Keeping Fantasia: The Third Book of the Fantasia Series

Chapter 146: Extra Credit

Chapter 146: Extra Credit

Jim's phone vibrated just as he spotted the students.

"Hey – " He answered Wendy's call. "I've got like three seconds before the turds get here. What's up?"

He waited. Nothing.

"Wen?" Jim looked at the screen. "Hello?"

Again, nothing. After a minute of unresponsiveness, he ended the call.

"Uh oh!" said Morph. "Wen Wen k k?"

"Probably a butt dial." Jim muttered, although a sour feeling was growing in his stomach. Sending a quick text (u ok?) he faced the approaching students.

He sighed. Wrathfully.

"Here we go."

Space 101 was being held on the outdoor track. When Headmaster Mickey asked where Jim wanted his classroom, Jim said "outside," and the track was offered, but at much chagrin to the coaching staff. What if Jim dropped an asteroid in the steeple chase pit? What if a solar flare burned the football field?

Jim gave a vindictive smirk. His solar surfer had already melted a streak across the artificial turf. However, that was a Headmaster Mickey-problem, not a Jim – problem.

He had a class to teach.

As the students crossed the athletic fields, Jim ruthlessly observed them.

It took three seconds for him to decide which ones he'd snipe.

Giggly girls – sniped.

Class clowns – sniped.

Anyone who over-used the term WOKE – sniped.

Jak was immediately on his radar of course, but Gwen was absent, which – given her history with Shadow – triggered instant misgivings about Wendy's phone call. The rest of the kids were just scenery. A few oddballs stood out, but none of them seemed like Space Force material.

"Oooo!" Morph bashed excitedly into Jim. "Lookie lookie! Jonny, Jonny!"

Jim shifted – the little alien felt like an earful of jelly. Pinching pink goo from his earring, he started to correct Morph, but stopped, interested to see Jak's reaction.

Jak, who had been passing with Titania, glanced irritably at first –

---but then he saw the solar surfer.

Pirates didn't look at gold with such desire.

Jim held his breath as Jak admired the vehicle. His gutsy little boy was still in there. Maybe there was a solid chance they could salvage a relationship.

Gently, as if throwing a ball to a toddler, Jim moved, forcing Jak to look at him.

They made eye contact.

They held.

Perhaps it was the glow of the solar sails, but Jim couldn't detect any animosity.

Abruptly, Jak blinked. Morph had floated into his field of view, a gigantic, cheesy smile blocking Jim's face.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii." Morph waved, a little starstruck by his old shipmate. "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Jonny!"

Jak's nostalgia hardened. Behind him, Titania scoffed, "That thing looks like a butthole. Move it Jarhead, unless you're going to have an emotional breakdown like Pigtail – "

"Titania." Jak spun. "Shut up."

Several students shuffled away. Jak hadn't spoken above a whisper, but his knife-hand was out. Titania was lucky she hadn't been lobotomized.