"Well .. well.. well I guess tigers aren't meant to land on their feet, no shit." Rusty jokes, walking over to Haru to revise a high five but instead he slapped him on the backside of his head.
"Ouch! What the hell was that for?"
"You moron! You could have killed him and now Mrs.Lee is gonna beat our asses or… or. ho- ho or "
"Or what?" Rusty replied as Haru pulled his head down to his level to tell him his thoughts , which made him grin vigorously.
"Or we tell that fat boy over there who did it because who would Mrs. Rabbit face believe in us or a younger stupid sixth grader like him?"
"Oh smart .. smart move little brother let's do it."The brother's fist bump each before turning their way to the crowd of kids beholding them. They gulped when Rusty came towering over them and snarled at them with his fist hitting his palm as if they got the message and quickly moved out of the way.
Olina dropped her book on a desk after the boys left the school hall and came over to Ace who was cradling Tj's head in his arms. Ace didn't respond, noticing his classmate, and looked at her then down on the floor as she looked at Tj who looked terrible with glass shards laying all around and him groaning as she lay a hand on his abdomen. She feels guilty. Everything good in her life has to be shortened or destroyed if she dares to talk to anyone who she feels comfortable chatting with or even be friends with. Loneliness can be a pain sometimes she thought as heavy footsteps approached them which was Rusty, their teacher, and the nurse with a wheelchair.
"I left you brats for 10 mins just to use the ... .AHHHH!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs once her glace lay on the shattered glass window and her student landed on the floor seeming to be unconscious the nurse rushed towards Tj's aid.
"WHO …DID…. THIS!' She demanded, turning her face toward the crowd of students that had the audacity to bawl their pride to watch everything that was happening upon them but now with an unsettling fear of death.
"So nobody knows? .. well I guess the whole class will go to the principal's office if one of you punks fess up now."
" They are not going to tell you anything." Olina thought, shaking her head. She knew these kids ever since they first came into this building a few months ago. Beginning in the center of the classroom can make you vulnerable to everything that goes around since nobody even tries to engage in a conversation with an emo.
Of course, they wouldn't even try as they think they would probably commit suicide before summer break or they would discuss how life sucks and everyone around is an asshole and doesn't care but that is not all true for her case.
She tried to distance herself as more people came closer to one another when it came to their unoriginal gossip spread from other classrooms, not only the math section of the building. Her mother worries about her which can be very annoying because the image you are on your bed in the dark with a deem light from your flashlight reading a good book from famous dark twisted pieces of literature from the great Egor Allen Poe an author you use to have strange affection toward as a child when your phone bleeps as your book was getting interesting and a message from children therapy sessions from the town local mental hospital that think you are chronically depressed and thinking about ending your life soon or some crap like that but in reality, you are not and your mother walks in with antidepressants and a suicide hotline menu and you just lying there listening to Meg and Dia.
She watched the nurse set Tj on the wheelchair, noticing he was struggling to keep Tj from sliding off since the boy couldn't control his body and rushed over to them to sit him straight with Ace's help too.
"Uhh thanks, kids but you should be getting back to your group.." He said as a deep voice startled her and she quickly stood up with her cheeks turning crimson as pieces of her hair fell on her face as she bowed.
"Oh hehe you got some hair on your face and sorry for staring at you but you and him must be close friends I guessed?"
"Yes! I am TJ's best friend and he's gonna be an alright nurse?." Ace said concernedly, unintentionally laying his hand on Tj's arm which made him groan loudly and apparently signal the teacher over directly toward Ace and grabbed him by the ear to pull him to the side.
Ace watched as she began to scold the living life out of him that some parts of the conversation were hard to understand as her screaming overturned the words she expressed and was kinda thankful for not hearing any of it. He didn't understand why she was so angry, especially toward him who just went to the restroom to wash his backpack with her permission too. She basically told him from what she heard it was his fault that Tj was hurt because they were fighting over some girl that suppose to like and the fight got too violent and he had beaten Tj to a pulp out of retaliation for her affection toward Tj and threw him the window.
