Everyone in the class settled down and got quiet to listen to Ms. Arable.
She continued, "We're having a problem with wet seats here and it's not from rain ! I want you to know I'm aware that some of you have difficulties controlling yourself in class. I've already contacted many of your parents regarding this - situation."
"But those of you who CAN control yourselves but need to excuse yourself. All you have to do is place your hand in the air with only your index finger extended."
Her voice took an angry tinge, "No, not THAT finger, Melissa. You know very well that's the WRONG finger, no, the FIRST finger. Here this - " and she held up her own index finger in the air.
I was so caught up in the feeling of disgust that there were students in here that couldn't hold their water that I raised up my own hand in asking a question but realized a little too late I was mimicking her and had one finger extended.
She saw it and gave me a tight nod.
I jerked my hand back down and started to explain that I was fine when Tyr took my hand and started me off to the bathrooms again.
I tried to stop her, to tell her that's a mistake. I didn't need to go but she wouldn't hear of it. Finally she thrust me in front of the boy's bathroom door. I just stared at the door for a second, still quavering that I didn't need to go when she, apparently losing patience, finally thrust me through the door.
Marty was there I saw. I spoke, "Gee Marty, you better hurry if you're gonna make it to class."
Marty looked back at me and laughed. And it wasn't a nice laugh, it was a mean one. I went to him, "What's so funny ?"
"You, Dev ! You're hilarious !" he said with no trace of a voice stutter at all. An icy cold dagger crept down my back as he continued.
"So, did you bring the stuff ?" he asked all business like.
"What - stuff !?" I was beyond bewildered now. Was it just an act for him to appear handicapped ?
"You know, the nose candy ! You didn't touch the stuff did you ?"
I shook my head, not just for no I didn't know what "nose candy" is whatever that was and no I had no idea what he was talking about.
Marty then moved in on me. "Dev, we don't have time for games. Here - " and he reached into my right back pocket where a small package of white powder was.
He quickly removed the rubber-band and tapped a finger to his tongue then to the powder then to his tongue again.
"Yeah, that's the real McCoy." He looked up with a grin tying it back up. "Good job, Dev ! Here, this is your cut." And he reached into his pocket to pull out two $100 bills.
"For me ?" was all I could ask under these confusing circumstances.
"Yep." he said. "Now deliver the rest to the alley behind the school at the end of classes. Don't be late."
With that he quickly washed his hands and rushed out.
I heard him briefly talking with Tyr but he had adopted that voice-stuttering again. It was clear now that somehow I was involved in drug deals !
I felt my right-back pocket to feel it was empty. But my other back pocket had another pack of that powder. All neatly compressed into a baggy and tied in place with a rubber-band.
"Four-hundred dollars a bag." I told myself, shaking my head.
Grumbling to myself I finally did just use the bathroom normally, washed my hands and stepped back out to see Tyr waiting for me. While she wouldn't listen to me earlier, maybe she would now ?
I had to ask myself what to do at this point though. Continue the drug deal as I was instructed or blow the whistle on the whole thing and get Tyr and the police involved.
"Whatcha thinking, honey ?" she asked politely.
I shrugged, "I've - got to make a decision on something."
She tilted her head to look at me from a different angle.
"Is it important ?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Can I help ?"
"Ahh, no, I don't think so."
"So what's the problem ?"
I pointed my head to behind the bathrooms. "I need to go to the back of the school after classes."
Her fact lit up in concern, "Oh Dev, you're not going to fight again, are you ?"
Fight ? I had never actually been in any fights my entire life. Was this something I did on the norm ?
Not really sure how to answer I just nodded my head, "Yeah, a fight. Not a big one though. I'll be right back."
She smirked, "I'll have to make a note of this." and she pulled out a notepad from inside her blouse and a ballpoint pen from her back pocket. She tapped it to her tongue for a second and started writing.
"We need to get back to class." I offered.
She agreed and as she was writing whatever in her notes, we returned to the classroom.
From there things went pretty quickly. Basically like my original homeroom at school but with a lot of talk about things normal kids my age wouldn't do, like break the plates in the cafeteria, drop food on the floor, or pee in your pants.
Damn, I thought to myself. Being mentally handicapped must really be awful for a lot of people. She went on about this for an hour and we finally had classes. And unlike regular school, all the learning took place in the same classroom with Ms. Arable.
Also despite the age group around me - we were dealing with simple questions and problems that any 2nd grader could solve.
