The Carbon Copy
by Christopher R. Martin
Chapter 2 – Reignited Fire
The weekday morning rush plays out with no deviation whatsoever. My classmates are doing one of two things: chatting it up about the most exciting things that have happened to them recently or getting into stupid fun contests like paper plane throwing. I am doing neither of them. Instead, I'm seated on my chair, resting my head on top of my arms, drumming my fingers along my desk as the noises over my head. I do pass a smile and wave at Penny when she takes her seat, which she repays in kind before waiting patiently herself.
At the sound of the school bell, the entire classroom stops everything they're doing and those of us who haven't taken our seats yet do so before Miss Simian arrives. I pick my head up from the table and dust my sweater off. I don't know why, it's just an instinct.
Our teacher enters the door carrying her belongings with her in one arm, looking as disconnected as she always is. She takes her seat and puts her feet up on her table, which instantly makes all of us retch. There really was no need for her to treat us to the many disgusting calluses, dead skin and loose fur on her soles. It's enough to make even a tough guy throw up in his mouth.
Paying no mind to her lack of class and our reactions, she pulls her hand out for her pile of books and papers. In between them is a clipboard with a pen in the clip. She pulls the pen out, clicks it open and, without any indication, calls for our names in alphabetical order. Darwin and I promptly respond when we hear her calling for us.
After roll call is done, Simian mercifully puts her feet down on the floor and flips the paper over and reads off the current one.
"A few quick announcements before we get started," she begins half-heartedly, eyes partly closed. In between her words, she stops to take a sip of coffee from her mug. "First of all, there will be no music classes for this week, as there are a few instruments that need repairing or tuning. Second, let's give a round of applause to Alan for his canned foods donation to our hunger drive last week."
Everyone might be applauding, but not me. I look over my shoulder and shoot a glare at Alan as he basks in the ovation, smiling from cheek to cheek—wait, do balloons have cheeks? He doesn't even glance at me, not once. What a load. My poor, poor classmates. I wonder what they'd say, what they'd think, if—when they see this helium-inflated punk for who he really is. Whatever it may be, I'll be there to capture it.
The applause dies down—thank goodness, I don't know how much more of it I could take—and Simian gets on with the rest of the announcements, not losing her detachment even for a second.
"Third, and this ties in with what I just said, there's been a noticeable lack of outside-of-school involvement from this class in particular. Aside from a few exceptions, you are encouraged to take part in at least one extracurricular activity. This is purely voluntary, but try to make an effort to see the good it will do for you, and you just might enjoy it, for all you know. That's all for now, let's start with the class and…whatever."
Carelessly dropping her clipboard onto the table, Simian then gets up from her seat to begin the lesson. She catches Tina Rex raising her hand for a question and acknowledges her.
"Do we have to pick an activity from the school?" says the overgrown lizard in her booming, unfeminine voice. She's probably asking because she can't really do half of what the school has to offer.
Mumbling a groan, Simian faces Tina and answers, "No, what you do doesn't have to be sponsored by the school. So long as you find anything you want to do."
"Anything?" asks a confused Darwin.
"Yes, anything," Simian grumbles. "Now if there are no more further questions, shall we begin?"
Anything we want, huh? I suppose there is something out there. Something that will keep me busy. Something interesting. But this is Elmore, and let's just say that it's hard to find anything remotely exciting anymore. We'll see about that.
"What do you mean you can't think of anything? There has to be something you want to do," says my brother as he munches on his sandwich.
"Sorry, I guess I'm just coming up with nothing." I take a swig of my juice casually and rest my head on my paw.
"I don't believe that at all, Gumball. Maybe if you actually put some effort into it, then it'll come to you." Darwin points his spoon at me to get his message across.
"Oh, and I suppose you know what you want to do outside of school?" I fold my arms and squint my eye at him, expecting him to give me an answer. He doesn't. He stammers as he searches for one, but like me, he comes up empty-handed. "I knew it."
"I'll figure it out, okay? At least I'm trying," says Darwin defensively.
Behind him, I spot Penny walking across the cafeteria with her lunch tray in her hands. She stops at our table, and as she's about to ask, I skirt over to the other side of the table and give her a place to sit.
"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" she asks, looking at the two of us back and forth. She starts eating.
All of a sudden, today's just gotten ten times better. I don't bother hiding the flush on my cheeks. Our relationship is already public knowledge. Yet my heart continues to beat at a quickened pace when I'm around her.
I regain the ability to talk in five seconds, but my brother has beaten me to the punch and says, "Gumball can't decide what he wants to do outside of school."
"Dude, really?" I ask him dryly, giving a look of annoyance his way. So much for my temporary high just now.
"Y'know, Gumball, if you don't know what to do, there's a vacancy in the cheerleading squad," she asks, looking at me. "I know that you were once interested in it, and I can't think of anyone else as brave as you for having to wear that outfit. But you won't have to wear it this time around. And I read that cheerleading started an all-guy sport, so if anyone makes fun of you for it, you can tell them exactly that. Or I can turn into a dragon and scare them off, whatever you prefer."
I chuckle at the suggestion. If anyone else had told me that cheerleading used to be for guys, I wouldn't have believed them. I can take Penny's word to heart without a shadow of a doubt.
But even if I am convinced, I'm not feeling keen on being a cheerleader. Not yet. Maybe in the near or distant future, but not now.
"Thanks, Penny, but um… Some other time, I guess," I say to her, which leaves her a bit deflated. I hate having to put her down like that.
"Oh. I see. Well, have you considered revisiting something else that you used to do? Anything?"
I ponder on her question. Something that I used to do. Something that I used to love doing.
Now that I think about it, I do recall one thing. As a matter of fact, my interest in it has returned. Like a bonfire that's been put out and relit a second time around, except stronger than it once was.
I take this time to think about a number of things. One is the old karate gi I wore way back when, the one that I showed off to my classmates without realizing I was making a fool out of myself. The one that Mom found under our bed.
Another is the fight that Mom had with her old friend Yuki. As terrifying as it was for me, Darwin, Anais and Masami—heck, for everyone involved—there was something awe-inspiring about that fight. Mom was someone else then. Those kinds of high stakes bring out a different side of a person that they hardly show. A side that no one might have known even existed.
She knew how to love, but she also knew how to lose her temper. We loved and feared her in return. Anyone could tell from the look in her eyes that she was a strong woman. During that fight, she showed how strong she really was. Not just physically, but in other ways, too. Mentally, emotionally, the list goes on. I knew that both my fear and respect for her grew a hundred fold that night.
Since then, I've told myself I wanted the same strength as her. I've told myself that I can be a better person. Stronger. With more self-respect. Prouder.
"Gumball?" asks Penny, staring deeply into my eyes. I break out of my pondering and shake my head. "Gumball!"
"Huh? What…" I am so all over the place that I don't even know what I'm saying.
"Welcome back to planet Earth," says Darwin lifelessly, finishing the rest of his lunch while I've barely touched mine.
I look down on my tray. On my uneaten beef, carrots, peas and corn. I scoop up a piece of them with my spoon, but the bell rings a split second before I put them in my mouth. Everyone gets up and hurries back to class, and I have no choice but to do the same. Oh, well. It's not like I was in a hurry to eat this anyway.
After giving my tray back to the lunch lady, I catch up with Darwin and Penny, who've begun the walk back to the classroom. Penny looks at me and asks, "So?"
"Hm?"
"Have you thought of anything?" Thought of what to do after school, I assume.
"Yeah. Yeah, I have," I respond, brimming with confidence. With a clear frame of mind. A renewed vigor.