Ace thought she was joking or something to assume he would do that to his best friend and he was thinking about not harming people in the bathroom earlier but the words were pretty hurtful or absurd for a twelve-year-old to hear. The student in the background couldn't help but watch, most of them make a mockery of him especially Rusty and Haru who had hidden from the crowd like one small and large shadow, looking directly at Ace with a huge smile on their face as if they were enjoying his humiliation just like every Friday night sitcom with a live audience watching you, smacking their lips with sugary sweets entering their digestive tract and laugher waiting to leave their larynx when he makes a fool of yourself.
Olina sensed his helplessness from the distance between them and found it quite bizarre how Ace kept on a brave face as he continued his unreasonable verbal discipline. He didn't shed any tears like she would if she was the one absorbing the nasty droplets of saliva ejaculating on her face like an out of control water sprinkler and the excruciating screams of Mrs. Lee's voice that make someone wonder if she is a rabbit or even a woman.
She spotted Ace looking back at her with concern in his eyes as he laid them on his best friend who is in no condition to do anything at the moment or even raise his thumb to signal him that he is fine as he usually does or he just played it off like it was nothing. His fixation was broken when the nurse started rolling Tj down the corridors and Olina was very hesitant to follow until Ace looked at her and smiled, moving his hands toward Tj.
" Is ..he is telling me to follow them .. but that is crazy, I can't do that …but Tj .. AHH! I hate breaking the rules but ok headband bear I will." She thought and pulled her hoodie over her head to hide her face as she quietly caught up to achieve the task that she was gracefully asked in a weird way. Ace could be more pleased that even his teacher sensed it and thought of it to be very disrespectful to her authority.
"Oh so you don't feel any regret that I could lose my job Archer..wow I thought you were way smarter than that when you keep rewarding my teaching efforts with D's." Mr.Lee remarked, taking off her glasses to face palm herself. She was like that for a very unsettling moment that the hairs on Ace''s back rose up from the atmosphere surrounding them and became static with each passing second . He gulped.
"Uh-hh Mrs.Lee .. are you ok?"
"Get out." She said quietly that even the boy couldn't even hear. Her arms were shaking and firsts were clenched tightly so that the students a meter from them could hear the bones in her hands pop. Ace moved a little bit closer to her without knowing any better until he felt her hand touch his face with a great force that made him fall on his back with a tingling feeling on his right cheek as it turned red.
"I said get out and go to the principal's office and never come back to this classroom very again or else I may not go easy on you again."
She demanded, kneeling down to her his level and wrinkling his shirt as she grabbed. Ace didn't do anything as he was too afraid to do anything or he may be slapped again as teachers like her are not afraid to again but simply nodded his head as she left and started yelling for the other students to get their tails in their seats which they did as she seated in her big office chair and grabbed the black school phone hanging on the wall to call the front office to be aware of Ace's presents in a few minutes.
It's pretty entertaining to be in the nurse's office, Olina thought to herself as she flipped a page from her book as she sat in those firm blue chairs with no resting arms, waiting for Tj to wake up from his temporary nap.
She was surprised that it had been two hours and the nurse didn't send her back to class when he spotted her hiding behind the door as he was prepping Tj's I.V. on the blue bedding in the center of the room with the other sets. He walked up toward her and asked her why was she here but thanks to her anxiety she mumbled most of the words she expressed which she guessed he notice because he told her to sit down in chair she was sitting now and offered her a cup of water and few books of her choosing as he went to his office.
She was pleased with his humility to her and didn't shun her away like other adults and the books he picked out were pretty accurate to her favorite genre of novels from the titles , contexts and excellent word play in each paragraph that hotwire her brain with dopamine. She lay her book down when her stomach started gurgling and she looked at the clock which was twelve twenty. 10 minutes before her lunchtime and her tummy is letting her know about it and now craving a seasoned salmon rice ball from the cafeteria if time can move quicker.
