F
U T U R E B A R R I E R
( The
3rd Novel )
Secret Technology,
Unrequited Love, Absolute Vengeance
© August 2018 Written by David Wicker
Please do
not reprint without permission
 CHAPTER 65 -
"Scant Steps Down"
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DIFFERENT
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* * *
This chapter is Rated: TEEN
Back at school, Tyr dashed back into the girls' restroom near my locker and I could hear all kinds of whispered gossip coming from within, but nothing distinct.
As I put away my stuff, I heard familiar footsteps down the hall. Scant and his gang were approaching. I sighed to turn and meet them.
But something was wrong. "Chowderhead" as he called him seemed to be in the lead this time, and Scant was nowhere in sight.
The first question burned in my brain. "Where's Scant ?" I asked.
Chowderhead answered, "He's not here anymore. He's going to a different school. You made some real waves apparently - with the police. And hey, I'd like to thank you and all that s**t - "
The others laughed at the word. I rolled my eyes. He continued, "Yeh, I'd like to thank yous and all that s**t for my promotion in our esteemed group, but business is business. Nothing personal." With that he sucker-punched me directly in the stomach causing me to fall over in pain.
He leaned over to my height, nearly parallel with the floor to whisper in my ear, "We ain't done with yeh yet, Poindexter. My name is Ace, by the way. You remember that real good now cause we're gonna meet again real soon. Let's blow."
He looked at his crew, three other overgrown adolescent teenagers who milled around, unsure of what to do. Ace raised his voice, "Awright, you heard me, amscray you corkheads !"
With that they all walked away. Tyr was out after hearing something in the hall and saw me clutching my belly.
"Bad breakfast ?" she asked, coming to my side.
"Chowderhead." I said.
"What ?" she asked, not understanding.
I coughed to get my breath, "Scant - he - he no longer goes to this school." I fought to say more but my chest still hurt so I remained doubled over breathing hard.
"Well that's great." Tyr began. "So no more bullies then ?"
I shook my head, "No, Chowderhead, Ace, one of his goons. He and his gang came by to warn me. He punched me and walked on. Said we're going to meet again real soon."
With that Tyr noisily dropped her schoolbooks and reached out to give me a big hug, "Oh, picklepie, I am so sorry !" Then she looked to the side and gritted her teeth. "If those stupid bullies want more, they can have it. Me ! I'll fix them so good they'll only be identified by their dentures !"
I nodded, then shook my head, then sighed. "I don't know if that's such a good idea. The science teacher - "
But she interrupted me. "Oh don't worry, Dev. I don't need any 'juice' to knock a few heads together. Now if you want to help, great, but if not, I'll still protect ya !" and she gave me another big warming hug with an unexpected cherry-flavored lipgloss kiss right on my lips.
I fought for air as Tyr started to suck the breath out of me as she usually did when we locked lips like this.
Just then one of the teachers walked by seeing us kissing. "Disgraceful !" she said turning her nose up. "You two had better not be late for class."
"No ma'am." Tyr said and pulled away. She picked up her books and dashed away. "No worries, Dev !" she cried back.
I stood up to reach for my own books, my locker still open, and winced in pain from the earlier punch. And there was one thing I understood. Scant never really hurt me physically, not really.
Oh sure he would grab me, drag me into the boys room and into the bathroom stall and swirl and flush my head in the school toilet because he thought it was great fun - but he never really punched or kicked me. Not really ... And yet, I never really gave him a reason to.
I bit my lip in concern. This looks like it could change. I sensed Ace was holding back his punch and likely wanted to get a few more solid hits on me before the day was done.
Just then the school bell went off. Fighting the pain I grabbed my books, closed and locked my locker, and dashed off to home room, the first class of the day.
Tyr was already there, sitting behind me. Boring announcements chirped through the tinny speaker that was set in every classroom. And there was something about a fire drill later that day.
My first class was Science. If Mr. Gershwyn, my teacher had anything to say to me, it sure didn't look like it. We experimented burning a few solid elements to get different colored fires burning out of test tubes getting an oohs and ahhs out of those who decided to stay awake in the class.
A few more classes, and then lunchtime and recess.
Mom had already made me a bag lunch. I was just getting ready to leave out the door where recess was when I ran into "Chowderhead" or Ace, as he called himself. And he was with his accomplices.
"Well looky what we got here ! Here I was getting all hungry-like and good old Dev here done already donated his lunch to me. Mighty considerate thinking of yeh !"
"What ?" I asked not understanding.
"I'll take - that !" he said and lifted the lunchbag right out of my grip.
"Hey, I need that." I said. "I'll go hungry !"
Ace deftly tucked his arm around my head causing me to collapse to my knees. "The way I sees it Poindexter, you either gives me your lunch now or I gives you a good beating. Now which is its gonna be ?"
"Enjoy your lunch." I said, struggling to get free of his muscular grip but could not.
He released me, "Thattaboy. Hey, and tomorrows you has your old lady brings me a peanut-butter and banana sandwich, okay ? You do that and you mights not get punched again, savvy ?"
"Savvy." I said carefully.
With that they went to go stand in the lunch line. Apparently my sack lunch was not going to be enough to satisfy all of them.
I struggled to stand, still hurting from the earlier punch. I wondered if I could be bleeding internally and not know it.
Nonetheless, I rose up and went to the tree that Tyr always met me for lunch. She was already there waiting for me.
* * *
She immediately noticed my lunch bag was not with me, especially since she had always appropriated my dessert, the desired Suzy-Q chocolate treat.
"Where's your lunch ?" she asked.
"Ace has it." I said miserably.
"Ace ? Who's Ace ?"
"That new bully. Chowderhead. He took it from me."
"Can you point him out ?"
