Soft notes came drifting through the Horowitz residence, as a wistful ginger-haired boy gently caressed the keys of his piano. While he didn't have many talents, he always found himself drawn to the fine arts of music, whether it was singing, dancing, or everything in between, Eugene always felt like there was just something more to understand when it came to music; something that mere words would never be able to fully encapsulate all on their own.
He had been gifted this small piano on his 10th birthday, and it brought him to tears to hear that everyone in his family had pitched in a little, in order to brighten up his day. Birthdays were always something he looked forward to, even if most of the time his parties were a flop. The fact that he was given the gift of life at all, was the greatest luck he could have ever been given! What more could he have asked for? And yet… despite his usual upbeat and joyous sunny-side-up nature, the keys he stroked this lonely Sunday afternoon created a melancholic tune that seemed alien, even to him.
The pink hues of a mid-autumn dawn had painted themselves all over the sky, and while his male classmates lay all around him, dead to the world, Eugene's eyes remained wide open. It wasn't Harold's snoring, Sid's tossing and turning, or Curly's sleep mumbles that had kept him up… but rather, just an odd, uneasy restlessness he couldn't seem to push away. Although they called him names behind his back, played jokes on him, and even got him into trouble from time to time, Eugene always felt so grateful that he was surrounded by people he could call his friends. They never truly meant him any harm, even if he did get physically hurt on occasion. This was just how male friendships were, right? He cherished their moments together, no matter what.
Without a sound, Eugene slowly packed up his things, taking care to not disturb any of the boys. He gripped the rope ladder tightly and counted each step taken in his head, to make sure he didn't accidentally miss a step and cause himself to crash loudly and possibly wake anyone up. As he got a safe distance away from the treehouse, Eugene turned around and smiled up at it, and those who dwelled within its sturdy confines. "Thanks for the fun, guys." He whispered to them, before turning around and heading home.
It didn't surprise him to see that both of his parents were already up and preparing breakfast, nor did it seem to surprise them that he was home at the crack of dawn. With a fine "Good Morning!" and a big hug to each of them, Eugene started his Sunday morning just like he would any other. He helped out around the house, picked up his room, made sure any and all homework was done, before preparing clean clothes for school the next day, and spending a few hours watching TV. He waited until his parents went to the grocery store, before letting his mind wander, placing him into the mood in which he currently resided in. Seeing his piano from across the dining room, whimsy took over and drew the boy closer. Music would cheer him up, as it always did! Focusing on his new sheet music, Eugene concentrated on making sure he followed it exactly until he found his fingers just moving casually on their own, ignoring their very crucial mission altogether.
Slumping himself forward, he placed both hands on the fallboard in front of him. "What's wrong with me?" He sighed to himself, before closing it over the keys and standing up. His house was now silent once more, but he could hear faint sounds of kids playing outside. Wanting nothing more than to distract himself, Eugene made his way over to the large living room window and looked outside. He could see some younger kids running around, laughing, and causing a scene. Pressing his hand up against the glass, he finally gave way to a small smile. Even if he was feeling down, it was always nice to see others having a good time. After all, happiness lived on eternally, hopping from person to person, day after day, never stopping to rest so long as you opened your heart to it.
Suddenly, a familiar blond boy caught his eye. He seemed to be scolding one of the kids, sending the others to scamper away gleefully. The boy knelt down, picked something up, shook his head then seemed to notice he was being watched. With a smile, he waved up at Eugene, who gladly returned the kind gesture. Perhaps some company would do him some good? Anything was better than dwelling on something he couldn't even understand, himself.
Eugene rushed over into his bedroom and quickly opened up the window to his fire escape. He could see his friend was picking up some knocked-over garbage cans, and grumbling to himself. "Need some help?" He offered, with his usual bright and shining smile.
"Nah, I got it." Spud replied, giving Eugene a big, bucktoothed grin. "Thanks, Eugene!"
Despite being a year younger than him, Spud was beginning to act a bit more mature for his age, than he needed to. This wasn't something unexpected, though, as he had a few younger siblings that he frequently looked after while his parents were busy; the same young kids who had been amongst the group that had just made a mess of the alleyway.
"Did you happen to watch the newest episode of Captain Jim, last night?" asked Eugene, as he leaned up against the rusted metal railing, doing his best to keep the conversation going.
"You know I did! I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Rubbing his dirty hands on his pant legs, Spud gave Eugene a funny look. "Did you miss it, or somethin'?"
"I actually had some friends over, last night." Eugene blushed as he scratched the back of his head; still not used to how that sounded. "We were all having so much fun, that I actually forgot to record it on DVR."
Spud let out a charged comical laugh, before placing his foot on top of a stoop and taking a captain's pose. "Well, luckily for you, I happen to record all of the episodes! Want me to bring it up?"
With new hope ruminating around him, Eugene bashfully nodded. "Yeah! Sounds good!" He said, feeling like things might finally start to feel a little normal again.
It didn't take long for Spud to gather up his VHS tape and make his way over. He popped the tape into Eugene's old VCR, and they made themselves comfortable with a few bottles of soda and a bag of chips.
The picture started out a bit grainy, but eventually the old player and TV situated themselves to provide the best quality it possibly could.
"You're gonna love it!" Spud hooted, shoving his hand into the bag of chips, and pulling out the biggest chip he could. "I won't spoil it, but some really cool stuff happens! Just wait!"
