A Rift Between Us

Chapter 22 - No Dodging Work

Alfie gulped.

"Sorry...sir where's Ms Hubbard?"

Mr Dodge momentarily diverted his gaze to another student before refocusing on Alfie.

"The school is short-staffed, and I'm being asked to take on more responsibility than I'm being paid for."

Alfie pulled the strap on his bag into a comfortable position.

"I thought that was just for science?"

Mr Dodge snapped the tip of a pencil by pressing it against the desk, sending the graphite piece sailing past Alfie's ear and ricocheting off the window behind him.

"Yeah, that's what it was supposed to be, now sit down."

Alfie rotated his head away from Mr Dodge, searching for an empty seat. Ms Hubbard's absence had disrupted the seating plan. Keiko glared at him from the corner, with someone already sitting next to her.

Yes, finally I don't have to deal with her being next to me.

The only vacant seat was at the far end of the middle row, a good distance from Mr Dodge. Alfie manoeuvred around the students, deftly navigating through their bags to claim it.

So she'll be sitting opposite me. That's fine. Both of our computers are in the way. It should be easy to avoid her.

"11S, I haven't been given any cover material for you. I have no clue about ICT, and honestly, I don't care either. I'll be frank."

Alara raised her hand, wiggling her fingers for extra attention. Heads turned toward her as a low-pitched murmur stirred among the class.

"Yes, Alara?"

Mr Dodge clicked his fingers in the air, bringing it to his lips. The murmuring ceased.

"Ms Hubbard was lecturing us on the far-reaching implications of digital technology on civilians and civilisation as a whole."

Mr Dodge rubbed his face, causing his skin to fold and crease like plasticine.

"Okay, that's all well and good but I don't have any work for you guys so..."

He shrugged, tilting his head to the side and shrugging his shoulders before collapsing back into the chair. Alara's eyes lit up as she patted her soft, bobbed curls.

"My apologies sir. The USB drive Ms Hubbard has left contains a wealth of work to keep us occupied. Retrieving the specific file may require some searching, but the labelling system makes it easy to find once the contents have been opened."

Alfie's cheeks grew hot as he listened to her speak. The chatter in the room rose again like blades of grass. The air was heavy with a sense of hostility. Suddenly, as if a timer had run out, the room burst into pandemonium, with everyone shouting and pointing at Alara.

"You're always the one to be opening your mouth!" shouted one student.

"Exactly, sir didn't need to know that." said another.

In the midst of the chaos, a rubber careened towards Alara. It ricocheted off her desktop case and struck Mr Dodge's face. He jumped up, slamming his hands on the desk in frustration.

"Excuse me, everybody be quiet!"

Silence fell as all eyes turned to him. He squeezed the rubber in his hand, rubbing its surface with his thumb, causing thin, white shavings to pile up on a small spot on the desk.

"I've told everyone countless times, your exams are coming up. It's time to get serious!"

He stopped grinding the rubber and tossed it into the bin by the entrance, toppling it over instantly. The chair emitted a creak as he settled into it, taking a deep breath after.

"Thank you, Alara."

Alara, smiling, straightened her back in her seat. Mr Dodge rummaged through the drawers, trying to find the USB. Alfie swivelled to face his screen, noticing a small paper ball that had bounced off his hair and settled beside his keyboard. Keiko, avoiding eye contact, lowered her head behind her computer.

She's still doing this crap!

 His middle finger locked with his thumb, ready to flick the paper. He removed his glasses to focus on the two visible letters, squinting at the scrunches and folds. Curiosity piqued, he picked it up, holding it gingerly in his palm.

I better check what it says first.