Chapter 1: The Opening Pages

      

      "Briiiiiiiiiiiiiing!"  An alarm going off just next to his bed. 

        "Robert wake up! It's time to get up! You are going to be late for school if you don’t hurry!" 

     "Ok, ok! I'm up! I'm up!" Robert groans as he slides out from under his sheets. Falling to the floor he reaches for a pair of pants wedged under his bed to the edge.

     "Robert move your a*s! Breakfast is ready!" shouts his step mom, Jullie.     "And I am NOT taking you to school if you miss your bus!"

     "Alright already! Give me a break Jullie! I'm up! Sheesh....." Scrounging around for his backpack and shoes, already half dressed and barley awake. "Just gonna be a s****y day anyway. I've got no friends, and no one likes me. So why do I care?" Robert says as he comes down the stairs saying to his step mom.

     "Because if you miss school then I get to put you to work, and believe me, I have lots to do around here."

     "I'll pass, thanks."

     "Suite yourself Robert."

     Monday morning and waiting at his stop for the bus to Excalibur Middle School. Three other kids had that same stop, but instead of talking to the other kids and messing around he was off on his own reading his current favorite book, Legends Of The D-Zone. See little Robert Huberson was an outcast to even the lowest outcasts. No one liked him because of the fact that he wasn't like everyone else. He intended to make the point that he will not follow any other normal vision of self other then his own. So for this exact reason no one dares go near him. At 5' 7", 119 pounds, white and red hair, he wasn't the most outgoing of people or the most expected to follow others either. He would usually start speaking in other tongues that no one would understand (unless of course that was a language they did know) and people would think he was casting spells.  Other times he would sit there in deep meditation and people would call him freak, nerd, dork, dumbass and other various names.

      The bus ride to school was no better. He could sit anywhere he wanted because everyone would get up and move away out of fear and disgust. So everyday he would mix it up and sit in a random place everyday. Todays choice was row 4 left side. Of course everyone got up and moved to a different seat. He just sat there reading a book with a straight black cover with no markings. Only he knew that  it was not a spell book. But a simple story book meant for teens of dark sense. School was even worse. He was the center target for bullies and preppy humiliation. But this was nothing new to him. It was all expected. What was coming up next was something he did not see coming. In fact this will be a whole new journey in the life for young Robert,

     On his way into his third period english class, he went to his secluded seat in the back right corner of the room. Slumping down expecting two wrinkled, old, baggy eyes glaring down at him. Instead, when he looked up he saw a cherry smile looking over the entire class. Instead of the dinosaur aged Mrs. Blussomberry, there was a substitute teacher. On the board behind her the name  "Allison" was written in big pretty colorful letters. Right beneath the name was a picture of two old aged eyes. Maybe someone in first or second period drew it as a gag.

    "Hello class! I'm Allison!" Stated the sub clearly.

    "Ms. Or Mrs. Allison?" asked a student in the front row.

    "No, just Allison. I don't believe in formalities. They make me feel ancient."  said the old lady up front. "Now class, I would like to assume you are all here but it is required to call roll. So let's start, shall we? Lisa Bonita?"

    "Here."

    "Ronald Gomez?"
    "Wassup!?"

    "Enthusiastic! Great! Umm now.... Robert Huberson?" Everyone turned and stared at the little boy in the back.

    "You assumed right dear teacher. Everyone is here. Even I."

    "Are you a writer young Robert?" asked Allison with a curious smile.

    "You can say that." he said with the grim crooked smile everyone hated to see.

    "Well then I guess I can stop with the calling of roll," said the timid substitute.

    "I guess so," replied Robert. With that Class went on as usual. Kids getting referrals here and there, spit wads flying across the room, and a constant lecture on how important education is to the future.

    "And remember students, education is important to the future of your past!" Allison says with a cherry smile.

    "What do you mean by that?" comes a voice from the back row.  Everyone turns back to see who said that. No one would of thought that little Robert Huberson would have shown any interest in what anyone said, especially a sub like Allison. "I mean...... Oh s**t........ Ummmm what do you mean by that line? "Education is important to the future of our past""

    "What I mean Robert is that without an education and knowledge of your history, you have no future to live for." said the wise old bird.

    The bell rings and all the students hastily scurry out of the classroom. Except for Robert, like always he isn't in much of a hurry to get to his math class. Today they were doing long division and algebraic expressions.

    "Allison, if I may so ask, how did you come to something like that?" asked Robert timidly as he packed his things all into his backpack.

    "Easy, self improvement."

     Baffled, he slowly approaches the desk that normally belongs to Mrs. Blussomberry. 

    "What do you mean by that Allison?"

    "What I mean is exactly what I say. 'Self Improvement'."

    Confused like never before, Robert slumps back into a nearby seat. She chuckels a tad bit and stands up with what seems like a notebook of some sort.  Plopping the notebook in front of him he comes to back to the reality he knows.

    "What's this?" he asks.

    "A new life." she replies.

    "What is it for?"

    "To improve one self."

    Slowly he takes the notebook in his palms and grasps it tightly like he never knew such a force.  Holding it close to his heart like he was just given his first puppie, always to cherish it even after it is long gone.

    The tardy bell rings and he remembers that he is supposed to be in class now. without saying thank you or goodbye he runs out of the classroom and down the hall to his next class, leaving Allison in the  classroom behind him.

 

Reviews

[allison]

I am confused...who is Wilma? A student or the teacher that the sub is filling in for?????