Over that boundary for you

Chapter 6: 8 years ago

It was eight years ago, I started teaching at the Milton middle school at the age of 20, it was my first-time teaching after graduating from my teacher university. Standing in the front of the class with a room full of young innocent children who knows nothing of how the outside world work, that is why I am here to teach them. 

I have to craft myself to become their ideal role model guiding them into their future of their choices. That's the role I have to play for them. But many times, I wonder if I was doing a great job at it, until he came.

One morning when Erica walks into the classroom to begin class, she saw him. A boy with just one look she could tell that this kid would be troublesome, his dead eyes and posture said it all. Remembering the first time teaching the class there was one student who wasn't present in class for the past few days. William henry, he has been absent from school for some time now, even before I came here, he has been absent from school of weeks multiple time in the past.

None of the teachers know why.... They even try to talk to his parents but that didn't go nowhere. "Excuse me William," Erica calls out to the boy after approaching him. She puts on a smile to make it easier for both of them. "I am your new teacher Miss Erica Watson, but you can call me Miss Erica."

She greets him gently. "Whatever," he said with a very cold look. "So, you were away from school for some time now, is everything ok, were you sick or something?" Erica asks calmly. William responds by leaving his seat and walking out of the classroom.

"Where are you going?" Erica asks. "To the bathroom," he replied. "Ok .... then hurry back, class is about to begin."  An hour later after class begins, William never returns. "Where is William?" Erica asks the class. 

"Has anyone seen William?" she asks again. One of the children answer. " He is outside by himself skipping class again," they said. Erica looks confuse. The other children continue to say; He is always like that, whenever he wants, he would leave class and do his own thing."

"Aren't any of you friends with William, don't anyone know why he is like this?" she asks. "None of us are friends with him, he is mean and scary, and he always get mad whenever he is bother. This one time, he beat up another kid so badly he lost three teeth." The children continue to comment about his behavior. 

"He always keeps to himself, and he doesn't really like talking to anyone. After hearing all the children opinion about William, Erica takes it up on herself to go and look for William herself. She when outside in the playground where the children said he would always be when he is not in class.

There she saw him sitting by himself on the on a swing slowly rocking himself as he stares heavily on the sandy ground. "William class is in session, what are you doing out here?" Erica asks. "It took you this long to notice that I haven't come back from the bathroom, some teacher you are. Are maybe you did notice but didn't care," William said. 

"Never mind that, you need to get to class," Erica said. "Why? because you said so?" William asks. "Well, no not really," Erica shuttered when talking. "Why must I listen to you adults," William ask. "Because what I am telling is the right thing," Erica replied. "And because you are an adult and I am just a stupid kid, what you say have truth meaning behind them, well I am not stupid, all they do is force your ideals on me," William preach. 

William was only 10 at the time but the way he specks that day.... It really scared Erica, a lot, she never meets a kid that could think like that, it got her even more worry of what this young boy had to go through and possibly still going through in order for him to think like this. In the end Erica manages to get William in the class, but to her it feels like she lost that battle. As the days past nothing chance between them. 

No matter how hard Erica tried, she can't form a relationship with William just like with the other children. Whenever Erica tries to get close, William would always shut her out. So, Erica tried a different tactic, if she can't get to William then she will let other get to him, he is always by himself, no friends, Erica wanted to change that.

Once day Erica give out a group assignment in the class, grouping up William with the other student hoping something good will come out. But when to grouping begin, no one wanted to group up with William and William himself didn't care too much about it. With the children fighting among themselves. Erica forces them a bit to work together. 

She asks Michael, the leader of his group to work with William just for a bit. He was hesitant at first, but he allows William to join anyway. The assignment for each group was to make a poster about their favorite things, it could be anything, food or a hobby. All the students get to work, but Michael's group was in disarray. 

Erica could hear them auguring with William. So, she went over to check what wrong. "What is wrong?" Erica asks. "It William!" Michael groups replied. "He doesn't want to add anything to the poster." 

"Because I don't have any favorite things or hobby ok," William said after turning to face Erica. 

"Everyone has to put something on or the group with fail," they tell William. Erica scotch down to William. She looks him in his eyes. "William, don't you have anything you like... anything at all, a pet and movie anything?" she asks sincerely. "At least make up something, even if you don't like it," Michael suggested. 

"Forget it, just do it without me, like I care,' William said before trying to walk away again. "Hold on William," Erica try to stop him again. "Just let him go, he is no use to us, so don't waste your time with him," Michael said with contempt towards William. 

William suddenly gets angry and rushes at Michael. Tackling him over the table and repeatedly punching him in his face, Erica tries to stop him, but when she grabs William by his arm, he fought back by biting into Erica's hand so hard that Erica hand started to bleed all over the floor. 

And the two boys continue to wrestle with each other on the floor. In the end, Erica manages to break them up. Michael jaw was dislocated and had to stay home for a while, William was suspended from school for a week. 

One day Erica went to visits William's home, she went there to give William his homework of the week he is missing. When she went by his house, it was a small and rundown trailer house in a rugged down looking neighborhood. She feels complex learning that William and his parents lives in such an estate.  

Erica went to knock on the door remembering her prime objective. When she knocks on the door. Two loud and aggressive voice shouted from the inside. "Molly answer the damn door!!" the voice of the man shouted. "Don't yell at me fat bastard!!" the woman shouted back at him. 

The door then flew opened aggressively by a very stand-up looking woman. 

"What is it?" The woman who is only wearing your bra and underwear with tattoos covering her entire body answer. She also has many Pierings on her body. "If you are selling, we are not interested?" said the woman before taking a long draw on her cigarette she had in hand. Erica quickly answers. "No, I am not a sale person, my name is Miss Erica, I am William's teacher."

"You already suspended the brat so what more do you want?" she asks sounding very irritated. "No, I just want to give him his homework for the week," Erica said. "Just drop around there," she said. A very aggressive voice shouted at the woman from inside. "Who is it!?" the man yelled.  

"The brat's teacher!" the woman yells back. Thanks to the constant argument between the two parents, their shouting wakes up the baby sleeping in the crib close to them.

"Look what you done you fat fuck, you wake the damn baby up," the woman looking annoy. He points at the crying girl while telling the woman. "Then shut it you up bitch!" 

"What did you call me!" the woman shouted angrily. "She is your daughter too so play your part." From her words things get a little physical when he throws the liquor bottle at her. She ducks out of the way, and the bottle break on the wall right over the crying baby girl. 

Just inches from actually hitting her. From the looks of it, neither of them looks like they care about the baby, not one bit. They just continue to argue at each other.