The loud theme song began to play, and Eugene found himself beginning to relax. He could hear Spud humming its tune happily, which caused him to smile softly. This was another one of his special friendships that he cherished. It was one way different from those of his classmates, as Spud never ridiculed or pulled pranks on him, but instead, routed for him and gave him the confidence to just keep being himself. Spud often looked up to Eugene, since he was one of the only other kids around his age, and the only one who accepted his friendship so warmly. Others thought he was just a little pest, but Eugene found him to be a bright eyed, kind-hearted, and responsible boy who wanted to fit in, as most do. Even on the rare times that Eugene found himself in a sour mood, Spud never took it personally and would just continue encouraging Eugene to look at the positives. This was exactly the sort of thing he needed, and he was happy knowing that they could always rely on each other. Were they best friends? In a sense, yes but it always seemed more like they were brothers than anything else. Since Spud was the eldest, and his parents had so many responsibilities, he didn't really have anyone to pull him through difficult times and this was the role Eugene ended up gladly filling.
When the program ended, Spud stood up and clapped. "Can you believe it?!" He asked, turning around, and beaming with excitement. "They actually managed to use that compass and turn back time to defeat the bad guys! What a crazy episode!"
"Yeah! Captain Jim sure is something!" Eugene agreed, after finishing off the last of his bottle of soda.
"Boy, that Dr. Crouch didn't stand a chance, huh?!" Spud continued merrily, as he ejected the warm tape from the VCR. "I can't wait to see what happens next time!"
Eugene could hear the sound of his front door, opening, and closing, with the sound of his parents' voices close behind. "I better go help them with the groceries." He explained, standing up and giving a small stretch. "If you want, you can hang out in my room and play some games. I won't be long."
Spud replied with a small frown. "I wish I could but, I gotta go make sure my sisters are home for dinner."
"Oh…" A lingering sense of melancholy once again filled Eugene's heart, causing him to sit back down.
"What's wrong?" Spud finally asked, catching on to the fact that his friend clearly wanted the company.
Playing with the bottom hem of his shirt, Eugene let out a small sigh. "It's just…" He paused, thinking of the right words to say. "Have you ever felt like you were missing something that everyone else seemed to get?"
"You mean like when parents tell some joke that makes no sense, but all the other adults get it and laugh?" The small blond boy answered, furrowing his brow with annoyance. "Yeah, I really hate that!" He then crossed his arms. "Why do they do that? They always tell you to share with others, or if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say it at all but have no problem doing things like that in front of you and not bothering to explain why it was so funny! Ugh!"
His reaction caused Eugene to chuckle. "Something like that, but not exactly…"
"Then, what do you mean?" Spud questioned. "You mean like math equations? Cuz I really hate those too! Especially when the teacher decides to call on you to explain it, when you didn't even raise your hand!"
"It's more like… if your friends were all in on a secret, but left you out." Eugene shifted uncomfortably. "Not really a secret, but more like…" He paused, sorting through comparisons that his mind came up with. "They all can see something that you can't. They can describe it to you, but no matter what you can't get a clear picture of it, or understand why you're the only one who is unable to see it."
"Sort of like your old pet Hippo?" Spud replied, with a blank expression. "The invisible one?"
The memory caused Eugene to sorely laugh. "Something like that, I suppose…" His cheeks turned a little red with embarrassment. "But in the opposite sense."
"Hmm…" Spud sat down on Eugene's bed and crossed his legs in thought. "Maybe it's something that you're too old to see? You know, sorta like the tooth fairy or Santa Clause?"
"But we're all the same age." Eugene reminded him, with a kind smile.
"Hmmmmm…" Spud hummed some more, now rocking his body to the left and right as he continued to think. "Maybe it's because you haven't learned a particular skill yet! You know, like how it took Captain Jim a whole season to learn that cool new move of his? That wise old woman kept whipping him, even when he was struggling, but eventually, it all paid off in the end!"
"So… you think if I try harder, I'll be able to see it later?" asked Eugene, curious about this notion.
"Yeah, maybe!" Spud shrugged. "You never know, until you try, right?" Another bucktoothed grin appeared on the boy's freckled face. "You taught me that, remember?"
Eugene smiled back, his heart a little warm at the thought of his help actually being put to some use, but the smile didn't last and he soon cast his eyes back down to the floor in doubt. "But what if it's something that no amount of training or trying, can change? Like, maybe it's something you were just born without?"
"You mean like being born blind?" Spud's smile faded, as he went back into thought. "Then I suppose it would just make you special."
"Huh?" Eugene cocked his eyebrow in confusion.
Rocking back and forth once more, Spud eyed one of Eugene's comics on his bookshelf. "You know, like how sometimes being born with a superpower is special? What if, in this world, everyone is born with a superpower but you're born without one? Wouldn't that make you equally as special?"
Eugene cringed at the image of each of his classmates having cool abilities, like super strength, speed, mind reading, and teleportation all whilst he remained the same. "That seems more like a flaw, than something that would make me special."
"Maybe it might seem like that, at first, but then what if some big bad guy had the ability to sap everyone's powers away? They'd have no idea how to be an ordinary human, but you would!" He explained, his exuberant smile resurfacing. "Remember that time I had lost my dad's favorite action figure? You know, the one I wasn't supposed to play with but did it anyway?"
"Yeah?" Eugene replied, remembering the situation well. It was about 4 years ago, and the small child ran to him in tears, begging Eugene for his help. It took them nearly 2 hours, as they combed his house, but eventually, they found it behind the toilet.
"Even though I was really scared, and had put myself into a bad situation but in the end, something positive came out of it. It's possible that if I hadn't asked you for help, we wouldn't be hanging out together like this!" Spud gradually stood up and gathered his jacket. "If there's one thing that you drilled into me, it's that being different makes you special. People who're born blind, usually have wicked good hearing or sense of smell! Even if you lose something, you just might end up finding something else even better because of it! So, even if you can't see what all your other friends can see, maybe it'll actually be a good thing in the end?" He watched as Eugene's sullen face began to show some of its usual light. "What if that thing they can see, ends up being something like a scary snake-haired lady who'll eventually turn them into stone? Just because they can see it, doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good thing, right?"
