The Summer that Changed Everything

Chapter 10: Ghost Town

  A bus drove along a pretty much deserted road. It stopped in front of a one-story building and opened its doors. Chris got out and walked into the building. He wandered through the hallway looking for an escape route. If only he could give up smoking. He wouldn't have been in this mess. But there was nothing like a smoke after a good meal. He was sure Mr. Katz would understand that. I mean he caught Mr. Katz on numerous occasions smoking in the faculty lounge or outside by his car. Isn't that considered smoking on school grounds? It was funny whenever you brought up this smoking point to an adult and they had no real answer—they'd reply how they are an adult and they can smoke if they want to. If you are an adult, than you should be able to come up with a better excuse. And especially being a teacher—teachers are supposed to set examples for the students, not invent rules that they feel they are above to follow. It was a double standard.

But a lot of things at that school were and there were times he felt he didn't need any of it, but he has heard too many times before, even by me. "A life without knowledge is like a fish on dry land. You don't go anywhere."
It wasn't like he didn't try, though. All of his assignments were handed in and never once did he make a copy of someone else's homework and put his name on it. It was Eyeball Chambers and Charlie Hogan that were always caught doing this or cheating off one another. Not that I understood why, neither one knew the answers, so what was the point if they were just going to get an "F," anyway. At least take the "F," with dignity.

"It's so absurd that I have to be here on a Saturday." Chris muttered under his breath.
Only moments before he was sleeping in bed where he had a prominent vision of his mother as she crouched over him saying, "Get up, Chris."
"There's no school, mom. Leave me alone. It's a Saturday. Make Eyeball take out the garbage." He rolled over on his stomach. "It's his turn anyway."

Attempting to play tutor, Chris took a mathematics text book, a pen and sets it in the margin. The student clearly looked bored. "Okay, let's try this again." Chris said. He pulled the book closer to his student and pointed at something on the page, as he asked: "So what do you think the answer would be?"
There was no reply. The bored kid tapped his pencil, annoyed.
"Ok, so what do you think?" Chris asked again.
The boy stood up and exclaimed: "Man, I think this is bullshit!" and walked out of the classroom. Chris looked up at the ceiling and took the deepest of breaths.
"That makes two of us." He closed over his book.
"So how was your first day of tutoring?" Lennie asked from her swing.
"Don't ask." Chris said.
"It couldn't have been that bad." I shrugged at him while sitting on top of her slide.

"What rocket scientist decided that I would be good at teaching anything for goddsakes? The idea of me tutoring anyone seems like a really stupid idea. I don't know who he is trying to punish; me or the kid that need's tutoring?"
"Well, you could teach a kid how to smoke a pack of cigarettes faster than anyone I know." Vern tried to lighten the situation.
"Good one, Vern. That makes me feel a whole lot better." Chris said.
"Vern, don't be an idiot." Teddy told him.
"What?" Vern shrugged. "I was just trying to help."
"And who knows what I am gonna do about this play bullshit. I have no inclination to act. I might as well not even show up." Chris said.
"So don't show up." Teddy said.
"Yeah... well punishment for not showing up is getting suspension or expelled. Look at the mess I already got myself in? I rather just be hyded by my father than to have to suffer another day tutoring some dumb kid or cleaning the frigging school."
"I hear you." I said.
The following morning at school, I walked with Vern and Teddy and joined Chris in the hallway during a break before classes started. He was standing with a bunch of other guys bull-shiting and what not against the lockers. Lennie walked up to us.
"Hey, Chris." She gave him her salutation.
"Yeah—hi." He said. He leaned up against the wall with his arms folded up against his chest.
"See you later." She walked off.
"Yeah." He nodded and waved.
She walked around the corner. One of the guys turns his attention to Chris.
"You two going out?" He asked
"No way, man." Chris laughed at the idea.
"You think she's cute?" The guy asked.
"Pllllease." Chris put his hands in his pockets. "I mean she might not be my type, but I'm sure she'd be some - what tolerable to some other guy. Well, maybe if she puts a bag over her face."
Teddy laughed.
"Man, that's mean." I said in Lennie's defense.
"I'm only joking, Gordie." Chris told him. "Well, sort of."
"You've dated anyone?" Another inquired.
"Sure. I dated a lot of girls. I've been around the block." Chris admitted.
Vern and I glance to our right. We saw from the expression on Lennie's face that she heard everything that Chris said. She was gone before he noticed she was there.

We all had a partake in it occasionally to look good in front of the guys, kind of like when I talked about the transformation when we snuck into Lennie's slumber party and how guys have "locker room," talk and it was nothing serious. But to a girl it was the world. Whether she liked Chris at all or just as a friend, it was still betrayal. Remember how I felt when those girls at Lennie's party made fun of me? I barely even knew any of those girls.