Disclaimer: I do not own either the Suite Life or Honor Harrington Series. But I do own ken and Alexander along with both of the teachers.
I would like to thank Darkelements10 and Tiger002 for betaing the chapter.
The sun shone down on the children as they walked into John Adams Elementary School that Monday morning. The sounds of rubber on concrete, jeans and banter of children clashed with the cold air of the Boston winter morning. Wool hats and down filled jackets scattered themselves among the small fry and preteens anticipating and regretting another day of reading, writing, math equations and science experiments.
A specific group was occupied more than most this day with something entirely natural. Nervousness. Nervousness and maybe a little fear from one auburn haired boy in particular as his eyes went this way and that as his visual radar tried to find his way to his proper location. He was flanked by four others as he thought about his new environment.
Wow! So many more kids than my old school. I can barely move through the hallway.
A shoulder bumped into Travis who started to fall only to have Zack grabbed his upper arm to keep from falling down. Travis looked back at him only to see Zack nod at him. Travis nodded back him and looked back towards his future.
"So rude. Did not even say he was sorry" Max's voice rang out to the crowd as she looked at Tapeworm and Tom who were trying to stay close to the group. They barely dodged book bags, elbows and even feet to maintain their cohesiveness.
The group arrived at their first class and walked in.
Eyes.
It looks like they are staring into my soul.
Travis thought this as he stood in the front of the class being introduced.
It's almost like having unblinking vicious owl eyes staring at you until you make a mistake and then they pounce on their prey.
Travis looked around briefly and saw his friends looking at him with looks ranging from blankness to smiles. His nerves lessened at the minuscule symbol of support as he heard the teacher's voice around him. Mrs. Ayers finally released him from his interrogation and he sat down. His seat was next to Zack's. His roommate gave a look of recognition and his glazed expression returned to full power as the class began.
Travis took out what he needed for his class and listened to the teacher start the lesson and started copping down notes.
His mind wondered to his past.
I remember the leaking pens dripping on my hands as they exploded in my backpack covering my school papers after being thrown. The attempt to sharpen broken pencils because the erasers were still good. Using every inch of loose paper I could find to write notes down for class and being teased about it by other students. My book bag having holes in it and stuff always falling out in school and being laughed at for being poor.
It wasn't my dad's fault for being poor! He was having difficulty finding work and asking for new stuff made things more difficult on him. So I tried to deal with it the best I could. By using everything until I could not use it anymore.
He then thought about how things had changed.
He thought about the backpack which was now hanging in his locker in the hallway, the backpack with all the wonderful shiny new stuff. Though his joy slowly disappeared as he remembered having to change out of his newer clothes the second he got home so he did not ruin them. He was upset at this but he understood clothes cost money, which they did not have.
Travis's hand shot into the air as he was dying to answer a question as she was asking whether fungus was a consumer or a producer.
I know this. Please pick me! Pleeeeeease!
A shining smile appeared on his face as he answered it correctly.
Why is he still acting like this?
Why is Travis…. I mean Cody acting like he does not know me.
Lava ran through his veins during that second as his mind corrected him for the mistake.
Darn it! He's Cody not Travis.Zack's fist clenched so tightly his palms were white.
A hand touched his shoulder and Zack jumped. No one was supposed to be in the hallway by the bathroom besides him.
"Get off me" Zack's voice echoed down to the empty hallway and spin around with his hands rising.
Tapeworm's face went pale as his eardrums took the full impact of Zack's shout. He backed off as he saw the rage on Zack's face. The anger overrunning his controls and the walls appeared bloody as Zack looked at his target. Zeus's thunder sounded off in the distance with his arms extended ready to throw another bolt at the bushy-haired Tapeworm.
The haze in Zack's eyes slowly drained from them and saw the fear in his friend's eyes and immediately dropped his guard.
Oh, god, what was I about to do?
"Tape, I'm sorry. I was…just…well…"
"Ah, it's ok. I was wondering what happened to you. It was taking you forever to come back."
"I had stuff to think about." His eyes are watching my hands.
"Oh… see you in class." Tape backed away, never turning back until he rounded the corner out of Zack's sight.
Great! Now Tapeworm fears me. Anxiety and anger formed a lethal mix inside Zack. Both destroying everything under his control. What little control he had anyway. One drained his self-confidence and reassurance while the other was dissolving the mask on his face he put out to the world.
Must get my anger under control. Can't let them see it.
The blood returned to the skin as his nails relieved the pressure. He did not realize the entire time he was looking at Tapeworm; he kept the pressure on his fists. His mind slowly focused back on the topic before the faceoff with his- maybe? Zack thought- friend.