Now beginning to feel a little silly for worrying, Eugene giggled. "I never thought of it like that. Thanks, Spud!"
"I think, that if you just keep being you, then it doesn't matter if they have something you don't." The young boy placed his hand on his best friend's arm, quietly showing his admiration. "Because in the end, you might just have the ability to see something later on that they won't." Spud looked over at Eugene's window. "I better get going, though. Sorry that I couldn't stay longer."
Shaking his head, Eugene could feel small tears begin to prickle beneath his eyelids. "No, no!" He forced out, holding back his body's natural reaction to such intense appreciation, and smiled widely. "It's okay! You've made me feel a lot better! Thanks, Spud!"
Spud opened up the window and gracefully stepped onto the old fire escape. "Anytime, Eugene! You always do the same for me, because that's what friends are for!"
Eugene waved happily, as he watched the responsible young man turn away and climb down the old metal ladder. Once he reached the bottom, Spud turned around, waved back, and disappeared into his back door.
It all seemed so silly, now that Eugene had a clear mind to think. Although it was very off putting to be the odd one out, he knew this was usually the case when it came to him and his friends. He liked musicals; the singing, dancing, and the brightly lit lights of the stage, while they would rather play football and sword fight in the alleyway. It just made him an individual, which was a good thing. He never found himself feeling ashamed to enjoy his passions in front of them, so he couldn't help but wonder why the other boys enjoying something collectively, dug into him so badly just because he didn't get it. Why did it suddenly feel so bad, not to fit in?
Hearing his parents chatting only a few rooms away caused Eugene to consciencely put away his doubts to the far back of his mind, and chose to only focus on the positive feeling that Spud had left him with. "All that matters, is that I have to just keep being me, regardless of those around me!" He smiled pleasantly, "That's my superpower!"
It had been 24 days since their lives had spontaneously combusted into a blinding hellfire, leaving only fragments of what once was in its wake. 24 long days, most of which was spent mindlessly flicking through TV channels and numbing the pain that was their new reality. Through the highs and lows, with all the dysfunctions in between, the Pataki's always thrived with some sort of luck on their side, even when that luck wasn't apparent to them. Despite feeling as though they were living in a new hell, for most of those 24 days, the last few… just didn't seem that bad anymore.
With his face no longer glued to the pixels of the old TV screen, nor his phone hanging heavy inside his pocket, Bob realized that some of his burdens had disappeared, making the weight he had been carrying a little lighter. He no longer waited for a call to come through and miraculously solve his problems, nor did he feel as though he was carrying the weight of their circumstances all by himself. Bob, for the first time in a long time, had noticed that someone had been doing their best to chase after him while offering to take some of the load off of his shoulders. Maybe it was the loud voice inside his head that told him it was weak to ask for help, or maybe it was the quiet voice inside his heart that told him sharing this burden was shameful, as it was his decision to carry it in the first place. He planted the seeds, watered them, and collected the harvest, whether the crop was good or not. Sharing the wealth when it was bountiful always made him feel good but when it was bad? No one willingly accepts rotten fruit, nor should they have to, especially not someone who already gave up so much for his dreams already.
The thought of Miriam being forced to get a job, only made Bob feel as though he failed. Why should she have to work, when he should be the breadwinner? He was the man of the house; the one who slaves from 9 am to 5 pm every day in order to make sure his family is taken care of, the one who misses out on his children's milestones, and sacrifices the joys in his life in order to give them what they deserve. Why should he have to share back breaking labor with her? She had already done enough just being there, believing in him when no one would, commending him, while he made a life for them to live in peace… at least, that's how he always saw it.
It had been about a week since Miriam had come back from her first day of work, smelling of alcohol, giggling with a lopsided grin until an all-out war had erupted between them, causing their cell phone to wind up as the casualty. Bob had so many reasons to be furious, but once he realized he had been forcing his wife to carry a boulder all on her own, this cracked his illusion, inevitably causing it to shatter into many pieces that scattered all around him; reflecting the various images he had of himself with their different angles, much like pieces of a mirror. Some of his reflections he liked, while others he didn't, and a few he couldn't even recognize anymore. It took them much of the next day to pick up those pieces, and each day since, they had gazed into one or more of them; reflecting on things that had been lost in time. It was going to take a long time for them to sort through everything, but it was at least something they had agreed they'd do together.
Miriam had been enjoying her newfound independence, soaking up the freedom while savoring the relationships she had started to build with her co-workers. Boundaries were set, and she agreed to attend their team bonding exercises in moderation. Bob even made it a point to pick her up, every day at 4 O'clock on the dot. Each time, he would glare angrily at the men through the glass windows, but she assured them to pay him no mind as he was just being overprotective. Whether he was doing it out of courtesy, or to make sure she arrived home on time, made no difference to her as she saw it as a boon either way. He was being supportive, and far more open than he had been in over a decade, so this brought a smile to her weathered face every time she saw him waiting outside in their vehicle.
The day had turned late and the sun hung low in the red October sky, causing the woman to turn on the lights within their motel room. Tomorrow would be another day at the office, and thus another exciting day being her own woman.
"Hurry up, Miriam!" Bob grumbled from their bed, a board of backgammon sitting in front of him. "It's your turn!"
"Coming, coming!" She assured him, in a pleasant voice, smiling at him through the window's reflection. "Don't you think the sky is so pretty, B?"
