Chapter 14: New Beginnings
Monday morning was bright and sunny. Clarence woke up to the smell of toast and the sound of the multitude of birds that ate, sang and danced in his back garden. Breakfast was a breakfast on school days used to be. His stepfather ate too quickly and then rushed out of the house to drive to his work whilst his mother tried to throughout breakfast to convince his stepfather to slow down. Clarence, unable to understand why anyone would want to rush to a building to assemble radiators, ate his toast and wheatflakes without taking his eyes off the magazine he was reading. When Sophie, Sumo and Jeff turned up, it was like old times. His mother kissed him on the cheek but she said nothing out of the ordinary. Clarence was also aware of how ordinarily the other three were acting, but once they came out of the side street and on to the High Street things changed.
Clarence immediately noticed people looking at him. Jeff struck up a conversation about the last day of school term before, when Sumo was licked by Chelsea. Clarence tried to involve himself but he was too busy watching people watching him. Clarence could sense how many things had changed, he realised that he was no longer leading the gang that the attention of the others was not gravitating towards him. He was not playing his usual tricks. Only halfway to school and it was the furthest Clarence had walked over for a month. He could not tell who was staring or who was simply going about their business and just looking where they were going. He couldn't help thinking that everyone had read the papers, everyone was staring. The people on the streets, the people in the shops, the people on the buses, the people in cars, all of them were looking at him.
Most of the pupils at Aberdale Middle High School had already heard about the accident from the press or their parents and friends, so when Clarence arrived at the school, most made an effort not to make him feel uncomfortable. They arrived just as the bell rang, so they went straight into morning assembly. Religious assemblies had been stopped many years before at Aberdale. Assemblies now could be anything from a poetry reading to a story with a moral, or the principal waxing lyrical about how great the school could be if they all lived in unity and stopped chewing gum in class. Today he spoke of new beginnings. The way a day breaks, the way a seed germinates, the way you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move forward. He spoke of these things with regard to the new term, and the new pupils, but Clarence couldn't help feeling that much of what he said was with him in mind.
In registration Mr Lincoln welcomed the class back and reminded them of the examination they were soon to be heaving. –I know it's been a difficult time for some of you but I hope that some thought and study has been achieved over the holiday-
Once again Clarence thought that this was said with him in mind. Who else have a difficult time? He asked himself. He for one had done absolutely no study. He had given the forthcoming examinations no thought. The class was a very different class now. Sumo and Clarence sat in their usual seats, well away from each other but there were none of the usual wisecracks from Clarence. His jokes were conspicuous by their absence and the sound of laughter and Mr Lincoln's bellowing voice was replaced by and uncharacteristic order. Everyone, even Mr Lincoln, was on their best behaviour.
Clarence's first full lesson was Science. He hated science at the best of times and for his first lesson he would have preferred something a bit less interactive, an easier lesson where he could be able to relax and observe.
Once the class had settled, Mrs Travers the science teacher announced –Today we shall be looking at why some materials dissolve in water and why others do not. First we shall be conducting some simple experiments, followed by a discussion about the results of these experiments I need to you to split up into pairs. Could you do that quietly now, please-
The sound of whispers and shuffling chairs filled the room as people tried to pair up with their friends. Clarence sat still. Neither Sumo, Sophie nor Jeff was in this lesson. Clarence knew most of the pupils but he wasn't going to go looking for a partner. For a while he sat thinking that he would be the last to pair off when he was approached by Breen. He was a thin ginger-haired boy who was known as "The Babble-mouth" because of his ability to spoke volumes of rubbish.
-Me and you, Clarence, yeah. Me and you, OK?-
-Yeah, that's cool-Clarence replied, although Breen wouldn't have been Clarence's first choice for a partner.
Once the breakers, the jugs of water and the various other materials needed for the experiments were passed around, they began to follow the instructions of Mrs Travers. There were low level conversations going on between most of the pupils as tablets of salt, sugar and variety of sodiums were added to water. Breen talked trivia relentlessly.
-On the way to school this morning I saw a red Ferrari, man, big wheels, sounded like a rocket, guy. Lee Hendrie, he plays for Aston Villa, he got a red Ferrari too. I saw a black one once but they're not as good as the red ones, I don't think. If I was going to get a black car, I'd get a Porsche 911, they're good in black, but Ferraris should be red. What do you reckon?-
-Yeah, you're right. Ferraris are best red-Clarence was not very enthusiastic. He did used to love red Ferraris but his love of cars had brought him enough trouble. But Breen continued.
-Yeah, man. When I get the chance, I'm going to get a red Ferrari but if I get married and my bird wants a Porsche, I'll get black one to keep her happy like, you know…girls like Porsches, I saw a wicked video last night, it was called Fearless Mind. It was about a man who didn't like nobody, man. He killed thirty people in thirty minutes, but he didn't kill just one person a minute. Sometimes he killed no one for a few minute. It was good, blood everywhere. There was one bit when the star, his name was Fearless, well, he put his gun up this other man's nostril and blew his brains out-
Clarence had now heard enough. He wasn't going to create a disturbance but he felt he had to put a stop to Breen's out of control babbling.