I sighed in frustration, "Tyr, please. Can't we just not have a scene today ?"
I sat to lean up against the tree and she leaned down to put both of her hands on my shoulders. "Iffen you don't take care of this now, it's gonna be a biggo problem later, Devvy."
I shook my head. Once Tyr had an idea in her head, it often was hard to get it out of her.
"Alright, I'll show you, but don't make a scene during lunch. Maybe - well, we're supposed to have a fire drill later today. If you want to do something, do it then."
She smiled wickedly, "Oh yeah."
Then she leaned down to grab my hand. She gripped tightly and the curious loop of light appeared again between our grips. "I AM going to get some juice for this one."
It was a funny feeling. Sort of like when you are donating blood at a center, a kind of soft ebbing feeling deep inside, but it wasn't bad, and I knew I could create more later.
She hung on to my wrist squeezing it tightly for a full minute. When she pulled away there was a bright and visible loop that snapped free from both of our hands.
She then clasped both of her hands to evenly transfer the juice between both grips. "That should be enough." she told me.
Then she sat next to me by the tree. "Well, you are lucky. My dear sweet Momma made me two sandwiches today. She said I was looking all skinny and stuff and needed to eat more. So down the hatch, boy !"
I took the sandwich she offered and without even looking at the contents greedily took a bite. But ... something in it tasted really bad. I felt like my throat was trying to pinch up on me. I clutched my chest and gagged.
Tyr laughed, "Aww, c'mon, it's my favorite ! Peanut butter and pickled herring ! It's the best !"
I breathed raggedly but managed to finish the offered sandwich anyways. In comparison, it certainly was better than Stefani's awful "natural made" pudding. I choked a little deeper thinking about it and then cleared my mind.
We sat quietly. I started to say something interesting about the science class I went to earlier when the bell rang.
I stood up in curiosity. That was too soon ! Recess had only just began. A few other students in the distance at the recess grounds also turned to look back at the entrance to the cafeteria.
Then the bell stopped and rang again. Two bells ! I had no idea what that meant. Was there a bomb involved ? Everyone at recess now stopped to look.
The bell stopped a second time and rang again. Okay, three times. That must be time for the fire drill.
"Come on, Tyr ! You said you wanted a piece of Ace. I'll show you the gang and you can - well - fight him then."
She grinned, "It ain't gone to be fight, I'm gonna murdelize him !"
I groaned at the terrible made-up word she used.
We ran back in to the cafeteria. A whole line of teachers had their arms out and were pointing where we needed to go. There was an excess of kids trying to go through the entrance. It was then I saw Ace and his gang.
I spoke quietly, "There. See that guy with that funny red hat on ? That's Ace. Those other guys with him wearing the black shirts, that's his gang. Remember, Scant is no longer here."
She whispered equally quiet. "I'll wait till we get outside and I'm gonna turn him into mashed potatoes."
Suddenly she raised her voice, "Wait just a minute ! That's mine !" and pointed.
Many of the kids turned to look at the outcry but had no idea what she was talking about.
I looked too and saw that Ace had my dessert, still in its wrapper in his grip. Likely he was going to munch that while we were all out front of the school during Fire Drill.
A few teachers arrived to help the bulk of students pass the entrance. I quickly followed and Tyr did likewise.
We all barreled out the entrance of the school and were directed to sit on the grass and wait for further instructions. Ahead of us to the right, a single fireman wearing the familiar helmet was talking with a teacher. Apparently we were going to get a lecture or something.
Tyr was occupied, however. She watched with a gimlet eye to see where Ace and his gang were. And then they started to leave !
Tyr stood up and started to walk over to where they were. I followed discreetly behind. Ace and his gang were approaching the school parking lot and looked like they were going to bail class in a vehicle but she stopped them before they could get further.
"Gimme my dessert you bully !" she spoke out and pointed to the Suzy-Q Ace still had in his grip.
He grinned sideways, "YOUR dessert ?" He shoved it in his back pocket. "And just what makes you think you have any part of this, Barbie ?"
"That's Dev's !" she said, raising her voice. "And anything of Dev's is mine !"
Ace stepped forward threateningly. "I know you. You're that evil girlfriend of his, you're always being mean to and abusing him. Humiliating him. Making him cry."
He then surprisingly put his hand out in friendship, "Hey, from one veteran to another. I admire the way you handle him. You go, girl !"
"Wha - what !?" she quavered in confusion.
The other cronies nodded too. One spoke, "The way you sat on his face while you ate his dessert a few weeks ago by that tree in the back. Priceless !" and he laughed cruelly.
Tyr was now flustered, "You SAW that !? Hey I was just teaching him a lesson. That is - "
Ace interrupted, "No need to explain, dollface. Anyone that can do to that nerd what you've done to him all through the school year is alright with us. C'mon, let's go for a ride. We'll have a good time !"
Tyr twirled her toe in the ground, all shy like. "I don't know ... Don't we have ... that is ..."
Ace rolled his eyes but smiled wide a moment later, "We'll go for ice cream, my treat."
She agreed to that, "Well, okay. But I still get that dessert on top of everything else !"
Ace narrowed his eyes on hers. "Oh, you'll gets your dessert alright, dollface ! Don't you worry about that !"
She held her hand out to his, "I'm Tyr, by the way. Just as it sounds."
He nodded, "Well, Tyr, I'm Ace." Then he dipped his head up, "C'mon you guys, let's ditch this paint-peeling party !"
I darted forward to the 4-door open convertible. At first I thought I could climb in the car with them but I knew I would be seen.
I tried the trunk in the back and curiously found it unlocked. I carefully climbed in while everyone got settled in the car and closed it back gently, but not enough to lock. And now I could hear every word spoken from where I was ...
END OF
CHAPTER 65
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