"Huh?" He looked up and saw both the skyline, as well as her expression, causing his wrinkled face to soften for a moment. "Yeah, sure…" He replied, averting his eyes from the attractive sight, and back to their game. "These pieces aren't going to move themselves, so move your fanny."
She closed the large dingy curtain, crawled back on the bed, and took a quick look at the board, before rolling the dice and cheering.
"Seriously?!" He shouted, placing his hand over his face, and wanting nothing more than to throw the suitcase board across the room. "Criminy! With luck like that, I outta take you to the casino to win back all of the money we lost!"
Suddenly, the room phone next to him began to awkwardly gargle a foreign noise, causing them both to pause and look at each other in confusion. During the several weeks they'd resided in that room, and not once had anyone called.
"Well, pick it up, B!" Miriam urged him, curious as to who could possibly be calling them.
Bob reached over and grabbed the receiver. "Hello?" He spoke into it, his face contorted in confusion. "Huh? Mail? What do you mean we have mail? Since when?"
A small light flickered within Miriam's head, causing her insides to cramp up, remembering the fact that she had requested the front desk to hold onto all of their mail for her to pick up personally, and realized it had been a while since she'd done that. "Oops…"
"A whole stack?! Well, why the hell didn't you tell us sooner?!" He howled at the unknown caller. A second later, he was glaring angrily at his sheepish wife. "Oh, she did, huh? Yeah, yeah, whatever I'll be over there in a second." Immediately, he clanged the phone down on its base and stood up.
"I'm sorry…" said the woman, as she hung her head in shame. "I asked them to hold onto our mail, and I would pick it up daily, but since we've been so preoccupied lately, it slipped my mind."
"I was told…" He grumbled at her, putting on a pair of pants and struggling to loop his belt through. "Wait here and don't you dare touch that board. I'll be back."
Miriam nodded but remained silent as she watched the perturbed man leave the room, and harshly shut the door on his way out, giving her a slight jump. Allowing the brief solitude and silence to calm her nerves, she hoped that at least some of the news might be good news.
The warm sunset had finally turned dark, causing each of the street lights to flicker on, and illuminate the dark streets of Hillwood. Cars passed loudly by, while cats screeched and couples argued in the distance. Faint music and strong vibrations could be felt all throughout his room, caused by the people in the apartment below him but this did nothing to break Brainy's concentration while he went back and forth on his forum. His fingers quickly tapped away at his keyboard, and even though he was probably the fastest in his class, he felt as though his juvenile hands had crawled back to earlier years before he had perfected this skill. Due to the drop in temperature caused by the autumn season rolling in, his usual fan wasn't turned on, but while a bead of sweat dripped from his spikey hair, down the side of his face and off of his chin, he wished it was. He had no second to spare to remove his hands from the keyboard, though and so his fingers continued their dance in the quickest tempo they could muster.
"Just… a little more…" He thought to himself.
Rapid beeping began alarming from his computer speakers, indicating that it was now overheating but this too did not stop him from his operation. There was so much to do, and so little time to do it. He cursed himself for waiting as long as he had, but many things had gotten in his way. Through firewalls, ghost servers, and various proxies, his cloaked colleagues posted back and forth, doing their best in handing him the tools he needed to get the job done but even so, Brainy would not rest until he knew things were handled.
Hours had passed, but still, it felt like he was no closer to clearing his goal, than he was when he got the notification from his system that his security had been breached, just a few days before. Even with all the help, he was receiving from his comrades in arms, it seemed like he might be on the losing end of his battle but even still, he had to try. He found his cause a just one, and did not fear the reaper if they wound up appearing before him, cloaked in uniform, and brandishing their silver weapon of choice… No… what drove him to push his body's limits whilst burning the midnight oil, was the backlash from the one he coveted most. She entertained his inconsequential existence, which was far more than he deserved, especially now, but to see her face full of extreme disappointment should the reaper come to claim him, would be a fate far worse than death.
Soon, Brainy's vision began to wane as the specks of the morning sunlight began to peer in through the breaks in his blinds. "Morning… already…" He knew his alarm clock would start chiming soon for school, but whether it had been from not consuming the necessary nutrients his body required, not taking his medication as prescribed, or simply due to the fact he had been going on 36 hours of hardly any rest, the boy's body finally succumbed to the inevitable outcome. His whole body felt heavy, and with the few ounces of energy he had left, he pushed his keyboard to the side, propped up his arms, and rested his head down on them. The sounds of keys being set down, and a chair gliding across his kitchen's linoleum tiles gave him comfort to know that his mother was finally home from work. Would she rouse him once she realized he wasn't up for school? Would she hear his alarm going off? None of these things mattered in this moment, as Brainy's eyes slowly closed and he breathed in a slow and steady sigh, as he drifted into unconsciousness.
"Alright now, settle down everyone!" Mr. Simmons instructed his class, with a warm smile on his face and his hands on his hips. "I'm sure everyone had a pretty exciting weekend, and I'll be happy to hear about it all later on but for now, let's take our seats and pull out our geometry books!" He heard a few groans but paid them no mind as he turned around to the board in front of him to begin drawing. "We'll be continuing our journey into learning how to measure all those nifty 3D shapes! Won't that be fun?!"
"Yeah… as fun as watching the cooking channel with my granny…" Helga replied, with a roll of her eyes as she slouched further in her chair.
"Oh…" Harold moaned from his seat. "I'm so hungry…"
"Didn't you already eat breakfast, and a snack before class started?" Rhonda remarked with a tone of disgust. "How many more calories do you need?"