The nurse said he would be back soon after his meeting in the auditorium several minutes ago and hadn't come back yet which worried her since how could she know if something goes wrong with Tj without his guidance or medical training.; Luckily she doesn't need to worry anymore as he came in with a tray of food in one hand and other his mug of hot jasmine tea she smelled and watch him bought every in his office before coming back.
"Here kiddo eat this for now to keep you going." He gave a large rice ball that smelled delicious that she couldn't resist and started munching on it like a beaver chewing on wood.
"Slow down kid before you eat one your finger hehe then we've been in serious trouble." He warned his younger client. She blushed and started to chew much more slowly as he sat across from her to snack on his riceball.
"Mhmm,so .. am guessing you are a sixth grader like him.. huh and you follow me here because he is your boyfriend?" He queried, leading in the seat with his long legs crossed as he took a sip of his mug making a very nosy sound with his lips..
"Great, people always have to assume girls who follow boys must have a crush on them or something but I just went for it because the bear boy with the headband asked me too ..well not verbally speaking." Olina pondered, shaking her head passively to decline his irrational assumption and gulp the remainder of her rice snack.
"So not dating but you guys are the same grade gotcha. And you just here to wait on Tj awake , which is fine by me at all means since I connected your teachers with you, had a high fever and needed some rest soo yeah."
"Am I dreaming or is this for real? I asked myself that question because there is no way in hell a teacher in this god forsaken school could be this kind hearted and understand kids or even know what children are like. I guess I can't be this absurd to him or else he drops his little charde."
"Uhm.. thank you for sparing some of your lunch with me and for t-the rest sir." She said in a timid and appreciative tone.
"My pleasure kid! And you seem like the kid that like to be by themselves and read books like this contrasting what other people prefer,"
"Or second though maybe not ugh why am I so stupid ." Olina throught tugging hard on the loose thick string on her jacket hoodie that tightened around her head as she pulled.
"But that's fine if they are what you really enjoy in your young life by all means since fortunately I kinda like them too." He said enthusiastically, grabbing one of the books he brought her earlier and picking one of her favorite author's most famous books called the "Cask of a Amontillado." and read a part of the story he claimed sounded more amusing to read, which he wasn't wrong at the very least and frankly couldn't disagree when Monstessor sealed up a drunk Fortunato in the ancient catacombs under his own house as punishment for his unbearable insults.
She wondered what he even said to him that conquered his brain with so much hatred for an arrogant man. She considered it vulgarly ignorant just to bury someone hundred feet underground over unnecessary wordplay from Fortunato, if that was the case she would do the same with her older brother who loves to read twelve year old girls journals if it wasn't for his incompetent with women.
"So .. Is it okay for me to like this stuff? Am not weird or anything." She asked him without meaning to process their conversation.
"Absolutely not in my opinion but in medical terms kinda let me explain. Patients with a history of chronic depression, anxiety and other life threatening mental issues can develop a sense of relatedness for a possession in their home that brings them comfort and joy from the two hormones your body releases dopamine and serotonin that your brain craves," He illustrates from his years of knowledge of his studies.
"Ohh but what's wrong with them having possessions that make them happy?"
"Good question, you know how some people love to eat fast food on a daily basis?"
"Mhm my mother tells me it will make you fat ."
"Obese yes and that I am referring to, these people find comfort in these unhealthy foods that will make their body produce a little too much pleasure hormones in the bloodstream that develop a dependence or an addiction over time that will probably be the cause of their future death."
Olina nodded her head in agreement. For a girl like her, weight isn't much of a problem for her since she doesn't eat that much or at all if possible. There was alway food in the cabinets for her to eat and her mother always made her a bento lunch every morning before school which contained her favorites foods; but ever since she started middle school her appetite changed drastically and the mery thought of eating something she used to love made her queasy. That rice ball he gave must be the only thing she has eaten from today that gave her pleasure.
"So as a way to help this people with their problems we sent them to a week with a psychologist to examine their mental and social status by talking to them and recommend treatments they may work but like with everyone in our society not everything will work with that one individual so we tried to give them the best resources they need because..,"
He put his mug down, rolled his chair to his office for a quick minute before coming back with another rice ball,and something in his other hand she couldn't see until he drop the warm treat in her hand and stick a sticker on her jacket that was shaped like a broken heart with a bandaid sealing it.
