The 'Cousins'

Part Seventy -Seven: Wayne Fisher Arrives.

Part Seventy Seven.

Timeline: 15:27, Friday 20th April: History Class, Junior High School.

Jess sat feigning attention to Mr. Marks’s history lecture. He heard the teacher’s voice as a low drone while his attention rested on the face of his grandfather’s watch, willing the hands to stop moving towards the end of the hour. Every second they moved onwards brought closer the dreadful moment when he had to meet Felix outside the school gates and make arrangements for Sunday.  Jess shrivelled inside at the thought of what he had allowed himself to be dragged into. He knew he was taking a risk trusting Felix to keep his word to him about this being a ‘one-off’ occasion to settle his debt at the school and with no ramifications or promises for future similar activities. ‘How could I have been so stupid?’’ 

The bell ending the hour came as a shock that made him jump. The stark knowledge that he was getting into something horrible rippled through him and he sat at his desk to think; while his laughing, joking classmates crowded the door and funnelled out of the room.

‘Why am I doing this? Why’d I agree to do it?' 

The idea that had seemed such a good way to cover his debts was far from appealing now the moment had arrived to deliver on his promise and keep his side of the bargain with Felix.

He felt detached from reality, looking in on himself from outside the class room. In a dream-like trance he stuffed his books and belongings into his school-bag. He had an hour’s basketball training before his meeting. Sighing with resignation, he made his way towards the door to join the tail end of the class leaving the room. He glanced to his left and saw Mr. Marks sitting as usual at his desk, but with his eyes fixed on Jess. It made the boy shiver, it was as if the teacher could read his thoughts and knew what he was about to do. In that instant Jess changed his mind again and decided he could not go through with it on his promise to Felix for Sunday. He would have to hide after basketball to avoid tonight’s meeting with Felix.  ‘But they will come looking for me! I can’t hide from them forever.’

The solution arrived as a calming influence descending on him, like a falling mist. But timing was important and he had to hurry. Jess pushed into the crowd blocking the doorway.

‘Come on, come on, hurry up.’  

Timing was so important. After basketball training he would go to the School House, collect all of his belongings and head for home that very night. Somehow he’d get home and he’d be done with this place and its torments forever. 

He would let the worst happen, if Dr. Armstrong chased him for money, he’d do jobs for neighbours and with him helping his dad on the farm they might grow more crops to increase revenue to pay off the debt. Jess knew he should have confided in his parents before. He hadn’t wanted to be an added burden on them, but he saw now that trying to do things his own way had made matters worse.

His decision to leave grew in its appeal the more he thought about it and was heartened by the knowledge that this was the right thing to do. He’d tell his parents about his problems as soon as he got home tonight.

He even turned to smile at Mr. Marks, whose suspicious gaze remained fixed upon him.  

The crowd shuffled slowly forwards through the door into the corridor thinning to nothing as it dispersed in different directions.  

Jess took a deep breath as he entered the corridor only to choke as the smile froze on his face. The warmth  of having made a decision evaporated to leave a dull weight in the pit of his stomach. Leaning languidly on the back wall facing the door he saw Kyler, waiting for him, a leer on his face and a cell phone at his ear.