Gabe - Ten

Gabe

 

            I began to wonder if we had ever really gone to London. You wouldn’t have known it from watching us. No one talked about it. Not once.

            The whole night had been so unreal, like a really bizarre dream. I still didn’t know why I followed Erich, why he didn’t hit me or why he told me anything. Actually, based on how drunk and how disoriented he had been, I was surprised he remembered anything. But he definitely did, since he somehow, though none of us were actually talking, managed to act even more withdrawn than usual.

            Regardless, the hours after the raid were even blurrier. Erich and I walked in complete silence back to the bar, where we must have found Hersch and Jim. I just wanted to get back to school, so when the bus arrived it seemed like the greatest miracle God could have conjured up (which, in retrospect, it probably was). I remember checking that I still had my rosary before falling asleep.

            Erich must not have noticed that I fell asleep on his shoulder. Since being beaten to a pulp was not the way I wanted to die, you can be sure that I didn’t mean to ever touch him again. But he was sleeping when I woke up, so I had time to move as far away as possible before he caught on. He must not have known.

            By the time we got back to school, it was after nine. Going late to first period wasn’t an option, so we headed back to the dorm, which, for once, was the most welcoming sight in the world. Not surprisingly, we all fell asleep again.

            I woke up to the sound of Jim getting out of bed. It was clear he was not happy.

            “S**t, guys,” he grumbled angrily. “Let’s get out of here. It’s six thirty. I’m f*****g starving.”

            Normally, none of us would have listened to Jim. But it took about two seconds for the rest of us to realize we were about to die of starvation. So we crawled out of bed and trudged silently towards the dining hall

            The hall wasn’t exactly a sanctuary either. It was loud and crowded and not helpful to our jumpy nerves or hangovers, both of which were still lingering long after London. We inhaled our food and got out of there as fast as we could.

            Erich walked hunched over with his eyes squeezed shut and the bridge of his nose pinched between his fingers. Jim scowled at a group of younger boys as they went running past us. “For the love of God,” he grumbled. “Let’s go somewhere empty.”

            My mind went immediately to the music building. I had missed third period and my fingers were itching for my violin.

            Herch looked at him unsympathetically. “Calm down, Banhart,” he said, heading for the stairs. “Come on, it’s quiet in the library.”

            We got the library without incident and staked out a quiet, dark corner table. I chewed on a hangnail, Erich continued to try to pinch his headache away, Jim leaned back in his chair and put his feet up, and Hersch took out his weird book and started to write

Erich looked up after a minute and turned to Hersch with annoyance. “Why the hell do you have to take that damn thing everywhere? Huh?” It was the first words he had said in hours. “What the hell is it, anyway?”

Hersch shut the book, “Just a notebook.” He stared Erich down, daring him to challenge him.

            They glared at each other for another long minute. I wasn’t actually worried. Jim and I were too worn out to stop them, but they were too worn out to really do anything to each other. It was Erich who broke the stare first, surprisingly, and when the moment was finally over Hersch gave him a sneer and went back to writing.

            We sat there in silence that managed to be even quieter than before.  That is, until Hersch hissed: “Blood hell! Here comes Knight!” and Jim toppled backwards out of his chair.

            All four of us straightened up and kept our eyes down as Knight approached our table. “Good evening boys,” he greeted us coldly. Jim scrambled to his feet, but Knight took the empty chair before he could get there.

            “Good evening, professor Knight.” Jim scowled.

            “What can we do for you?”

Knight settled into his chair. “I understand the four of you were caught in the heat of things in London,” he said unsympathetically.

“Were we? We barely noticed!” Erich’s voice was dripping with sarcasm and I had to stifle a chuckle.

Knight gave him a sour look. “The papers are reporting the whole east side is blown to bits. You must have been on the west. Visiting family, I presume?

We shot looks of panic at each other across the table. The trip to London was supposedly a part of Family Visitation Day. But the old wanker must have known what we were really up to

“Yes, sir,” All four of us whipped around to stare at Hersch. “I took the boys there to meet my sister in the city. She didn’t have the means to make it here herself.”

None of us took our eyes off of Hersch, who had thought of that lie without blinking. It was completely irrational that all four of us would have gone to meet Hersch’s sister, and I didn’t expect Knight to buy it for a second. But Knight just stared at him for a second, then cleared his throat and said, “I see.”

There was another moment of silence. “Is there something that you wanted, Professor?” Erich asked, obviously agitated.

