So after a night being alone to watch the house, with my favorite music blasting at me, with a bag of Doritos, and a cherry coke, I just stared at the ceiling brainstorming. Well, it was more of a brain wave. I finally thought of good stuff to make this story work well in my mind. So let's continue, sorry about the delay.
It was a rather nice time in class that day. Anthony sat down in his usual spot since there weren't any open seats; so Sheva had to sit down three seats away. Adele Taylor began her lecture telling all the students of what upcoming assignments will be. Sure it sucks to hear it but Anthony never had any real problem with it. It was just more useless garbage to recite instead of actually learning something.
"Hey."
Anthony looked to his left to see Brad Vickers. A kid who never really got close to anyone, even then, he was a decent acquaintance to Quint and Keith. He was pretty cowardly as he never spoke out against other people.
"Yeah what is it?" He asked.
"I heard there was a rumor that you said that Deborah Harper was your girlfriend, is that true? I'm asking because you must have to be a good friend to Helena or something."
"Da fuck?" Anthony responded by reflex. The classroom wasn't that loud because Ms. Taylor told them that today was a more of a blow off day, all they needed to do was some simple worksheet.
"Whatever." Anthony set his chin on his hand as his mind wandered off into the distance. He wanted to think about what characters to practice with for when Jack invades his home again. There was a moment of him imaging a combo to do with a character.
"You okay?" Sheva's voice called out as he opened his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine. The morning was nice while it lasted." Anthony intentionally intended to be vague. Sheva tilted her head in confusion.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'll explain when it's over." Anthony said on a whim.
"Okay." There was a pause. Since today was a worksheet day, a majority of the students moved the desks closer to one another, and all started to ramble in their own conversations. The kind of droning noise of voices but you can still hear your own conversation.
"So, you wanna work together on this assignment?" Sheva asked.
Anthony moved his hand from his chin. "Sure." On the paper, the students had to read an outdated article of something about people who love attention, and isolation. There was a difficult balance between the two. When some people who are more in tuned to one or the other, and to be prepared for the lifestyle. It was a rather simple reading. Sheva and Anthony read it by themselves for several minutes.
"One this question. 'I wanted to believe I was superior. But I've noticed that I am far from it.' What do you think it means." Sheva repeated the question.
"I would think that, would probably mean that, it's an ironic statement made by the speaker as she or he realizes that they aren't so better when they think badly of those around him or her." Anthony answered.
"Good, I thought the same thing but wanted to confirm it with another person." Sheva looked down and started to scribble away at the paper.
Anthony looked down and started to do the same. It continued that way for about thirty minutes; both Sheva and Anthony almost completed their homework as another student looked over his shoulder and called out.
"Psst, Hey Anthony, can I barrow your paper?" A student asked in a dark blue long sleeve button up shirt. He had several stray whiskers on his chin as he smiled in an odd way at Sheva.
"What is it now Neil?" Anthony responded.
"Come on man, I need your help, I didn't do anything so far." Neil Lansdale made a face of fake pleading.
"Nah, no going to happen." Anthony wrote in name in the upper right of the paper.
"How about you pretty lady?" Neil made some sort of poor suave smiled as she leaned on his desk to make himself look appealing, well in his mind.
"I'm sorry, but you must complete your own work instead of asking for help." Sheva frowned slightly. One of her biggest pet peeves is people who try to copy her work when they could easily do it on their own.
"Aw come on." Neil made his final attempt.
"Back off Neil, she said no."
"Fine then asshole." Neil grumbled as he stood up to ask another student for notes.
"You know, you can really come off as a jerk at times." Sheva looked at Anthony.
"It's a defense mechanism and an art form." Anthony smiled. He taught himself the best method to wear off people is to be a jerk. It took some practice but he felt he got it down to a tee. Sheva rolled her eyes as her guide spent a moment reviewing the notes. The both of them turned it in at the end of class, because Anthony doesn't like doing it first because some students could be sneaky to claim his work or Sheva's.
"You're paranoid." Sheva responded.
"Just being prepared, I don't like giving away help then have it become a habit." Anthony shifted his eyes in Neil's direction. Sheva followed them and looked back at Anthony.
