Security Guards

“Where do you suppose they go?” Katrina whipped her long braid around as she rotated slowly on the metal cafeteria bench.

Perched on the end of the bench, Melinda leaned forward, crossing her long legs and swinging one foot. “I dunno. D’ya suppose they go off to sleep or something?”

Taking a bite of apple, Katrina chewed, pondering the question. “I think filling the role of security guard is just a cover for their real job. What if the security guards were actually the principal’s personal agents, hired to snoop in kids’ lockers, gathering information?”

Both girls giggled as they gathered up their garbage and threw it away.

“Maybe their police academy instruction was so awful that they have to train at a martial arts center.” Melinda put her hands alongside her cheeks as if to restrain herself. “Maybe their alternate job is to clean the marsupial cages at the local zoo.”

Tears trickled down Katrina’s face, and she made a feeble attempt at swiping them away. “You’re so weird. What if they’re really aliens—masked aliens!”

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and the passing period for afternoon class. The laughing girls picked up their backpacks and headed to gym class, stopping at their lockers on the way. Behind them a boy trailed, the son of one of the security guards. He had always assumed his dad ate lunch, just as he did. But the overheard conversation made him wonder, how would anyone really know what security guards do?

Neither the boy nor the giggling girls noticed the lights flickering as they walked down the corridor.