Part 53
"Sir it's not funny!" Wes said from under the boxes of paper that had crashed down on him when Carmichael pulled an long ruler out from the shelf they were cleaning. He hadn't known it was holding a few boxes in place and when he moved it they all dropped down on Wes that yelped in fright. The two janitors and Carmichael was laughing hysterically as they were trying to dig their young charge out of the mass of paper and boxes that had buried him. Wes had agreed to help Carmichael and a few of the male teachers and the two janitors to clean out the former Russian classroom on the second floor that was full of… stuff. There were benches, desks, tables, chairs, cabinets, boxes, balls, papers and just stuff everywhere. It was one of those rooms where you put stuff you didn't know where to put elsewhere. Carmichael grabbed Wes' hand and pulled him out of the pile and brushed off the boy's clothes.
"You aren't hurt are you", he asked.
"No", Wes said. "But I'll be bruised from that… who knew paper could be so heavy?"
Carmichael smiled and patted his back, before walking up to the window and calling:
"Look out below!" and threw the box containing old essays out through the window. There was a few curses as one of the male teachers at the container didn't move fast enough. Carmichael chuckled and walked over to help Wes get the papers back into their boxes. The janitors were struggling with a bookshelf that they were going to get into the French classroom, it needed another one. They worked in silence most of the time. Sometimes Wes would hum something or they would talk. The radio was broken so they had no other music. After half an hour Wes, Carmichael and one of the janitor jumped high in the air when a strange sound was heard from behind a couple of bookshelves and box-towers. The trio peered around it and found the second janitor holding a saxophone while grinning goofily.
"I can't play", he said.
"You don't say", Carmichael said and the man grinned at him.
"But you do Arthur", he said and held it out to the teacher. "Come on, just a little melody."
"No."
"Come on sir", Wes urged. "Please?"
Carmichael looked at Wes and noticed him give Carmichael what is known as a puppy-eyed look. Carmichael sighed and took the saxophone. He looked around and spotted a piano.
"Wes accompany me on that piano will you?" he asked.
"Of course sir", Wes said and hurriedly, with help from the two janitors cleaned it up so he could play… but he need something to sit on.
"Take this", the janitor, Mr. Simmons said. He pushed up a barrel to Wes and he sat on it. But it rolled away, why where they having a barrel in there in the first place?
"I know!" the other janitor, Mr. Langdon said and put a box behind the barrel.
"Why didn't you give me the box in the first place?!" Wes asked before sitting down.
"Do you know The Winner Takes It All Wes", Carmichael asked.
"Uh huh", Wes nodded and after getting the key from Carmichael he started the intro. The janitors sat down on a desk and a bike. They knew what Wes and Carmichael didn't. They knew that Nelly the chef was filming them from her place leaning against the old wardrobe. It was like an old music video for her where a band played in a dusty old room. Mr. Simmons took a few buckets and started to play drums on them. It sounded amazing. Mr. Langdon clapped his hands in beat to the music. Nelly filmed it all and it was fun. They were all dusty and dirty from the work and she was filming in grey-scale. This was going up on the homepage. Wes grinned and closed his eyes after a bit and played on feeling. Carmichael was doing the same. Wes couldn't help it, he started singing:
The judges will decide
The likes of me abide
Spectators of the show
Always staying low
The game is on again
A lover or a friend
A big thing or a small
The winner takes it all
I don't wanna talk
If it makes you feel sad
And I understand
You've come to shake my hand
I apologize
If it makes you feel bad
Seeing me so tense
No self-confidence
But you see
The winner takes it all
The winner takes it all
The judges will decide
The likes of me abide
Spectators of the show
Always staying low
The game is on again
A lover or a friend
A big thing or a small
The winner takes it all
The winner takes it…
All…
They finished the number and all laughed. Nelly told her boys that it was lunchtime and Wes got up from the piano. Carmichael waited for him and patted his shoulder as they walked. Mr. Simmons' shoulder hit a bookshelf and something fell down and landed by Wes' feet. It was a small wooden hammer. Wes bent down and picked it up and looked at it.
"That's a gavel", Carmichael said with a smile. "I am sure you know what that is."
"Of course I do sir… wait is that an inscription?"
"I think so", Carmichael said and took the gavel in his hand. "Semel Dendroica Semper Dendroica… that is Latin for Once a Warbler Always a Warbler."
"Shouldn't it be written Warbler then?" Wes asked. "I mean it's a name right?"
"Maybe the translator didn't know or they wanted to translate the whole part to make it sound better. Anyhow… it is a Warbler object…" He smiled and handed it to Wes. "Maybe you can make sure it gets there?"