What did I do to deserve this? I was nice to Cody, shared my room with him…
Zack's mind wandered to a well worn scene.
I felt his fear as Ken… (Zack's mind came unfocused at the mention of the name)…mentioned discipline. It was like he was crying out for me. I just know it…
Could I be wrong? He flinched at my touch. Cody would never do that. He was the one who likes to hugged or held or touched on the arm, not me.
It's like he does not want to remember me. Is it the abuse? Was it so bad he forgot who I was?
…No, it can't be true.
Trisha did not even help.
The scene from the day before came back with Zack's (and Cody's) social worker showing up and seeing how everything was.
He did not even react. He acted like she was a stranger to him. We have known her since we were five years old… I can still the remember seeing the sadness in her eyes too. Cody(Zack refused to call him Travis in his head) did not even let her hug him.
Still. He's nice and kind just like Cody used to be… I mean still is.
Zack's stopped in the hallway. As it happened, he was standing of Cody's-he told himself- locker. He looked and saw the backpack inside through the slots in the door and got an idea
Wait… I wonder if I could do that. Maybe that will turn him around. Yeah.
Zack's mind flared of his plan as he walked back into the classroom.
Travis walked into the cafeteria. There were hundreds of kids either sitting at the tables eating or waiting in line.
They are probably friends talking to friends about the really important topics of elementary childhood.
They are probably talking hobbies, crushes, pranks, forgotten schoolwork, and… the bad cafeteria food.
He wondered about what it was like to have few cares in life besides going to school and having fun.
I wish I had their life.
Travis walked into the line waiting for food. One second he was looking around, the next his face on the floor with his nose smashed flat.
What happened? My head hurts.
"Oops my bad…not." Laughter erupted around him.
Travis turned his head and saw a dark- skinned corn rowed hair boy with cargo pants with a blue shirt on flanked with two others standing over him.
What did I do to deserve this?
"Oh look, the boy fell down" More laughter. "Must have been REALLY clumsy."
"Why did you push me down?" asked Travis. His voice slightly shaking.
"Push you? We did not push you. You fell." A smile appeared in his face but his tone was exactly the opposite. "The new boy here can't even stand. What an idiot."
Travis looked at the trio for a second, wondering what he could do against these odds, he looked down at the floor, until he heard a voice.
"Hey, why's the line stopped?"
Who said that? His eyes searched for the speaker and out of the circle came a figure with blond hair.
It's Zack!
"Oh Martin, this kid fell after he tried to get into my spot in line."
Zack looked at Travis with a raised eyebrow. His focused eyes told another story.
At least I know I'm not alone here.
Zack's voice broke through his thoughts. "Back off, Drew, he's new. He does not know the way things run around here, okay? Besides getting into a fight over a lunch line spot is not worth it, is it?"
"Are you wanting to fight or something?" Drew countered. The two kids beside him moved away from Drew to form a semicircle for a better angle.
"Oh no, just saying, fighting over bad Mac and cheese is ridiculous but if you want to go at it…" Zack tone reeked of seriousness and humor at the same time
"What you know this pipsqueak or something?" Drew asked him.
"Yeah, he's in my class."
"One more person to avoid running over." Zack stepped forward. Drew backed off. "Not worth my time. Whatever" Drew and his two lackeys turned around and walked away.
Zack walked up toward Travis, helped him off the floor, and they went to get lunch.
Together.
"Well thank you for coming so quickly."
"No problem" said Ken to the Zack and Travis's first class teacher, Mrs. Ayers. Joanna was sitting down in a chair next to him.
"We wanted to talk to you about both boys and figured getting all the teachers together at once made things easier. This will be a short introductory meeting." Mr. Knowles, the boys' science teacher said.
"Well, I suppose you want us to explain how we intend to support both of them academic wise?" Joanna asked. The teachers in the room nodded.
"Well first off I would to keep the fact they are foster kids to yourselves as long as possible and try not to treat them differently than the rest of the kids" Joanna's eyes stared into each of the teachers as she said this to them.
"We will do that, but if I may ask, what makes you think we would treat them differently due to their living arrangements?" asked Knowles with raised eyebrows, narrowed eyes and a jagged expression.
"I don't think Joanna meant it that way, Mr. Knowles," said Ken, trying to stop something before it started. "I can guarantee she definitely was not judging your professionalism. We have two boys here just trying to learn something and achieve success."
Joanna issued an apology to the teacher, who relaxed and listened to Ken as he continued.