"We shouldn't let our trauma control us or our emotions because we have it, but instead embrace what it is and how it can teach you and that is a treatment I highly encourage."
Olina didn't speak and returned to her mind to indigest all the knowledge he had explained. She knew well he was right with everything since she can't argue with a man who has been in medicine before she was born but some parts of it she couldn't comprehend for example how could we such valuable begins that like to destroy each other when greed, pettiness and power comes to play in your minds and that why innocent people must force themselves into military to unjustified life or death training that determined their compatibilities of survival after the war is over. She remembers people she knew had a father who was a well respected marines officer that the people looked to for leadership and guidance at her old neighbor in the colder regions of the nation that blizzards were your best friend all winter. Her brother out of all people admire the most compared to his son who disappointed him from lack of interest in joining the force so he turned to him for his recruitment even though he was a bit overweight. Ever since that his fondness for country defense grew as he went to the gym seven days of the week, morning to dusk for four months until he saw his belly slim down and he felt he was physically and mentally ready. She was happy he was getting healthier since he would be able to play more with her when she was younger but .. he left… without her even noticing that morning with a note saying that summarizes about him saving the world and making their family proud more of her, his little sister.
"Kid! are you okay?". He said, snapping his fingers in her face that broke her out her internal trace with clear liquid gushing from her eyes sockets.
"Uhm..am .. okay."
"You sure? Your eyes are leaking fluid of some sorts."
She looked at him confused before moving her fingers to her moist cheek before realizing what he meant and shifted her jacket sleeves to wipe her face.
"Am fine..I jut--
OHH MY HEAD!! Olina and the nurse turned their heads when the tiger boy returned from his everlasting coma with a sense of confusion about his new location.
Well look who decided to wake up from his little head trauma. He said, pulling these curtains to the side while Tj moved his feet to the side of the bed.
How do you feel my dude?
Ĺet see my head hurts and my left side hurts more then my mom chewing me out and that pretty much I have for now thanks for asking dog.Tj explained, grabbing his shoulder to rotate his arm and releasing a groan when he felt a sharp pain in shoulder blade.
Ok,for a dude who got through a window seal, you've very optimistic.
I was beginning sarcasm. Tj said as the snow monkey wrapped white bandage around the area he felt pain then around his head.
You mean sarcastic Tj.
No sac-cas-im sarcasm! Nurse Hiro. Tj stupidly corrected him which shocked his head in digress and finished bandaging him before hovering a penlight over his eyes. He hummed in relief when his pupils dilated as it showed when dim light shone on them.
Ok no abnormal activity in your ocular cavity which is good, but I need to palate your head for a second if you don't mind? he said, grabbing blue rubber gloves from the wall and put them on his hands that made a slapping sound as he put them on.
Tj shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes as Hiro began to gently tapped his head in a circular motion. Tj thought of it as a high tension massage the one his mother would give her clients in her massage parlor at south point park. The message became unpleasant when the nurse fixated his hands on a micro bump on the apex of his head where his ears are with little swelling around the surrounding tissue.
Owch! Can you touch it a little more softer?
Am sorry Tj but you have a bit of excessive swelling on your apex that I need to further examine just give me a second okay?
Hiro apologized, while more gently continued his explanation while Tj stayed still which was hell to him. He remembers beginning out of it for a really long time but when he meant a really really long time it felt like he was at death's doorstep. He didn't know pandas could act that violently towards him especially during their second round where he was formally victorious for a few minutes until his gang ambushed him all at once and beat the living hell out of him as he fell on the ground in the fetal position.
But he didn't give up. He waited until they backed off and Rusty stupid face looked at him with pure glee until Tj tried to headbutted him but instead his lips touched his very soft lips and kissed. It was that very moment Tj wanted to die as he lost his kissing virginity to a freaking a guy who was abusing him oh sweet rainbow Jesus he wished suicide was legal in his state. Rusty felt the same pain and rushed over to a student desk that wasn't knocked over and grabbed her water bottle to rinse his mouth out as his brother,gang and class mocked which pissed him even more as Tj saw and ramped him. He black out once he hit the floor.
