The Locked Staff Room

The doors of the other cubicles in the toilet swished open at 5 p.m. Outside, the school corridor was slowly growing quiet as students rushed home, their cheerful voices fading into the warm evening air. I was just sitting in one of the cubicles, waiting until 5:30 p.m., when most of the teachers had left the school, so I could go inside the staff room. I tiptoed out of the toilet and glanced outside to see if anyone was there. With my stomach fluttering nervously, I waited until the vice-principal, Mr Lim, went to his room.

The moment he disappeared around the corner, I sprinted across the corridor to the staff room. I went in and hurried to the desk of Mrs Rosnita, my English teacher, as I was very curious about my Weighted Assessment mark. I ran so fast that a cheetah's speed would be put to shame. My eyes swept across the neat stack of exam papers until I found mine. I glanced at my mark, and a jolt of excitement shot through me. I was about to leave the room when I heard the lock on the door behind me click.

My parents would be back home by 6 p.m., and I had to leave immediately. However, being late was no longer my greatest worry. Since the staff room was locked, I could not make a run for it, and I knew that being found among the teachers' papers would mean serious trouble. I had planned everything and knew the janitor would come to clean the staff room in about five minutes.

Five minutes. That was all I needed. I glanced at the clock. It was 5:36 p.m. "Come on..." I muttered impatiently. I paced around the staff room, trying to think of a way out. The rows of desks seemed to trap me, while towering cupboards lined the walls. I checked the door again, but it was firmly locked. I tried the handle repeatedly, but it refused to budge.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps. Tap. Tap. Tap. My blood ran cold. Someone was approaching the staff room. I quickly crouched behind a cupboard and peeked through the tiny gap between the doors. A shadow appeared underneath the door. Then the footsteps stopped. Silence. I held my breath. A key rattled inside the lock.

"Oh no!" I thought. The door opened slightly, and I saw Mr Lim standing outside. I immediately ducked behind the cupboard. He stepped into the room and looked around. My heart was pounding so loudly that I was convinced he could hear it. He walked towards the teachers' desks and picked up a stack of worksheets. Then his phone rang. He turned around and walked out of the room to answer it. I slowly released the breath I had been holding. "That was close!"

I checked the clock again. It was 5:43 p.m. My parents would be home in seventeen minutes, but escaping without being discovered mattered even more now. I needed to get out. I quietly scoured the room, checking every door, drawer and cupboard, hoping to find another exit. Finally, I noticed a small window near the back of the staff room. It was slightly open. My eyes widened. Maybe I could climb out.

I hurried towards it, but just as I reached the window, I heard the unmistakable sound of a trolley being pushed down the corridor. The janitor had arrived. I quickly moved away from the window and hid behind a tall cabinet. The door opened. The janitor entered with his cleaning cart, its wheels squeaking as the sharp smell of disinfectant filled the room. He began mopping the floor, and the wet mop swished across the tiles.

I waited patiently, although every second seemed to stretch into a minute. Then the janitor pushed his trolley towards the cabinet where I was hiding. My palms became sweaty. He stopped. He reached towards the cabinet, and I shut my eyes, certain that I had been caught. Suddenly, his phone rang. He turned away to answer it.

That was my chance. I quietly slipped out from behind the cabinet and dashed towards the window. I climbed through it and landed on the grass outside with a soft thud. Relief rushed through me, but it vanished when a familiar voice stopped me.

"What are you doing outside the staff room?" Mr Lim asked.

He was standing beside the window, his eyebrows drawn together as he noticed the grass stains on my uniform. For a moment, I considered pretending that I had been playing near the building. Yet the open window, my muddy hands and the exam mark fixed in my mind made lying impossible. My face burned as I admitted that I had entered the staff room to look at Mrs Rosnita's papers. Mr Lim's disappointed expression hurt more than any scolding. He said that he would inform Mrs Rosnita and my parents. With my head lowered, I sprinted towards the school gate without looking back.

When I finally reached home, the clock showed 6:02 p.m. My parents were standing at the doorway. My mother raised an eyebrow and asked where I had been. I froze, but I knew there was no point lying. I took a deep breath and told them everything. To my surprise, they did not shout immediately. My father simply shook his head.

"You risked getting into serious trouble just to see your mark? Your results are important, but following the rules is more important," he said.

I nodded sheepishly. That night, I kept thinking about what had happened. My curiosity had nearly turned a simple school day into a disaster.

The next morning, a wave of dread washed over me. I knew I had to face Mr Lim. As I entered the classroom, Mrs Rosnita walked towards me. My face turned bright red, and I apologised before she could speak.

"I know you were curious about your mark. But next time, just ask me," she said gently.

I nodded, ashamed but grateful that she had given me a chance to learn. From that day onwards, whenever curiosity tempted me to break a rule, I remembered the locked staff room, the footsteps in the corridor and the terrifying five minutes I had spent hiding. I had learnt my lesson the hard way. Some things were simply not worth getting into trouble for.