I tried not to appear to be too hasty with my answers but nonetheless gave the correct ones. Both Tyr and Ms. Arable were notably impressed. I was guessing that previous to me taking over "this" body of "Dev" that I wasn't very bright to begin with.
Tyr and Ms. Arable were full of complete support.
"Good job, Dev !"
"That is correct again, Dev. I see you are paying attention."
"Excellent work !"
"Once again, Dev, that is the right answer."
"Superb, Dev. Simply superb."
"Yes, and your explanation of why this is the case is spot on. Fantastic !"
I basked in all the radiant praise I received while the rest of the class started to fume. I didn't know if I had any bullies in this class or if I had created new ones by knowing the answers to every single question given.
I realized when lunch was called I was going to stay especially close to Tyr for safety. I had no doubt she was not just there to help me but protect me additionally.
Sure enough when the lunch bell rang a whole bunch of students from the class confronted me outside the door.
"When did you get so smart, loser ?"
"What did you do ? Cheat ?"
"God what a teacher's pet !"
"No-one can have all the right answers all the time !"
"What're you doing, creep ?"
Tyr was there though to protect me from if not the berating the shoving and pushing they WANTED to do to me which she wouldn't allow. They looked to Tyr and realized she was there for my protection. After their rude words they filed off to lunch.
Tyr was there to console me though. I guess she believed I was really hurt by the words but in truth I wasn't. It just showed me that I was =DEFINITELY= out of place here and belonged in a different universe.
Nonetheless it didn't stop Tyr.
"Oh honey don't even worry about what they said. I think it's wonderful that you've been studying and are doing so much better than you were. Here, let's get to lunch."
In the lunchroom there was a whole fleet of angry eyes trying to burn me down. Tyr noticed it as well and instead of sitting in the cafeteria for lunch we went outside to the familiar tree that Tyr and me from another lifetime used to sit and eat and reflect on life.
"Have you ever been here before ?" I asked when we came to the tree.
* * *
She shook her head. "No this is the first time. I just figured you'd be safer out here. God I can't believe how many students are jealous of you. They should just accept that you're smart through good studying and hard work. Nothing wrong with that !"
I nodded and quietly had my lunch. She was wearing a backpack I didn't recognize before and neatly took out two tuna-fish sandwiches and a thermos of coffee.
We ate in peaceful quiet around us. The only sound you could hear was students having finished their lunch were out at recess playing on the jungle gym and gossiping amongst themselves.
We finally returned to Ms. Arable's class to finish up the day. I had remembered that I was supposed to do "business" at the end of class, that drug deal, so sitting on the bench near the back I told Tyr I wouldn't be too long.
Thankfully she didn't insist on following me and I got to where the bicycles were locked up.
Someone much bigger than me, I guess a college senior stepped up.
"Dev Borne ?" he whispered quietly.
"Yeah." I said, reaching around for the last container of cocaine to make a trade.
"This is for you !" and he suddenly whipped out a pistol !
The classmates seeing this started to shriek and yell. My heart started racing and I hit the dirt like a lead balloon where his bullet fired right over me. His pistol jammed on the 2nd shot and he threw it at me. I dodged where it clattered uselessly next to my leg.
Despite this my muscles went to jelly. I could've been killed !
Tyr was out in a heartbeat with that first shot. The college senior dived into a car that was already in motion and the driver and himself gunned the vehicle out of there.
Tyr was immediately to my side. "Are you okay ? What happened ?"
I was still feeling very dizzy and weak from the ordeal. As I stood up I carefully and sneakily, where Tyr couldn't see it, pulled out that bag of cocaine and left it on the ground.
Tyr immediately noticed it after helping me up and spoke suddenly. "I'll bet they were after this !"
She looked back to me. "Poor Dev you didn't have anything at all to do with this, did you ?"
I lied and shook my head.
She nodded, "Right. Let's get you to the nurse's station. You're - not walking very straight. Maybe you were hit by the bullet after all and we're not just not seeing it ?"
She quickly took up the bag of cocaine and put it in her purse. Then we went to see the school nurse.
Tyr quickly related what happened. In less than 5-minutes real police showed up. Tyr immediately met them and explained what happened. Then handed them the bag of cocaine.
They took it putting it in another zip-lock bag as evidence. Then Tyr went with the police to the back of the school to show where the event took place. They brought a forensics expert additionally to retrieve the bullet and get further information about what happened.