-Listen, I don't wanna know 'bout any film. Give it a rest. Let's just do our work-
-Yeah, you're right-Breen replied-Let's work. But I'm telling you. I don't mind sitting by you and working with you, not like some people. I don't care if you look a bit poxy-
Clarence was filled with rage; his eyes watered with anger. He felt his temperature rise, as he stepped back and look Breen up and down in disgust.
-Who you calling poxy?-
Breen backed off. -I know you're not poxy. I just said I don't care if you look a bit poxy-
Clarence couldn't control himself any longer. He threw a punch that connected with Breen's chin and sent him over the table they were using. The paraphernalia that was on the table flew in all directions, causing some pupils to dive for cover. Clarence wasted no time. He dived on Breen and rolling scrap ensued.
Mrs Travers screamed at the top of her voice. –Stop it at once, you two- but they continued. Eventually Mrs Travers and some of the pupils managed to get in between the tables and separate the pair.
Clarence's hand was in great pain from the first blow he threw, as was Breen's chin. There were no major injuries but both of them were soaked with water from the experiments and needed to hold apart from each other.
-I'll kill you-Clarence fumed
-I'll kill you first…no, I don't even need to kill you. You will kill yourself because you're a drug head guy and everyone knows you take drugs…you're a loser-
The veins on Clarence's neck stood out. He surged forward towards Breen kicking the tables and chairs as he went, in an amazing burst of aggression. –I'll kill you. I ain´t no drug head, you don't know anything about me. I'll tear you apart-
Clarence had found extra strength but Mrs Travers and her helpers managed to hold Clarence back. Even he realized that the rage he had unleashed was awesome.
Mrs Travers shouted at the top of her voice. –Right, Breen, go and stand outside the classroom door until I'm ready for you-
Clarence was sat down and allowed to cool.
By the time the classroom floor had been cleared and tables and chairs put back into place, the lesson was nearly over. Clarence and Breen were ordered to see the principal at lunch time and they went their ways. For Clarence's first lesson, English, he was reunited with Sumo and Jeff.
As they entered the classroom, Sumo asked Clarence, -What happened in Science, man?-
-Breen, man. That weird kid…upset me big time-
-What did he do?-Jeff asked
-I´ll tell you later-Clarence said as they went to their seats.
At lunch time, Breen and Clarence waited outside the principal's office. They were both tense…not a single word was said by either of the boys. They totally ignored each other. Then the Principal called them into his office.
-The first hour of the first morning on the new term and we have already a fight in school…we certainly cannot continue in this manner-he told the boys as the both gazed towards their shoes-So what happened?-
Breen told his side of the story in roundabout way and Clarence told his. Both were accurate accounts of the event from their own points of view. The principal walked over to the boys and stood at arm's length in front of them. –Now, Breen, you and everyone else have to understand that Clarence has no disease and no one in school or out of school has ever found Clarence carrying drugs. If that rumor is going around the school it must stop-
He looked towards Clarence –And you, Clarence, you have to control your temper. People may say all kinds of things. People will react to you in different ways but you cannot go hitting everyone who upsets you. Mr Green from the hospital and Mr Lincoln your from teacher have told you and now I´m telling you. If you need help come to one of us-
-But mister…-Clarence protested –It's not me that needs help, it´s him and his big mouth. He needs help-
-Clarence-The Principal interrupted-under the circumstances I'm going let you off. We just call it a misunderstanding, shall we?-
-Yes mister-Breen replied
-Yes mister-Said Clarence
-But don't let happen it again. I don't want to see you either in my office for the rest of the term. Now shake hands and go to lunch-
Clarence and Breen shook their hands slowly and cautiously, without looking directly at each other or saying a word.
In the dining hall, Clarence still felt staring eyes upon him. He sat in safe company of Sumo, Jeff and Sophie and outside in the playground he stay with them. Most of the pupils were polite and were trying to show Clarence that they were still his friends.
Some were just too polite. Either way Clarence was very aware that he was being treated differently. He survived the rest of the day by getting on with his work and trying to ignore the sights and sounds around him. It was a long day.
As he was leaving school that afternoon with Sumo, Jeff and Sophie, Sophie asked him what had happened in the Science lesson. Clarence told them the story. All three were surprised.
-I've never seen you have scrap-Sophie said.
-Well, you´ve never seen me stuck with Breen-Clarence replied
As they walked down the street, Clarence was approached by a girl. He had seen her a couple of times before in school but he had never spoken to her.
-Hello, Clarence-she said-I Just wanted to give you this-
She handed him an envelope and walked away. Clarence could see it was a card and so could Sophie.
-Aren't you going to open it then?-Sophie said suspiciously.
-Later-Clarence put it in the inside pocket of his jacket and his friends walked with him to his house before going their separate ways.
When Clarence arrived home he opened the envelope in his bedroom. Without even opening the card to see the name of the girl, he threw the card in the trash in a moment of hurt and anguish and shouted –I´m not ill…I'm not bloody ill- The front of the card said "Get Well Soon".