Fall in May

~29~ Study Buddies in the Other Library.

"Okay, so here's how this works. We have two detention sign-up sheets. One for the subject you're the most successful in, and one for the subject that you're struggling in, if any?" Please note Cliffboard does not say fail or failing, nor weak, or weakest. Cause cats like Cliffboard only think in terms of struggling towards success or achieving success.

"So the pool on the roof is where now?" I eye this clown down hard now, cause I know damn well that this is one of those pool on the roof moments. The one where some smartass is trying to get the new kid to see the pool on the roof. But there is no pool on the roof, just a stairway up to a door that locks right behind you. So you have to wait up on the roof for the janitor to hopefully check for your dumbass or scream for help. It's a character test to see if you're a stand up there guy, or are you a "please help me down" little snitch.

"You did bring your detention slip with you, right?" He nods hopefully so. "Because you gonna need to get that time-stamped to show your time in and time out. But please try to remember not to stamp out and back in, if you take a bathroom break or you need a snack or anything else."

"So let's just go ahead and stamp you in." He takes the slip out of my hand and Cha-chunk goes the library time stamp machine on the counter.  

"Now then, let's get you matched up with a 'Study Buddy' from the list."  And yes, Cliffboard actually air quotes "Study Buddy" at me.  "So you can take a table anywhere in the middle sections or the corners. But not the front, as that is reserved for research projects only. Oh, and if your study detention section goes over time? Just let me know and I will give you credit towards your next detention or extra class credit. Depending on the teacher, of course."

"You have a question, yes?" Cliffboard asks unhelpfully. "Because you seem to keep blinking a lot and looking a little unhappy..."

Yeah, I got some blazing questions! Because my head is about to explode with the Insanistani shitstorms, the like that San Fall has never seen. WTF kind of institution are you mind raping bastards running on the mothership!  A student run detention for whatever the hell "honor code" violations are? With flocking timeouts for snacks and bathroom breaks, to get better at learning stuff? 

At my old institution, you sat in silence suffering with your piss paunch water torture punches until your eyes turned jaundice. Cause that reinforced the lesson being taught...OBEY!  And obviously, anyone with half a brain would have gone to the bathroom first, before coming here on time to SUFFER! You ever hear a teacher say "anyone with half a brain" they're talking about that one "success story kid" not the "animals" they have to deal with every day. Zookeepers and prison guards use the same terminology, cause they use the same cages. Cause chain fences make chain mentalities.

But just when I am about to rip Cliffboard's clipboard out of his hands and beat the Vice Presidential AV Club crap out of him and his big brain control paradigm. An all to eerily familiar lilting voice from behind me starts soothing the dark voices in my head. 

"Hey Pod Person guy. If it's all the same to you, I think I'll take this new one out for a test drive today." My dark mistress snickers from the shadows. "Cause I'm like here for my  English extra credit or whatever?"

"Well alrighty then Miss Grimm, he's all yours." Cliffboard beams and walks away to his spot at the reference desk. "So I'll go ahead and sign you both in on the sheet so that you get the right class credit."  

I slowly turn towards the vaguely recognizable voice standing behind me in the shadows. And there she stands, in all her dark glory with a quirky smirk on her pale visage, her shark stick and bowling bag in hand. In her shady shadow is her evilly smiling sinister sister, who looks like she is having all kinds of a good time at my expense.