(17y) MARCH 2015, 12.50
A few months in people were taking notice. One person especially took notice of John and Marty's ascent to the great realm of "A"s. They both sat outside the Headmaster's office, but neither was nervous. Marty had foreseen it. 'Questions are going to be asked, mate,' he'd said as they sat in their regular spot against the gym wall.
'Well,' said John, 'Let them ask. They can't prove jack shit, you know that.'
Marty nodded. 'Yeah, I know. Just warning you is all mate.'
The Headmaster's door opened, and Acko the Bastard walked out. He eyed the two boys with sheer vehemence, walking towards them. 'Move your feet Finnie.'
Marty automatically moved. John, however, stayed in a half sat, half laid position in the chair.
'Lift yours up, Sir.' John thought he spotted steam coming from Acko's ears where he stood fuming. With a pretend yawn and exaggerated arm movement, John moved out of the way. Acko stomped further and John licked his finger, making an imaginary chalk mark. 'One null to Finnie.'
Marty smiled and shook his head.
The Headmaster popped his head around the door. 'Okay you two, in you come.' For a moment they made eye contact, each of them more nervous than they cared to admit. Their school shoes echoed in the hallway while they walked to the Head's office.
'Take a seat please,' the Head said, shuffling some papers on his desk. He took a deep breath. 'Right. Hmm...Okay. Right. I should be here congratulating you two. Unfortunately I have heard rumours that you two are cheating.' With his hands on the desk, he met each of their eyes in turn. 'Well, what do you have to say for yourselves?'
Marty cleared his throat. 'It's bollocks.'
The Head scowled. 'I think what Martin is trying to say,' John said, 'is it's horrid that someone would rubbish us like that, Sir. We have been at my house revising like mad to pass these mock exams. All we want is to pass with good marks. It's good for us and the school. I know we' --he pointed to himself and Marty-- 'have messed around in the past...' He put his head down. 'Well, me more than Marty, but now we have got our shi-' John's mouth curled up at the edges and Marty pinched his lips together. '-Act together, we are getting accused of cheating. But we aren't cheating, Sir.' Folding his arms, he sat back into his chair. 'Like Martin said, it's rubbish.'
'Okay, okay.' The Headmaster smiled, putting his hands up as if to diffuse the situation. 'Right, you have a chance to prove you aren't cheating. Chemistry theory is at twelve o'clock this afternoon, and you, Finnie, have been getting D's all year. Mr Atkinson will be invigilating, and you know he will be all over you two boys from the start. Out you go.'
Oh no, not Acko the Bastard. The Head shuffled his paperwork again and looked down at a letter. Both boys stood up and left the office, knocking elbows as they popped through the door together.
Marty walked backwards down the corridor, facing John. 'What now? Any answer papers and we are fucked, and I mean royally fucked.'
'Not a problem my friend.' A conniving sneer lit John's face. 'We aint done yet mate.' Was anyone watching them? John looked around to be sure. 'Here,' he said, 'take a photo now behind us and walk away. Don't look back, we'll just keep walking. Once we are around the corner, give me your phone.'
'Fucking crazy shit all of this, mate. But it worked before, so I guess...' The phone dangled from Marty's right hand and John grabbed it, searching for the camera app. 'I hope you know what you're doing. I haven't revised jack shit since we started with this photo cheating.'
John gave his friend a hurt look. 'Hey, have I ever left you hanging? Mate, I call it hindsight. In hindsight, I would have revised. In hindsight, I would have stuck in. In hindsight, I would have paid attention.' He tapped his head. 'I have hindsight Marty. I have the Blink, and I know exactly what I'm doing.'
#
At twelve o'clock, Marty walked into the exam room, John watched unseen from the doorway.
'Martin.' Mr Atkinson pointed at him. 'Roll your sleeves up and empty your pockets.' Marty did as he was told, and Mr Atkinson looked peeved when he found no answers on Marty's arms. 'Sit there, Davidson,' he said, pointing to a desk three feet from his.
John strolled in as late as he possibly could, which was a minute later. 'You're late, Finnie!' John gave a lazy look at his watch. 'Nah, I'm bang on time.' The teacher strode forward and grabbed his arms, yanking the sleeves of his shirt up. He twisted John's arms around fast, making John wince.
