Beyond the Tragedy

☇Beverly☇

1 year Before

"Excuse me? Miss?"

"Huh..uh, what?"

Beverly was sitting at a lunch table and suddenly staring up at the school's janitor. The last thing she remembered was resting her eyes after finishing 6 pages of math homework.

"Uh, well, the bell for 5th period rang about ten minutes ago." The janitor said. He had a worn out nametag on his gray jumpsuit but Beverly could only make out the letter 'R'.

"Oh crap." Beverly said but made no move to get up.

The Janitor shrugged at her and started disassembling all of the lunch tables, folding them up and rolling them to the back of the cafeteria.

Soon, Beverly's table was the only one left and she had missed most of her French class.

"Did, uh, did ya eat lunch?" The Janitor asked, probab trying to figure out why Beverly was still there.

"Yeah. I just-I'm really tired." Beverly sighed and looked at the clock. 15 minutes until her study hall period where she could sleep some more.

"You getting enough sleep at home?"

"Oh, uh. Probably not, no. My grandma's been sick so I'm kinda worried about her."

Beverly didn't know what prompted her to tell the school Janitor anything but he seemed nice enough. He sat down across from her at the table and folded his hands, ready to listen.

"It's just...I live across from a McDonald's, right? But the Neon sign glares through my grandma's window so she can't sleep and with her health issues she needs her sleep. So I'm always trying to make her trade rooms but then she's worried I won't sleep so she won't trade with me. Then I hear her coughing and moving around all night and I can't sleep anyway..."

She went on and on about all of her issues. She couldn't sleep which affected her schoolwork. She had poor grades so she couldn't participate in extracurricular activities. She couldn't participate in extracurricular activities so she had no friends. She had no friends so she spent all of her time with her grandmother. Her grandmother is ill which worries her. She's worried so she can't sleep.

And it begins again. For Beverly, it's a never ending cycle.

The whole time Beverly was talking, the Janitor sat there silently, which she appreciated.

"Well does your grandma know you're not sleeping, either?" The janitor asked.

"Uh, I don't know. I guess not."

"Well, maybe if you told her you aren't sleeping either, maybe she would be willing to move rooms."

"That's...Yeah that ain't a bad idea. I know if I can get her out of that room, we'd both be able to sleep. That sign never bothers me like it does to grandma." Beverly was already putting the plan together. She may have to fib a little to make it work.

It's too dark. I need your room, grandma, please.

Gram will think she's doing Beverly a favor, and they would both get enough rest. Beverly's grades would go back up since she wouldn't be falling asleep in class anymore. Maybe she would even join some clubs and make friends.

"Well, there you go." the janitor nodded pleasantly and stood up.

Beverly smiled at him in thanks and stuffed her belongings into her backpack. She was renewed with energy at her plan. Had it really been so easy all along?

As she exited the cafeteria she saw the janitor folding up the last table.

Beverly wondered how many students this janitor has helped. If all went according to plan, Beverly was going to be a changed person.

And she owed it all to him.