"Harold, I'm sure those hunger pangs will subside once you begin focusing on today's assignment." Mr. Simmons said, with optimism. "It's time to feed your brain with knowledge!" He could hear Harold whine loudly in protest, causing the balding man to frown. "or if your stomach doesn't stop hurting after this lesson, I'll give you a pass to the nurse's office, and maybe laying down will help."
"Here, Harold." Eugene smiled, as he tapped on Lila's shoulder and handed her a few packages of sealed crackers to pass to the suffering boy. "I always keep a handful of these with me, just in case I feel sick!"
"Thanks…" Harold replied, begrudgingly grabbing the few packs of crackers from the girl, and carefully ripping them open. In truth, he liked the thought of laying down in the nurse's office way more than having to listen to complicated math problems.
"How very thoughtful of you, Eugene!" Mr. Simmons smiled, placing his hand over his heart. "You always come prepared!" As he gave the ginger kid a lively thumbs up, he noticed the empty chair behind him. "Oh… Has anyone seen Brainy today?"
Each student took their time saying their own version of no, before Mr. Simmons walked over to his desk and filed through the notes given to him from the main office before the start of class. There's no notice from his family that he was out sick, or would be in late... How strange… With a twinge of concern, the teacher pinned a mental note to the back of his mind to follow up with this absence, should his student fail to show up midway through the day? "Can anyone tell me how we calculate the circumference of a sphere?" He asked, pointing to his whiteboard.
A few eager hands shot up and class continued on as usual…
Hours flew by, and subjects came and went, but still, there was no word from the office. Mr. Simmons had politely excused himself a few times to go down and check if there were any messages left for him, but each time there were none.
"This is just so… so very unusual for him…" He mumbled to himself, as he rubbed his chin and stared in thought at the secretary in front of him.
The frail looking old woman shrugged. "Kids play hooky all the time, Robert..." She explained, feeling somewhat annoyed by the fact he had come back again. She'd been working there far longer than him and knew quite well that every kid, no matter how good, would eventually decide that school wasn't good enough for them. "You're thinking too far into it." She continued with a nasally sounding voice. "Now, go eat a sandwich or something and, as I've said before, I'll contact you if there's word. Alright?" She asked, peering over her pointy red framed glasses with a squint.
Mr. Simmons paid her trying gaze no mind and just continued to worry in silence as he walked out of the main office and back to his classroom. He sat at his desk and stared at the old phone that hung on the wall next to the door. Should he call home? It was possible that he might wake someone up who was sick, and he definitely didn't want that, especially knowing that Brainy's only parent worked the night shift.
As the minutes ticked by audibly on the classroom clock, Mr. Simmons anxiously drummed his fingers against his wooden desk, as worst case scenarios began piling into his worrisome mind, causing his stomach to churn, and making it impossible for him to even consider eating. What if something was seriously wrong, and Brainy needed help? What if his asthma had taken a turn for the worse and he couldn't get to his inhaler? What if he had fallen, gotten hurt and his mother had assumed he'd gone to school so she didn't look in on him yet?
While all of these things were certainly possible, he also knew that he was probably being irrational, and letting his fears get the best of him. He was often reminded by his loved ones just how much he could overdo things, due to his big heart but… something about this whole thing just felt so unnatural. What action, if any, was the best action for him to take? He didn't want to intrude and make a big deal over just something inconsequential, but he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he knew that his lack of action could cause reprehensible consequences!
"Goodness, are you alright?" A sudden familiar female voice called out. "You're as white as a sheet!"
Mr. Simmons sheepishly turned his head to see who it was, and saw the school Nurse standing in his open classroom doorway.
"Oh…" He replied in a tired tone, not the least bit interested as to why she had arrived way earlier than expected.
Nurse Shelley hurried on over to him to get a better look. "Are you sure? Have you eaten yet today?"
"I'm… fine." Mr. Simmons gave her a halfhearted smile, not wanting her to worry. "I just have a lot on my mind."
"Is this a bad time?" She asked, unsure of how to proceed.
"No…" He replied, scooting back his chair, and standing up. "No, of course not. How can I help?" Again, he gave a poor attempt at a reassuring smile.
"I was hoping to get some insight from you before we have our class later on today." She began, looking a little unsure of herself before shyly looking away from him, and back at the open doorway. "While I might know many of your students on a personal level, our next topic is significantly more… delicate than our last. You've been their teacher for much longer than most, so I was wondering if you had any tips on how to handle them going forward?"
At first, Mr. Simmons was confused about what the woman was even talking about, but eventually, his brain connected her words in a way that made sense. "Oh!" He startled suddenly. "Oh! Right! I almost forgot that was today! Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry!"
"It's perfectly okay!" She smiled kindly, understanding that whatever he had on his mind must have been quite taxing.
"I'm sure you're aware that many of them can be a bit…" He paused briefly, considering the most appropriate adjective to use. "To put it bluntly, crude and immature."
"As are most children their age, of course." She nodded.
Mr. Simmons cringed as he thought of some of their past antics, wondering if this woman really had any idea of what they could be capable of.
"I'm sure there will be plenty of giggling, as it can be an uncomfortable subject, as well as I expect many of them will already be a little acquainted with certain aspects of the topic, whether it be of their own body or the opposite sex." Shelley elaborated further. "I'm just curious if I should delve into the female, or male anatomy first? The boys far outnumber the girls, and I wonder if maybe it might be easier if we tackle the female body first, you know, get out a lot of the giggling in the beginning…" She said, with a wink. "Then move on to the male body? Or it might be possible that discussing the male body first, may desensitize the silliness of the subject as a whole, so by the time we move on to the female, there will be more listening ears?"