"I lend him my notes one time out of pity last year and he did okay for the day, but every now and again, he asks for more help and it's getting on my nerves." Anthony frowned and finished his worksheet.
Sheva watched his expression go from his calm blank one to an annoyed look with his eyes narrowed in thought and his lip went downward. The more she observed the more she learned. From there she looked down back at her paper to finish up the assignment.
"What do you do for hobbies?" Sheva asked.
"I uh, just read books, play videogames, and cook a bit." Anthony shrugged.
"Oh yeah? Do you cook for your family?" As Sheva asked that, a group of students started to laugh loudly in the background. Leon apparently told a really funny joke with a group of friends. From there Anthony looked back at Sheva.
"No I don't. My dad does the cooking and my mother makes jokes about it." Anthony scoffed.
"Oh? How so?"
"Well when I was young, I asked my mom what does she thinks of Dad's cooking and she would always say, 'It tastes like shit.' My dad would reply that she loves the taste of shit. They never told me what the word shit meant until I was older. When I cook, my dad would ask my mother the same question. She would go, 'It's not bad.'" Anthony's expression changed to a light humble feeling as he relaxed all the muscles on his face. It calmed him down to think of his parents.
"What about you?" Anthony asked.
"My dad and mother are divorced; they married at a young age when my mother was pregnant with me. My aunts took care of me in Africa until I was old enough to for school and went to England to see my mother. I lived there until we moved out about two weeks ago." Sheva felt that her time of investigating was over as Anthony seemed to have grown tired of talking about himself.
"Ah."
"You're not going to ask me about Britain?" Sheva tilted her head.
"Nah, my mom took me there once when I was twelve. She had a job to do and my dad couldn't watch me so I hung out in the hotel for about a week. It wasn't so bad."
After Anthony said that, the bell chimed and it was time to move on to the next classroom. They gathered their things and started to move along out of the class. Adele shouted out the final announcements before a majority of the students entered the halls. Anthony knew he was too close to avoid Sheva in the halls, so he kept quiet as she followed behind him. During the walk in the halls, Anthony explained more of the building to Sheva. She didn't act like it was the most amazing thing ever but just gave Anthony a light nod whenever he finished talking. Eventually they reached his current classroom for Mr. Spencer.
"Well this is me. So I'll see you later I guess." Anthony shrugged. He noticed Sheva wasn't in a hurry either. "Um, don't you have to go class?"
"I don't have on this hour. Mr. Coulson said this was a good time to study, but considering how we don't have major assignments yet, I don't really have anything to do." Sheva replied.
She's so efficient, she makes me feel lazy. Anthony thought. He turned around. "Okay then Sheva, see ya." Anthony made a light wave as he entered the room. When he turned around he noticed that Mr. Coulson watched him from his desk with an emotionless expression. He got to his seat and noticed that Billy has arrived yet at his usual seat.
The bell chimed again, the elderly Spencer walked in front of his classroom to write something on his chalkboard, he gave the basic announcements and after ten minutes of talking, he had the classroom return to work on their projects in class. More crappy worksheets to deal with but at least no one will bug him in this hour beside Chris who was still steamed at Anthony by his stern glances. He pretended not to notice as Anthony scribbled in name on his paper.
The door opened up and there in walks in another student. Mr. Spencer looked at the student as she walked to him with a piece of paper in hand. She smiled as he accepted the paper.
"Oh I see, there was a mix up with your schedule?" Mr. Spencer nodded.
"Yeah, I had nothing but math for some reason. I got it cleared up with Ms. Foley. I have this class for this hour." She clarified. Anthony noticed her and turned his head away. He didn't want to be seen. He looked down and pretended to put in his headphones to listen to music. It was the perfect way to make it seem like you have no idea what's going on.
"Okay then, you can sit wherever you please, I don't set the arrangements until next week. Just ask around and you can get anyone to help you." Mr. Spencer looked away and around the classroom. He spotted an empty seat for her to take. The student nodded and walked through the tables as the students droned on about something useless to talk about.