Okay I can feel no further damage toward the bump,but for now put some ice on it To ease the swelling .. Olina! could you get an ice pack from the fridge and paper towel please. Nurse Hiro asked, she was already on it by grabbing one of the few ice packs on the fridge door before ripping a piece of paper towel and bringing it to him.
Is this the right ice pack you were asking for?
Ÿeah that the one thanks.Hiro thanked as Olina bowed her head then turned it toward the tiger and blushed a little when he tried to flex his less developed muscles which failed as it started aching. She was glad that the brave idiot didn't suffer too badly.
So, you did mean tigers are very tough.. physically;mentally and etc.
You mean were badass! like my dad told me about our dead folks who were top hit warriors that defended many baddies over a century ago, and I showed them Tj butt kicking punk slayer will not rest until he has taught assholes to be ..uhhh what that word that nerdy pig used,?
Tj said,scratching his head in thought.
Negotiable.
Ÿeah yeah that nerdy word so I could teach to be more negotiable and keep the peace for everyone what you think?
Well it needs work but I think you can get right with you monologuing to yourself then yeah. She said as Tj grinned wickedly.
Wise words from a cute emo my dad would be proud and so are you still coming with me to lunch with my gang?
Uhh..I don't know I rarely eat with people and--Her sentence was short when the bell rang as the clock struck twelve thirty which is when their grades came down to enjoy lunch.
Ẅell we may be your type of people come on!Tj grabbed her hand with his the hand that not pressing the ice pack on his head and led her to the door a little too aggressively but uninternally as Olina thought but she did manage to grabbed her and Tj's backpack but she couldnt stop blushing from their hands are bound to other with complete harmony.
Kids these days become adults way to quickly. Hiro said to himself while shaking his head to his office.
Meanwhile a hallway awaited her destination from an exhausting date with gym as sweat came down her head with no rest. Peggy was thankful she had eaten that hemogram bar that gave her the energy to complete the cardio portion of her grade by jogging around the school mile run track in under six minutes and now she is starving. She made it to the cafeteria in less than a minute before anyone could, which was a normal day for her since she had multiple choices of seating.
She pondered placing her thumb and finger on her chin while scanning the large open area. She snapped her fingers once she spotted one near the trash cans and salad bar. She had to make her move since the wave of students was getting closer each second and could potentially take their sweet spot and quickly leaped her way there and tossed herself on the wooden seat as she came closer.
She sigh heavily as she could finally rest her feet and finished the rest of her tomato juice that Ace gave her, speaking of him she to need asked him for a recording of his heart rate to put on her phone tonight as she cant get her mind from remembering the very calming rhythm and wondering how could someone like him possessive that. She guessed it could be a genetic factor within some pooh bears as they are very peaceful and tranquil in nature like her friend. Her phone vibrated in her pocket which indicates someone is texting her and she grabbed it. She typed her password then opened her messages to a
Hey pumpkin! You want some pumpkin custard for dessert tonight? cause I will bring a big one, a huge bastard when yall get here.Her father wrote a selfie of him and the large fruit uploaded on her screen. Peggy hummed impressively and typed back to him to agree on his offering with a thumbs up emoji at the end of her sentence. He typed back to her a second later asking is she okay and how was her day at school going, she sighted thinking on whether or not to tell him about her mental breakdown with the drone even if she didn't tell him yet until she was finished but she also needed a new longer lasting battery cell which she unfortunately don't have in her tool set.
"Hmm should I ask him for one? I don't know he probably will get subscious on my odd request but I really need one for the PI457 since its format cell only lasts for fifty eight minutes and I personally like it to be longer for coding the computer software to its full potential." Peggy pondered before moving her thumbs to the keyboard and type that she is doing fine and about to have lunch with the boys if they hurry their butts up and then told him if he didn't mind and could bring her other box of his tomato juice from his farm if he can then pressed enter and a blue text appeared with her name at the bottom.