"Sure", Wes grinned and took it. "I'll put it in the Warbler Hall."
"You know… I have a better idea."
Wes looked at him in confusion and Carmichael whispered something. Wes laughed but then hurried to his room. This could turn out to be fun.
After lunch they continued with the cleaning and when they needed a break they got shocked. Turned out that Mr. Langdon was a really good dancer. He had been competing in ballroom dancing in his youth. He was showing Mr. Simmons how to waltz and Carmichael, Wes, Coach Brown and two other male teachers watched in amusement. Wes was playing a waltz on the piano.
"No, no, no", Langdon said. "You're doing it all wrong. If you do it like that you will break your soon-to-be-wife's back."
"Then how do I do it?" Simmons asked. "It's hard to do something without knowing what it looks like!"
"Knock knock anybody home", a voice asked from the door and Wes grinned.
"Oh hi Kim", he said. "Hi Emma!"
"Hi", she said shyly and waved.
"Kim nice to see you", Carmichael said. "And who is this young lady?"
"This is my cousin Emma", Kim explained. "She is staying over the summer. What are you doing in here?"
Langdon smiled and walked up to Emma.
"Would you let me use you for a short demonstration miss… uh what's your last name?"
"Say Emma", she just answered. "Where I'm from we never call anyone Mr. Mrs. or Ms. We call them by first name."
"Even your teachers and other grownups?"
"Yes."
"See", Kim told Carmichael and this smiled. "I'm not making it up!"
Carmichael just smiled and Emma agreed to be a demonstration dummy. Wes looked at her and was amazed with the fact that she could actually dance, well she moved as if she could.
"Do you take dance classes", Langdon asked after a bit.
"Salsa", she answered and blushed. "I'm not that good."
"Well let's show Simmons here how to really treat a lady."
Kim walked up to Wes and sat beside him. Wes played the waltz again.
"So how are you doing", Kim asked.
"I'm fine", Wes said and looked at him. "I'm just a bit confused as to why Jerry gave me the stink eye at that party of yours and now he doesn't answer my calls or texts."
"Pft Jonston is just jealous", Kim said and grinned.
"What?"
"I'll tell you at the Bean, that is… if I can borrow Wes for a moment", Kim said the last to Carmichael. The man nodded to them with a small smile.
When they got to the Bean Ma hurried up to them and told Kim and Wes she'd have their favorites there in a jiffy. Then she realized there was a stranger there, a girl that she had never seen before.
"Oh hello", she said and smiled. "And who might you be?"
"Ma", Kim said. "This is my cousin Emma. You know the girl Jerry, Jesse, Alvaro and half of the guys are so smitten with."
Emma rolled her eyes.
"They won't be for long", she said. "People get bored of me easily."
"No they don't, you just can't see it", Kim teased her.
"So let's see", Ma said and looked at her. "What is your favorite coffee…"
"That would be-" Emma began but Ma cut her off.
"No, don't tell me. You are like Kim so black is it?"
"Actually-"
"Oh no maybe with a bit of sugar in it for a sweet girl?"
"Um actually I-"
"No I know! Black but with one sugar and one lemon!" She said that while taking out the drink and smiled brightly. "Or maybe you prefer it with a bit of chocolate in it?"
"No!" Emma said in annoyance and crossed her arms. "Stop cutting me off damn it and listen to me for two seconds!"
Ma looked at her with big eyes.
"Young lady I", she began but Emma cut her off again.
"Now you look here, I know you just want to be nice by trying to guess my favorite but here's the thing. There is two reasons for you to never be able to guess my favorite coffee."
"And what are those", Ma asked in a cold tone.
"One: you don't know me and two: I. Don't. Drink. Coffee."
Ma stared at her.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"I don't drink coffee!" Emma said again. "Now instead of torturing me with ideas of something I don't even like I would like to order a soda please."
Kim and Wes stared at her in horror. She wasn't really rude she was just annoyed. Kim wasn't surprised really. Emma had been forced to drink coffee so many times before and she didn't even like it. People had always tried to force her to drink that, tea or alcohol and she drank none of it because she didn't like it. So having some stranger that she has never met trying to guess her favorite when all she wanted was to order a soda… was just the last straw.
"Of course", Ma said and went to get the soda and Emma dug around in her pocket for the dollar bill. Wes wondered why she didn't have a handbag or purse or something… and why she was wearing jeans that was obviously made for a guy. Her long hair was in another braid a fishbone braid.
"You didn't have to be so rude", Kim said softly.
"I'm thirsty and annoyed and hate it when people take for granted that I drink coffee or tea", Emma spat. Ma returned with her soda and Emma paid.
