Blue Sky

A Story by Zugzwang

Deep Blue Sky

The summer sun shimmered in the cornflower blue sky like a demented eye, prompting Tom to squint and search for a seat in the shade. Aluminium benches ran the entire length of the school building, cool metal against the warm brown brick. It was recess, and the familiar sounds of the schoolyard wrapped around him like a blanket. Earlier that morning it had rained, and the scent of wet asphalt, faintly acrid, hung in the humid air. Tom kept an eye on the other kids, grouped in their respective tribes, wary of trouble. He was smaller than the other boys and often a target. He spotted Elia walking toward him across the playground and smiled. Elia sat next to him on the cool bench. Wordlessly, they opened their lunchboxes and began to eat.

The two boys shared an easy and carefree friendship. There was something about their respective natures that drew them to one another. Something gentle, something shy. A kind of peace lay between them like still water. They found solace in one another, speaking quietly of this and that. Elia wore glasses and wanted to be an optometrist when he grew up. Tom liked suits and wanted to be a businessman.

They were both outsiders at school. Tom, because he was a shy, withdrawn and bookish child, and Elia, because he was overweight, wore glasses and the child of Greek migrants. Neither of them felt included in the boisterous cut-and-thrust of schoolyard play, so they often kept to themselves, chatting quietly or going off on animated flights of fancy. Today the talk was of cartoons. They debated soberly and eventually agreed that Voltron, defender of the universe, was the best.

Tom cast his eye across the playground. He could see a group of older girls skipping on the far side of the courtyard and some younger girls playing hopscotch nearby. The older boys were playing cricket on the grass oval and in the middle of the courtyard, some smaller boys had begun a game of handball. Tom stood and walked over to take a look. An area was divided into chalk squares and each boy allotted a square. Winners went up a square, losers went to the bottom. Tom was a timid child and not good at sports, but he could play handball and he liked to win. He stood in the last square and joined in. He won a few games and graduated to the middle of the pack but soon lost and found himself at the back.

Losing interest, he surveyed the schoolyard and noticed that a group had formed around Elia. Tom trotted over to get a closer look. The children were teasing his friend. “Hey, fattie!” shouted one with savage glee. The kids laughed uproariously and jogged one another’s elbows. Elia, red-faced, visibly cringed with each insult.

“Hey, four-eyes, didya mum choose yer glasses for ya?” jeered a freckle-faced assailant. Turning to Tom, he continued: “Is this ya bum chum? Are you his bum chum?”

“No, I’m not” said Tom, ears burning with indignation.

“Come on, then,” freckle-face countered, “What are ya?”

Tom sensed the challenge: he was in or he was out. He joined in, repeating some of the others’ jibes. Before long, he had a taste for it, making catcalls and jeering enthusiastically. It felt good to be part of the crowd. The children vied with one another to hurl the most hurtful insult. Tom felt a jubilant sense of power. Usually he was on the receiving end of this kind of treatment, but not today. Today, he was a winner, today he tasted victory.

Elia stood and took the punishment. To run or cry would be a sign of weakness. So he remained rooted to the spot, red faced, eyes brimming with tears of indignation that he brushed angrily aside.

Soon enough the game lost its savour and with cheerful cries of “Ciao, losers!” the kids drifted off in groups of two and three, leaving only Tom and Elia. Tom fidgeted, not knowing what to do. “Sorry,” he said awkwardly “I didn’t mean it.”

“You teased me!” Elia said bitterly, angry tears streaking his flushed face. He didn’t say anything else. He didn’t need to. Elia turned and shuffled away, his hunched shoulders gradually receding into the distance.

Tom watched him from where he stood. He had experienced a kind of victory today, but now there was nobody to share it with. Nobody at all. He stood alone by the empty benches as the sun blazed blindly in the hollow blue sky.

© 2016 Zugzwang

My Review

Would you like to review this Story?
Login | Register

Featured Review

Stan Lee

Typical schoolyard scene I have to admit. I remember these exact instances from when I was in primary school. This was well told (great moral too) and had good descriptions. You might want to work on the fourth sentence though? Thanks for sharing. :)