Chapter 1: A Sumptuous Burger
Frank sat waiting in the principles office, again, waiting. With his legs spread wide he tapped his foot impatiently, glancing around the room, surveying his surroundings. A trip to this office was bleak and without misgivings and it was clear to see. Papers were blown hazardously throughout the place just waiting for a coffee spill. He leaned back in his chair, breathing in the litmus of scents, tasting a floral camp but it was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't allowed the source. He remained tense but allowed his breathing to slow, staring at a pearling rotator he watched it swirling, leaking the scents deep into his mind. A flicker and it seemed to change direction abruptly. He blinked repeatedly.
Joey stared at his friend, leaning right in his arm rest staring from the furthest possible vantage point. He hated this place, muttering while forgetting to close his mouth, he noted spit on several of the documents he had apparently intended to sign. This artifice could not be enough to appease him, however, not for the moment. His eyes were hooded, narrowed and stinging from the smear of dust and chalk that clung to his sleeves from his work in the family warehouse. He watched as Frank dozed off, well rested, his eyes moving rapidly. They would all be quite certain that he wouldn't be responsible for this, then, if he was not awake. No shame cat calls and an aptitude for argument led to this unusually mellow sight in detainment. There wasn't even a TV for him to watch.
Susie sat between the two, her large teeth bared with a large smile to share. Her decision to appear with the two couldn't have been more split second, as the majority of her time was dedicated to studies. Frank sat close to her in several classes, and she felt herself an excellent judge of character. All she had to do was wait for an opportunity to get closer to him, and with Joey just sitting there, maybe she could offer some advice. She hated Joey fiercely. So many wrongs done without a proper explanation or origin. A fool. A loser. An aberration with too much chance. Glancing at the monitor of the PC on the principles desk, she appeared to steal a glance out of the corner of her eye, though it was unknown to most that she was not ashamed to stare quite directly. Frank would see it and Susie would decide whether or not she wanted him to know she was watching. With her right hand, she carefully smoothed back the left side of her cold black hair while turning to stare at Frank with intent, her neon purple highlights shown at their fullest potential. Asleep he looked so innocent.
Oblivious to the ticking of the standardized clock on the wall, the three awaited the arrival of the principle, seizing with a buzz of contemplation without ever saying a word. Stagnation and decay, the must of forgotten documents and books. The desk in front of them seemed to creak and shift while the world shook violently around them, nothing stopping them from further involvement in their own identities.
Knocking at the door, it opened without warning and all three heads snapped to attention in the direction of the door simultaneously. This wasn't the principle, though it was the vice principle. Vice principle Pikmin. She strode past Joey without even bothering to look at him, and when she sat down at the desk across from the three, she didn't appear to immediately note their presence. Their eyes followed her in unison, no head moving. Susie's grin widened dramatically at the thought of violation. Eyes burning with contempt, Joey's nose began to twitch. Frank attempted to appear as calm as possible.
The Vice Principal looked up from a ration of documents that she seemed to caress while she visibly winced at the sight of Frank. Folding back a page she turned to Joey with harsh words, "Is their something wrong with your think tank? Your grades seem to be the only that are slipping in this room."
She penciled furiously at her tablet like a Wall Street accountant, "Have a copy of your report card, ever informally."
She waved her hand and distributed the other cards without much effort while Susie added, "He refuses to study with us, because he has to work every day after school."
She glanced pointedly at Joey when she said this with the faintest vapor of malice exuding from her angled face.
"Where do you work," asked the Vice. Joey's eyes shifted immediately and uncontrollably almost to the left. Susie seemed ecstatic. Frank was looking down, frowning.
"At a warehouse. We need extra money right now, because I have a medical condition, OCD. We have a parking violation, Susie. You know that. My father cannot afford medical or legal so I have to pay for it myself."
Pikmin shifted the monitor so she could take a better look at Joey asking, "And how is your father's business going?"
He blinked too many times before adding, "We are very excited about getting into the Oxen trade."
"What are your plans for remediation? Not only do these poor grades reflect badly on you, but this entire school. You know that our test scores are some of the lowest in the district," she grinned to herself, shaking her head slightly and bowing the former. The notepad could have started a fire with the fury of her scribbling. Gesturing at Frank with her hand outstretched without looking up, "Give me that."
He returned the completed form, and the others followed. Frowning, Vice Pikmin stated, "Under article 4B of the Citywide Schoolboard Policy on the Possession of Deadly Weapons, the usage or possession of weapons is strictly prohibited on school grounds without exception. You are hear-by expelled from this school. You are to leave the campus immediately and return any text books that may be in use that were borrowed. Go. We will contact your family or loved ones at the phone number and address provided in your current file. Susie, you stay. Additional examination will be required about the incident. Joey, leave for the day you are suspended and not to return to campus until further notice. Go."