While grateful to the woman for the distraction she was providing, Mr. Simmons couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for her as well. "I don't think the outcome will be different by much, regardless of which anatomy you start with…" He replied with a half-sympathetic, half-cynical smile.
"Oh, I see..." Shelley tilted her head to the side, thoughtfully. Tapping her finger against her bottom lip, she began to usher out the words that passed through her mind, as they did so. "Developmentally speaking, both are equally important… but us girls do tend to start earlier… so I suppose I'll start with the female body first." She finished with an eager chuckle, and a soft stomp of her foot.
"That makes the most sense to me." He humored the woman, keeping his smile afloat while nonchalantly looking at the time. "I'm sure however you choose to approach this subject going forward, will be both special, and appreciated by the students."
"I'm happy to hear you say that!" Shelley clapped her hands, joyfully. "With your support in the classroom, I'm sure all our bases will be covered!"
Her comment caught the balding man off guard, causing a small cough to dislodge from his throat. "Of- of course!" He could feel himself becoming nervous, as he really wasn't sure what she meant by that. As with the drug and alcohol portion of her class, he was there to keep the kids on task and knock off any roughhousing before it even began, so he assumed this was what he would be doing this time as well. "I'm always happy to help wherever I can."
"Our budding young students are really quite lucky to have us both here to answer all of their extra special questions!" Shelley clapped her hands excitedly once more, unable to contain her jubilation. "Should any of the boys have any further questions, that they otherwise would feel uncomfortable coming to me about, I'm sure they'd be happy to speak to you, and vice versa for the girls!" Feeling as though she had gotten the answers she needed, Shelley headed on out of the classroom but paused before exiting completely. "Oh, and please put a little something in your stomach before class begins. Our students will be arriving with a belly full of food, just ready to learn! We'll all be needing you in tip-top shape, if this lesson is going to be a success! Bye for now!" And with that, she disappeared out of sight.
Now, with even more weight on the thin man's shoulders, he could feel his legs finally give out, allowing his bottom to firmly plant itself once again against his desk's chair. He placed both arms out on the table in front of him, lay his head against one of them, then curled his arms over his head, in an attempt to comfort himself. It wasn't food he needed, but rather a nice, long nap.
"Mr. S…" called a particularly annoying, nasally voice.
"What is it, now?" He snapped back, without moving.
There was a brief silence, then a couple of clicks due to the shuffling of some high heels. "The motha' you were hoping to hear from called." The receptionist paused again, watching as the grown man uncurled himself from his position of comfort. "Your student spent too much of his night playing on his computer, and needed some extra sleep." She gave him another pause for reaction, but when she only got a few blinks from him, she rolled her eyes. "As I said earlier, there was nothing to worry about and the poor soul simply tuckered himself out playing vidya' games. No cause for concern. You can rest easy now." She finished, giving him another judgmental squint, before click-clacking off out of his view.
Unbeknownst to the haughty receptionist, Robert Simmons had been holding his breath the moment he had realized what she was there for, and only waited until after she left, to finally exhale loudly, causing all of the worksheets on his desk to go flying.
"Oh, my word…" He said aloud, feeling a great pressure release from within his chest. Managing to sit up, the teacher held his forehead within one of his hands, and let out a ridiculous sounding laugh at himself. "That solves the first issue…" He pulled out the left bottom drawer from the desk and grabbed the brown paper bag that had been waiting for him. Unrolling the top, and opening it up, he gave his sandwich a dazed look, wishing that it appetized him more than it was. "Hello, my faithful friend…" He called out to it, before grabbing it and removing its protective cellophane wrapping. "Even in my darkest hours, I can always trust that you'll be here waiting for me…" But no sooner did Mr. Simmons take his first bite of his trusty sandwich, did the bell ring to bring lunch's hour to a close. His bite, though a full and tasty one, felt lifeless and the teacher gave it a slow chew to extract any joy it was attempting to give him while wrapping up the majority for later. Thus… is life. He thought, wistfully.
"It's been nearly a week, Miriam!" Bob hollered at his partner, as he angrily got behind their car's steering wheel, causing its suspension system to bounce up and down. "I don't know who I'm angry at more!"
Miriam clutched her purse, as she gingerly stepped over a puddle between the sidewalk and their parking space, taking caution to not stumble forward in her heels. She could hear him carrying on from inside the car, but wasn't able to make out anything clearly until the door was open.
"Our incompetent bank for taking this long, the bumbling motel staff for not notifying us of our mail, or…" He continued, but stopped the moment he felt his wife's cool hand on his flushed forearm.
"Take a deep breath in, B…" She smiled, giving the top layer of fur on his arm a light pet. "It sounds like they have good news for us!"
"Good news or not, I have half a mind to march on in there and…"
"There will be no marching in anywhere." She firmly stated, interrupting him once more. "Now, let's get me off to work, or else I'll be late."
Bob gave her a hesitant look, before starting up the car and backing out of their parking spot. "I just don't see why you can't miss one day of work, Miriam." He grumbled, almost with a pout.
"We both know that you understand all that stuff way more than I do, and besides, missing work this early in my contract is unacceptable." She gave the man a few more pats, before placing her hand on her lap, and facing forward. "How would you feel if your new hire suddenly took a day off?"
"Ya, ya…" He grumbled again, furrowing his brow at the insistent sun glaring at him from over the horizon, then quickly pulling down the visor in front of him. "You've made your point."
"You'll do just fine, B! You've been dealing with our finances up to this point without needing my help. Nothing's changed." She assured him, giving him a cool smile and finding him adorable for worrying. "Just remember to keep calm and-"
"Collective." Bob finished, with a few aggravating nods of agreement. "I got it, I got it."
