Part 9
A few weeks went by and everything seemed to be calm at Dalton. Everyone had by now gotten used to the small boy walking around the hallways and no one stared at him. The only times they did was when the tiny thing trashed bigger boys in the dojo, to the amusement of the Warblers and the teachers.
Wesley Montgomery had become a popular boy at the school and was well-liked. But the staff had noticed something… the green monster named jealousy was sneaking in here and there. Some boys that hadn't passed the auditions into the Warblers could give him the evil eye at times and the boys that got trashed in the dojo did as well. Also… the boys that had used to have Ms. Lincoln as a teacher were angry that she didn't have them anymore and they instead had a boring old man, instead of a good-looking woman.
None of this was Wesley's fault. He had been invited to the Warblers and he was amazing when he sang, he was good at martial arts and he had to face someone in practice and it wasn't he who chose to have Ms. Lincoln as a teacher. Wesley was all unaware of these jealous thoughts that circled around the school… but he would soon experience them in the worst way possible…
Wesley was walking towards the library to start his lessons. There was no one around but it didn't matter. He was happy for this little moment of solitude in the mornings. He had to walk through the juniors' corridor as it was known because every morning the juniors were flocking it. He was about to round the corner when he heard voices he recognized… saying stuff he hadn't wanted to hear.
"Okay I can admit the kid is annoying but it's not his fault", Brad Sullivan told someone and Wesley hid behind the corner to listen. "You can't blame him for us having to have old Mr. McKneel in French instead of Ms. Lincoln."
"I know but that's not what I talk about man", Charles Owens said. "I'm talking about the fact that this little kid just walks in and suddenly is the star of the Warblers. He's not even supposed to be here for heaven's sake!"
"And you blame that on him as well", Philip Peters, the Warblers' lead singer, said sourly.
"No I blame his peers… why did they have to send him here of all places? Phil he's taking your spot!"
"So what? He's good."
"But it is annoying as hell!" Charles went on. "He's half our size and not a 'real' Warbler even! Jerry and Mark are total bores now, they won't allow any jibes at the kid!"
"He's twelve", Lucas said calmly from around the corner. "Do you think he realizes what you are trying to say with those jibes Charles?"
"The kid is smart", Ethan Hughes said. "He understands it is all in play, otherwise he's just stupid."
"Hey!" Peter Philips and Michael Abrams objected angrily.
"Wes is smart yes", Lucas said calmly. "But his self-conscious and weak."
"Weak?" Michael asked aghast. "How dare you!"
"Michael he's a emotionally weak boy who is depending on us."
"Yeah and it's starting to wear on Jerry and Mark, their grades are slipping but they don't care", Charles said. "The kid is ruining everything!"
Wesley felt tears threatening to spill but he refused to let them. His brow furrowed, he gripped his bag tight and stormed into the hallway. The junior Warblers all stared at him in shock and shame. Had he heard everything? Wesley stalked past them without looking at them and when he was about to round the corner Lucas called out to him.
"Shorty", he called.
The kid stopped walking and turned around, glaring at the group.
"Don't talk to me beanpole", he said and stormed off without looking back. Not even seeing Lucas stand up for once raised his spirits.
The Warblers were sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch, all of them except from their smallest member. Jerry, Justine and Nathan kept shooting glances at the door in a search for him. Mark and Otto on the other hand were watching the junior Warblers. They looked as if they were ashamed of something and they were fidgety.
"What's wrong", Otto asked and nudged Lucas who was sitting close to him. "You look like you did something bad and you know it."
"It is really nothing Otto", Lucas answered calmly. "Just a bit of a misunderstanding between us and another student."
"Who?"
"Oh just another student that's all..."
"Anyone I, we, know?"
"Well... yes."
"Who is it?"
"It really dosen't matter..."
"Oh stop tiptoeing around it", Michael snapped and everyone around the table looked at him. "We were all badmouthing Wes and he overheard it!"
"What?" Jerry exclaimed and turned to stare at the tables where the juniors were sitting with some younger or older boys.
"We were just venting", Charles grumbled. "It's not that we don't like the kid, it's just annoying that he's become the new star."
"He's not", Mark said. "We are all stars."
"We have him sing a solo in every single performance we have", Ethan yelled angrilly.
"Because no one can take the notes he can since he's still so young", Justine said. "But I must admit I am also… feeling a bit jealous."
"On what", Jerry spat.
"That you and Mark care only about him nowadays and it makes me worry as well. You two are slipping in school, you seem to lose interest in everything and you both look tired."
"It's nothing", Mark said. "Nothing to do with Wes. He needs some help and we give it when he needs it."
"But 24/7", Lucas asked.
"What are you talking about", Jerry asked. "I'm not with him 24/7. Recently I've barely been with him 1/7… I think."
