Disappearing Act
Thursday. 1:33pm
The boy who had entered Ms. Jenkins' third period English class entered soundlessly. Without greeting the teacher or making notice to any of the other students, he shuffled to the closest seat and sat down. His bookbag lightly hit the ground and his eyes seemed glued to his desk.
When the teacher finally noticed him, class was almost over. She seemed to sit up a little straighter as she spoke.
"You there," Ms. Jenkins called at him, "In the black."
"Who," cawed a teen from the back, "Dingle-Freak or the new freak!?"
Merton groaned inwardly, wishing Tommy were in the class with him.
When the cat-calls and snickers died down, Ms. Jenkins continued. "No, not Dingle." She ran her eyes down her ledger then looked back towards the new student. "Avery Ulric," she said.
The boy continued his infatuation with the desk, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.
Which just got Ms. Jenkins more pissed.
"Avery Ulric," she said louder. Still no reply. "Mister Avery Ulric!" she screeched. Most students would send their hands flying to their ears, but Avery just looked up at her. His deep chocolate eyes peered up, docilic.
"Ma'am?"
"Stand up and tell the class about yourself," she ordered, "Where are you from?"
"Ma'am?" he repeated.
"Are you deaf, Mr. Ulric?" she said hotly, "Stand. Up. And. Speak."
He shook his head quickly.
"Where are you from?"
"I'm sorry, Mister Ulric, I didn't hear you," Jenkins snapped, "Where are you from?"
"I am from nowhere," he replied bitterly, "Nowhere. I don't exist."
"Well, Mr. Avery Ulric from Nowhere, I'll see you afterschool and maybe then we can discuss where exactly 'nowhere' is."
3:04pm
"I'm telling you Tommy," Lori said, "This boy isn't normal! He has to be a demon or something... Just last class, I stopped by my locker and he appeared out of nowhere! I just turned around and he was standing next to an open locker right next to Merton's! The boy is weird. I think we should keep an eye on him..."
Merton flung one arm around Lori and the other around Tommy as he entered the conversation.
"Who's a demon?" he asked lightly.
"Did you see that new guy?" Lori muttered, shrugging out of Merton's arm and punching him, "Ulric something..."
"Avery Ulric," Merton said, rubbing the now-sore spot and scowling at his assailant, "That's gonna leave a bruise y'know! Avery's in my English class. I dunno, he seems pretty harmless to me. Really quiet." Merton grinned, "He reminds me of me before I met Tommyboy here."
"Solemn, weird, freakish," Lori muttered, counting the adjectives off on her fingers, "weird, unpopular, weird..." She paused, to grin. "Wait a second, you're still all of those." She shrugged smugly.
"Maybe," Tommy muttered. His face lit up, "Let's worry about demons later. Anybody hungry? I think I'll go for a stop over at the Hungry Bucket..."
"Naw," Merton said, "I think I'm just going to head home. Books to read and all, y'know?"
"Uhh, right. Lori?"
"Sure thing."
"Do you guys want a ride?" Merton asked, dangling the keys to the hearse in front of his nose.
"No thanks man," Tommy said, "It's nice out, I think I'll walk."
Thursday. 1:33pm
The boy who had entered Ms. Jenkins' third period English class entered soundlessly. Without greeting the teacher or making notice to any of the other students, he shuffled to the closest seat and sat down. His bookbag lightly hit the ground and his eyes seemed glued to his desk.
When the teacher finally noticed him, class was almost over. She seemed to sit up a little straighter as she spoke.
"You there," Ms. Jenkins called at him, "In the black."
"Who," cawed a teen from the back, "Dingle-Freak or the new freak!?"
Merton groaned inwardly, wishing Tommy were in the class with him.
When the cat-calls and snickers died down, Ms. Jenkins continued. "No, not Dingle." She ran her eyes down her ledger then looked back towards the new student. "Avery Ulric," she said.
The boy continued his infatuation with the desk, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.
Which just got Ms. Jenkins more pissed.
"Avery Ulric," she said louder. Still no reply. "Mister Avery Ulric!" she screeched. Most students would send their hands flying to their ears, but Avery just looked up at her. His deep chocolate eyes peered up, docilic.
"Ma'am?"
"Stand up and tell the class about yourself," she ordered, "Where are you from?"
"Ma'am?" he repeated.
"Are you deaf, Mr. Ulric?" she said hotly, "Stand. Up. And. Speak."
He shook his head quickly.
"Where are you from?"
"I'm sorry, Mister Ulric, I didn't hear you," Jenkins snapped, "Where are you from?"
"I am from nowhere," he replied bitterly, "Nowhere. I don't exist."
"Well, Mr. Avery Ulric from Nowhere, I'll see you afterschool and maybe then we can discuss where exactly 'nowhere' is."
3:04pm
"I'm telling you Tommy," Lori said, "This boy isn't normal! He has to be a demon or something... Just last class, I stopped by my locker and he appeared out of nowhere! I just turned around and he was standing next to an open locker right next to Merton's! The boy is weird. I think we should keep an eye on him..."
Merton flung one arm around Lori and the other around Tommy as he entered the conversation.
"Who's a demon?" he asked lightly.
"Did you see that new guy?" Lori muttered, shrugging out of Merton's arm and punching him, "Ulric something..."
"Avery Ulric," Merton said, rubbing the now-sore spot and scowling at his assailant, "That's gonna leave a bruise y'know! Avery's in my English class. I dunno, he seems pretty harmless to me. Really quiet." Merton grinned, "He reminds me of me before I met Tommyboy here."
"Solemn, weird, freakish," Lori muttered, counting the adjectives off on her fingers, "weird, unpopular, weird..." She paused, to grin. "Wait a second, you're still all of those." She shrugged smugly.
"Maybe," Tommy muttered. His face lit up, "Let's worry about demons later. Anybody hungry? I think I'll go for a stop over at the Hungry Bucket..."
"Naw," Merton said, "I think I'm just going to head home. Books to read and all, y'know?"
"Uhh, right. Lori?"
"Sure thing."
"Do you guys want a ride?" Merton asked, dangling the keys to the hearse in front of his nose.
"No thanks man," Tommy said, "It's nice out, I think I'll walk."