He pulled in front of her office building and gave her another look of uncertainty.
After unbuckling her seatbelt, Miriam gave her husband a small peck on the forehead. "You'll do fine, B!"
"But what if it's bad news, Miriam? Then what?!"
With a small sigh, the aging woman unlocked the passenger side door and opened it a crack, feeling the autumn breeze creep into their stuffy car. "Then you'll be the businessman you've always been." She explained, stepping out. "Those sharks may have many rows of teeth, but the man I married has thick skin." She then gave him a soft smile before shutting the door, causing him to unroll the window. "You'll be fine! Now, I gotta go."
"I'll be here on the hour, Miriam." He warned her, wanting to change the subject. "You better be ready. No dilly-dallying!"
"Uh huh." She nodded obediently, before turning her heels and stepping onto the sidewalk. "I got it, B!"
Bob waited until she walked inside, before looking at himself in his side mirror. He looked like he had aged tenfold, since the time he had wandered into the bank, and wondered if they'd even recognize him anymore. Where had the time gone? His wife was looking young and vivacious, and he looked like he'd be managing an old boarding house in the next coming months. "Criminy…" He complained, before rejoining traffic and making his way to the bank.
The ride to his destination was only around 5 to 10 minutes at most, but felt like an eternity. Bob pulled into their large parking lot, then found a spot to park without much issue, as the bank was never full between noon and 4 pm when everyone was always rushing there to make their final deposits before it closed. He gave himself a moment to try and fix up his appearance, so as to not seem like he was as worse for wear as he felt, before casually walking inside the establishment. To his left, were the various bank tellers, and a small desk full of withdrawal and deposit slips, to his right was the small waiting area. He eyed a cushiony looking chair, but just as he went to sit down, he heard a loud voice calling out to him.
"Mr. Pataki!" Waved down the young red headed bank associate. "I was informed that you were on your way! Please, come sit down."
After murmuring a few distasteful remarks, Bob donned his businessman demeanor and walked over to the man, who was eagerly awaiting him.
"Come! Sit!" The man said again, before pushing a cup full of candy over his way. "Have as much as you like! My wife insisted I make sure my desk remain as festive as possible for the season."
"No thanks," Bob replied, pushing away the cup and leaning back in the uncomfortably hard and narrow chair. "So, you have news for me?"
"Yes!" The man affirmed in a far too cheery way. "We apologize for how long this investigation has taken, however after going back and forth with our security team and insurance bureau, we were not only able to find the hole in our security software, but we were able to find your funds within that hole! Isn't that grand?!"
"Uh huh," Bob replied, tapping his fingers on the mahogany colored desk, impatiently. "It would have been grand if my money hadn't fallen into this hole in the first place."
"Yes… that in itself was quite regrettable…" The man replied, his upbeat attitude dropping for a split moment, before quickly finding itself back to being sickeningly sweet, equal to that of the candy on his desk. "But we mustn't dwell on the past, and instead, look at the future!" He then began typing something into the computer, before swiveling the monitor for Bob to see. "Have a look! All of your funds have been allocated back into your account! Problem fixed!"
"Problem fixed?" A few veins began to pulsate around Bob's temples. "What do you mean problem fixed?!" Doing his best to keep his temper down, Bob began to grit his teeth. "Have you any idea how much money we've spent sleeping at some mangy motel the last month? How much money we've had to spend on takeout, all while your company drags its feet in finding where my money went?!"
"Rest assured, my friend!" The banker swiveled back the computer monitor and began to type more. "You'll be compensated for some of that money spent!"
"Compensated?" Bob was intrigued. He had fully intended on demanding compensation but didn't expect the bank to offer it up so willingly. "How much we talking?"
"While I wish I could say 100%, we have taken into consideration your spending, and fully intend on compensating you 60%. This would cover your motel costs, as well as some of your food expenditures." The banker smiled, showing the screen off to Bob once more. "It's the least we could do, considering how you've been more than patient with us during such an unprecedented situation."
"And this is the best you could do?" asked Bob, still surprised at how generous they were being, but still feeling the need to press them a little harder. "You still haven't taken into account that our daughter has been renting a room in a boarding house, so she could still attend school."
The man's face fizzled down into a frown. "Oh… We weren't aware as there is no record of that in your bank history."
"That's because they haven't been paid yet, due to not knowing what sort of financial situation I'd be in once all this was finished." Bob lied, crossing his arms. "They've agreed to give me the total cost once all of this was said and done."
"I… I see…" The banker sat back in his chair, tapping each one of his fingers against the arms. "Well, 60% is still the agreed upon amount." He sighed, before sitting straight up once again and tapping away on his keyboard. "You let us know how much in total you've had to spend for her room, and we'll account for that expenditure as well. Rest assured, Bob! I'm on your side and this bank has your back, through and through!"
"That's what I like to hear!" grinned Bob, smoothing his palms against each other, with the thought of getting even more money. I'll get old Phil to write me up a receipt and sneak in a few extra zeros… Or, better yet, I might be able to get them to keep the girl riding free, then make a receipt all my own! This bank will never know what hit em'!
"There is one more thing, I was told to inform you about." The banker continued, startling Bob out of his greedy visions. "While I don't know the specifics... after our security team was able to locate your funds, they were also able to find out who had embezzled them in the first place."
"Okay?" Bob questioned, giving the man his full attention.
"It's very peculiar, but your account was the only one to be breached." He explained, turning off his monitor and leaning over his desk to face Bob directly. "It's quite possible that the crooks made out with what they could, and scampered off thinking they wouldn't be found since, comparatively, only a small amount had been taken, or… your account had been targeted intentionally."
