Fall in May

~32~ Dummy Study Buddies 4 Life.

We slowly cruise inside of the Other Library and up to the reference desk to stamp in my detention time. Only to discover that the ever-chipper Cliffboard is not large and in charge of the punitive punishment show today. Which is odd, because personally, I think that lording over the detention detainee's is the highlight of that dudes day. Like this is the one place where he can be too cool for school. But instead of Cliffboard, the guy running the circus is some skinny senior clown with fuzzy hair and a curling lip leer sneer.  

I make the fatal mistake of ignoring this Fuzzyhead clown, when I stamp in and sign us in together for reading time. Then start to head us over to grab our usual carrel in the front corner, where the glass comes together in a small square fishbowl room. It's the best spot I can find so far, where I can see almost every direction. So I can spot April incoming for May's pick up later, after she is finished practicing being cheery. Because if there is one girl who seriously needs to practice being cheerful it's May's sinister sister.  

"Grimm you're with Tolliver today, Dean you go with Barnes." Fuzzo rolls up to us and pronounces our punitive sentences with an air of arrogance. I glance over and see Guys Mike shaking his head slowly, and Butchy is starting to seriously glower at Fuzzyhead.

"That's a big no go, bro." I snap back, immediately irritated with this guy. "I'm with Maybe. It's on the signup sheet that way, so it's a thing." 

"Not today." He tries to shrug me off. "Today you're with Barnes, and Grimm goes with Tolliver."

"Where's Cliffboard?" I am starting to grow seriously agitated with this ass clown.

"Obviously he's out sick, which is why Mrs. St. Claire put me in charge." He smirks condescendingly. "So if you have any issues with that, I suggest you take up with her. I just read the chart and assign..." 

"That's not how Cliffboard runs this show, bro." I cut him off in mid-next stupid thing to say.

"What's wrong with you guy? You act like you've never attended a real school before. Hello, this is detention?" He taps his petty tyrant chart, emphasizing for effect. "You sign up to be here. But we can assign you any buddy we want, not the other way around. So today you go with Butch for English, and Tolliver reads math to Grimm."

May, who could say so much in the way of that question, is standing stone still and starting pale as we engage in this waste of time. I already know from experience how much she hates violent confrontations. Not to mention the outright mayhem and bloodshed that I bring to any party. 

"What's wrong with me?" I repeat low and slow, and start vibrating. "Let's start with you, the clown who's just making all this crap up as you go along? Because there's no way Mrs. St. Claire pimped me out to buddy with Butchy. See I'm on the list with May, then suddenly not? Now you arbitrary switch me around to Butch?"

"And no offense to Butchy, but that's not why I'm here for. I'm here to read to May. That's what I signed up for, so that's what I do." I flick this clown clipboard soundly to let him feel my unhappy, causing him to take a step back. "So you got a problem with that, why don't you go take up with Mrs. St Claire in the main office? Seeing she's the one who insisted on arranging all that for me and May."

"Well today you go with Butch, or you leave. And because you already clocked in, I will report you for an additional honor code violation." He counters smugly sure of himself.  

Now that a threat has been made, all the dark voices in my head are highly suggestive. That I pick up the pen that fell off this clowns clipboard when I flicked it, and find a new spot for it to call home. Right through Fuzzo's funny ear hole and scramble all the all the fun smugness that lives in there, until it changes that station back to static.