Chapter 6 – Concrete Wilderness
Their apartment, Paris, France. 6:21am 28 April 2022
Erin can't sleep any longer. The anticipation is killing her, She has already had some cereal which she found out of one of the cardboard boxes as well as some milk in a cooler bag. She places the breakfast on the coffee table and begins to channel surf, returning to those channels that she remembered from yesterday. She begins with a small documentary on how things are made, something that has fascinated her. Whether it may be a wheel rim, a candy bar or vegetable oil; she digests the information as well as her cereal. The sun slowly intensifies from behind the wooden shutters that block out the sun, streaks of light hit the wooden floor and print the small regular rectangles of orange light that peers through the slits of the shutters. It is almost half an hour later until Sly wakes up and is surprised that she is up this early due to the very long trip yesterday, it is the earliest he could force himself out of bed.
"Honey, you're up early." Sly hushly speaks from across the main living area.
"I want to be ready for school." Erin replies.
"Can you wake your brother up while I take a shower?" Sly asks.
"Okay." Erin replies as she gets up and walks slowly towards Alex's room, she opens the door quietly and Alex sleep through it all.
"Get up Alex." She says normally, then waits for a response. He doesn't move at all apart from the breathing motion of his chest. She sneaks up on him until she lifts the sheets away from him until she can see him in his blue pyjamas, and yet he still sleeps. But she isn't fooled.
"I know you're lying there and not sleeping." Erin says.
"Am I doing good?" Alex asks.
"Well." She corrects.
"You're lying, it was bad." He says, putting himself down from the misinterpretation.
"No." She says, confused initially but she recognises his error. "You're meant to say; 'Am I doing well?' you'll learn it at school today." She insists.
"I'm not going." He replies. "There's a whole new world to explore, more things to climb." Alex describes, alluding to his perceived better use of time.
"You're gonna love it." She argues.
"How is school going to make me become a better thief?" He asks his sister this difficult question.
Meanwhile, Sly looks out of this bathroom window that Bentley told him about; he sees the metal pipe that runs up and down the building. He is looking down to a small garden below that has a view of the sky. The pipe is 3 metres away from the window on the left wall, but the window is hard enough to fit through, let alone jump the distance. He goes inside and takes his shower, remembering the times when he too was at school.
"Have fun." The words echo inside his brain and eventually drown out the sound of the running water of the shower.
23rd April 1992
"Have fun." Ms Puffin says kindly to the gang as they get out of her car and drive off, he remembers hearing Bentley's stories of her rage and anger towards everyone, but they were the only three from the orphanage that went to this school; only because Bentley had specifically requested that he and his friends attend. He remembers still not being entirely sure about his new friends, having only been there a few days. His first day was full of confusion, having never seen such a place before in his life.
"It means that we don't have to stay with her the whole day." Bentley says. At that moment, Sly couldn't imagine Ms. Puffin being evil, because he knows the definition too well, nothing could possibly compare with what he saw from inside that wardrobe.
"I own the place round here." Bentley announces as they walk inside the primary school. Sly chuckles to himself, thinking that he did actually own the school at one point.
"Hey turtle! What's the matter? You're so scared to come you brought another bodyguard." The group of overdeveloped bullies belts out in forced laughter for their bulldog leader.
"He's so thin." He says as he walks up to the young Sly. "He ain't going to help you at all, watch." He says as prepares his right fist for a well-aimed punch at Sly's gut. He goes for the punch but Sly moves out of the way and he punch follows through too far, causing the bulldog to fall over.
"You got lucky new kid. Next time you won't see it coming before you're on the ground." He retorts, retreating to the safety of his pace where they are retreating also into the bowels of the school building. This new trio does the same opening of the pale green wooden double doors.
The present day
Sly opens the bathroom door having finished his shower and gotten dressed. He notices the children arguing in Alex's room.
"I knew it!" Alex announces to his defeated sister. Sly moves away from the door and acts normal as the door opens from behind him. With Erin walking quickly out of the door and back into her room, shutting the door forcefully on leaving his sight.
