Fall Foretold

One Typical week

There is something about a perfect mischief plan; they might see it coming; they might know who's planning it;. they might even know the moment it's going to happen; but they must not know what is coming for them. They must not be prepared for what you have. Make them think it's something else ?. Make them think it's some other time ? Make them think it's someone else ?. Then, ?, blow their idle minds.

When Matt and. Carly are seen smirking, something had happened somewhere... or something was about to happen somewhere... and they are behind the scenes.

No matter the level of stupidity, every living soul in the class would know that the inseparable mischievous duo were up to devilry again, without being told. Did I say 'level of stupidity'? I think Harry is yet to know. Exclude him ?.

It's Monday morning and Joe showed up in School, physically fit like someone who definitely had 'no accident. The man probably just had a sleepover at the hospital. Felix had to stare at every part of him, for an awkwardly long time, to confirm his level of "Okay".

"Are you sure?", Felix doubted that, as he kept thinking of the phone conversation. "You were there- you witnessed the explosion, did you?". He asked hastily, happy.

"Yes, I guess so", Joe replied, as though he was unsure. He was too 'on fire' to have confortably witnessed the explosion. He was even part of the explosion.

"So, uhm... Nothing happened?"

"Nothing like what?", Joe tried to avoid the question. He was bad at it.

"Where is your phone?", Felix asked.

"It's ruined", Joe said. "Why didn't you come over to help, as you said?"

"Oh, man", Felix looked disappointed in himself. "Trust me, I stood up, immediately. I would have gotten to you in a few minutes but Mom caught me. Remember I told you she was mad at me? She got madder. I tried to come to your place on Saturday but she caught me. Again! Then, she grounded me... and seized my phone."

"Sorry about that, man. Just before the place exploded, my feet moved. I could have remained there till now"

"Almost thought your heart actually exploded", Felix laughed, joking with Joe's last words during the shoe problem"

"Uhn? How does that relate? How would you think that?"

"i***t! That was the last thing you said"

"Said when?", Joe remained serious. He didn't get the joke.

"Never mind", Felix said. Joe had forgotten. 'This guy must have had a concussion."

Mr. Batis walked past, in the cafeteria, getting everyone's attention through his whistles. Matt and Carly smirked again, smiling and rubbing their palms.

"I just hope all this smile suspense worths the while", Joe commented.

"What do you think we are planning?", Matt asked, leaning closer to Joe.

Joe leaned closer to him, too, and whispered in his ears. "Something pretty bad"

Matt whispered back. "Wrong. It’s something VERY bad", he sat up and spoke, dramatically. "And we shall finally prove our highly esteemed position"

"- As mischief Kings of the century", Carly completed the sentence, loudly. "Grrr ah-"

"Hey!", Mr. Batis yelled. "Shut up, S-Carly-wag!"

"Sorry, sir", Carly said, quickly, dipping a spoon in his mouth and looking down on his table, as everyone choked on their laughter.

After the long laughter, Joe’s eyes moved back to Felix who was sitting right in front of him, eating from the same table. "Lunch time is almost over. Let's eat", he quickly suggested, as he suspected another question coming at him. He was careful not to talk of how the incident had happened and how he recovered from a fatal incident within three days because the doctor had told him not to talk about it to anyone 'because whoever planted that bomb might be after you. You are special, that is how you recovered. That is also why they are after you. If you tell more people, there will be more awareness about you... and more people to use as bait"

He kept his eyes on Laura. That had always been his worst distraction ?. He was already deep in Utopia and probably didn't realize he was staring. She was having lunch with her friends, a few tables away. Her long dark hair fell off her shoulders, dangling behind her in slow motion ?. Yes, like the movies. Felix still wanted to hear more of the bomb experience. Joe's escape must have been epic.

"Joe!... Joe!", he called the daydreaming Joe, repeatedly, till he got his attention. "How long do you plan to stare when you can just walk over and talk to her?"

"Nah! I love the distance", Joe replied, stared again and turned, dramatically. "I am not worthy of her precious affection"

Felix chuckled. "Whatever. Have you bought the book?"

"How could you? All these heartbreaking predicament of mine and all you care about is Harry Potter?", Joe replied, still being dramatic. Then, he got serious. "How could I have bought the book after the explosion?"

"Yeah, true. Almost forgot"

"Nah, you didn't. You wanted to talk about the explosion"

"Thank God you know. So how was it?", Felix adjusted his seat, eager to hear what happened.

"I sustained some injuries so I had to go to the hospital. According to the doctor, I wasn't counted with the victims and he advised me not to tell anyone about it, for reasons I don't know"

"Well, that's strange. Why keep it a secret? What's there to hide?", Felix asked, staring as if there was another bomb under the table.

"What? Take your eyes off me. I know nothing" ?

★

The day ended, the same way. there was no laugh, no cry, no mischief, no comic relief, after the boring lectures ?. But something was definitely going to happen.

Tuesday morning was pretty lively. Mr. Walter announced the date their projects would be carried out. Basic Technology always made their day, when the teacher came with projects but the idea of having team mates wasn't generally loved. Harry had to belong somewhere.

"Before I go, it's all about team work. So I will personally split you into teams, however my instincts lead"

Economics was next. Mr. Batis! ? Two minutes before his time, the man's already waiting at the door, 'like he'd ever get a promotion for that'. Matt said that. Not me.

And there's Ms. Stephanie, the English teacher,... with Mr. Batis. That's very unfortunate for Matt and Carly. The two, 'totally incompatible', had been frolicking around the school since the beginning of the term. Mr. Batis hated Matt and Carly ? and the unrealistic love play could turn beautiful Ms. Stephanie against them.