Anthony didn't notice her walk by since he had the chance to turn on his headphones to listen to 'Unbreakable' by Celldweller. As Anthony continued his work the outside world just tuned out as it was just Anthony, the worksheet, and his tunes. It became the best method to wear off any that wish to seek conversation.
Yeah, keep this up and the year will be over before I know it. Anthony smiled. Then the unexpected happened.
He felt an odd sensation on his back… It could have been in imagination or a chance a draft in the room? Then the feeling came back. Anthony pulled his head away from his worksheet that was clearly finished. He looked up and pulled his headphones out.
"Um, sorry but what are you listening to?" The student asked.
The dream is collapsing! Anthony had no choice but to pull out his headphones to talk.
"It's A Wish Upon a Blackstar by Celldweller." Anthony deadpanned.
"Oh yeah? I've heard of them but I never took the time to really listen to them." The student chuckled at her own words, she looked back at Anthony.
"Sorry, I was just curious." The student felt like she dragged Anthony into this conversation. Which in a way, she kinda did.
"Excited for the weekend?" Anthony asked. What are you doing man! Keep it short!
"Of course, I really want to see the new Mad Max movie pretty badly. I hope, I get to see it this weekend." The student pondered the thought. Anthony looked back at his sheet. Crap man, why do you have to work so fast!?
"Okay, well I better let you get back at your work." The student said as she picked up her pencil in her left hand. "My name's Jill by the way."
"I'm Anthony." You fucking moron, what happened to the rules of survival!? Anthony turned around knowing that anything else that could be said would make him seem sociable. This was the danger zone. Anthony looked back at his paper and stared at the paper for the course of the class. It was pretty easy to understand since it was a read along assignment and explain the definitions that were in the paragraphs. So the only thing he could do was to put his headphones back on and hope that no one else would try to talk to him.
Luckily for him, no one did for the reminder of the class. Anthony packed his belongings as he walked out into the hallway. He timed it just right as well, Chris was in a conversation with a bunch of other students as left the classroom unscaled. It was a great accomplishment on his part. Be a ghost and you 'll be a ghost.
Anthony walked in a decent pace to Mr. Coulson's classroom. He entered the room to see Billy already there writing something done in his notebook. Anthony looked at the board and noticed several announcements that were written in chalk. Mr. Coulson sat his desk typing something away. It must be the stuff in the coming weeks.
Billy looked up and noticed Anthony. He finished his current sentence disguised as chicken feet writing and walked to where Anthony sat.
"Hey man." Billy said as he sat down.
"Yeah?" Anthony wrote about half of the notes he needed.
"So what's happening with you?" Billy asked. He knew it was a simple answer to just make conversation. Anthony knew it and the two rambled on about what to have to lunch and stuff of the like. The bell chimed and Billy moved back to his usual seat.
Mr. Coulson stood up made the same boring announcements that other teachers have made twice already. Be prepared and to talk to their counselor about changing classes, yadda yadda yadda. After fifteen minutes, it was time to continue working on projects that was due next week. Anthony looked around and noticed Jessica writing something away and he begrudgingly moved to sit closer to her.
"Good morning." Anthony gave his basic hello.
"Are you implying that you're having a good morning? Or for me to have one?" Jessica looked up and stared at Anthony. "Or is that you have a bad morning but you don't want to rub off any negative emotions in hopes I'll have a better morning that you did?"
"No, no , and no." Anthony fired back.
"So what is so 'good' about this particular morning?" Jessica responded with a blank stare.
"Nothing at all by it." As much as I wish to be tele pathetic.
"Hmm." Jessica said as she looked back down to her paper and started to write plenty of notes. After a minute, she reached into her bag and took out a hard cover book called, 'Berlin during Occupation.' She looked at Anthony.
"Look for any extra info that we need for the assignment. I want to have this mostly done by the end of class." Jessica spoke rather calmly as she looked at Anthony. It confused him but he still has to work with her, the less friction now, and the better.
"Sure." Anthony opened the book. He skimmed the paragraphs in the book to see if he could find some relevant information. Jessica continued to do her part as well. From glancing at her hands, her writing was done with her right hand so that would leave her as a possible suspect to the note with harsh words on his locker.