"Alex, what did you do?" Sly asks as he return to the bedroom, he sees a scruffy Alex, still in his pyjamas pretending to be asleep again.
"I'm not going to school, it's not going to help me become a better thief." Alex explains, rolling over so he face Sly who has sat down on the side of the bed.
"It's not my decision to make." Sly says.
"Do we always have to do what Uncle Bentley says?" Alex moans.
"Only if you don't want to be caught." Sly says, completely defeating Alex in the process. The young raccoon has no choice now but to get up and head for the kitchen where he proceed to beg at Carmelita for food, he gets it after having changed into his uniform. The next ten minutes go by in a blur as they ready themselves to go to school, including packing their bags for their first day.
7:43am
"Bye." Carmelita says as she shuts the door on her kids. She turns to Sly who is just behind her. "Isn't this a bit restrictive what Bentley is making us do?"
"He's the smartest guy I know, I'm sure he wouldn't be doing it if it didn't have a reason." Sly casually replies, going into the kitchen to get himself some more food.
Meanwhile, outside the apartment.
"It's that skunk again." Alex points out as he looks down the centre of the balustrade; he spots the black hand sliding down the handrail a few floors below. They walk down slowly but stay a constant distance away from him, not wanting to be so close to him on their first day of school.
"Okay, now I take one thing back." Alex announces quietly.
"What's that?" Erin wonders.
"Now I have one reason to go to school." Alex says.
"Sneaking and spying on your neighbours isn't exactly…" Erin says, trying to prove him wrong, but she goes silent because she knows he is right about this one. Besides, it means she doesn't have to hassle him every time. They reach the bottom of the stairs and Erin unlocks the door with the key she has on her. They turn to the right to do the short walk to school. They spot the out of place white patch on the ground about 30 metres away from them. The walk towards it and discover that it is white flour, strange, but they continue on.
"Is someone already wanting winter to come?" Alex jokes. Erin isn't that impressed.
They make the right hand turn and make the next left to find the school gates opened, it looks like some fortress in the middle of Paris with it's high sandstone walls protecting or keeping in the children, with only the large wrought steel gate the only entry point. They walk inside together and see groups of kids of different ages talking to each other on the cobblestoned front area. They spot a teacher who is watching them all but that ceases when she spots Alex and Erin enter the gates. The blonde, tall and slim cat slinks over to them.
"I'm Ms. Tinkler. You must be Alex and Erin Olsen! Come on in, no need to be shy." She says as she coaxes them forward into the building. They walk forward past all of the other kids who look much bigger and stronger than they are. However, they are not phased by their presence.
"I'll take you to deputy headmaster Maine's office, he will show you around and give you your timetables and lockers." She says, leading towards a wooden door with a gold plaque reading 'Matthew Maine, Deputy Headmaster' in black lettering. When the door is opened, it reveals an ornately decorated room with a chesterfield at one end and an oak desk at another, with similarly coloured bookshelves behind the desk filled with all sorts of old books. There is a window on their right that looks out into the courtyard they entered in.
"Thank you Ms. Tinkler, have a seat." The suited Lion says, pointing to the brown chesterfield. They wait as he types away on his computer. Alex meanwhile spots a security camera in the top left corner behind the lion. He smiles at it and gives a wave but he retracts his hand when the lion gets out of his plush office chair with the two pieces of laminated paper.
"Alex." He says, giving out the first timetable. "Erin." They take a look at their new timetable with the grid of subjects from them to follow.
"There's a map on the back of the timetable to help with your way around. I'll show you to your lockers." He says, opening the door. The first bell goes, five minutes before classes actually start, meaning that some kids are already at their lockers and getting out their belongings.
"Tuck your shirt in." He says to one rebellious teenage student. "Do your tie up!" he says to another before they walk past a classroom and onto the left where they will be situated. They are in the section with smaller locker to accommodate their smaller size. They are each 40 centimetres wide, 1 metre high and about 50 centimetres deep.