"Thank you", she said and walked away to find them a table. Kim turned to Ma blushing.
"I'm sorry Ma", he said. "She's just-"
"It's okay dear", Ma said. "We can't all be as polite and wonderful as my boys from Dalton."
"Actually she is really nice", Wes hurriedly said.
"People just always take for granted that she drinks coffee back home and she doesn't want to be rude so she drinks it anyway, she forces herself to do it every time and then feels sick for the rest of the day. Just because she's a grownup and study to become a teacher doesn't mean that she has to drink coffee or tea… but people expect that of her and it makes her really upset."
"Well I can understand that", Ma grumbled as she fixed their own drinks. "But why on earth is she wearing those clothes? With legs like that she should wear something tight-fitting it-"
"She is allergic to latex and stretch Ma", Kim cut in and took his cup. "She can't wear those clothes even if she wanted to… and she doesn't feel pretty in them."
"But why on earth not?"
"Bullying." With that Kim walked off and Wes hurried after him. They sat down by Emma and the little trio started talking but after about ten minutes… they got company.
"Hello guys", Jerry said as he joined them. "Hi Emma."
"Hi Jerry", Wes said and gave him a hug. Emma just smiled and Kim patted his shoulder. "How are you doing today?"
"Oh I'm good, been lazing around most of the day. And you kiddo?"
"I've been helping with cleaning out the old Russian classroom… but we tend to stop cleaning and discuss the cool stuff we find."
"Such as?"
"Old photographs, old things used for education… a word-book from 1957 that claimed that the word negro means 'someone closely related to monkeys'."
"No way", Emma said. "That is so racist!"
"Totally", Wes said. "Carmichael said we should burn those evil books. He stopped me before I could check what was written underneath Asian."
"Probably nothing pretty", Kim said. "I had the same experience in high… I meant middle school."
They talked for a bit more and Kim and Wes noticed Jerry never taking his eyes off of Emma and if he did it averted back to her in seconds. After a little bit Emma excused herself to go to the bathroom when she was gone Kim turned to Jerry and tried to look intimidating.
"Okay now you listen here Jonston", he said. "Stay away from my cousin."
"What are you talking about", Jerry asked.
"I know you're smitten with her, I know you are crushing on her but leave her alone."
"Why?"
"She is only staying here this summer and then she is going back home. I don't want you to be another heartache for her so leave it."
"But-"
"Leave it and don't try to deny it. We can all see it can't we Wes?"
"Don't drag me into this", Wes said. "I can't tell any of you what to do… you're all older and bigger than me."
Jerry smiled fondly at him and ruffled his hair. Maybe he'd forgotten his sour feelings towards Wes? Wes got his answer when his older brother said:
"I'm sorry about not answering your calls and text, I've been a douche. Am I forgiven?"
"Sure", Wes said and hugged him. "But do that again and I'll never speak to you until it's time to clear out your stuff at your funeral… speaking of clearing out… I need to get back to Dalton."
"We'll walk you", Kim offered and got up and headed for the door. Wes followed him and noticed Jerry wait for Emma. For not wanting Jerry to be with her Kim sure enough gave him lots of opportunities… he didn't even notice Jerry ask her for her e-mail address. Wes smirked. He knew where this was going.
"So you're saying he is totally in love with this girl" Olivia asked over their video chat since she was back in UK for the summer.
"Yeah and he's so painfully obvious about it but can't see it himself", Wes said. "She is a cool girl though… a bit too old for my liking but sweet, funny oh and did I tell you she hurt Jesse badly and Alvaro?"
"Both of them?"
"And all other boys trying to hit on her. I think she might be misunderstanding the part about hitting on someone. She is taking it quite literally."
"Maybe she is just using that as an excuse, the language barrier or something. I am sure Kim does."
"Sometimes with Daisy and he says messed up things and she thinks he's adorable, she then teaches him the right way to say stuff and rewards him with kisses."
"I'm sure she already knows he's faking", Olivia said.
"I'm not so sure, I like Daisy but she is not the brightest light bulb there is."
Olivia laughed.
"So when are you going to Asian Camp", she asked.
"Next week… I won't be able to talk to you much then."
"Well same here because we're going on trips around this place and maybe to France."
"Well I speak with you as often as I can… love you."
"I love you too."
Wes grinned and they continued to talk for a bit more. Asian Camp would come soon enough and then summer would be over and he would be able to hug and kiss his Olive again.
TBC Now the thing about that wordbook Wes found... that happened to me in middle school. I was looking for the Swedish word negativ and my eyes stopped at the word neger and what was written as a description was: "closely related to monkeys" our teachers took all the wordbooks and threw them I think :P
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