Aura
2151 Words
"You know, those days when I was still so poor like y'all, I was a farmer. Yeah, I told you. I used to be a farmer, then", he had told the students, repeatedly. Too often that whenever he retold it, they knew which word would come next. It was as if he had rehearsed it as a poem when he was a kid. "I suffered a lot. I was one of the best farmers, in my time, but no one recognized me. They were jealous of me; all of 'em".
That was Mr. Pitybull for you. "Pitbull?", Jackson had asked, when the teacher was first introduced, despite a clear spelling on the white board.
The Thursday had gone great-ly boring. From Physics, taught by Mrs. Gringle, one of the most boring teachers in the school, to Chemistry, taught by Mr. Elijah who knew nothing like 'rest'. They were always having practicals; strenuous practicals.
Mr. Pitybull was the teacher for Agriculture but he told more of history; unimportant history no one wants to hear?
"Okay! We pity you so much", Jackson said, sarcastically, as they were forced to listen to him.
"Yes, you should", he sniffed in and cleaned his eyes. "I was really poor, even though my farm products were the best in the-"
Jackson cut him short, again, with a false grunt. "You can continue, sir", he said.
After using half of the allotted lecture time to repeat a 'childhood poem', he'd begin actual teaching. One fact is, his practicals were one of the most enjoyable. Another fact is, Mr. Pitybull was still poor.
"So what are you up to?", Felix asked, as he dropped on a seat for Lunch.
"Food, I think", Joe replied.
"Well, can I see the book?", Felix asked, referring to the diary. He knew the answer to that, though. He would keep pestering.
"I told you I couldn't have bought a book in a burning shop", Joe tried to avoid the question.
"i***t. Not Harry Pott-"
"I know, man. It's a no"
"Why?"
"It's private reasons... That's why it's called a diary"
"Really, what do you have to hide?", Felix asked in a low voice, as though he was deeply hurt. "What kind of friends are we if we can't share secrets?"
Joe kept shut for a while. He definitely had something to hide and he couldn't tell it, even if there was nothing to lose. He could only show him the book... but for now...
"I can't tell you... Not now", Joe replied. "But I promise, you'll know everything, even if everyone is kept in the dark."
★
"My grandfather used to tell me not to fight", Harry warned Joe and Jackson, who were standing and ready to face off again.
"It's because he always got beaten anytime he tried to", Jackson replied, punching the air and flexing his muscles.
"No, that's not it", Harry replied. "The second time I'm hearing that. Was that an insult?"
"What?! How dare me", Jackson replied, faking a smile. "It's totally a compliment. Your dad's a perfect gentleman"
"It better be", Harry replied, arranging his notes in his backpack.
"who else has noticed this mental disorder in our two contestants? It only shows itself on Fridays", Matt asked, rhetorically.
It was Friday, again. There was always some free time so there was generous time allotted to misbehaving. Jackson always used it, wisely.
"Responsible students, like me, don't fight. You both are disa-", Charles was talking. Sorry, man down. Jackson had thrown a knockout punch.
Laura and the girls were yelling our warnings. They wouldn't report but they didn't want any complaints from any teacher. They would all be tagged with the act. Nelly cared less. She had potato chips and apple juice to deal with.
"You can do this, man. I believe in you", Felix said, massaging Joe's shoulders.
"Yes, I can", Joe replied, punching the air.
Laura and the girls were panicking but Joe didn't have eyes for that, at the moment. The butterflies of love ? had gone hiding. All he could see was Mortal Kombat's 'Finish Him!' scene ?
They were about to run into each other when Carly ran in between them. Laura calmed, "Yes, stop them", she folded her arms.
"Three... Two... One... Fight!", Carly said and moved aside. "Sorry, Laura. Everybody wants this"
"Nobody wants this!"
"Trust me, Nelly does. I do. Three is a crowd"
Jackson had slammed Joe's back attempting to kick Joe off the ceilings but Joe swung backwards with all energy. His bare feet touched the ceilings sticking to the ceilings again. Facing down, it felt as if his heart would drop out of his chest.
Jackson had slammed himself on the ground. Joe was hanging like the wall crawler, Spiderman. Everyone had their mouths open, wondering but laughing at Joe, as he struggled to free himself from the grip of the ceilings.
He shook his body, violently, scared. He sensed something around him, like an aura. It seemed familiar but there was no memory of it. He stopped struggling, trying to get where he had sensed something similar. Something was approaching and he felt it. Someone, actually. He dropped, suddenly, and hit the metal seat. He grunted in pain. Everyone had their eyes, wide open. No one was laughing.
"I warned you", Laura said. "Now he prolly has fracture, dislocation and a heart attack"
"What happened here?", Mr. Denvers asked, startling the students, as he brought his head in. "Well, uhm. I don't want to know". He walked past.
Charles still laid on the ground, after attempting to kick Joe off the ceilings but Joe swung backwards with all energy. His bare feet touched the ceilings sticking to the ceilings again. Facing down, it felt as if his heart would drop out of his chest.
Jackson had slammed himself on the ground. Joe was hanging like the wall crawler, Spiderman. Everyone had their mouths open, wondering but laughing at Joe, as he struggled to free himself from the grip of the ceilings.
He shook his body, violently, scared. He sensed something around him, like an aura. It seemed familiar but there was no memory of it. He stopped struggling, trying to get where he had sensed something similar. Something was approaching and he felt it. Someone, actually. He dropped, suddenly, and hit the metal seat. He grunted in pain. Everyone had their eyes, wide open. No one was laughing.
"I warned you", Laura said. "Now he prolly has fracture, dislocation and a heart attack"
"What happened here?", Mr. Denvers asked, startling the students, as he brought his head in. "Well, uhm. I don't want to know". He walked past.
