A Rift Between Us

Chapter 26 - The Stapler's Lack

Wednesday 2:32 pm, April 27th

I'm finding it challenging to establish a connection with him. It's annoying, but I shouldn't be surprised. Anyway, I don't know what else to do.

Lifting her gaze, she stared intently at the ceiling, tapping her pen rhythmically against her chin. The drab ceiling tiles were identical to those in Mr Dodge's room. They were the same everywhere. The only distinct features were the canteen, adorned with skylights, and the assembly hall, with its labyrinth of large vent pipes intersecting throughout.

Her eyes darted from spot to spot, searching for an idea until one sprang into her mind. She bowed her head, persisting in etching her thoughts onto the page.

I'll tell him to revise with me after school tomorrow. That's what I'll do. Maybe then he'll start opening up to me more. I know he's studious, so I can't see him refusing. Let's hope this works.

She shut her diary, her pen rolling to the edge of the desk before her palm blocked it. A warm smile spread across her face as the thought filled her mind. 

A deep, continuous rumble spilled from Mr Dodge's throat as he slumped deeper into his chair, catching Keiko's attention. His puffy eyes were finally getting some rest, albeit in the wrong setting. They abruptly opened, blinking several times. He rose with difficulty, grabbing his coffee. Tiny threads of steam escaped his mug, spiralling towards his nose.

He brought the mug to his lips, eyes roaming the class as everyone worked. He glanced towards the corner of the room. Keiko quickly lowered her head as his gaze fell on her. The classroom fell into silence, the sounds of typing and clicking fading away. Alfie glared at his screen, struggling to comprehend the complicated yet crucial parts of knowledge needed for the final ICT exam. He peeled his eyes away from the glowing screen and heaved a heavy sigh. Reaching blindly for his pen, his hand trembled as he wrote down the answers on his revision sheets.

I have to remember this somehow. All of it. I have to.

His hand danced down the margins of the page, jotting summaries in the empty spaces. His handwriting, untidy and hurried, reflected the whirlwind of thoughts as he attempted to retain the information. It had to stick deep in his memory. He put his pen down and slid the bundle towards the edge of the desk. They slipped off as he straightened them out, the taps from the papers cut through the air with sharp smacks. He rose from his chair, his mind brimming with information he hoped wouldn't fade away.

His steps tapped nimbly on the floor, weaving around chair legs as he approached Mr Dodge. His eyes were half-closed, a string of saliva hanging from his bottom lip. Alfie tapped his shoulder multiple times.

"Sir...sir."

His body flinched, the chair rolling back and hitting the whiteboard. His eyeballs bulged from his head as he looked at Alfie, his eyelids closing moments later. A rush of forceful air expelled from his lungs. His hand slid down his face like blinds.

"Alfie. Sit. Down. I don't understand why you always feel the need to be standing up."

Alfie hugged the revision notes closer to his body.

"Sir, I was wondering if I could use the stapler to keep my notes together?"

His voice flowed like that of a young child craving parental approval—soft and delicate. Rapid claps echoed one after another as Mr Dodge alternately slapped each side of his face. He grabbed a stapler nearby and handed it to Alfie. Alfie pressed it against his papers, but there was no click, only a dent. Checking the magazine, he found it empty. With a flick of his wrist, he slammed the housing shut.

"Sir, it's empty...are there any more in Ms Hubbard's drawers?"