A School Of Weirdos

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The first week back at school was truly delightful. Being in JSS 2 felt like a significant milestone for me, Michael, and Amanda. We felt a sense of pride, though not the arrogant kind. We didn't look down on the JSS 1 students, but our presence seemed to command respect. It reminded me of my previous school, Goldridge International School, where the class ahead of us barely received any respect.

It appeared that John Felix Academy took class seniority very seriously. I couldn't recall any instances of disrespect towards JSS 2 students when I was in JSS 1, but then again, I wasn't exactly keeping an eye on everyone. The lack of reports about insults or fights involving seniors led me to assume that things were going smoothly.

As expected, the first week passed without any strange occurrences. I started to feel strongly that the sense of normalcy at the school might be here to stay, at least until I graduated.

Moving into the next week, Tutor John was no longer our form master; Tutor Beatrice took over. She assigned our seating arrangement on Monday, and to my surprise, I found myself seated next to Michael and Amanda once again. What a coincidence! It seemed like fate was always arranging for me to sit with them. After all, they were the only people I truly trusted in the school. We were thrilled to be seatmates again. Another student, Peter, whom I had barely noticed before, joined us, sitting close to Michael. He always seemed quiet and reserved.

We were assigned to the front row on the right-hand side of the class, while my namesake sat in the second row with Sonia, the girl who ranked fifth. It was almost like the top five students were seated close to each other. The idea of all of us becoming friends crossed my mind, but I doubted it would happen. The classes before the break went smoothly, and I enjoyed them.

During the break, Amanda, Michael, and I discussed our future at John Felix Academy. We were all optimistic about it but didn't dwell on it too much. We also chatted about unrelated school stuff like cartoons and movies. While we were talking, I noticed my namesake walking past us, probably going to buy snacks. I felt a sudden curiosity about him. Why was he always so quiet in class? Lost in thought, I seemed to drift away from the conversation with Michael and Amanda.

Amanda, sitting close to me on the bench, snapped her fingers in front of my face to get my attention."Paul, you seem lost in thought. What are you thinking about?" she asked. Before I could reply, Michael chimed in jokingly, "It seems he's thinking about his wife and children that he doesn't have," making Amanda laugh. I just shyly scratched my head and smiled a little.

"But seriously, what were you thinking about? I hope it's nothing negative," Michael asked with concern. "No, it isn't. I saw Paul, my namesake, walk by, and I was curious about him. His quietness in class just makes me wonder," I said.

"Hmm...I didn't even notice when he walked past us," Amanda added.

"Well, maybe his quietness is why you want to know about him. Don't forget Peter, our seatmate, is also very quiet. Or is it because he's your namesake, and you want to be friends with him because that would be really cool?" Michael pondered thoughtfully.

"You have a point, Michael. If I could have a namesake as a friend, I'd be very happy. I wonder how it would feel. It'd be like "The Amanda Duo," Amanda mused.

"Whoa, hold on. You've already imagined your imaginary namesake as your bestie, and "The Amanda Duo" sounds lame to me," Michael laughed.

While they bantered, I watched them with a neutral expression, as if reading a comic for the first time.

"Okay, okay. You got me. Maybe I just want us to be friends because he's my namesake," I finally admitted.

"Now you're talking," Michael said, smiling, revealing his sparkling white teeth.

With that settled, we moved on to other topics, including action films that Amanda struggled to relate to.

Time flew by, and soon the bell rang, signaling the end of the break.
The subject we had after the break was computer science. Tutor Beatrice entered our class to teach us. I hadn't mentioned her appearance since, but I will now.

She looked stunning as usual, wearing a brown gown with silver-colored stripes, and her hair was woven beautifully. With her black eyelashes and the black pair of shoes she wore, she resembled Cinderella. She even carried a black kitten, as she always did.

She walked slowly to the front of our class, gently caressing the back of her kitten before placing it on the teacher's desk. Turning to face us, she smiled warmly. We greeted her, and she greeted us back. Most of my classmates, especially Michael and Amanda, seemed delighted to have her as our form mistress. Tutor Beatrice began teaching, and as usual, it was interesting.

While she was teaching, I felt someone's gaze on me. It felt intense, almost like a stare. At first, I thought it was one of my classmates, but it didn't feel like it. It took me a while to realize that Tutor Beatrice's kitten was relaxed on the table, gazing at me intently.

The thought crossed my mind that maybe the kitten liked me so much that it couldn't stop staring. But could that really be the case? It became unbearable as its gaze didn't feel friendly. I was utterly distracted in class and found myself staring back at the kitten's gaze.

It sounds crazy, but I was almost trying to communicate with it telepathically. It all ended when, in a split second, the kitten grinned at me, revealing its teeth before suddenly shifting its gaze elsewhere.

The grin looked malicious, and fear gripped me instantly. I felt mentally paralyzed for a few seconds, unable to process what I had just seen. It was like a nightmare, and I couldn't believe a mere kitten could grin at me in such a way, almost human-like. Slowly, my mind began to convince me that I must have hallucinated it, and I started to cling to that explanation.

Later, Tutor Beatrice sensed the anxiety on my face while teaching. She tapped me on my shoulder, but I didn't notice because I was lost in thought.

"Paul, it seems your mind is elsewhere. Are you okay?" she asked warmly, her concern evident in her voice. Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I looked at her face, which beamed with concern.

"Yes, Tutor, I'm okay," I managed to say.

"Alright then. But if something is bothering you, you can tell me after class," she said in a motherly manner.

"Okay, Tutor," I replied again. All eyes were on me because of the attention I got from Tutor Beatrice, but I didn't care what they must have been thinking. All I cared about was what I had experienced. Somehow, I managed to concentrate until Tutor Beatrice's class ended. I didn't feel the kitten's gaze on me again.

A few minutes later, her class ended, and my friends began to question me if anything was wrong because they saw the same distress and anxiety that Mrs. Beatrice saw. Well, I lied to them and brushed it off. I wasn't ready to tell them what I had experienced, but I planned to tell them the next day after I had calmed down.

The truth was that I was traumatized by what I had seen. I didn't talk much for the rest of the school day. I even went home alone, leaving Michael behind, but I made an excuse for us not to walk home together. I just wanted to be left alone with my thoughts as I walked home.

As usual, I tried my best to pretend everything was fine in front of my mom. I wasn't ready to tell her about the crazy thing I had experienced. I doubted she would believe me. She would likely say I was hallucinating, just like my mind was trying to deceive me.

That night, I kept thinking about what had happened at school while I was in my room.

"Could there be some paranormal activity going on in John Felix Academy?" That was the question I pondered before falling asleep. Truly, I found the experience with the grinning kitten very uncomfortable and weird.

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As you can see, the story is taking a more darker turn 💀💀💀 I'm curious, what do you think about this chapter? Without being told, you all  are already aware that what Paul experienced with Tutor's Beatrice Kitten is extremely weird. Doesn't that want to make you question Tutor's Beatrice possession of the kitten. Think about it, what Paul experienced could be a hallucination or perhaps, it was real, but will any sane person believe Paul? Pls, hit me with your comments.