"Will do and uhh pumpkin I have a question which one of these drugs will help with Ms.Mimi condition? I will be at the pharmacy later this evening." He texted back with two images of different antibiotics pills jars for bacterial infections. Peggy facepalms herself lightly before typing the one with the pink bottle that is titled amoxicillin, a drug specifically for respiratory infections like pneumonia and Mimi's symptoms were similar to the infection when Peggy examined her especially during auscultation and resented back to him.
"Mhmm alright thank you Peggy, enjoy your lunch and see you at home love you
Pumpkin." Her father wrote with a blue heart and a farmer hat emoji at the end. Peggy smiled, repeating her father with saying "Love you too dad." before hearing a familiar voice from behind
"See Peggy is cool even when she is texting her beloved daddy!" Tj mock playfully as he sat across from Peggy with Olina still standing beside him twiddling her fingers.
"Oh you jerk like you don't call your mother mommy when she is making out with your dad and not giving you attention and WHAT IN THE WORlD HAPPEN TO YOU!!" She exclaimed when she averted her eyes toward him with a confused expression.
"Well uhhhh I will tell you later but for now this is Olina and she will be having lunch with me-- I mean us if you don't mind." He said as Olina nervously waved at Peggy who returned it.
"Oh hey Olina if that is what you like to be called and I am guessing you were guilt trip to eat lunch with him. Peggy remarked, as Olina giggled and sat down next to Tj.
"To be honest I really eat by myself with a book to read as I wait for the next period."
"Oh okay and how do you and Tj know each other and more importantly where is Ace? Peggy asked when they leaned down to their backpack for their own lunch bag.
"I don't know he is probably still in the bathroom washing his backpack during the fight with the dickhead panda brothers." Tj replied, munching onto his sandwich with pieces of meat falling out his mouth as he chewed,not realizing what he just said.
"Wait what fight and what do you mean Ace was washing his backpack?..wait you were the cause of it weren't you?" Peggy asked sternly, glaring at the tiger who seemed to be offended by her accusation.
"Ok first off the assholes deserved it for pouring soda on my buddy backpack, and two they ripped Olina drawings for her brother I have no relations too and ..,"
"So you decided to risk your life instead of telling the teacher our parents would say the same thing." Peggy added on as Olina tried to intervene in their conversion but kept blocking off each word she tried to express as it got more intense.
"Teachers don't do fuck about anything when it comes to us students having a friendly bawl that may cause us brain damage Peggy!"
"Ok but you still have not seen the bigger picture. I have told multiple times without my non dictatorial tone that if you like to criticize me that you will put yourself into a dangerous dilemma that we can't help you! Why can't you understand that?" She said again but was more sympathetic at the last bit of her sentence when he tried to drink his apple juice while his aching arms crossed, but Olina helped him by holding onto the box as he sipped. She sighed, taking a bite out of her carrots sticks then looked at him before swallowing.
"You know your brain can be incredibly impulsive and ignorant that can make someone pull their hair,"
"Ok Peggy I get it, I am retared to defend the only friend who like a brother to me no need to rubbed in my face." Tj said as she punched him into the shoulder.
"I was going to say but you have a good heart that cares about his friends and family and defends them when they need it, dumbass." She said as he grinned and scratched his head at her surprisingly nice comment.
"For a sassy and annoying woman like yourself, that was pretty nice of you to say nerdy pig."
"Don't push it tigger boy or I may take it back."She warned, penetrating her plastic straw through her bottle of liquid blueberry strawberry yogurt that was like a smoothie before looking at the clock which was only ten minutes left of lunch before throwing their trash in the cans and heading for their last class for today.
She was wondering if Ace will come to the cafeteria anything time now to have some lunch with them but he could be with his teacher who tutoring him and he was too focused to on his accuracy then fulling his poor stomach which she respect him for that even though she would like to chat since Tj and Olina talk constantly as the rest of the noisy people at this god forsaken school.