Word Count : 1348
Flash To The Past
(This is at a school now. Mumbo and Grian already know each other from here. Or are aware of each others presences. Mumbo is much younger than Grian and his grade, but Mumbo is also smart enough to pass some grades as well. Ya know, as you do.)
Mumbo absolutely hated his school. Not so much his grade or the grades above and below him. Just the school board and its teachers. Sure, Mumbo only took Calculus, Chemistry, Physics an engineering/shop class and then he did robotics for an after school activity but his Chemistry teacher honestly scared him. Chemistry was his last class before he could do whatever he wanted too, which was usually work on his robotics project but recently Mumbo had been having trouble finding safety in that specific teachers classroom. Sometimes it was a minor thing and at other times the teachers presence sent off huge red warning flags in his head. The only other time a presence like that sent off those kinds of warning bells was when he was with his fake parents. The ones that were narrsasitic, abusive and manipulative assholes that pretty much screwed up his entire child hood. Yeah. Those kinds of warning bells.
Mumbo honestly kept his mouth shut in this teachers classroom. Just the teacher walking too close to him would cause him to start trembling. It was honestly pathetic looking but Mumbo really couldn't help it. He remembered that doctors appointment that had taken place a couple months after the huge court debate on who would be Mumbo's guardians. The doctor explained that everything that had been physically done will and would heal, but every mental push and scratch might not ever heal. And the doctor was right. He'd find himself start to shake and even whimper if he thought someone was going to hurt him, or even just shut down entirely. Those shut downs caused some real panic with his Hermit Family.
Currently, Mumbo was writing notes down on paper, listening to the teacher continue on with the lesson. He honestly had tuned out most background noise, that was until the teacher called his name, in an extremely stern manor. "Mr. Jumbo."
The sudden call out was starting and down right terrifying. Mumbo shot his head up and looked at the teacher. "Yes-Yes sir?" He replied.
"Did you hear the question? Or must I repeat myself again?" The teacher snapped.
Mumbo could feel all the eyes in the room on him. Feeling as if the stares could burn into the skin. Mumbo did his best to swallow a lump that was forming in the back of his throat before commenting back. "I did not here the question, sir. Please repeat..?" He asked hesitantly.
The teacher scoffed, holding onto a ruler in his hand. "You should have been paying attention, Mr. Mumbo. Just because you passed several grades and are now seated in this one does not mean you get to zone out in my class."
"I'm-I'm sorry sir I-"
The teacher came up and slammed his hands down on the desk in front of Mumbo. "Don't make excuses!"
Mumbo's eyes shot wide. His whole life seemingly flashed before him. He didn't even realize his arms shooting up in front of him as if to block a strike. A strangled sounding scream resonated from him as he cried out. "No! Please don't hurt me again! I'm sorry!"
The sight of the teacher suddenly hesitating and drawing back a bit made Mumbo completely forget about logic and proper thought processing and instinct took over. Causing the black haired hermit to shoot from his chair and sprint out of the room. He could hear the teacher yelling and shouting at him front the halls to get back in the room immediately.
Mumbo could only process those yells and shouts as flashes and demands.
Person Switch
Grian was sitting in his science class bored out of his mind. The entire classroom was dead silent as the teacher had given them time to work on homework. But Grian was already done with his homework and he couldn't watch some random live stream because the teacher wasn't allowing them to go on cellphones. Which was annoying.
Grian's eyes trailed mindlessly to a clock that hung in the classroom above the doorway. That was when the sound of a very loud thud happened.
"Don't make excuses!" It sounded like a teacher had just yelled at a student.
Not even after a second after the teachers yell, a terrified and strangled scream went out, and someone cried out. "No! Please don't hurt me again! I'm sorry!"
After that, all the students in Grian's classroom were now looking up. Their science teacher even stood up from their desk.
The teacher from down the hall suddenly started shouting. "Get Back Here This Instant You Brat!"
Grian instantly knew which teacher it was now. The Chemistry teacher Mr. Theobald. (Random name)
Everyone's eyes were on the door now. Their teacher advanced towards the exit and peered out into the hall just as a student went by in full sprint. Some of the students in Grian's class were now also out of their seats and standing up.
"Who was that?"
"Uh oh, someone's gotten in trouble."
"Ha, what a wuss!"
Grian cringed at all the words his classmates were saying. He honestly hoped that the person who had ran down the hall was ok but he honestly doubted it. Mr. Theobald was a very unpleasant teacher and he was overly stern and narcissistic at many times.
The science teacher then returned to his desk and picked up his phone. He gestured for everyone to be silent as he called the office. "May someone report to Mr. Theobald's office. I'm heading down there myself now."
A second of silence.
"Good. I'll meet you there." The science teacher, Mr. Travis hung the phone up then turned to his class. "Everyone stay silent and keep working. The teachers next door from here are listening and they'll tell me if you all were too loud." And with that, Mr. Travis walked out.
Time Skip - 3 Months Later
"Wait, please explain everything you just said again?" Xisuma stated, the expression on his face making it clear that he didn't understand the statement that was just said to him.
Mumbo stood awkwardly in front of him, fidgeting with his hands. "The teachers want to see all of you guys in the next parent teacher conference at 6:15pm on the dime."
Cleo, who had also been listening in on the conversation and was looking equally confused pipped up. "Did you tell them that's literally impossible? And why do we all have to go? It's a parent teacher conference."
"I did! I told them that there's 26 of us living here and they didn't believe me! They kept cutting me off saying to make it happen!" Mumbo put his hands on his head. "Also I don't think they even believed me when I said that I was living with 25 other people and that there were no actual parents for us."
Xisuma took a deep breath, shutting his eyes as he put a hand to his head. "Oh boy... I can already feel the headache coming on."
Mumbo let out a mild whine. "Sorry Xisuma... but the teachers said if I didn't follow through they'd call the cops."
Xisuma merely sighed and shook his head. "No, it's fine Mumbo." He looked at the younger hermit. "Its just gonna take us awhile getting there, alright? We'll get everything sorted out, don't worry." Xisuma offered a smile.
Mumbo visibly relaxed, but it was clear that he was still pretty nervous.
Well this was going to be completely fun.
(Fin)
Haha boi you thought- nah, this unnecessary meeting of an entire family is going to be a Nightmare for all the Hermits.
Also quick note, Grian isn't with the Hermits yet. This process comes before they find Grian lying almost dead in the road during a blizzard. :)