MISFIT

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The following day was a school day, as always, Kuzo used his skateboard to get to school. He walked to his locker, opened it and stacked his skateboard in it, then he heard howls and whistles, he turned to the direction of the noise and noticed someone had come to school with a hover board. People were cheering and whistling and gazing at it like they had seen Thor's hammer. Kuzo sucked in air through his teeth, locked his locker, shook his head and walked away.

"Hey man did you see that, that is the latest hover board, I wish my dad could get me one of those" It was Luis, a white boy with braces.

"I ain't got time for old technology" Kuzo said matter of factly.

"Old, that is the latest thing these days, everyone our age talks about it"

"Well not me" Kuzo continued to walk towards his class with Luis following closely behind. He found a seat and took it without even noticing who was behind him.

Mr. Cordin the math teacher walked in looking all ruffled up and in an old brown suit. He looked like he had dropped in from another time, he didn't look like he had just began the morning.

"Hello everyone

"Hello, Mr. Cordin, up again all night working on that equation, I bet" Adam said, the eldest in the class said. He was also black and very well built.

"Yes, yes, yes, I'd need to solve that problem soon, it could be life changing for me"

"You hardly look like you have a life to even talk of changing it" Zac, the rich kid who had brought the hover board, said. There were giggles.

"I presume it looks so"

"It is so, you’ve worn that jacket 15 times this week even though we've had just three"

Zac said.

"You know what Zac if your insults were just as intelligent as your grades, there won't be a problem but you see, they just aren't, so shut your face or would I have to solve your equations to shut it up for you?" Kuzo said, and then there was silence.

"Enough kids, we'll begin the lesson" Mr. Cordin said but Kuzo hadn't even turned to see how red Zac had become.

"Nicely done Kuzo" A voice said from behind him, and that was when he realized, Summer was right behind him, he smiled.

***

Kuzo liked to be alone on most days, a lot of people tried to be friends with him but he always pushed them aside.

It was lunch time and Kuzo was eating alone when someone showed up. It was someone he least expected to.

"So you think because you're the smartest kid in class you can talk to me like 'I'm your mate, we don't even belong to the same class"

"Obviously" Kuzo smirked.

"Did you say something?"

"I said obviously, I don't belong to the class of idiots"

Zac threw his tray down hard on the table causing a lot of mess with his and Kuzo's food. Kuzo sat back, sighed, stood, picked his tray and turned to walk away whentwo guys stepped in his way. At that point the cafeteria was silenced as everyone watched on.

"Today I'll teach this lab rat a lesson, to mess only with his kind"

Kuzo turned to face Zac.

"What are you gonna do, hit me?"

"That’s a good start" Zac said and landed a heavy blow to Kuzo's face, causing his nose to bleed.

But that was fine, he needed him to hit first, now he had a hundred witnesses to Zac hitting him first. He managed to stand up. Zac tried to throw another punch but Kuzo blocked it punched him hard in the chest. The other guys attacked, he used his tray on the side of one's face and kicked the other. Zac rushed to him and pushed him onto the floor, the other guys took the cue and began to kick him in his face, his sides. The cafeteria grew wild with people urging them on.

"Fight!, fight!, fight!"

"Stop it!" He heard Summer's voice from a distant.

"Cedric do something" Summer said. Then she ran off to get someone, she returned minutes later with Professor Langdon who stopped the brawl. Kuzo's face was bloody and so was his shirt.

Two more teachers walked in and grabbed Zac and his boys.

"You're really going to get it this time, off you go!"

Summer rushed to him.

"Are you okay?" She helped him up but he screamed in pain.

Luis appeared to help her.

"Take him to the infirmary, would you, I'd call his parents" Professor Langdon said and walked off hurriedly.

"Come on Kuzo, you'll be fine" Slowly, Summer and Luis took him away.

***

When Maia and Essien walked into the school building, everyone looked at them strangely. It wasn’t their clothes, for they wore normal clothes and it wasn’t Essien either. It was Maia.

She'd tried that morning to wear contact lenses but like she had suspected, they just wouldn’t stick to her eyeballs.  They never have. They just kept dropping off.

"Maybe I should wear shades, what do you think?"

"Honey, you're fine and I bet you see better than half those kids back there"

"It isn't me I'm worried about, its Kuzo, he might get teased or…."

"Kuzo is more than matured enough to handle such things"

"Matured?, he just got beat up, I hope it isn't bad" She said worriedly. Then quickly put on her jean pants and a flannel shirt. Her white dread locks tied up in a bun behind her head. Fixed her sandals on and stepped out with her husband.

Essien drove to the school, it looked like school was over when they got there.

The kids looked at them strangely.

"I think those are Kuzo's parents"

"Is she blind?"

"What's wrong with her eyes?" Maia heard the kids whisper to one another, then she realized she was holding unto Essien's hand. She tightened her grip on his hand in anxiety. She was worried about her son.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Asanti, please have a seated, I was told you had arrived so I sent for Kuzo"

"Is he alright?" Maia was first to ask.

"He is, but he might need to take some days off from school, he has a fractured rib, these are results of an X ray conducted on him.

"It isn't just a fractured rib" Maia picked the x ray film and stared at it.

"He has a chipped rib right there, it looks pretty sharp" Maia was almost shaking.

The teacher looked confused.

"You can see?" She asked.

Maia looked up at her.

"Um, to some extent, yes, that’s how come she doesn’t use a walking stick"

"I pick up images with my hands, when I feel something, my mind draws an image of what my finger tips touch so I see, it is a very rare condition" Maia added and the elderly woman nodded.

"Hey mom" Kuzo's voice sounded and they turned.

"Oh baby, what happened, are you okay?" Maia rushed to her son and hugged him, then she kissed him.

"Mom you're embarassing me"

Kuzo said. Summer and Luis giggled.

"Oh thanks so much for taking care of him" Maia said to Summer and Luis.

"It was a pleasure, see you around Kuzo and get well soon" Summer said.

"Thanks" He replied and walked away.

"Thanks a lot professor, we'll be on our way"

"Great, I can't wait to leave this place"

"You're not going home just yet" Essien said.

"Wait, what?" Kuzo sounded surprised.