Fragmented Dreams

Chapter 14: Zach Attack

(Warning: This Chapter includes scenes of bullying and sexual harassment.)

After a fun and busy weekend at the farmer's market going back to school felt like a drag. Classes seemed to creep along at a snail's pace and it didn't help that my insomnia had been even worse this week, making me feel like a zombie during the day. The only thing I was looking forward to was the art show during the open house this Friday.

The open house was a big event for our school as it was both a chance for the school to invite future students to see the campus, and an opportunity for the parents of our current students to see what their children were learning. The administration was very passionate about putting on a good show for all the prospective parents and children wanting to attend our prestigious private academy. Students were getting in trouble all week for uniform infractions, not cleaning up behind themselves, and for any sort of behavior, the school deemed unacceptable. At least we had only a half-day of classes to look forward to on Friday. Although most of us were using the extra time to prepare for the event. A lot of people were just running back to the dorms to change into nicer clothes before returning to the open house. A few select elite students would get to wear their uniforms to show off in front of the adults, handing out flyers and answering questions. I knew nobody in my class wanted to be picked for that job.

We were sitting in English class, pretending to have a group discussion about our reading assignments but were goofing off instead. Mr. Burke seemed distracted as he worked at his desk, grading papers while muttering to himself. Since Sunita, Zola, Casimir, and I all sat near each other, we were in the same group.

"Can you believe Mrs. Tanner actually got the ruler out and measured a girl's skirt in the hall?" Zola said, leaning lazily on Casimir's side of the desk.

"I believe it," I scoffed, pretending to write. Mr. Burke kept looking over at us like he knew we weren't working but had yet to get up and check-in.

"I got in trouble for my hair earlier in the week," Casimir added, pulling at the bleached part of his bangs. "My first infraction."

"You gonna give into the man and change it?" Zola asked, smirking.

"I'd rather not," he replied honestly.

"Damn the man," I joked.

Sunita sat there silently, her face looking ill. She was worried about her parents, who were coming to see her perform a piano piece for the open house. She tended to get nervous around her father and all week she had been practicing her in the hopes of impressing him. Although I knew if she could calm her nerves enough she would do great, as I had heard her play it perfectly several months beforehand. She looked up at me and I smiled asking how she was doing.

"Good," Sunita replied. Her emotions betrayed the fake cheeriness in her answer, I could tell she was a swirl of anxiety and fear.

"You finish your paintings, Diana?" Zola asked, eyeing the canvas I had propped up against the legs of the desk.

I nodded vigorously. "Oh yeah, this one has been done for months, I just had to bring it from home."

The piece was entitled 'Oak Tree' and it depicted a large and ancient oak tree, its branches so big and heavy that they dragged onto the ground. It was an older piece but I was proud of the details I had put into the shading of the leaves. The oak tree was yet another piece of my cryptic dreams, although a less recurring one. I yawned loudly and resisted the urge to put my head down on the desk and nap.

Zola watched me yawn, an amused expression on her face. "Hey there sleeping beauty, you gonna make it to lunch?"

I was leaning my head into my hands, both elbows on my desk as I rubbed my eyes to wake myself up. I gave her a thumbs-up in response and she laughed. I felt a strong chill go through me as a wave of anger ran across my body. Our laughing seemed to have irritated Mr. Burke, whose emotions I could feel clearly, even across the classroom. When I glanced over at him I could indeed see him glaring in our direction. I quickly returned to my work, trying to look a little busy at least, so as not to get in trouble.