"Why you starting to lose interest like always", Justine spat.
"No", Jerry said but bit his lip. "I know I've kinda been like that in the past… caring a lot for someone and then just dropping them and turning to next but… I swear it's not like that this time. I've just had a shitload of things to do and Wes' seemed the least important of it all. Helping him hasn't seemed to be the most important thing right now."
There were quite a few gasps around the tables and Jerry's eyes widened. He twirled around and saw Wesley stand just behind him. The kid looked crushed.
"Wes I-" Jerry began but was cut short when the kid slammed his tray down on the nearest table.
"I trusted you", he said darkly. "All of you."
The Warblers all looked ashamed.
"Do you all feel like I'm this annoying thing then", he asked but got no answers. "Answer me! Do you all think it's annoying that I can sing pretty well? That I'm good at martial arts? Do you think it's unfair and annoying that teachers give me a break at times? Do you all think I shouldn't be here?"
He got no answer, not even from Mark, Jerry, Lucas, Nathan or Otto… the boys he was closest too. Wesley closed his eyes and balled his hands into fists.
"I guess you do if your silence is anything to go by", he looked at them with fury and heartbrokenness in his eyes. "Then I won't have you suffer." He took the Warbler pin from his sweater and threw it on the table where Jerry was sitting.
"I quit", he said and ran out of the room. Jerry picked the pin up and got shaken out of his stupor.
"Wes!" he called flying up but the kid was already gone. Jerry made to go after him but Mark grabbed hold of him.
"Haven't you done enough", he asked. "No… haven't we done enough already?"
"But someone has to talk to him", Mitch objected.
"Let him go and run off some steam first", Mark said. "Trust me on this one."
The Warblers did as he said… but they couldn't eat another bite.
When Wesley's day ended he left his classroom in the library and saw Lucas and Jerry sit by the table the three usually sat together at. Wesley snarled at them before storming past them.
"Wes", Jerry called after him but was ignored. Wesley ignored everyone that he met on his way back to the dorm, at least the Warblers. The other boys he greeted but he didn't slow down his stride.
He stalked into his room, it was Friday so the homework could wait, he had other things to do. He started with the bookcase. He had organized it after the books he'd gotten from some of the boys. He took all books that had belonged to Austin, Jerry, Mitch, Nathan, Eric and Carl and dumped them at the boys' rooms. Then he started to pack down all the music things he had in the room and put them in a box underneath the bed. He tore down the small Warbler flag he had in the room and all the pictures. He threw those in the trashcan and then he stalked out of the room and slammed the door shut. He walked out of the dorm and into the school foyer where he slipped on the wet floor.
"You okay", a voice asked and he was helped up. It was Alvaro.
"I'm fine", Wesley grumbled. "Thanks." Then he continued on his way. Alvaro stared after him in confusion, but then shrugged and headed for the dining hall.
Wesley sat on a stone in the park overlooking the little lake. Kids were playing with each other around him but he ignored everyone. They seemed to be a school class because they had backpacks resting near a bus that it was written Lima on. He ignored it and rubbed his stinging eyes. He wanted to cry but refused to do so. He started thinking. He was an outcast at Dalton, just like at his other school. No one cared about him for real… they had tired of him and none of them had objected to his little speech in the cafeteria. He threw a rock into the water. He had believed things would be different this time. But clearly they weren't. He sighed and looked at his image in the water. Sadly he started to sing.
No one would listen
No one but him
Heard as the outcast hears
Shamed into solitude
Shunned by the multitude
I learned to listen
In my dark, my heart heard music
I longed to teach the world
Rise up and reach the world
No one would listen
I alone could hear the music
Then at last, a voice in the gloom
Seemed to cry "I hear you;
I hear your fears,
Your torment and your tears."
He saw my loneliness
Shared in my emptiness
No one would listen
No one but him
Heard as the outcast hears
No one would listen
No one but him
Heard as the outcast hears...
He wasn't sure he'd sung about, there were so many boys at Dalton that he thought had actually cared about him and had been his friends… but he guessed they were just pretending to make the teachers proud or something… maybe they got a higher grade in something if they did.
"They probably only wanted my voice", Wesley mumbled and sniffled. "That's why they acted as if they care…"
"Ow!" he heard and turned his head. He saw a small Asian boy, bigger than him, lying underneath a tree rubbing the back of his head. Above him a dark skinned boy and a little Asian girl were laughing along with a Latina, a small pale brunette boy and a blonde girl.
"That wasn't funny!" the Asian boy said and pouted, crossing his arms. Wesley looked as the pale boy climbed down.
"Are you okay Mikey", he asked helping the other boy up.
"Yup", the Asian said happily. "I'm gonna get you Mattie!"
"Na uh", the dark skinned boy, Mattie said. "It's not my fault you're an ungraceful klutz!"
