Short Tall Stories

Boredom

     The hall is alive with boredom. The persistent tap of a foot, the rustle of a page of an un-thrilling thriller being turned and the whine of bored seven to ten year-olds moaning about how bored they are. Children's art work lines the walls, bright colourful jungle inspired masks with feathers loosely stuck to them and a big display boasts that Knighton team have the most team points. The hall has six classrooms, four in the main part and two upstairs, an ornate oak balcony jutting out of the wall five meters up, just outside the classrooms. Navy chairs have been set out in front of the classrooms below and both parents and children sit on them, their bottoms growing numb from the long wait. The children can barely keep still, they fidget and whine, fidget some more and then climb over their mother or father, who grunts, then sighs.

     Two children fidget next to each, swinging their legs under their seats, first separately then both legs at the same time, peering over each others laps and trying to sync their movements. "Urh, I'm bored.", moans one, an eight and a half year-old girl with long syrup coloured frizzy hair, thick eyebrows and rectangular indigo glasses.

     "Yep.", replies the other, a nine year-old boy with golden brown messy hair, quick blue eyes and a long freckled nose.

     "D'you think we'd get in trouble if we played on the P.E equipment?", asks the girl, Lilith, turning around in her seat to gaze at the ropes attached to a long high beam pressed up against the classroom window.

     "Yep.", reasons the boy, Jay.

      "No fair.", murmurs Lilith turning and folding her arms with an audible humph.

     "We could play tag?", offers Jay moving to the edge of his seat and turning to look at Lilith's scowl.

     "Ooh!", exclaims Lilith, her umber coloured eyes brightening. "Go on, let's.", she says jumping up, a grin that runs from ear to ear lighting up her pale face. "You're it!", she giggles and runs into the centre of the hall before Jay can make any move towards her.

     "Hey, come back here!", laughs Jay leaping to his feet and running after his friend. Lilith shrieks then sprints away, black scuffed shoes clapping down on the pale wooden floor. They race in a wide arc around the hall before Jay puts on a burst of speed hand outstretched and  barrels into Lilith sending them both flying.

     "Ow!", they both wince, as they land tangled in a heap on the floor and then, staring at each other burst out laughing.

     "Get off, Jay.", says Lilith shoving his shoulder playfully.

     "Alright, alright.", laughs Jay, extricating his various limbs from the Jay-Lilith knot.  

     "Oi!", shouts a deep gruff voice. Jay and Lilith look up from helping each other up and back up a little at the sight of the man in front of them. The man is tall and dressed in dark stained blue overalls, he has big wrinkled hands, a grey unshaven unsmiling face and a few tufts of white hair grow on his shiny head. "What do you think you're doing?", he demands.

     "P-playing.", stutters Lilith.

     "Likely story, go find your parents. Go on, get.".

     "But they're talking to-", starts Jay.

     "I said, get!", asserts the caretaker pointing to a pair of empty chairs.

     Lilith and Jay obediently trudge back to their seats and collapse into them. They watch silently as the caretaker limps out of the hall, heads turning in sync with each other.

     "You're it.", whispers Jay.