He continued to glance at her handwriting time to time and wrote down several facts he found interesting time to time. The curving of her the wording was too round; if that could be explained. With every stroke the words have a curvy look to them; no real jagged letters could me matched to the note that was from Anthony's locker. In other words, Jessica can't be a suspect.
He sighed as he thought his search could have been over as soon as it started.
"What did you find out?" Jessica asked as her stern tone wasn't around anymore.
"Well other than it was still a depressing time for the people who were still trapped in the wall. It's still pretty dull. A majority of the soviets interviewed in the book mentioned how there was dwindling sense of moral as the Soviet Union showed signs of collapsing. But I did find something somewhat uplifting."
Jessica stopped writing and looked over at him.
"During the time of the occupation, there were several executives of Coca Cola, as in yes, the soda company. They decided to try a new business venture since the company was thought of be a conservative nature because it wasn't as sought outside the US."
"Yes, yes. Get to the point." Jessica expressed her annoyance when she frowned slightly.
"Come on I need to provide the context. So, these executives had the strategy of having a nice wave of Coca Cola soda be provided by the East Berlin wall. It wasn't marketing but a just a business venture. So in the holes in the walls, the volunteers and employees would get coca cola tossed over the wall or squeeze it through the holes. Eventually the families of the West wall became dependent on the supply of it because it provided a dose of good fat for the starving people. When Reagan and the Soviet Union tore the wall down. A dozen or so Coca Cola trucks transported hundreds of cans to the Eastern wall people. The first three trucks were completely out on the haul in two hours. From there, the company gained a good foothold in Europe and the drink expanded into the east. Today, there are three coca cola factories with German employees as those locations in Berlin help meet the demand for the production in Europe." Anthony finally was able to stop talking. Sure it was a lot to take in but it wasn't that it mattered, as long as the information was enough to help in the assignment.
"Where does it say that in the book?" Jessica asked as Anthony passed it to her.
"It isn't, it was something I learned on my own several years back."
"Wait really?" Jessica raised her right eyebrow.
"Yeah it happens. I like to learn the beginnings and the plays several companies make in history. I just save the info until it's good for use." Anthony shrugged. Sure this was strange to know that he was talking too much on an assignment he would rather do for himself. But this could be a one-time thing, so there's no real harm in it right?
Jessica looked back at her paper. "Let's go with that, I'm getting depressed about this event just researching about it."
With that, Anthony spent the rest of the class period writing up a storm of the fact how a company's simple venture paid off in expanding further into Europe. Sure he could have talked about how the first McDonalds that opened in Moscow in the January in 1990 had a three hour line for the place, and that was on a good day. It was reported to have been the busiest McDonalds location in the history of the company. It wasn't really fast food back then.
Anthony finished the paper in twenty minutes with five minutes before the bells would ring to signal lunch. It was about time to, Anthony felt his stomach caved in from the abundance of space.
"So all we have to do is turn it in next week." Jessica stated. She finished writing and started to massage her right hand. She must have had applied to much force on her hand and the muscles cramped up.
"Uh huh." Anthony responded blankly. He did his part and this whole thing was an easy A assignment anyway. Mr. Coulson likes to do brain teasers for the students to get into the grove of the upcoming school year.
"Did Chris bug you again?" Jessica asked.
"Nah, sure my stomach can still fell the punch, but he'll get over it." Anthony downplayed the pain. In reality his stomach had a nice rectangular bruise. "Why are you so interested about it?"
"I heard there was a fight involving him yesterday from a friend." Jessica answered honestly.
"Ah." Well this doesn't matter in the long run because of all the petty grudges that will be meaningless once the people who cares get a diploma. Anthony thought. It wasn't he education system itself her despised, it was the people; all conceded with their own problems and thrust it upon others.
"So are you going to hold onto it or should I?" Anthony asked.
"I will, I know I'll be her on Monday." Jessica said as she opened up a brand new binder with black markings which formed the phrase. 'World History.' On it as it was closed and secured in her bag.
The two sat in silence as the bell chimed again for the students to go to lunch.