"Here are your locks for your lockers and your first class is Geography with Mr. Mitt." The deputy headmaster explains quickly before turning his head at the sound of trouble. "Hey, stop fighting!" He says as he quickly rushes over to the scene. Erin meanwhile is putting her books in her locker. She is wondering now about her vision of what school was like in her head. She thought it would be a place where kids learn things, not this unruly place. But then again, she has not experienced a class just yet.
"These locks are too easy to unlock." Alex quietly says to Erin, holding the combination lock in his hand. "We could get into anyone's lockers." He schemes while placing his own things inside the locker.
"We're not just going to break into people's lockers, we are just normal kids at school like that hologram said." Erin reminds Alex.
"I said 'could'." Alex corrects.
They retrieve their pencil cases and a notebook and proceed to their first class, using the map on their timetables. There are 16 kids including the twins in this class which has 8 two seater desks lined up with 2 columns of 4 desks.
"So you're the fresh meat." A male tiger cub says after turning off his phone and putting it into his designer denim jeans, too rebellious to even wear the uniform. "I think it needs some tenderising before you tackle this first class don't you think?" he asks his group of 5. The Coopers just stand silently, acting as if they don't even exist.
"You gonna say something?" He retorts, hoping for a reaction.
"The real question is are you getting another detention today Tyson? Apart from the one given to you for not wearing uniform." Mr. Mitt says as he walks around a corner struggling with a load of papers and folders plus a thermos of coffee. "Come in kids." He says, unlocking the door. They pour into the classroom and take their seats, with Alex and Erin sitting next to each other in the 2nd row on the left.
"Okay, we have two new students, Alex and Erin Olsen who have just moved from Sweden I believe. Whose capital is?" The teacher asks. There is a pause as no one wants to answer.
"Anyone?" He pleads. Since no one want's to answer it, he turns his attention to the resident know it all at the front.
"Stockholm." The small rat answers.
"Thank you." He exasperatingly says. "Now, um…" He continues as he turns his back on the class, a dangerous thing to do. A scrunched up sheet of paper lands from behind onto their table in front of Alex who is sitting in the aisle. He opens it to see some writing in red texta: 'At recess, you're mine.' Alex scrunches it up back into it's spherical form and while the teachers back is turned, throws it towards the bin, landing it in off the wall. Alex doesn't look back but if her did, he would see the completely shocked reaction of the backseat bandits at the back and the bubbling anger of Tyson. He doesn't like being showed up, especially when it comes to sports.
The class finishes and Alex looks at his timetable for the class.
"Where's this room?" He asks his sister, pointing to the box that says 'UG' in it. The other classmates have left the room but the twins go to Mr. Mitt to find this room hidden on their timetable.
"Excuse me, where exactly is UG?" Erin asks, with Alex standing beside her. Mitt spins around on his desk chair.
"It means under ground, just go out and down the stair case." He explains. They both walk out of the classroom and find the wide staircase with some students going up and some going down, all of various ages. They follow the stairs downward path for four flights where they reach what is arguably the most impressive feature of this school. Since space is tight in Paris, they had to create some space so that kids could run around. Hence, this is an underground basketball court. They spot a few kids already getting changed into their sports uniform.
"Do we have that?" Alex asks.
"No." Erin replies, slightly scared of what the consequences may be. They wait by the entrance to the gym until they find the PE (Physical Education) teacher. The leopard arrives in a yellow school polo top and shorts with runners.
"You're the new kids here." She says to them. "Do you not have sports uniforms yet? It's okay, just take some from lost property for today and ask your parents to come and purchase a uniform." She says, getting a plastic tub with varying sizes of clothing. "Let's see." She says, picking through the tub to find an outfit for each of them. "We don't have shoes so just play in bare feet for today." She says, handing over the sports uniforms. They go inside the change room and get changed, they are the last to line up on the edge of the court.
"Since it's Friday, we are playing dodgeball." She announces. There is a muted celebration amongst peers, Alex and Erin don't even know why. There are 5 soft squishy balls on the centre line.