Half the time allotted to the lecture was spent on a romantic comedy. Ms. Stephanie was busy blowing kisses and Mr. Batis was giggling stupidly. The few minutes, well, was another worthy waste. The mischief came to life ?.

As if planned, Mr. Batis was the first teacher to sit on the teachers' chair, that day. The long awaited prank finally landed, after twenty four hours, on Mr. Batis' face. Ms. Stephanie waved goodbye and Mr. Batis waved back, staring at her as he sat on the chair. Hot chocolate got released on his face. He wiped the chocolate from his face and tried to stand up. Oops! He fell forward. ? His buttocks was glued to the chair.

Matt and Carly stood up, feigning ignorance ,with that caring look ?. Sorry, man. The noise of excitement and hails ratted them out.

"Silence!", Mr. Batis shouted, as he freed himself, leaving a piece of his trouser on the chair. "You! You! Detention!!!"

★

They had to wash every bathroom in the school. Though the stink and rubbish were as choking and horrible as death, they couldn't have been more proud of themselves.

"Try this again and you'll be suspended in midair for a month. Thirty one days, to be specific. 734 hours to be extra specific", Mr. Batis had said.

"He calculated that, immediately? That man is a pro", Joe commented.

"No, he's not. When I got home, I assembled five calculators and two math textbooks. In summary, there are 744 hours in 31 days"

The laughters died, earlier than expected and everything became as boring as normal, again. Joe brought out his old secret book. He had it for as long as a pretty long time and even Felix wasn't allowed to look in it. He wrote 'DIARY', boldly, on the cover page so there would be no excuse if he ever caught anyone with it.

"What could he be writing?", Felix thought out loud, rubbing his chin and stroking his invisible beard.

"Did you say something, Felix?", Harry asked, fully attentive, as if he were sure it had to do with him.

"No, nothing. I was thinking out loud"

"Ok. About what?", he asked again, still attentive.

"About how you successfully attained this level of stupidity!", Felix erupted. "Thank you!"

"Hey, everyone. I can't find my needle!", Harry announced as he stood up to search for it. "I lost my needle, please. I will be grateful if you help me find it. Thank you!"

He walked around the class, repeating his pleas. "May God bless you as you humbly help in the search of my needle. Help! My needle". No one was listening to him. The needle was soon spotted in a thin hole in the ground, pointing upwards, as if planted there as a trap.

"Excuse me", Harry said, carefully shoving people aside to get to the needle. He was about to pick it up when Joe stepped on it, barefooted.

"No!", Harry raised his voice, dramatically, as Joe's foot sprung back up. Not for Joe. For the bent needle.

"Oh my God! Who saw that?", Jackson commented, loudly. "His foot bent the needle. He's not even bleeding. Too much malnutrition"

"Mama tells me never to take off my shoes in school", Harry said.

"It's 'cause your leg's weird", Felix shunned ?

"Hey, Elephant ", Jackson taunted Joe, repeatedly.

"Hello, son of a buffalo", he replied.

"Buffaloes are cute. My father's worse", Jackson said. "I can't even imagine how that needle will be feeling, right now. I better avoid those legs from now on"

Joe didn't care about those words. Neither did he feel the pain from the needle. His normal thought should be ,'Yay! I'm indestructible ?. His wondering was cut short as his eyes caught Laura, smiling broadly at him. He looked away and smiled, too.

"See!? He's smiling 'cause it's true", Jackson said, pointing at his face. His expression changed, quickly.

"Sorry, man", Charles added, laughing stupidly. "His father must have been a rhino"

"Ain't your problem to solve, bro", Joe replied and everyone laughed at the instant response. Laura laughed, too.

"Joe knocked him out", Matt laughed, uncontrollably. "See that face!"

Daya and Chloe sat in the backseat, gossiping as usual. While everyone was being naughty and noisy, they'd sit, giggling and admiring the boys, silently.

Nelly, the fattest girl in the school, would sit alone, always eating something. As if everything she ate was storing in her body, she had grown so big and strong that she once beat Harry up for advising her to stop eating in class.

"Look at me. I want the best for you but these foods will not help you. You really have to exercise and stay away from food for a week, at least. Just drink water. That way, you have some hope of ever getting married-", Harry had said just that. ? Well, not a very good idea.

Jackson stood up and addressed the class, loudly getting everyone's attention. "Hi, everyone. There are students in this class who have been exceptionally great. They have dared to perform an outstanding task of breaking down a mountain; our long time enemy. Even though they already got detention, they deserve more than just that. A round of applause for Matt and Carly as they walk up the aisle"

The two of them stood up slowly and walked to the front of the class, flexing their muscles"

"I hereby appoint this magnificent duo as Mischief Kings of our time!"

The class clapped, noisily. Carly yelled, "Pour the annointing oil", as they knelt before the "Priest".

"Haha", a strange laughing voice came in when the laughter died down. Unfortunately, Mr. Batis had showed up at the right time. "Mischief Kings, uhn!? Jackson! Detention!!!"

★

Thursdays we're always boring but.... no but, this Thursday was just the same; boring. Though, the day started, promisingly humourous with Mr. Denvers.

Mr. Denvers taught Civics, the first lesson for the day. A few jokes in the middle of his lectures always kept them smiling. They smiled and the smiles ended with the lecture.

He had explained the political hierarchy of the country, comparing it to a company, owned by a large number of people who appoint a person as the manager. Then, blah, blah, blah. The absurd metaphor continued.

The lecture was almost over when Mr. Denvers realized that Nelly had been munching cookies, throughout. She wasn't just munching cookies; she was comfortably focused on the cookies.

"Miss Nelly! Nice cookies you've got there", he said, sarcastically. "Do you mind buying a pack of cookies for each of us here? We'll be very grateful... or you could just keep that pack till the class is over"