Optimistic coincidence

Section 1 - part 4

"you want me to what?" i shot back with frustration, a stern look plastered upon my face. After registration Carl took me back to the changing rooms to talk, it was just a good job i didn't have to go to the coal mines that day to work.

"and if you don't," he started, a smirk on his lips "I'll get you flogged." i laughed aloud at his remark, throwing my hands up at the air "just great!" i spoke sarcastically, shaking my head. "so what am i supposed to do? just break into the home guards section at night after being locked into my dorm, which is heavily patrolled by the way, and even if they didn't catch me the alarms or speakers are sure to go off, and then somehow steal someone's home guard uniform without being killed and then try to find my way to the D's?" it was a ridiculous idea, but Carl thought otherwise. the smirk on his face still hadn't dissapeared; if anything it had gotten bigger. i closed my eyes and slammed my fist against the wall behind me. turning back around to face him with my eyes open i smiled innocently, shrugging my shoulders "okay, sure, get me flogged," i spoke straightening out my uniform "it's better than getting killed." i raged, my facial expression changing dramatically as i lent down slightly to spit on his foot. he didn't flinch, i twisted on the ball of my foot and reached for the handle of the door. "so be flogged, sure," he spoke with a soft tone, my hand dropping to my side. would it have been legal to punch him? "but consider the consequences, Lanke," i turned and watched him shrug his shoulders, as he started to move round in a circle, flicking his hand about "you'd be shunned, spat on, discriminated-" he turned in one sharp swift movement, staring me right in the eye with an evil look on his face "maybe even segregated." is that legal? "look, Lanke, you're a good man!" he joked, approaching me "you'll do what's right hmm?" he spoke, clenching my shoulder "come find me, after you've changed your mind." and that was that. he was gone.

i felt like i wanted to cry, and tears didn't come easy for a man like myself. what was i supposed to do now? would they really think about segregating me from the A's into the F's? i mean surely not, i wouldn't have done anything wrong.. right?

"where've you been this time?" Felix spoke as i walked back out of the changing rooms and approached them at their work bench where they were putting some kind of machinery together. "you have to stop dissapearing like that." Joseph added, concentrating on screwing bolts into the side of a metal piece. Sea bass smirked at me and i shook my head, which he looked overly confused about. i sat down without a word and focused on the task at hand.

i had been given a CCTV camera. CCTV was normally placed by dorms and inside the canteen just so that the council could make sure no one was causing trouble. shame the security cameras weren't put inside the changing rooms. "d'you need help with that?" Charles asked, placing his hand upon my back gently with a smile on his lips. "I'm alright Char," i looked up, smiling back at him "thank you." why was he asking if i needed help? no one ever asked if i needed help. i looked back down to the piece of machinery and noticed my shaky hands which i held two wires in. shit. what was wrong with me? i didn't even remember picking up the wires. i dropped the wires slightly shocked and twisted my head to look at my friends. they were all sitting their staring at me. then James opened his mouth, hopefully trying to escape the awkwardness that surrounded is, "hey, Lanke, you haven't had a boyfriend since we were 14," he laughed slighty, looking around to the others "d'you just not attract that kinda crowd anymore?" he chuckled again for a brief amount of time "anyone would have thought you were hetro!" all five of them laughed at the joke apart from me. how was that supposed to make me feel better? that's when everything came tumbling into my mind all at once.

"I'll get you flogged."
"unless you're hetro?"
"you'd be shunned, spat on, discriminated."
"NO ONES HETRO HERE!"
"i think he should be chucked out with the F's."

without thought i stood up. at this point my whole body seemed to be shaking and my vision was all over the place. i looked at Charles who had sat back down at his seat, and i looked at Felix and Joseph who had worried expressions on their faces, and i looked at Sebastian with his cheeky face which was not so cheeky anymore, and i looked at James who was more of a fuzzy blur by then but the last thing i saw was Carl, the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile. was that a hallucination? or was he really smiling at my tremendously shaking body.

i felt blood rush to my mouth as i started to walk towards the exit, my feet cramped and my muscles contracting in different directions, i felt a tear sting my cheek as i fell and darkness hit me like a cold brick wall.