Charles still laid on the ground, after Jackson's knockout punch. Joe stared at the ceilings, moaning silently while Jackson only stared up, in horror.
Mr. Denvers walked back and whispered. "Hey! I was never here, today. Thank you!". He increased his pace as he walked away.
A minute later, Mr. Batis came by and met the same scene. Everyone had remained stiff, in the same position. "Haha ha haahaa", he was happy to dish out punishments. He didn't need to ask what happened. Harry was pointing, already. "Detention!"
★
As cheerful as ever, Mr. Batis awaited his two new victims. He kept smiling and soliloquizing, as he imagined the punishment he was about to give. They dragged their feet into his office, looking impressively tired.
"Lovely! Perfect!", he shouted to his students, showing his almost white teeth. "Just as I wanted". The class one students had been forced to remain in school.
"Oops! Looks like your dad got something big for us", Jackson whispered in Joe's ears. The students were frowning and hissing, repeatedly, but Mr. Batis didn't care. His dreams were coming true.
"Hello, class!", Mr. Batis announced to his students, "I present these senior disappointments to you. They are honoured to teach you all what they've learnt, since their empty heads have been attending school."
He took his seat while the two argued on who to give the lessons first.
"Okay! I'm waiting. You've got just two hours so you share the time", he howled. The students grunted again. It was hard to tell who was suffering the detention?.
"Yay! Good morning, class", Joe said, wearing a fake smile.
"It's evening!", a female student rudely interrupted. Joe stared at her like he heard her say, 'i***t'... 'she definitely said i***t'.
"Who cares? ?", Joe continued. "We'll be talking about Time Utilisation. What do you understand by the term?"
A boy stood up. "It is defined as the act us investing one's time in wise or profitable tasks for future gains and leisure"
Wow! Unexpected bomb ?. "Wow! That's amazingly mind-blowing. You just won a bubble gum.
"Brilliant!", Jackson said, loudly. Then, he whispered in Joe's ears. "Utilise the time, wastefully, please"
"Shut up!", Joe whispered back. Then he continued with the students. "What's your name, boy?"
"I'm John. John Andrews" the boy replied, confidently.
"Nice name, nice brain", Joe said with another forced smile. "Who can mention the various ways we can waste our precious time?"
All hands went up, this time. Mr. Batis had his jaw on his palms, bored to coma. "You?", Joe pointed at a girl.
The girl stood up. "When will I get the bubble gum if I answer, correctly?"
"Never. I was just kidding. No bubble gums for anyone", Joe replied.
"Asking dumb questions like this one", another boy answered.
"Answering dumb questions like this one"
"Sitting here"
"Listening to your bullshit"
The students began throwing answers, indiscriminately, and everyone was winning an invisible bubble gum.
"Snoring in day time", Jackson said, aloud, answering the same question. Everyone glanced left at Mr. Batis' chair. He was asleep... and literally snoring. Then, they laughed.
They made jokes, throughout the detention period, while Mr. Batis had a good time snoring, with his jaw on his right palm.
"Mr. Batis!", Joe called. The man remained in the dream world. He whispered to Jackson, "I would have taken a picture if he was drooling"
"The show's not over. In two seconds, his jaw will drop and there will be flood", Jackson made a joke. Mr. Batis' mouth soon opened up.
"Mr. Batis!", Joe shouted before the impending flood could flow. Mr. Batis woke up. "It's time".
"Oh, ok", he yawned and looked at his wristwatch. "It's time. Get out of here!"
"That was pretty cool", Jackson said, with a sincere smile, as they left the class.
"Yea", Joe yawned. "When is the sleepover? I would love a night within these walls"
"A night with Laura, you mean. It's next week. Friday", Jackson replied, hanging his backpack on his right arm.
"Maybe Laura. Maybe not", Joe replied, searching for his pair of shoes. "Wait. How many people know this?"
"I do", Jackson replied and headed to the door, but he turned and smiled. "Hey. I got some combat skills to learn from you…. "
"Are you kidding? After hugging the ceilings? I only got lucky, back there. I should learn from you. That punch!", Joe smiled back, as he found his shoes, right under where he sat.
"Till we meet", Jackson said, smiled and threw a 'middle finger' sign, as he left.
Joe looked up at the ceilings, where his hands had got stuck. There were a lot of mysteries to solve; the explosion at Drake Supermarket, the doctor's request that it remained a secret, his sticky palms and feet, and the strange aura that kept appearing again and again..
He climbed the desk and touched the dry ceilings with the back of his palms. He moved his hand, roughly on the dry hard surface. He came down. His palms were a little sticky.
"Is it gum?', he asked himself, as if it were possible. It looked as if his palms had melted. He wore his shoes, slowly. The tip of his toes were also sticky. He dipped his hands in his bag and pulled out a pair of socks. He shoved it back in, after two seconds of contemplating.
He looked at the ceilings, again. There was more to whatever was-...
"Come on, son", the janitor, Mr. Glen, interrupted his thoughts. "It's time to go home"
★
"You're late. What happened?", Mr. Ryan asked the exhausted Joe.
"Detention. Had a disagreement which led to a fight.... but it's all settled now", Joe replied.
"Ok. Be careful, next time"
Joe walked into his room, took off his clothes and jumped on the be, stressed out. He looked into his shoes and realized the leather of his shoes might have been melting. That didn't explain his sticky hands, though. How would it even melt?"
"Joe? Are you in there?", his mom called from the sitting room.
"Evening, mom. I'm home", Joe replied.
"Well, come down for dinner. Will you?"
"I'll be out, in a minute!"
- Writer
