TTW [OLD - HAS BEEN MOVED TO NEW ACCOUNT]

Chapter Seven

I was almost like a zombie for the rest of the day. A happy zombie – probably the happiest, if there ever was one. A huge grin was plastered on my face, and it didn’t even fade away when I almost walked into my classroom door.

“Hey Al, you alright? I didn’t see you at lunch – did you get another migraine?” Ria appears right in front of me and firmly pulls me aside before I could possibly demonstrate how to not walk through a door.

“Oh yea. You know how I am with loud drills,” I say sheepishly, recalling my conversation with Tony. I’d have to make that up to him – I’d feel horrible if I don’t, seeing how he even risked being late just to ask if he could escort me up to the nurse.

“Okay. But what did Nurse Tammy give you?!”

“What do you mean?”

“Duh – my best friend does not walk into doors.”

“Oh, um.” I bit my lips, trying to think of something. I knew Ria was my best friend, but would she be hurt if I told her that Jake had asked me to be his girlfriend? Well, technically fake girlfriend. If I explained it to her, she would understand. I hope.

“What are you hiding from me….?” A sly look creeps up on her face and warning sensors start blaring in my head.

“I’ll tell you after class, okay? Promise.” I zoomed into the room and plopped down in my seat before she could say anything else.

“You come back here, young lady!” I hear Ria protest as she rushes in the room after me, and Mr.Tuick shushes her quickly.

Mercifully, the bell rings before Ria can demand of me anything, and thirty-plus feet stampede into the room, almost making more noise than the bell. For some reason, on drill days, everyone is extremely loud. Or maybe it’s just me.

“At this point, I might need to go back to the nurse’s.”

Everyone chatters for a few minutes before Mr. Tuick, the Social Studies teacher unfolds all 6 feet 2 inches of him from his black office chair and stride to the front of the room.

“Okay, calm down everyone. I know you’ve had a day full of drills, but that’s no excuse for you to behave like a bunch of monkeys.” Someone near the back of the class screeches like a monkey for a few seconds, just for the obvious effect.

“I wasn’t  asking for that impromptu circus, Mr. Filger, but that was quite entertaining.”

Every turns to face and giggle at a pale boy in the back. “Nice going, nerd!” someone hisses, and those around him laugh.

I shake my head slightly. What is he thinking? Only the popular can get away with that kind of thing with a even higher reputation.

Everyone eventually settles back down, and the class continues.

It’s a peaceful sort of quiet, maybe because around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, everyone gets drowsy. The only sounds are the purr of the computers and the light skritch – scratch of pencils on paper. Mr. Filger’s voice breaks in occasionally to remind us of the instructions, or to add a little side-note.

”Okay, we’re done with the notes everyone. Now, I want you to read the next chapter in the textbook, and tomorrow, turn in a 5 paragraph essay summarizing the contents, got it?”

Groans immediately fill the previously silent air, and I stretch and yawn. The cramped feeling flees from my arms and back, and I lay my head in the crook of my arms and just watch Mr. Filger as he talks.

“It shouldn’t be too hard just to write five paragraphs, guys. I don’t think Mrs. Amos or Mr. Gnarley gave you any homework. You might have something to do from Mrs. Derna, but I know her homework is often easy.”