The Damnation of Johnny Boy

4

The principal, Mr Anderson stared at John with a mixed look of pity and disappointment. Mr Jameson nudged from the side, "Explain yourself, John. What was that behaviour in the lab?" Now looking back at it, John didn't understand how he could explain himself. That was too absurd, a dead pig starts flailing and squealing out of nowhere, no way anyone would believe that. But then remembered, of course, there were other people in the room with him. He was not alone. He could try to explain himself, and someone could stand up for him. Brett would.

John waited for almost half a minute, before he opened his mouth, at the same time the principal was about to say something.

"The pig-...", said John

"Oka-..", said Mr Anderson, "Umm, explain yourself John."

"The pig wasn't dead, it spooked me when it started squealing and jumping, I didn't expect it to be alive", said John.

"Mr Jameson, were the pig specimens provided in whatever manner alive?", asked Mr Anderson

"What is this kid talking about!? There's no way in the world those pig fetuses could be alive, they are unborn, don't you understand!", said Mr Jameson looking at John.

"I know! That's why it shocked me, I don't understand what happened! But you can ask the others, I'm sure they'd have heard the ugly sound it made", said John.

"Are you telling the truth?", asked Mr Anderson. "Okay Mr Jameson, bring a few students from the class."

John felt uncomfortable standing there. Feeling the eyes of the principal judging him. He just stood there, with his head looking down.

"John, I've heard complains from other teachers that you haven't been turning in the work assigned.", Mr Anderson asked John, with both of his hands together, in that gesture of questioning.

"It's just...I have been facing some problems with sleep lately. I don't know..why..", said John.

"Is that the case?", said Mr Anderson when Mr Jameson entered the room with three students. Luckily Brett was there. The other two were Jessica, Jessica Stein and Kyler. John knew Jessica was even annoyed at having to come to the principal's office for no reason other than what he had done.

"Do you know what happened in the lab?", asked Mr Anderson.

Jessica was the first to speak up. "Yeah, this psycho just stabbed a dead pig, and ruined the whole class for everyone. Big thing, now why am I here?". Jessica was just like that, a bitch.

"Mind your tone, Miss Jessica.", Mr Anderson replied. "Kyler, would you explain what exactly happened?"

"Ummm, like, I was just talking with my friends about some stuff and all of a sudden I heard a loud noise and looked to find John here, had made a pork chop out of that pig.", said Kyler with exaggerated arm movements.

"Brett?", asked Mr Anderson.

"Yeah, just like what Kyler said.", replied Brett.

John couldn't stop himself from asking. "What about the damn loud noise it was making? Didn't you hear that?", said John, tired of this now.

"Uh, I'm not sure, I think I did hear some squealing sounds, but weren't you the one making that sound?", Brett said to John.

That settled it. John couldn't fucking believe it.

Mr Anderson suggested, "Are you okay, John? As you suggested before you have been losing sleep for a past few days and now it seems, you're hallucinating too..."

"No! I was not hallucinating. The pig was jumping and flailing very badly, how do you explain that? I was not even sleepy back then!", John tried to explain himself more.

"John, I think both me and Mr Jameson can agree that it would be better if you took this week off from school. I'll call your mom and let her know..", said Mr Anderson.

"No, it's okay. I can leave by myself.", said John and he went to leave the room. On his way out, his eye fell on the portrait of Jesus Christ hanging in the room. It was almost the exact same portrait which had almost pierced into his skull last night. He was tired and felt broken. He left the room, grabbed his bag from his locker and left.