"I'll split you into teams, 1,2,1…" She starts; the kids at the other end rearrange themselves to get into their preferred teams. In doing this, one kids gets in between Alex and Erin, which inadvertently puts them on the same team, despite having no idea whats going on. Erin steps forward to the left where she thinks her team is, Alex just follows her because he knows that she is the smarter one out of them in terms of general knowledge. They walk up to the back wall where everyone else is lining up; ready to sprint forward to grab the balls.
"Go!" She shouts, waiting at the sideline. The kids rush forward to grab the ball, some hang back but Alex and Erin do it for different reasons. They watch the kids grab the balls and hurl them at each other. It turns into a frenzy as they try to hit their opponents with the ball
"Use the balls to hit them, don't get hit by them." Erin says to Alex as they hang back while trying to figure out what is happening. She sees someone of the opposing tem catch a ball and someone re enter the court. "And if you catch it, someone on your team comes back in." But when they turn to actually play the game, they are being decimated, they only have two others whereas the other team which holds that group of 6 has the full complement. They hang back and wait to figure it out some more but it only leads to the other two getting out, the six on their team waiting on the side line watch as their fate in this game rests in these new kids.
"Don't worry, I was just saving you for last." Tyson declares as he hurls a powerful throw towards Erin who expertly dodges it. Their training is kicking in instinctively, even if they don't know it, they are just playing a game. Now, all the balls are in Alex and Erin's court. The opposing eight wait close to their area to taunt them.
"Come on, I dare you to hit me!" He taunts. "You're two are so skinny that you can't even pick up the ball."
"Be kind to the new kids." The leopard asks.
Alex does indeed pick up a ball and then another, holding one in each hand. He takes the one in his right and throws it as hard as he can at Tiger, but he side steps away from the equally powerful throw.
"Look at me, I'm gonna dance!" he taunts, pulling all sorts of fancy moves just to taunt them. Alex throws the next one instead at one of his cronies and they are hit on the leg; one down, seven to go. Alex's teammates are still silent though as they analyse the physical condition and skills of these new kids. The tiger's attention now turns to Erin.
"Just give it to him, he'll at least have a chance." He taunts again, while one of his cronies grabs the two balls on their side. Erin doesn't like her brother being referred to as 'him'. She begins to utilise smarter tactics. She passes one ball to Alex, getting the tigers attention. She quickly hurls the second ball right from Tyson's head. He bends over just in time, but someone near him isn't so lucky. Alex takes the final ball on their side and holds it in his hands, ready to use it as a shield from the onslaught that is being prepared. They see the remaining six competitors quickly talk plans and then break as they all throw 4 balls straight at Erin, aiming to take her out. But she is always ready and her reactions are too fast as she catches the first one and knocks the subsequent one up into the air, the third misses and the forth she jumps over as it goes for her feet. She looks for the ball in the air but Alex is already running across to catch it. The teams are now even.
Even the sports teacher is surprised at someone who doesn't looks like they could even play sport and yet has such versatility and ability at the same time. All the balls are in their court and they ready to throw it all at once at their opponents who have gone to the back wall to protect themselves. The other two on their team try to throw the ball as hard as they can but they barely reach the required distance and are easily catchable. Alex and Erin know better despite their longer throwing range, all the training in the countryside in Sweden is beginning to show, albeit not in the way that Sly intended. Someone on the other team has decided to go all out and rushes forward with such vulgarity that Alex just has to reach out and tag him with the ball still in his hand to confine him to the sideline. One ball comes flying at his face but he reaches out with the ball and deflects it into the air, for Erin to catch. More throws are exchanged in this epic battle of 8 years olds underneath Paris. But Alex and Erin it seems are always on the losing side, with their teammates not being able to stay in for more than a minute. Erin decides to do the obvious.