'Pockets,' he demanded. At each of his pockets John looked, pointing and counting them in turn. 'One, two, three, and four, if you include the shirt. Four pockets, Sir.' A snigger came from one of the exam candidates in the room. Hell yeah, this shit was funny. Bloody pompous ass-face Acko thought he was better than everyone, but John was here to humbly throw shit in his face.
With clenched fists and bared teeth, Acko came close, breathing a stench ridden comment into John's ear. 'Empty your fucking pockets now, you little shit.' John did as he was told, smiling all the time. Without words, Mr Atkinson pointed to the desk next to Marty's. Before walking over, John whispered back. 'You, Sir, have a potty mouth.' He grinned as he walked to his desk, knowing that the old bastard would be on the brink of a heart attack.
The chair creaked a bit when he sat, and Marty gave him the "what the fuck is going on" look. John just smiled broader.
'You have one hour.' Acko gave John the stink eye. 'Begin.' Mr Atkinson sat on a chair three feet from the boys. John didn't pick up his pen. He just stared at the paper, his lips moving silently as his finger ran down it. Marty looked over, probably wondering what the hell he was supposed to do.
'Davidson! Head down.' The sudden noise in the silence of the exam room made everyone jump. The rest of the exam was a combination of tense moments, horrid guesses on Marty's part, and rushed memorising on John's part. By half past one they were both outside the Headmaster's office with a gleeful Mr Atkinson having entered the Head's office for a talk.
Marty leant over to John. 'What the fuck, mate? You've hung us both out to dry here.' John smiled. 'Nah mate, have faith. What did I tell you? A little hindsight is all you need, and I'm full of it.'
Marty huffed. 'Full of shit more like!'
The Headmaster appeared at the door looking very disappointed, holding the two exam sheets. 'You two boys have some explaining to do I think.' Marty got up and walked towards the Headmaster, but John didn't follow him.
He grabbed the mobile and shot straight like a bullet towards the photo of the nondescript corridor, the blackness around him greeting John like an old friend. As always, he looked back and was comforted by the ever present star. On the glass he placed his hands, then pushed forward until it gave way. He hit the ground hard. 'Fuck that hurt,' he said to himself, rubbing his skinned elbows. Getting to his feet, John tried to float the way he always did but his feet stayed on the floor.
Why did the Blink keep changing so much lately? John jumped, stood on his toes, jerked his body up, but still nothing happened. He pinned himself against the wall and his heart raced, thumping loudly in his chest and drowning out the noises around him. 'What the hell is going on, John? What is going on?' He could hear footsteps and talking from around the corner. John stayed still and closed his eyes, as if it would make things go back to normal, as if it could hide him from whoever was coming. Samantha Grimes and her friend walked past; both looked in John's direction as he held his breath.
'What on earth are you doing, John?' she said, looking straight at him. He opened one eye and saw the two girls still standing there. 'You can see me?'
Both girls looked at each other like he was crazy, and maybe they had a point. Samantha moved here face closer. 'Yes you idiot. Of course we can see you. What the hell! Are you five? Do you still think if you close your eyes no one can see you or something?'
John opened is other eye. 'You can really see me? Like proper see me? I don't glow or anything?'
'No John, you don't glow.' Samantha looked him up and down as if he was a disgusting freak.
'Are you some kind of retard or something?' her friend asked and blew a chewing gum bubble.
John relaxed. 'So if I were to do this.' He reached forward to grab her boobs, and paused the Blink. The pause didn't work and his hands got too close to where they shouldn't have been.
A solid right hand slap almost rattled his eyes out of their sockets. 'What the hell, Finnie?'
Shit, shit, shit. This was not how things were supposed to go down. Samantha stomped away; her friend kicked him in the shin and followed.
'Fuck, ow!' John hopped and held the left hand side of his face. At the same time, he leant against the wall watching the two girls walk off. This was a major screw up.
'Come on John, get a grip.' He shook his hands and head. 'You own the Blink.' He tried to pause it again, but nothing happened. The only thing he could do now was find Marty, give him the answers, and Blink out. Having already lived out this part of the day, John knew exactly where Marty would be. Earlier that day, John had gone off to see the history teacher. He told Marty he would meet him at smoker's corner. The original plan had been to scribble the questions down and pass them to him through a gap. Now he guessed he would need to tell him to his face. Across the school yard, John made his way, and a couple of people shouted greetings to him.
'This is fucking weird, man.' Marty was right where John had expected him to be.
'You alright, gay boy?' he said. 'Look like you've seen a ghost.'