"Remember class, this assignment will be due at the end of class Monday, after that, we work on what I have planned. Have a good weekend." Mr. Coulson smiled the classroom. With that, all the students stood up and left the room at their own pace.
Anthony looked up as Jessica left the room and Billy by his side to heckle him some more. "So dude, did you get her number?"
"No." Anthony responded without a second thought.
With that the two heckled each other more as they walked in the hallway. Apparently Quint took the assignment home and constructed a detailed chart and paper that was two pages long typed. It was ready to go and Billy had the job of providing some research he did the night before.
"You know, I feel kinda bad since he did all the work." Billy shrugged.
"That Billy, is what the kids call a conscience, it can be a real dick sometimes because it always nags us on what to do." Anthony said all matter of factly. Billy shoved Anthony a step forward and he chuckled at Billy's expense.
They walked into the cafeteria to see Sheva sitting down beside Selene as they didn't have lunch on the table.
"Going on a diet? Well it's about time." Anthony said as he walked up and looked at Selene when he said it.
From that statement alone, Selene stood up and punched Anthony in the arm with a decent amount of force. Sheva was confused by how all of them acted as they sat down.
"That wasn't nice." Sheva said with a concerned expression toward Selene.
"I know, but last year, she bragged about being on a glutton free diet when in reality she just ate food when no one was looking. Billy caught her in a KFC and I just like to remind her about it."
"You know, it's really hard to forget when you keep reminding me." Selene frowned.
"That is what memories are called for." Billy laughed at the joke but as soon as he did, he noticed no one was laughing with him and closed his mouth. He felt a bit bad for laughing.
"So what's on the menu today?" Billy asked to change the subject.
"Nothing good as I can tell. There was some pizza but it was all gone by the time we showed up. I don't feel like eating the soggy salad, the soggy sandwiches, or the undercooked macaroni." Selene placed her hand the table and rested her chin on her palm.
"How much time do we have left?" Billy said as he looked at the clock.
"We have about forty five minutes until we have to be back in class." Selene responded.
"Okay, do all of you feel up to it go get some lunch from the McDonalds or Subway down the road?" Sheva suggested.
"I can go for some edible for a change." Billy looked back.
"I'm game." Anthony nodded.
"Let' go before any of us change our minds." Selene stood up.
"I was just joking about it." Sheva waved her arms quickly unsure of herself.
"Don't worry about it, as long as we have our school IDs, we can leave the grounds and come back in time for class. If we abuse the privilege then we lose it. Only freshmen aren't allowed to leave." Selene pointed out as she stood up with the guys.
"Okay then." Sheva's timid expression was apparent. None of them wanted to scare her. Well I have to 'show her the ropes,' and this still counts as part of the job. Before Sheva could back out, they were already outside the main doors and walked down the sidewalk.
"Come on guys, I'm starving." Selene called out as the rest of them jogged to catch up.
Thank you for reading this chapter. I know I was at a loss for a while. It was mostly because I spent so much time writing Resident Evil and playing the games for reference material, I burnt myself completely. Well, I'm back and I'll try to get back in the grove. Please tell me what you think in a review.
Roseimagine: Thank you for feeling that way on the chapter. I wanted to have the characters do a bit of bickering for the fun of it. Mhm, I get the feeling that there are plenty of fun characters and I want to have all the lessor known but loved characters make an appearance. I mean, I thought Jack was awesome because out of all the villains, he brought the most out of Leon in RE4 of actual development. For Billy, I did that for the giggles. Anthony is a complicated person to know and yes, when Selene picked on him. It was for the fun of it. Thank you for reading and have an excellent day.
Shantty: I know the feeling, sometimes I get in the mood to write and then I hit a wall at times. I know that feeling and I don't like it. Sometimes the hardest part is just starting. I need to break that habit. Yep, I want to keep these characters close for that Anthony is literally alone in his own home, because of his family's work. Billy is the funny guy, really OOC I know but I feel he's needed to be that way because of Anthony's personality. Jack was fun to write for as well, because I think he's the kind of friend we get without planning about it. Yay, it was funny, I aimed it to be that way. Thank you for reading and have an most excellent day.