of them had touched it.Arthur stepped backward.The door opened.And behind it was not another classroom.It wasn't a storage room.It wasn't even another hallway.There was only darkness.Arthur stared into it, unable to move.Something shifted somewhere inside.Then, from the darkness beyond the impossible door, came the unmistakable sound of hundreds of tiny legs moving across the floor.

Arthur's blood ran cold.Jamie grabbed his arm."Arthur."Arthur couldn't answer.The sound grew louder.Closer.And then the lights above them went out.