Susie's smile disappeared completely and she began to fume, "This is hardly fair. We weren't even allowed to give an explanation, was there a reason that we were called to the office today? Does the expulsion even have the Principal's signature? This can't be considered appropriate without the consent of a committee? There has to be something else we can do."
Frank looked incredulous, grappling the edge of the desk while his jaw began to clench, his heart rate increasing he began to sweat and his eyes brightened. The Vice remained stern, "All of that has already happened. The document will arrive via mail within a week from today with all of the unrequired signatures. There is the option of an appeal but in this case, the evidence is clear and it will be difficult to lift."
Even though there still wouldn't be any difference, Susie and Joey moved closer to Frank to console him. There wouldn't be an end to this ferocity, and as if on queue, he stood using the full strength of his legs sending the chair flying backward into a nearby bookshelf causing books of interest to fall to the floor. One of them was titled, "A Robber's Journey" and the other was the Christian Bible. Susie glanced pleadingly at Pikmin, Frank was just not his self. The Vice Principal stared coldly at him while adding, "now."
With pressure building, Frank clearly stated, "I do not want to be here."
The three then calmly proceeded toward the exit. Pikmin with expectation, "Where are you going, Susie? We have additional matters to discuss."
Susie responded by smiling generously, "You would need to schedule that. I am unavailable at the moment."
After an ignorant pause, the three meandered through the hallway laughing and poking each other, giggling. Joey's face was completely red from laughing, "We just have to talk about this."
The school hallway was empty of all but a few students at this moment. Susie found an abandoned magazine and newspaper lying near an empty locker, there were headlines about some guy that had been apprehended for a domestic abuse case, but it didn't have a face. The magazine showed an exuberant man carrying a pick in front of a mining facility. She then proceeded to throw them into a trash can making a loud banging sound, and they cackled at that. One of the lights began to flicker in the tile above them, and they all grouped together to stare up at it.
"Wow," Frank said, distinctly in awe with a hardeningly jubilant grin. To them, it almost looked like a strobe light, as if it were to the beat of a song, so they began to sing along with it. Grabbing hold of each others hands, they frolicked in a circle while staring completely upward, skipping and dancing and wiggling around. There was no need to notice that a few students were looking in their direction, kind of alarmed. In chorus, they shrieked and wailed and wobbled, laughing the entire time.
Abruptly ceasing, all heads turned toward the exit to the school, and they began to walk briskly with Frank in the lead. With one synchronized push they fell loose from the establishment, directly onto the pavement and began rolling around chattering and whispering, laughing still. A shadow approached them, their sunlight schedule less than optimal.
Julie stared down at them, cutely twirling her hair as if expecting something. A chuckle escaped her, and they were drawn to her thick eyeliner and mascara.
"What are you guys doing down there?" with her eyes looking left and right to see who was watching. Of course, everyone was, except for the people who weren't, but how was she supposed to know? She finished her survey and reached out a hand to help them up, all at once. Surprisingly, she succeeded, and they all leapt into her arms embracing her with a hug. They laughed some more.
Susie looked alarmed, "Something is coming, run!"
With comical speed, and in single file, they sprinted like athletes from the campus before reaching Joey's vehicle. Susie took his keys, collapsing into the drivers seat. When they had all been seated, she began to cry, turning the ignition and driving at moderate speeds. Frank, who was sitting in the passengers seat, tried to make it up to her. Flatly, "We all have places to be. Anything is forever."
Susie immediately stopped crying, eyes opaque, a frozen lake. Where could they go, she thought. Not home, not anymore. Not today. Food. They all needed food. Hours since lunch…
Within a few seconds they arrived at the burger restaurant about a block away from the school. Franticly attempting to escape the car, they then joined hands and walked in stride, entering the place. A friendly cashier promptly stopped cleaning and moved behind the counter, looking a bit nervous. Julie stepped forward, "We will have one burger, please."
"Just one burger?"
"Yes, and I'm going to take the first bite." Julie said.
Another five minutes and the burger appeared, held carelessly in her palm. They moved to the center of the floor and simultaneously began taking bites, very small bites. Almost nibbles. Then, in sequence, one then the other. Then two would bite at once before the opposite two bit. Soon the burger was finished and they all felt better, sashaying from the store and humming some kind of anthem. Another sprint had them ready for the road. This time, Frank was driving. And then, Joey farted.