John looked behind him, he knew he didn't have long. 'Ahhaha,' he gave a nervous and unconvincing laugh. 'Yeah, gay lord. I'm fine. Right. Listen up and remember what I tell you, cause you have to tell me the answers the next time you see me.' The quizzical look on Marty's face said it all. John punched him on the shoulder. 'Just do as I say okay?'
His friend shrugged. 'Yeah, okay. Whatever you say man.'
Taking a deep breath John steadied himself. 'This time we are going to have to do a bit of revision, these are the questions...' It didn't take him long to spew off the list. 'You got it?' He looked over his shoulder.
Marty nodded. 'Yeah sure, got it. What you so nervous for?'
John laughed and walked away fast. 'Don't wanna meet who comes in next.' He smiled at what Marty would be saying to "earlier him" in a few minutes.
John turned his face away as he walked the long way around the yard; he knew the "earlier John" would walk straight across and for some reason had no wish to meet up. Now was the time to Blink out. He walked around the back of some prefabricated classrooms. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the single star. Where was it? The contents of his stomach seemed suddenly sour, and the thought of vomit erupting from him became a very real threat. Where was the bloody star? His back hit the sidewall of the pre-fab and his legs collapsed from under him. The school bell rang, John heard from somewhere far off as he fought the dizziness. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes and his nose burned. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find the star. There was no way to get out! 'I can't stay here. There can't be two of us here. This is wrong, it shouldn't be happening.' And how the hell would he explain it to Mam? 'Hi Mam. You didn't realise it, but you actually had twins.' John shook his head, this was bad.
'Finnie! What are you doing hiding here?' John looked up. Fuck, it was Acko.
The maths teacher rushed up to him, pulling him to his feet.
'Felt sick as a dog, Sir. Just getting some fresh air.' The tombstone grin spread across Acko's face. 'More like panicking about the exam, eh?'
God, this teacher was just too much. John'd had enough and shook Acko's hand off his arm. 'Right now Sir, I couldn't care less about the elements of combustion.'
The tombstone grin was wiped clean off his face. He suddenly looked serious. 'That young man, is one of the questions. How did you know?'
And the game was up. John closed his eyes slowly and Acko grabbed him by the collar. Just one massive fuck up after another. Acko's grin came back and he hauled John across the yard toward the Headmaster's office. John came to half way across the yard. He couldn't let this happen. He couldn't stay here. It wasn't his time. He kicked out hard, catching the teacher in the shin. Acko's grip loosened, and John ran.
'Finnie! Get back here!'
John flipped him the finger as he pelted across the yard to the gym wall. He had no clue where he was going, but he ran past the gym and across the fields. 'Shit man,' John thought, 'future me is going to have to get out running.' Hands on his knees, he panted, trying to catch his breath. Swirls spiralled in front of him as he stood, and then he saw the sweetest thing he had ever seen: the single star. Thank god! John shot towards it, stretching his arms out in pure glee.
Back at the Head's office John arrived in a blink and noticed how Marty smiled from ear to ear, gushing with joy. The Headmaster had both of their exam sheets in his hand. 'Well, it looks like we' --He looked over to a glum Mr Atkinson-- 'owe you two an apology. Both of you got "B". Very well done lads. Off you go.'
John stood up, still stunned from his latest Blink. He looked back to see Mr Atkinson walking into the Headmaster's office. 'What,' John asked, 'Is Acko doing in there?' Marty gave him the "what the fuck" look again. 'Indulge me,' John said with a sigh.
'He tried to stitch you up, said you was behind the prefabs with the answers to the chemistry test. I think he's in for it, 'cause you was in English with me and the rest of the class straight after break.' John started to smile. Marty walked on then turned around. 'I don't know why I had to tell you the questions in the shed mate, but thanks...again. You saved my life.'
'Here,' John passed Marty's phone back to him. 'Told you mate; I can change time. That was the future me who told you the answers.'
'Yeah sure,' Marty said and gave John a punch on the shoulder. They walked further down the corridor and out into the fresh air. Marty dropped his one arm round John's shoulder, and said the words that would change John's life forever.
'Do you know what mate, it's a shame it's not real, 'cause if it was you could go back and save your Dad. You could stop him from going out onto that road.'
A knot formed in the pit of John's stomach.
'I know you miss him, mate.'
Was the world spinning? Blackness clouded in over John's vision and he collapsed.
© Steve Ford & Joy Cronjé 2018