Mr. Bob, that's what I am going to call him.
Mr. Bob is tremendously tall, so much that he could practically crane his neck a bit and eat the leaves on the canopy of a tree. He had a fierce look on his face. Even if he laughed, which wasn't often, his eyes would narrow like a lion stalking its prey.
Mr. Bob is the strictest math teacher in the whole wide world. This guy is seriously evil. If you so much as talk in his class, you'll be told to stand outside the classroom for half an hour, and you'll get detention for the next two days. And then, if he's really, really mad, he'll hit you! Like, actually hit you! Palm open, fingers taut and smack you across the face! Evil, I tell you, evil!
From where I was hiding, I had a perfect view of his evil shoes. I wondered what he would do to me if he caught me hiding there, or worse--what if he caught me taking back my computer--I shuddered to think of the consequences. Would he flay me? Would he skin me alive? Would he make me push a giant boulder up a hill for eternity? Would he get a raven to eat my liver over and over again? Would he tickle my left foot? Would he tie me to a rock with the entrails of my cats' intestines and put a poisonous snake over my head so it dripped poison on my face for all eternity? Would he kill me? Would he? Would he?????
I fink so.
But fortunately, he did not find me, thank Ares's boxer shorts. He merely came in, chilled for a while, then left.
I let out a breath I did not know I was holding.
I knew where my computer was--it was in the principal's desk drawer, but I also knew that it was most likely locked. As soon as the door was closed behind evil Bob, I got out of my hiding spot and proceeded to pick the lock.
"That was a close one," Alex sighed with relief, his face pale as death. "I thought he was going to tickle your left foot for sure."
I inserted a small metal wire into the lock and began to move it around. I could feel it was working just fine, but Alex was suddenly all action. He came to me with a hammer that I don't know where he got, and told me to move away.
"What are you going to do?" I asked in a bit of a panic. I did not want to call more attention to ourselves.
"Gonna smash!" he replied Hulkily. "Alex smash! Move away, puny human!"
I got out of his way and watched as he took aim, let out a blood-curdling scream and pummeled the little drawer with his mighty hammer. At least my computer did not break. The drawer popped open like a Jack in a box, splinters flying left and right.
I snatched up my comepukeduh and told Alex, "Run for your life!" as I bolted out of the teacher's lounge and headed for the stairs.
We made it to the classroom safe and sound--the computer safely tucked into the front of my boxer shorts--and resumed our seats before class ended.
I spent the rest of the school day wallowing in paranoia. I was shaking in my pants, drenched in sweat and pale as whit chocolate, waiting them to come find me. I was sure I was gonna be found out. It was only a matter of time before the principal barged into the classroom. Xela and Regor were looking as pale as I was, but I was not sure why.
Suddenly, the principal burst into the classroom and yelled, "Amiel, I need to have a word with you." I burped out of sheer shock. I was already expecting the worst, i imagine my parents grounding me and for the rest of my life, I feared I would be forbidden from playing games and eating cup noodles. Would I ever taste another noodle in my life? A beautiful, little dehydrated then re-hydrated baby shrimp? Would my breath ever smell of fish again? Would it? Would it????
I followed her to the teacher's lounge. The path was so familiar now that I had gone through it twice today, only this time, fear and panic licked at my heels with every step I took. I burped again, I couldn't help myself. I had to stop myself and scratch my bum. Then I scratched my face with the same hand, afraid of being there at all.
Another few steps which I took rather robotically, and we were there. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Bob was there, oh of course he was there. He gave me the look of a hungry lion, and I replied with the whimper of a terrified piglet.
"Please, have a seat," said the principal pleasantly.
I sat down, my butt clenched, my feet dangling off the chair.
"I'm afraid something's happened today, Amiel," she began. Behind her, Bob stood up and paced the room, his eyes on me.
I gulped.
"Wh--what happened?" I asked, trying to be innocent and cute and adorable. I might have blinked more than a few dozen times.
"Someone's broken in and stolen your computer, that's what!" Bob yelled.
"S-someone?" I asked, unsure I had heard right. Did they not know it was me??
The conclusion of this thrilling tale will be available for download on January 14, 2023, at 10:30 Beijing time.