As for me, I was alone with the school nurse who identified herself as "Miss Tharen."
She asked me to strip to my underwear. I did so. Then she carefully looked all over me for any blood. Seeing none she asked me to sit up on the medical bench. She then put an ice cold stethoscope up against my chest where my heart was and listened intently for a minute or so.
"That's strange." she said to herself.
Then had me raise up my wrist where she put 2-fingers across it, apparently reading my pulse. Another minute passed as she counted the beats my pulse was making.
"Odd indeed." she continued.
She then took out her own notebook and wrote down some figures. She then sat down to read a paperback book that was already there.
"Can I leave now ?" I asked her.
But no. "No, Dev. You stay there. I need to talk to your caretaker for a moment. She should be back presently."
"Presently" actually took an hour. During that time my Mom had called the school wondering what was happening and why I wasn't home. Hearing that someone took a shot at me with a real pistol, she drove over there in an instance.
Miss Tharen met her and shared her results on the notepad with her.
Now Mom was really upset ! She came over to me, hugged and kissed me me, kissed and hugged, asked what happened - and kissed me. Asked how I felt - and kissed me. Then kissed me again for good measure.
Tharen was shocked the number of times my Mom kissed me, and right on my lips too, but kept quiet. Finally Tyr returned.
Tyr spoke, "The police are investigating the matter. They said they were aware there was drug trafficking in this area but were not sure specifically where it was taking place."
She continued, "They told me they're going to send some undercover 'students' here to attend classes and try to catch these hoodlums in the act. I think that's great !"
Then Tharen asked, "You are his caretaker ?"
Tyr nodded.
Tharen then shared the results of her clipboard with her.
Just like with Mom, Tyr got all upset !
"Dev, really !?"
Tharen nodded. "I'm afraid so. Take him home. Let him have plenty of rest. Don't return to the school until you've had an expert look into this. His family doctor should be enough. Here - " and she quickly wrote on a new piece of paper. "These are my findings. Show that to your doctor."
I asked myself what everyone was so upset about. Tyr explained, sort of. "Honey, it just means - you're having a problem with your heart, okay ? No school for a-while until we get you in to see a specialist. Especially NO excitement or anything to upset you. Got to keep you calm and quiet, best we can do."
Wow. I felt my chest and my heart. Seemed to be beating pretty regularly to me, but I suspected the nurse knew a lot more than I did about human anatomy and when one of the body parts starts to give trouble.
Seeing we were done I jumped off the table - and couldn't stand ! Tyr was right there though and caught me.
"Are you okay ?" she asked with concern.
I nodded, laughing a little. "Yeah, but my legs feel really weak. It must be the ordeal with having a gun pulled on me."
Tyr frowned. I was pretty sure she didn't believe it was that. Nonetheless she nodded, "I'm sure it's that. Here - I'll help you to the car. We'll get you home."
We started to drive away from the school when I saw an ice-cream parlor.
"Hey, think we can stop for ice cream ?" I asked.
Mom responded. "Lord yes ! What a day. Let's have something nice to get our minds off of - of ... !" and she started to cry.
D****t ! What was wrong with me that would be so upsetting to her ? I felt fine, just my legs felt like jelly.
"We'll get it to go." Tyr said. Then turned her head to look at me, "Then you can have your ice-cream when we get home."
That would be fine with me. Mom pulled up in the drive through. "Mister Queen, how can I help you ?"
I had to laugh a little. This was a crazy name for a fast-food parlor and the logo showed this rogue gentleman with a big pink pirate's hat, huge wiry mustache and beard, and wearing a delicate flowered dress. I guess they wanted to bring attention to themselves sort of like the laundromat that has their name upside-down.
Well with a crazy name and logo like that, they most certainly DID bring attention to themselves.
Mom spoke, "Yes. Let me have 3-vanilla cones in cups, please."
"$3.23 ma'am. Pull up, please."
She drove around and got the ice-cream. While Mom drove home I ate mine in silence. Both Tyr and Mom kept theirs in a cup.
When we got home they helped me inside to lay on the couch cause once again my legs felt funny and wouldn't let me stand. They put their ice-cream in the freezer. Mine was already eaten.
There were two low chairs near the couch and both Mom and Tyr sat down to talk to each other.
END OF CHAPTER 71
Return back HOME
CHAPTER 71 -
"Paradise Lost"
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