A Happier Place

Chapter 5: A Fight

TW/CW: Aggression, violence, hatred on things that you can't control, blood, threats....

_____________

The boys had been going to school for a few weeks now, but it seems that they were less enthusiastic and excited to go as each day passed by. At some point they even acted sick to get out of going, and when that fell through, they begged Tommy not to go.

Tommy was worried, but he didn't know what could be happening. He had asked the boys why they were so adamant about not going, but Michael had just mumbled a nothing and Shroud wouldn't even meet his eyes.

Tommy had gone over to Ebony's shop and used their phone to call Mrs. Baskett, asking what was going on and why his boys were desperate to stay home from school. Mrs. Baskett had explained that there had been a little teasing from kids and some staff members, but everything was being handled. Three students had been sent home and not allowed to return until they shaped up, which pissed off their parents. All three families were upset with their child for acting up, but then when they found out who they were teasing and why, two of the families just completely moved schools. The third family didn't care who the child was and what their background was, they still scolded their child for making fun of and bullying someone. Two staff members had been fired and one had been suspended from work for a while. One quit....

Mrs. Baskett said she had it under control though, and Ms. Dravis was helping her. The teacher had taken on a first-grade class since the first-grade teacher had been the one to quit and Mrs. Baskett needed to find a replacement to hire.

Either way, Tommy had allowed them to stay home on Thursday, but now they had gone to school for Friday and Tommy was on his way to pick them up. He couldn't wait to get them home and help them relax for the weekend before it all started again on Monday.

He pulled Clementine up to the doors of the school and tied her reigns to a tree branch before heading inside. He passed the office doors and reached the little yellow door of butterflies and flowers. Before he even opened the door, he could hear Ms. Dravis giving facts about a certain hybrid.

Opening the door, he could see Ms. Dravis at the front of the class, who had gotten much larger with the class addition. Shroud was nestled comfortably in her arms as she pointed out cool and specific features that was exclusive to a spider and what a spider shared in common with other creatures.

Michael's turn had been last Friday, and it had seemed to help his excitement of going to school for Monday as he had come home to tell Tommy all about it.

Now, Shroud sat happily in Ms. Dravis's arms, helpfully suppling the limbs or body parts that Ms. Dravis was pointing out.

"Spiders are arachnids, not insects and or 'bugs.' They have eight legs and an abdomen, this large area back here as you can see. Thank you darling," she praised as Shroud wiggled around to show off his abdomen.

"Some spiders spin silken webs, but some don't."

Shroud then helpfully created some silk to show the class.

"Hunting spiders tend to have good eyesight while web spiders tend to-" Ms. Dravis continued until one of the students interrupted her. It was an anteater hybrid, and he was one of the first graders.

"Why are we even learning about this? Who wants to learn about a stupid spider? I could literally squash the twerp under my foot," the boy said.

With those words, Shroud shrunk in on himself further into his teacher's arms.

"Now Dustin, that wasn't very nice. I'm sure the rest of the class is interested in the facts like they are with every other hybrid, and this is Shroud's presentation. You wouldn't want someone interrupting your presentation now, would you?" Ms. Dravis asked.