"All of us have been childhood and in your case, seen hundreds of children trying to advance through the educational system. Let's face it, kids can be cruel. Especially around this age. If you stand out like a sore thumb, you willbe picked on by the others in the classroom. Whether that is as a teacher's pet or a foster child. What's makes it worse for a foster kids is the stain with that comes being one in school and society."
"Ken's right." Joanna's tone was easy-going but strong. "If the rest of the students found about Zack and Travis's living arrangement, it could be very detrimental for their schooling. There are three students who know about Zack and Travis's situation since they are friends with them"
Mrs. Ayers broke in, "Yes we know who you speak of. Their history teacher remembers their friends helping Zack in class with answers when he was stumped or was seen walking with him on many occasions." The woman saw the widened eyes of the foster parents. "Relax; we have no intention of breaking them up. As a matter of fact, it can't hurt to have a few friends around to help.
"Thank you. They need all the support they can get right now." Joanna said compassionately.
"Speaking of support, how are you going to help them with their schooling?"
Ken decided to answer this one. "We are from the Star Kingdom, where a person needs an education to have a future. Both of us especially me are endeavored to help the boys have a chance and overcome their current situation." When he stopped, he found smiles on both of the teachers' face.
"Did I say something that amused you?" Ken asked confused.
"No, it's just sometimes it's mostly the mothers who are interested in a child's schooling while the fathers are involved in sports," Mr. Knowles responded.
"As you can see, we are not from anywhere around here and our expectations on male role models and their participation in academics are much higher," Ken answered
"Good." The single word from Mrs. Ayers was simple but it spokes volumes.
"Next we are going to talk about Zack since he's been around the longest."
Joanna cut in, "Is there any issues with the boy?"
"We think so. He has issues concentrating in class and finishing his work during class," Mrs. Ayers said.
"It is possible that his environment could be causing issues with him concentrating in class?" Ken saw the teachers about to react. "What I meant is the possibility his switching homes multiple times, having another boy living with him and adjusting to a new one is not allowing him to get comfortable enough to focus on the school work?"
"It's certainly possible those could have an impact in school. But there could be an internal issue that could affect Zack's schooling as well," Mrs. Ayers remarked.
"Such as?" Ken's tone was nervous but ominous. He was afraid of where this could go.
"Such things such ADD or ADHD could come into play with Zack." Joanna and Ken looked at Mr. Knowles. "My son has ADD, so I have taken an extreme interest in the subject." The man sighed once and looked at the parents. "Zack could certainly have it. But of course he might not have it as well. It could just what you described –his environment overwhelming to the point where he can't concentrate at school. The symptoms for both have to be a certain way and be witnessed in multiple environments. Practically everything has to be proven not to be the cause of the problem for it to be ADHD or ADD."
Joanna spoke up "I happen to agree with you on the possibility of Zack having some sort of issue. We have Zack's school file and there are notes for inattention, distractions, losing things, some hyperactivity as well as other things as well. There is evidence of it going back maybe to preschool. We have old files that say as much."
"May say something?" Ken asked the group, who nodded. "Sometimes boys need to be taught differently because they have so much pent up energy. They need to be active and when they have extra energy to burn; they usually act out in order to get rid of it. In Zack's case, his parents died when he was five years old, so that event and the chaos he's been through since then have probably had an effect on him."
Knowles jumped in after this "Actually effects from traumatic events can cause or mimic ADHD in a child. So it could go both ways. Depression, anxiety, sleeping problems is just some problems, so it is very difficult to correctly diagnosis ADD to any child. Besides any ADD symptoms have to be for at least six months in multiple environments "The man turns to ken with an investigative look."Why are trying to make It seem that Zack could not have the disease anyway?"
Ken looked at the man straight in the eye and said "I did not want to become stereotyped into what an ADD kid can do. With an issue that like, there are certain or lack of expectations on a child and I don't want that with him. With being a foster child, it could harm his self esteem down even more."
"I understand what you mean by that. Still, if some things don't change we may have to focus our concentration on the possibility of such a thing being true."
"So we all agree Zack's schooling needs to be watched, correct?" Mrs. Ayers said to the group and who nodded. "Good at least we have a common front on that. We have do something soon or else Zack has a chance at failing the grade and I know we dont want that."
"Next Travis, from what little of I have seen, he seems like a bright young man wanting to learn. He is a little quiet sometimes but he does answer questions."
"Well that's good," Ken said with a smile.
"However, I have one comment and then a question. I noticed certain similarities between the two boys when they came in. Specifically their eyes and faces looked the same. They would not be related, would they?"
