xO Chapter 3 Ox
Sadly, I wake up, like every other day, at around a quarter to seven, with my face squished on the keyboard.
I mean, I imagine it's a good thing to be still alive, but I don't feel like sitting through 8 hours straight of school...
In about 45 minutes I'm in the hated building, speed-walking towards the English classroom.
Why can't Der Grossemann just take the teacher...?
Skipping all of the useless details, I get to the class and- oh! The teacher's absent!
The class celebrates in front of a floored substitute. My contribution to the general rejoicing is a smile that sticks to my face for the next 10 minutes.
Later, at lunch, I throw myself on the first table with a free spot.
While I take out my meager sandwich, I start trying to make out the conversation of the other guys who are sitting next to me. It's pretty hard because of the deafening chatter going on all around, but eventually, I figure out what they're saying.
"Molly told me... her father's a cop, right? She said he's been gone since Friday. They didn't say anything because it could be nothing, but no one saw him get in or get out of his house."
This is interesting.
Molly Coles. A pretty scary girl, daughter of two policemen. She's been taking self-defense lessons for years and she's pretty damn muscly. I mean, nothing too extraordinary, but still somewhat unusual for a 16 years old. She's pretty sadistic, but I like her sense of humor.
This is what I do.
I know everything about everyone, I'm that guy who puts out rumors and that knows every single detail about the social life and opinions of every single student.
To counterbalance that, I have no friends.
Except for Molly.
And I rarely talk to her.
I should go hang out with her sometime...
I go back to the conversation. Most of what these two are saying is speculation on what might have happened.
Then finally I discover that the one who disappeared is my English teacher.
I feel some kind of tightness to my chest.
He was an asshole, but he taught me stuff for two years...
Oh well. Let's not worry too early. He could be on vacation... I dunno.
Once the lessons are over, I'm heading home.
Finally, more free time.
Right when I put my hand on the cold doorknob, I think that no one can ruin my day.
I open the door.
And confusion washes over my brain.
Celes is sitting on our couch, serious, like an insurance agent, today she's wearing jeans overalls.
And at this point I start wondering what the hell she's doing in our house.
As soon as she sees me, the damned pulls out a smile.
I place my backpack on a chair and say "Hi Celes. Hi, mom." while I stare at the little one. "Why is she here?" I ask, then sit at the table.
"Oh, her, your aunt and uncle moved here." she answers nonchalantly.
I can feel my brain explode.
"So now Celes will go to St. Renée?"
St. Renée is the town's elementary school, right in front of the high school.
"Exactly."
Shit.
"Celes came here just to get some oil, her father has the day off, so he decided he'd cook something."
"Ok..." I simply answer.
While mom gets the oil from the pantry, I walk upstairs to my room.
I can see the little girl waving at me with her hand and I wave back.