Jason and Justin

Chapter 24 Justin and Tommy

Justin POV

1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue went through my mind as we returned to the room. The voyage that proved to the world that the world was round and not flat. That sailors no longer had to fear falling off the edge of the world because there was no edge.

That is what I was taught in school at least. And I figured that what was what was being taught in other schools across the globe. But now I am flabbergasted to learn that it was not true. That they were still people who believed we lived on a square planet floating through space.

How? Why? I questioned. I did not understand how this was possible.

I looked at Tommy who was laying on his bed reading a comic. "She really believes that the Earth is flat?"

"Yes." Tommy said looking up from his Spiderman comic.

Unbelievable I thought trying to wrap my head around it. "Do you believe the world is flat."

"No." Tommy said. "I know it's pyramid shaped." I looked at him slack jawed. "Kidding."

"Don't do that to me." I said tempted to give him a solid punch him in the arm. But unfortunately I have not known him long enough yet to do something like that. "Are there others who believe that."

"Very few."

"I take it that the school does not teach it?"

"No." Tommy said as he flipped the page.

"But Emma attends the school even though she believes that."

"Well she does not have much of a choice." Tommy said. "Like the two of us."

True I thought. "But I'm shocked that her parents would send here." I then said. "You would think they would send her to a like minded school."

"If there was a boarding school that taught that the Earth was flat they probably would have." Tommy said. "But I doubt such a place exists."

"Probably." I said. I fell silent for a few minutes as I took my shirt off and stuffed it in a white laundry bag and then put on a red t-shirt.

"So are you still going to see her?"

"I don't know." I said with uncertainty in my voice. "I enjoyed hanging out with her." I thought how she made me laugh and how she took my mind off the fact that I've been pulled away from home and everyone and everything I knew. Even if it was just for a few minutes. She made me laugh. I then sat down on the bed and asked. "Would you go out with her?"

"I can't date until I'm eighteen." Tommy answered.

"You can't."

"Nope." Tommy said. "My parents won't let me."Oh." I was about to ask why not but stopped myself deciding it was none of my business. I imagined his parents would say that they had a good reason for it but I doubt that was true. Parents never have good reasons for anything they do I thought bitterly.

I then remembered the phone call earlier. The girl calling for Tommy. What was her name. Allison that's it. Perhaps that his sister or cousin. "Oh by the way you got a phone while you were out."

"I did." Tommy said surprised.

"Yeah." I said. "I left the message on your bed didn't you see it."

"No." Tommy said looking for the message. "Where did you put it?"

"On your pillow."

There was no note on his pillow. I looked at the floor in from of the bed. "It fell off." I said pointing out the spot. "Probably when you jumped on the bed."