Ken and Joanna did not dare look at each other. Their faces remained passive. Mrs. Ayers and Mr. Knowles exchanged looks. Both had seen the same thing and had the same questions. Some were out of curiosity. Others were out of worry for their students.
"Em…" Ken's voice trailed off trying to figure it out how and what to tell the teachers without giving up everything. Joanna beat him to the punch.
"Yes, they are. They are identical twins actually. Things have happened recently to Travis that have caused some issues with us and his brother and his hair." If it was not for the seriousness of the situation, Joanna would have smiled at the last part.
"I hate to be rude and intrusive but a twin does not just show up out of nowhere when his other twin was at school for almost a month?" The science teacher's eyes were narrowed.
Joanna forced her eyes to Ken, who broke his stony movements. They looked at each other and nodded, realizing they were caught. But they decided to keep some aces up their sleeves for the protection of the boys.
"Travis, whose real name is Cody by the way, was kidnapped before Zack came to us and has only recently been found and reconnected with his twin. There have been issues with the reunion but we are hoping to work them out. I think it's just a matter of time before everything is smoothed out. Keep calling Travis until further notice." Joanna's voice was calm but deep underneath there was a little nervousness.
Ken looked at the teacher with granite look "I need to ask you to keep this silent not only from the other teachers who you interact with but also the students as well. We will talk with the other teachers shortly about this. The students cannot know for obvious reasons. I need your word for this. I mean it."
The two teachers looked at the burden weary foster parents and said they would. Both groups would never know how they would be linked from now on.
The suite at the Tipton erupted with noise as two preteen boys walked in and tossed their book bags on the table.
One boy grabbed cookies and soda while the other made a sandwich. They looked at each other (and their snacks) with equally curious expression.
Both started on their homework in the quiet suite only watched by the tree cat lying down on the other of the table. Both smiled at the past antics of creature. Today, Alexander was playing with a tennis ball to past the time. As soon as he saw them watching him, he looked at both of them and tossed the ball to them.
"Do you want us to get into trouble?" said Travis with the ball in his hand. "We have to do our homework. We can't play with you."
"Why not?" asked Zack, his smiling face looking between his roommate and the creature. "We have plenty of time."
"No we don't, if we don't do it now, there's a chance we will fall behind and I don't want that happening."
"Oh right, oh right," groaned Zack and both proceeded to do their homework. Alexander stopped distracting them, watching them put graphite to paper and flipping pages when necessary. Travis helped Zack with difficult questions when needed and kept after him every time he wanted to watch TV instead of doing his work. Joanna helped too as he walked in and out of the room on occasion to make sure it was actually getting done. After a while, both finally finished only to hear the door open.
Ken walked in and the boys packing stuff away. "So are you done?" The boys looked at each other and nodded. "Well that's good then. Let's have a look at it them?"
Both froze when Ken said this. "Why?' croaked Zack.
"Because I want to see how you're doing. After all, you live here and I want to see you do well in school. So let's see today homework, shall we?"
Well so far not so bad.
Travis's work is pretty good beyond a few mistakes here or there.
Ken tapped Travis on the shoulder. The boy almost jumped of his seat but Ken made no mention of the action. He pointed out the missing comma, word, the mistake with the fractions along with misspelled words and science. The boy nodded here and there to say he understood.
Travis was a little hesitant there for a while but in the end, he came out of his shell a little. Heck he knew the answer about magnetism before I was able to finish the question? Not too bad.
Ken put a hand on Travis shoulder and smiled as they finished. The boy flinched slightly but his mouth pointed upward at the man's kind words.
We still have a long way to go. The thought never touched his eyes as he looked at Travis. The boy asked to go to his room and Ken nodded.
The half-pay naval officer turned his attention towards his main problem: Zack.
His eyes looked at the boy in front of him. His eyes slightly downward. His hands in his lap. No expression at all on his face. A mask.
I wonder what he's thinking of all of this.
"Zack?" The boy slowly looked up but not totally at Ken. He did not move his limbs. Almost as if he expects something to happen
"Are you ready to go over your homework? Don't worry, it's not torture. I just want to tell what's wrong so you can improve."
Ken's eyes could see Zack's expressionless mask grow even stronger. He mentally sighed and leaned over toward the boy with his homework. His thoughts remembering a conversation from earlier that day.
A knob turned in the door and Zack walked into the room. He closed the door and sighed.
"That took a while"
He looked up and saw an auburn haired boy on his bed.
My brother….but not.
"Why is he so focused on that? Homework?"