"Everyone get back." She says, it is the first thing either of them has said during this game. They have both not grown up being brash or loudmouth, they are both quiet and keep to themselves more often than not. They have not inherited the same personality as their parents. While everyone is just at the back wall, there are only 3 left on the other team. The two raccoons see that their final challengers are flustered, they had been used to being the kings and queens of the school, just being able to dominate their surroundings and now to have two new kids just show the up like this is a complete intrusion of the order of things at this school. They are becoming tired as well, they are not as conditioned or as fit as someone who can climb trees like it is walking or run along the shore of the lake for long periods of time. Another ball is hurled at Erin but it is very tame and is caught into her chest. She proceeds to finish it off as she quickly throws the ball back at the other crony, setting up the finish that they want.
"You think you're so good, you haven't even hit me yet." Tyson taunts but he has become very scared on the inside that his reign is declining as time progresses. His taunts and shouts have little merit and is burning himself out. He only has one more ball left and puts all of his strength behind it, only to see it sail way off it's intended target and land lamely on the ground. He is now stranded by himself with no protection. But on the outside he is as confident and arrogant as before, he has his hands ready to catch, hoping to still be the hero that he wants to be. But while he is doing this Alex and Erin have a small chat of how they will finish this off. They separate and Alex spreads wide. Erin throws it diagonally in between Alex and Tyson, laying it up for Alex who throws it at the airborne ball, deflecting it into Tyson's head. Tyson was just about to laugh heartily at this poor effort but he was caught out. Now the Cooper's have won. They don't celebrate as much as their team mates who are absolutely stunned at this. In the end, they don't know what to do next. They have not been in this situation before, nor have they known what dodge ball was 15 minutes ago. But now, among this group of students, they have suddenly become both feared and heralded.
They play some more games but at the end of this class, it is the same result. They head back up the stairs, some of them so tired to even walk up the stairs but they don't include Erin or Alex, who walk casually back to their lockers having returned their sports uniforms and replaced them with their uniforms.
"Why is everyone so bad compared to us?" Alex asks his sister. She doesn't know why and hence, doesn't respond.
"I mean, they've been here for years and yet we just won on the first day." Alex comments further. They don't know of their advanced physical prowess over their classmates. Neither do they know that it is to be 'advanced' in the first place.
"Doesn't everyone climb trees or run around?" Alex asks again.
"I don't think there are trees in Paris that you can climb on." Erin answers.
"You don't need trees, you have pipes, you have poles, you have ladders…" Alex lists of all of the things he has seen that could be climbed on.
"I get it, but we are just normal kids at this school." Erin reiterates, not thinking what happened over the last hour as they both reach their lockers and put their things away. But as they turn around, a much larger tiger stands behind them along with Tyson.
"Hi, I believe you two made my brother here look like a wimp and a pussy." He explains happily but sarcastically.
"But that's what you are." Erin retorts back with an expert comeback. The big tiger towering over them is reserved; he knows that he brought that joke on himself.
"That was uncalled for, but if you do that again your gonna be on the ground while I give you a lesson in how things are done around here for you new kids. Comprende? Or whatever you say in Sweden." He answers as he walks off with Tyson.
"Such a meathead." Erin comments to Alex.
"What?" Alex asks.
"He's not smart enough to see what he's getting into." Erin explains.
"I didn't expect school to be like this, it's way less boring than I was thinking of." Alex says. He thought it would be like some monotonous place full of old teachers telling things he didn't need to know and heaps of work both at home and at school.
"So you enjoy it then." Erin says, luring Alex into acceptance.
"I guess, so far at least." Alex concludes. They hear a loud bang of wood on metal. But when they look, someone's been thrusted into a locker and is now being palmed around a group of older kids like a ragdoll being shoved around a circle. The black and white nature of this bullying is easy for them to see, because it's that skunk from 2 floors down. He is resigned to facing this beating; it's what he goes through every single day. He chalks up the bruises and bumps until they have had enough 'fun' with him. He is left on the ground by this group of kids who disperse as quickly as they assembled. But Jeremy doesn't react; he just gets up, albeit slowly, and leaves as if nothing had happened to him. The twins also look but don't do anything, secluding themselves from this altercation.