"What are you trying to get at?" Bob asked, raising his eyebrow, and wondering if this man's suspicion was aimed at him or if he was just having a good time playing detective at his own expense.
"Our institute obviously has filed a full report to the authorities, in hopes of them apprehending this heinous group or individual. In due time, justice will find itself knocking, however since it's entirely possible that your account was targeted on purpose…" The lanky red-headed man then leaned close to Bob, from across the desk. "It's possible that you may have enemies, Mr. Pataki. It's best to remain vigilant in matters such as this. I feel that it's in your best interest to work with the authorities as well." He finished in a hushed voice, before giving Bob a cautious look, and sitting back down in his seat. "Together, we can be sure that the culprit gets brought to justice!"
After shaking the man's hand, and assuring him that he would meet with him again at a later date to discuss the amended refund, Bob headed out of the bank, shaking his head. "What a nutjob…" he cursed, as he got into his car. "An enemy? Psh, what enemy?" He asked himself, as he thrust the car key into its hole, and waited for the engine's hum. The thought had never crossed his mind, and while there were many people he had screwed over in the past, he couldn't think of a single one that would go so far as to literally rob a bank, just to give Bob his 'just desserts.' In fact, it seemed far more plausible that others had fallen within the crack that had formed within their faulty security software, and either the bank didn't know yet, or didn't want to admit to it. Still, if there was proof that his account had been solely targeted, the police would be able to find out, and not only would he get his 60% back from them, but he could also sue this enemy for his grievances. It would be a win-win, if that was the case! "This nightmare is slowly turning into a dream come true!" He laughed, pulling out of their parking lot, and heading back to the motel.
"Finally!" Harold bellowed out, slumping over his desk. "Last class of the day!"
"You got somewhere to be?" Gerald asked, standing up and stretching from across the room. "If so, where's our invite?"
"Are you crazy?" Replied Sid on Harold's behalf, sitting on top of his desk, kicking his white beetle boots back and forth. "Harold's only plan is to run home as quickly as possible, and try to avoid Wolfgang!"
"What are you talking about?" Gerald asked, looking at the two in confusion. "I thought we cleared that level…"
Harold angrily looked over at Arnold, who shrugged innocently back. "Yeah, Sid! What ARE you talking about?!"
"Well… Remember how I asked if you wanted to go down to the arcade with us yesterday, but you said no on accounta your mom needed your help with housecleaning n whatnot?" Stinky began uncomfortably, trying to find the right words to say. "There we were, playing air hockey when Wolfgang came in, madder than a wet hen, yellin' about how yer gonna get what's comin' to ya."
"Oh my…" Lila gasped.
"Just what did you do now, Harold?" asked Rhonda, as she began fixing her lipliner through a handheld mirror. "I swear, you boys are always asking for trouble…"
"Oh no, maybe we didn't find what we were supposed to?" Eugene mused nervously, looking to the rest of the group.
"Find what?" Questioned Sheena.
"Yeah, do you plan on filling in the rest of the class?" Nadine pressed, now just as curious as everyone else.
"It's nothing." Arnold finally spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "Wolfgang just bet Harold that he couldn't beat him in a scavenger hunt, and he did."
"He's always been a sore loser." spat Helga, leaning back in her chair, and resting the bottom of her shoes against the table's edge. "Guess your dilemma was a lose-lose situation, Pink boy! See you in next week's obituary!"
"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Harold." Arnold smiled, reassuringly. "He'll forget about it and move on."
"Yeah, I guess there are plenty of other kids' faces he needs to pound into the dirt," Sid shrugged nonchalantly, "but I'm steering clear of being caught anywhere near you!"
Helga turned around and faced the stringy haired kid. "You're such a wuss…"
Letting out a loud upsetting moan, Harold covered his face with his palms, then slid down his seat until he almost fell off.
"Heat not a furnace for your foe, so hot that you singe yourself!" Curly cackled poetically, causing a few to give him queer looks. "What? It's Shakespeare, you flat tongued baboons!"
The bell then rang, signaling for class to start, and the door opened to Nurse Shelley walking through. "Good Afternoon, Students!"
"Where's Mr. Simmons?" Asked Arnold, settling back down in his seat.
"Oh, don't you worry about him, dear!" She soothed, placing her stack of supplies down on the absent teacher's desk. "He was just feeling a little peckish, due to missing lunch."
"How can ANYONE miss LUNCH?!" A shocked Harold shouted, finally pulling himself back up to an upright seating position.
"Sometimes, the time can just get away from you!" She chuckled, hoping that the man was finally giving himself time to relax in the faculty lounge. "But let's not let time get away from us, shall we? I have last week's tests to hand out to each of you, and I must say, you all did very well!" Reaching into her bag, Nurse Shelley pulled out a stack of papers and handed each to their respective owners. "We covered a lot, so it's understandable that not everyone would get 100%, but I'm pleased to see that my teachings etched a mark in your memory and that everyone in this class has passed! I hope you all go forward with the knowledge you've gained, and make wise choices." She gave the students a moment to look over their test sheets, before continuing. "Now then, who here is ready for our next health subject?"
The class remained dead silent, save for a few rustles of papers.
"Oh, come now!" She smiled, dutifully placing her hands on her hips. "While it's possible that none of you will ever come into contact with those drugs, or know anyone struggling with substance abuse, or any addiction, I can guarantee you that all of you will have a relation to our next topic." With that, the woman grabbed a string of letters, and hung them up on the whiteboard with magnets, before turning around and facing her students. "Sexual Education!" She beamed at them joyfully, whilst observing their mixed reactions. "Isn't that exciting?!"