"Don't you want to do good in school?" asked Travis
If only I could…
Zack put his book bag on his bed and walked toward his closet. Travis had a separate closet for himself. He saw some boxes at the bottom of his.
I remember… Ken put those boxes in the bottom of my closet so Travis (I mean Cody) could not see them… Maybe he wanted me to show them to him.
Zack remembered the idea he got at school when he looked his roommate's locker.
That's it. Zack's happiness swelled as he thought of something that surely would bring Cody back to him. He searched through the boxes and found what he needed. Travis's voice found him and he turned and saw Travis moving toward him.
"I wanted to thank you for helping with that Drew kid today. I thought I was a goner with him. My heart was pumping hard and I saw you, I was so glad I was not alone. "
"Hey, no problem." Zack put a hand on Travis's shoulder and smiled "That's what friends are for."
I want to say brother but I know that would not be right. Let's see if I can show his favorite thing in the whole world. Besides me, of course.
"Hey Travis, come here I want to show you something?" His heart beat faster and his hope rose. He could hardly contain his excitement, soon he'd have his Cody back instead of this stranger.
"What is it?" Travis came over and saw Zack carry a box onto his bed.
Zack gave him a blue felt blanket. He moved it around in his hands.
I hope, I hope…Zack looked at the boy who he knew was his brother hold his most personal object.
"It feels soft and nice. Whoever had this must have been lucky, though it's a little small."
"Yeah it is, it's a baby blanket. It belonged to someone I know. He called Blankie. It was his favorite thing in the world besides his brother."
He looked on as Travis felt it, the softness calming the boy down…just as it did for Cody.
He saw he was close, now, just to bring his memories back for good.
"His name was Cody."
Zack's saw Travis's head flash around. His face was completely different from before. There was no smile, no happiness, and no calm. His face was slowly turned to the darkest shade of red Zack had ever seen.
His eyes… there's only fire in them. Oh no, what have I done? Before Zack could think of anything else, Travis's voice stumped on him.
Sharp. Laser scalpel sharp. It was cool as zero degrees Kelvin and its words froze Zack in his place.
"You're just like him, aren't you? You think I am him. This Cody person, don't you?"
Zack said nothing, but the boy in front of him was not the person he knew a moment before. His skin was beat red with flash of pale skin intermeshed. It looked to Zack the boy was a walking plague ready to destroy everything in its path, with the first target, being the boy who unwisely initiated its release.
"That's what you think, don't you?" Travis's voice never raised itself beyond normal conversation. That's what made its lethality worse. The lowered volume allowed Zack to understand his meaning and at the same time, made sure they would not be disturbed by the adults since they were out of the suite downstairs in the lobby.
"Well, guess what, I'm not Cody. I never was and I never will be" Travis walked forward to Zack, whose body slowly retreated, Trying to get away from the epicenter of the disaster he created.
I'm scared. I've never seen him this way. He terrifies me. Where he did get this from?
Too soon he hit a wall and was forced to look into the eyes of the thing in front of him. Their allure held him. They showed what he did and did not want to know.
He's seriously believes this. Why?... Why?... Why?...How could be like this?
Tears started to fill Zack's eyes but the other life force did not stop.
"Look at me Zachary." Zack's eyes refocused themselves on the pupils of Travis.
"You see this?"
Cody's Blankie!
He watched as Travis dropped the blanket onto the floor and proceeded to step… no stomp on it with both feet, not once or twice….but several times.
No!
Water fell to the ground at the sight of the wrinkled and crumbled blanket under the feet of the boy. If heartbreak could be heard, whole continents would have fallen into the ocean.
Travis was not done yet.
What… is… he… doing?
Zack was pushed to the limit. What he saw next, pushed him over.
Travis proceeded to methodically dump the rest of "Cody's" boxes onto the floor at Zack's feet. Mocking him with certain precious memories from his favorite stuffed animal to his favorite toy. Saying repeatedly they were not his. Zack looked on hopelessly as his hopes and dreams fall apart from his own doing.
"Why are you doing this?"
"I'm Travis…not Cody…and never will be."
Zack couldn't believe it, he thought that this would be the way to bring Cody back, and instead, the Cody he knew was even farther away.
Would he ever get his Cody back? He had to be in there…somewhere, but where? What happened to him to change him like this? Was there anyway to bring him back?
Honestly I can say the last scene went further than I had originally intended but after reading it, I like the emotional impact and it does not go very far off of what I originally wanted to tell anyways, so it stays.
As always please read and review the chapter and the others as well. If you have any questions about the story or the Honor Harrington universe, you can PM me. Reviews and PM are loved and I thank those who have done so far. Until next time.
