Author's Note: I know. Shocking. An update with not a month in-between.
As you may have noticed, this chapter will be split into two parts so that 1. the length will be in accordance with the preceding chapters, 2. I could construct a nice little cliff-hanger at the end, and 3. because I have a little editing still to do with the second part and didn't want to leave you lovely readers with no updates.
Also, in case anyone wanted to know, I recently ran through my posted chapters and edited a few niggling spelling and grammatical errors; if you happen to find any more while reading, please let me know :)
February - Part 1
Johnson had been having a very bad day.
He had overslept his alarm, something he prided himself on never doing. He had shut his automatically locking front door only to discover he had left his house keys inside. When he had kicked the morning newspaper across the driveway in rage, he had seen he'd put on two different pairs of shoes in his haste to leave the house on time. He'd hit all of Crabapple Cove's three red lights, and almost run over an elderly lady who had been crossing the street out of the crosswalk. When he'd gotten to the school he'd found the doors locked and had had to knock until the janitor noticed him. He'd tripped over the janitor's durned mop and bucket in his mad rush to class, and had flung open the door to his classroom to find all of the class already assembled and Pierce grinning at him.
"Sir, are you aware that class started ten minutes ago?"
"I am not in the mood, Mr. Pierce," he snapped, not deigning to give the boy another glance and walking brusquely to his desk. You will not say one more word if you value your life.
"Open your books. Chapter Twelve," he snapped to the waiting students, whom ruffled through their text books hurriedly. He gripped a piece of chalk and began to write across the board with vehemence.
With ears well-acquainted with it by now, Johnson immediately picked up Pierce's muffled voice from behind his back. The piece of chalk clattered to the floor.
"Mr. Pierce!"
"Sir?"
"How many times must I ask you to be quiet during my lectures?"
"Apparently once more, sir." The smile melted off Pierce's face quickly. Evidently it had gotten through even his thick head that Johnson was simply not a man to be messed with this morning.
Johnson moved to sit down on his desk chair.
"Ah, sir –" began Pierce.
"Mr. Pierce, I have had a truly trying morning. I have neither the spirit nor the temperament to deal with you today. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal, sir," said Pierce, "perfectly, flawlessly, deliciously, like the shiny and sumptuous jelly in the center of a donut –"
Johnson deposited himself into his desk chair, feeling angry and disgruntled. He heard something squish and felt something gooey seep through the seat of his pants. By reflex, a curse word slipped out of his lips. He leapt back to his feet, straining his back to see what he'd sat on.
On the chair and now one the back of his pants was the ruin of what had once been a powdered jelly donut.
The class stifled their giggles immediately when Johnson straightened back up to look at them. He felt steam boil and whistle through his nostrils.
"Mr. Pierce!"
The boy looked undeniably guilty, if not insufferably triumphant.
"Sir?" he said, slouching in his chair as if that might make him less assuming.
"Did you do this, Pierce?"
"Do…what, sir?"
"Do not toy with me, Pierce!"
"I thought you might need it today, sir," said Pierce hastily and apologetically. "Honestly, what with you being late and all. I thought a donut might make you a bit more cheerful –"
"How dare you!" Johnson roared.
"It's the right of every human being to feel cheerful sir, even yours."
"You – you vicious monster –"
"Sir, I'm sorry. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine you might not want a donut –"
"Of all the preposterous – never have I seen such an immature stunt –"
"Everyone likes donuts! How was I to know you didn't?"
"Not on the seat of my pants, I don't!"
"Not on the seat of your pants, they don't either, I'm sure," said Pierce.
Johnson sputtered for breath, "Tell me, what is the meaning of this outrageous, childish –"
"You weren't supposed to sit on it!"
"It was hidden on my chair, Mr. Pierce. What exactly was I supposed to do with it?"
"I tried to warn you –"
"And you –" Johnson switched tactics wildly, confused by dizzying rage, and gestured to the rest of the students, who shrunk before the spit flying from his mouth, "didn't any of you think to stop him?"
"Don't blame them, sir!" Pierce said angrily. "They didn't see me put it there."
"So this was a deliberate attempt at undermining my dignity then!"
"Yes, it was. And please, leave the rest of them out of it; I wish to be given credit for my own crimes!"
Johnson and Pierce locked eyes from across the classroom. Johnson felt sweat dribble down his forehead.
"Is that so, Mr. Pierce?"
"Yes, it is so, Mr. Johnson. And you can take your jelly donut and stick it –"
"Strike three, Mr. Pierce!"
"–And as for your dignity," Pierce continued manically, "I'll have you know that if it could be any more undermined I would have to dig a hole for it in the ground, you pompous, foolish, self-satisfied fool –"
"Strike three, Mr. Pierce," Johnson repeated, calmly.
Pierce blanched, evidently taken aback by the abrupt change of volume and leveling of Johnson's voice. "Sir –"
"You heard me, Mr. Pierce."
For a moment there was silence. Pierce's chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. He opened his mouth once or twice as if to say something but seemed at a loss as to what that something would be.
"Sir –"
"Gather your things, your pride, your attitude, and your disrespect and go bother another teacher with it. I wash my hands of you."
"But – sir –"
"That is enough! I am up to here with your shenanigans and simply refuse to take any more."
"Sir –"
"Take your things. You are dismissed."
"Sir –"
"You are dismissed, Mr. Pierce!"
Pierce's eyebrows furrowed. His mouth shut with a snap. He gathered his books with an exaggerated amount of ruffling pages and opening and closing of his desk drawer. Finally he stormed out and slammed the classroom door behind him, to the open-mouthed amazement of the class he left behind.
"Well?" Johnson snapped. Nearly every student started back to attention. "What are you staring at? Chapter Twelve, page one-seventy-nine!"
"Sir, wait –"
"I don't have to take orders from you, Pierce."
"Sir, please –"
"I told you yesterday that I'm finished with you. And I assure you that there is nothing more you could say on the matter."
"But, sir –"
"Have a good day, Mr. Pierce." And shut the door in the boy's face.