Before You Knew Yourself

Chapter 2 ~ Escaped Convict

     "Can anyone tell me the name of the first woman who stood up for her seat on the bus back in 1955?" Everyone in class raised their hand. By 'everyone', I mean everyone but me. These saps no nothing of the history of their country. No one will know the correct answer. They're all going to say- "Rosa Parks." This answer came from Alaxandera. The 'smart' kid. She was basically a walking cliché. Ponytail, braces, big thick rimmed glasses. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but she was just so annoying about it.  I rolled my eyes. Mrs. Fredrickson looked pleased with herself, like Finally! I taught something. I raised my hand. I saw Mrs. Fredrickson's eyes dart to my hand. She didn't really want to call on me. Part of the reason may be because I'm what most people like to call a "smart-ass", or as I like to call it: sorting out the dumbasses. She let out a huge sigh.

     "Yes... Ms. Miller?" I let out a small smirk before explaining. "Rosa Parks wasn't the first woman to stand up for her seat. Claudette Colvin was. She refused nine months before Rosa, but the NAACP didn't want to use her as their representative because she was 15 and pregnant and they thought it would set a bad example." Now it was my turn to look pleased with myself. I glanced over at Alaxandra. She was pissed. She wasn't one of those people who like to get shown up.  Especially by someone who didn't have a 4.0 GPA like her.

     "But Mrs. Fredrickson! If that's TRUE then how come we didn't learn about it?" She practically shouted this across the classroom. Mrs. Fredrickson looked appalled that anyone would interrupt class again, but before she could answer I fired back with.

      "Because Alaxandra, history is writer by the winners, and in this particular battle, Claudette didn't win! If she had we wouldn't be having this conversation would we? No we wouldn't, because you would have said the correct answer the first time!" By the time I had finished, I was yelling and the whole class had that look of OH SHIT SON!  on their faces. I glanced around quickly, like a scared rabbit. I was deer in headlights. Except I wasn't a deer and the headlights were the flashes of everyone's camera phones. They were all filming me. Even Laurie. I wasn't even sad. I was pissed at them all. I don't know what set me off. I'm mean, no one even did anything extravagant to piss me off. It was just Alaxandra being Alaxandra.  But this was the day I quit putting up with their shit.

     I grabbed my bag from where it was hanging on the back of my chair and walked out. I just up and left the classroom in the middle of the first period. That's right! I'm officially a rebel and have done what I've dreamed of for years and years. Now there was a small problem. Like how the hell I was going to get out of trouble. I could hear Mrs. Fredrickson shouting at me to get my ass back in class (no rhyme intended on her part I'm sure) and if I did go back it might salvage what was left of my until-now-spotless-record, but if I went back it would throw the symbolism of me leaving out the window. Getting up and walking away symbolized that these people couldn't control me, or anyone for that matter, and that kids today she had a choice and their own free will. I was NOT about to crush that. Good god I feel like a character in a bad fanfiction. As I turned the corner and left the eighth grade hallway I was faced with a dilemma. Even if I somehow got downstairs and out of the building, where the hell would I even go? School wasn't particularly far from my house but I'd have to cross the highway and I didn't fancy that. I mean, not that there would be that many cars but I wouldn't want to take a chance with the way the common American drives. 

     As I'm walking toward the east staircase I shiver. At first I thing the air conditioner is going out of wack again, but when I look down the hall I notice a sheer tarp blowing in the wind. They must have put it up to cover the damage, I think to myself. This morning before class there was an assembly saying that there had been foundation issues and that's why is collapsed. All students who had classes on that side of the building were to come to the gym or cafeteria for that period. Of course I could smell that bull shit from a mile away. If the whole school had been built at the same time why were there only issues with the East wing's foundation? And why is some branch of the military involved? And of course these questions went unanswered. As I looked at this tarp I had a horrible, terrible, wonderfully, outrageous idea.

     I could go and investigate.

     No, no, no, no. That would be stupid and probably illegal.

     But...I'm already in trouble.

     Yeah but not that much!

     But what would Sherlock do? What would Sam and Dean do? What would The Doctor do?

     It was then that I had a moment. One of those moments that only characters in books and movies get. I had the inconceivable urge to throw caution out the window and literally follow the wind toward my possible destiny.

Oh god this better be worth it. I think as I race down the stairs as quietly as I possibly can. As I hit the ground floor I stay in the stairwell and look around for any onlookers. I can't see or hear anyone but I wait a second for good measure. I'm glad I did. Just as I'm about to leave the stairwell I hear people coming around the corner. I duck back inside just as I hear their feet approach.

"Are you positive you can't remove it captain?" I hear Mr. Jackson say. Captain? Sudden realization strikes me. Those military people are still here...and they're less than twenty feet from seeing me.