Sometimes all you need is a three day weekend to completely recharge. I very much needed this weekend. I hope you enjoyed the weekend you had as well. But even a day late, the week must start. And so timers at the ready and off we go…
I suspect the few days before winter break aren’t going to be as easy to get through. i also need to decide if this is a tale with magic in it or not before going further.
Tuesday, September 5th: I’m asking you.
“I’m asking you,” Steve Henderson said. He stood there as though he had all of the time in the world, and perhaps he did. I was not so lucky. I knew what happened. I also knew what would happen if I told the headmaster what happened. I thought fast and hoped my story sounded plausible.
“Well, you see Sir,” I began. “I slipped on the pathway. There was a little bit of ice,” I turned gesturing towards the pathway turning and trying to give myself a moment more to figure out a decent explanation. The pathway was covered in green sludge. Some of it froze in clumps in the frigid air and other parts dried to a thin crackly sheet. I thought there was the possibility that ice could be hidden underneath.
I turned back to Mr. Henderson. “And well it just sort of spiraled from there. I slid into the others and we all sort of…went down.”
“I see,” he said. He looked past me to the others. “Is that what happened? Some sort of accident?”
There was a chorus of “Yes, Sirs” murmured behind me.
“Very well then,” he said. He frowned and doubted very much that he believed me. “Perhaps you had best get back to class then.” He looked back to the others. “You lot might want to clean up first.”
I nodded, feeling my cheek throb in time with my heartbeat. It was numb and I was certain it would bruise but I was hoping the bruise wouldn’t appear until after school let out. If I could make it home before the bruise arose then the story might hold and I could get some sort of makeup to cover it before anyone noticed.
The group dispersed and one of the groundskeepers arrived with a shovel. He scooped up the green goop and placed it in a bin. Not for the first time I wondered what it was. I managed to avoid getting any on me despite being Its intended target. The goop was hurled in my direction at more or less the same time as the wind picked up. As a result most of it was flung back on my attackers rather than landing on me. The parts that still fell in my direction I was able to avoid.
It was the punch from Sissy Grant I was unable to avoid. She didn’t take kindly to being covered in green goop, even if she was the one who threw the stuff in the first place. I knew this wasn’t the last of it. Something else would be planned in retribution for my escape. ‘But at least they won’t punish me for snitching,’ I said.
I heard them muttering to themselves as they went to the bathroom and I went to class. I was late but as half of the class watched the drama from the windows everyone knew where I had been. I slipped into my seat and consoled myself with the fact that there were only a few days left before winter break. If I could make it to Friday, I would be home free.
Ten til Midnight 