Knight shot a glare in his direction. “As a matter of fact, Mr. Amery, there is. It has come to my attention that the four of you have been falling behind in your schoolwork. Is it true that not one of you attended a single class today?”

“Well sir, you can hardly expect us to be mentally stable, after what we saw in London,” Jim said sarcastically.

“I thought,” Knight growled, “that you barely noticed.” Jim rolled his eyes and backed off. “In any case, your detention time must be served.”

“Detention!” Hersch cried. I could practically hear our spirits sinking to the floor.

            “Was I unclear, Mr. Abrahamson?” Knight’s tone was steely. “Now, due to the recent air raids this school is in need of Fire Wardens.” Jim began to dumbly raise his hand, as if to ask for permission to speak. “Fire Wardens, Mr. Banhart,” Knight cut him off, “must keep watch from the rooftop for any incendiary bombs that might fall and stifle any blaze they can.” He must have noticed the look of excitement on Jim’s face. “It is no enjoyable task, I’m afraid. Terribly boring a cold, actually. And to service the school you boys will be doing just that. Every Tuesday and Thursday for the remainder of the term.”

“But sir!” The thought of sitting up on the roof all night made me want to die.

“And it is not negotiable, Mr. Moretti,” Knight said coldly. “Report to the commons tomorrow, nine o’ clock.” He was up and a good two paces away before any of us could protest.

“Oh,” he said, turning, “by the way, the need is limited. Only two of you get the job.” He smiled as he walked away.

The four of us just looked at each other for a second. We all knew what he meant: only two of us would have to endure detention.

“Well,” I mumbled, “what do we do now?”

There was a moment of silence. “Well…” said Jim. He scanned the table one more time, then he was up and running out of the library.

It took the rest of us a second to realize what he was doing. Then Hersch dashed after him, and I understood. It was a race now. The Wardens would be whoever didn’t make it to the dorm. Erich and I looked at each other confusedly for a second, then we followed.

We caught up with them on the first flight of stairs. I was the fastest, but Jim had a head start, Erich was throwing elbows, and Hersch had the inside track. It was dead even.

Still, I would have won. We skidded around the corner, swearing and pushing each other, and I pulled out in front.

But Erich was the slowest, by far. It was obvious he would lose, and he wasn’t going down alone. I don’t know exactly why he did it. Maybe he didn’t want to take last place. Maybe his anger with me from the night before boiled over. Maybe he didn’t mean to. But just as I stole the lead from Jim, Erich’s foot crossed mine. I stumbled, falling back in next to him. Then he drove his elbow into my ribs and shoved me into the wall. I fell like the pathetic ragdoll I was, grabbing at his ankles as I went down. I hit the concrete floor with a thud and any breath I had left was forced from my lungs.

As I gasped for air on the ground I saw Hersch and Jim rush into the dorm, while Erich overshot and skidded past the door as it slammed shut behind him. I rolled onto my back and clutched my stomach, listening as Erich pounded on the door.

“Open up, arschlochs! We’re not doing it this way!”

“Oh, I think we are!” Jim’s muffled voice sounded smug, obviously unafraid by Erich when an impassable door stood between them. I half-crawled over to him, landing on my knees next to the door. I felt my head start to throb at the temple and realized I had hit my head on the brick wall when I fell. There was a bleeding cut at my hairline.

“You lost fair and square, Amery. Now say you’ll take the detention or you’ll be sleeping on the lawn!”

“Piss off!”

“Say it!”

He looked down at me. I couldn’t breathe well enough to speak, but I hoped my eyes said: ‘Do whatever the hell you want, a*****e. Just don’t throw me off the roof.’

Erich gave an exasperated growl and looked back at the door. “Fine, we’ll be the Fire Wardens.”

There was a pause, then Jim opened the door. “Good answer,” he said, laughing as he flopped down on his bed.

            I kneeled there for a minute with my forehead against the wall, breathing heavily and hugging my chest. I should have won that race. At that moment, I had never been angrier at Erich.

            I looked up at him, ready to tell him what a cheating s**t he was. But he was looking down on me with disgust. His icy blue eyes made me feel like an insect he was ready to squash. His voice was cold and utterly unconcerned.

            “Don’t be a fairy.”

            He stalked into the room, and I followed behind him with sealed lips and a knot in my stomach.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I like the Professor. He was direct and got the attention of the boys. I like the position of fire marshal. The boys need some detention. Thank you for the excellent chapter.
Coyote