"I'm not a klutz", Mikey pouted. The others sniggered or laughed. The kids in the tree climbed down and they started to play with a ball. Wesley watched them playing and laughing together. They were throwing it or kicking it between them when suddenly a boy Wesley knew attended Westerville middle school snatched it from the air.
Wesley knew this because the boy had bragged about it in front of him and Jerry when they were at the Lima Bean. He was also known for being something of a bully around Westerville. Wesley narrowed his eyes and slowly rose from the stone.
"For me", the bully asked looking at the ball. "Aw you shouldn't."
"Give it back", the Latina said angrily. "It's ours!"
"Nope I caught it so it's mine."
"I caught a kitten yesterday", the blonde said. "His name is Lord Tubbington. He likes to steal my toys too and he reads my diary."
Wesley blinked in confusion and the bully stared at the girl.
"Are you stupid or something", he asked and the blonde started crying. Mikey and Mattie glared at the bully, as did the Latina while the Asian girl and the pale boy comforted the crying blonde.
"Give it back or I'll hurt you", the Latina threatened the bully.
"Yeah right", the bully said smirking. "What are you gonna do?"
"I have razor blades in my hair! I'll cut you."
"Yeah right, get lost pipsqueak." He pushed her so she fell and she shrieked as she scraped her elbow on a rock.
"Hey!" Mattie jumped at the bigger boy but he just pushed him back, before turning to the Asian boy, Mikey.
"I'll keep this ball", he said.
"It's not yours", Mikey said glaring. "Give it back."
"Say please."
"Please give it back."
Mikey shrieked in pain as the older boy throw the ball so it hit Mikey's face and bounced back towards him. He grabbed it and smirked. Mikey was holding his nose, blood dripping from it. Wesley couldn't take it anymore.
"Hey!" he shouted as he stormed over. The entire group turned to look at him. The bully smirked.
"Hey it's the Dalton rat", he said. Wesley stood in front of him glaring.
"Give them the ball back or I'll hurt you", he warned.
"Yeah right", the bully said throwing the ball up and down. "What are you gonna do? By the looks of it they are older than you."
"Don't let the size fool you", Wesley said and took a fighting stance. "This is your last warning."
The boy laughed.
"Oh I'm gonna enjoy trashing you Dalton-rat", he said and threw a punch at Wesley. The smaller boy blocked it and performed a judo grip and the older boy was soon on the ground, the ball lying beside him. Wesley glared down at him.
"I'll kick you next time", he spat and the bully scrambled up and then ran off shouting:
"I'll get you for this!"
Wesley only snorted, picked the ball up and turned to the other kids.
"Here", he said and handed it to the Asian girl.
"Th-thanks", she stuttered out smiling. He smiled back and was about to ask for her name when a teacher came over and ushered the group towards the buss. The blonde girl waved at him and he waved back. The pale boy looked at his clothes.
"I like your clothes", he mumbled before hurrying off and Wesley was left alone again. He watched the buss drive away and then it started to rain.
"Aw great", he grumbled and hurried over to the rock to get his school bag. He strapped it on and started back towards Dalton… but he didn't get far because that bully came back… with some of his friends. Wesley didn't get a chance to defend himself and was soon on the ground crying out in pain at each hit. Why didn't anyone help him? He'd helped those kids so why didn't anyone help him? He felt blood coming from his nose and mouth and his head felt heavy. His eyes started to drift shut… but that's when he heard it… a voice shouted:
"Hey what the fuck do you think you're doing?"
The bullies were torn off of him and his savior hit them a few times, kicked them and ran them off. Wesley recognized him… but it couldn't be? Why would he help him? The last thing Wesley was aware of before he lost consciousness was someone hoisting him up while asking:
"Jesus shrimp what did you do to make Huey and his buds make this kind of number on you?"
It was no doubt about it. It was him.
TBC Sorry for shortness... who were the kids Wes helped I wonder ;)
Answer to non-members' (or not signed in members') reviews:
2005
Warblers Wes' first year (age 12):
Seniors – Mark Connors, Jerry Jonston(chairman), Scott Crawford, Bastian Nolan,
Brad Raymond, Fredric Fitzgerald & Richard Diamond
Juniors – Peter Philips, Michael Abrams, Philip Peters(lead singer), Charles
Owens, Lucas Bedford, Brad Sullivan(councilman) & Ethan Hughes
Sophomores – Joseph Hughes, William Holmes, Roger Smith, Matt Jonson, Austin
Diaz (councilmember secretary), Justin/Justine Gideon, Reed Morgan, Malcolm Nolan
& Tom Bedford
Freshmen – Nathan Newland, Otto Johnson, Julian Rose, Mitch Magnuson, Eric
Anderson, Carl & John Wilkins
Special – Wes
Totally: 30