Melted

The Watcher

"Good morning class. I'm Professor Henry Jones. As many of you know, I'm your history teacher."- A man in his thirties was sitting in a desk in front of the whole class.
How did I end up here? I must have gotten carried away with my thoughts... I was looking for answers... after I saw those green gems. I know I have seen that look somewhere else...
And before I knew it, I was sitting in a school desk. A wild case of Alzheimer ... Madeline was sitting in front of me. I didn't saw Axel, but I casually (which in my language means trying to act normal so I don't get caught, but end up being obvious) looked behind me and saw him waving at me hello. I was the third in row.
Back at my senses, I explored my view: a typical classroom, full of typical students. The room itself was decorated with posters that made allusion to our history class. A saw maps of Virginia (the current state I live in), the United States, America, Europe, the world... Everything... or everywhere. I saw pictures from different periods, like World War, the Great Depression, some Uncle Sam needing me to go and fight for my land, and all the moments the world has been photographed... I have seen them all...
Either the classroom was painted soft yellow, or green, blue, black, white, and gray. I couldn't decide.
-"There are a lot of faces here I recognize from last year, but there are always new ones."- Oh no. Please, don't do what I think you're going to do...- "For the sake of those, everybody, I insist, tell your names and something about yourself."- Mr. Jones said... Son of a... Bummer. I hate this!
-"Pss... sis."- My brother whispered from behind me, poking my shoulder gently. I moved my head slightly to him, lying a bit on the chair. I wasn't looking at him, because I needed to be cautious if I don't want to spend the rest of the day on detention.
-"What now?"- I barely said to Axel.
He keep his voice down-"I can't believe they still use this techniques. How old is it? Fifty years?"
-"Shush Axel!"- I 'shouted' at him.
-"Ok, party-pooper."- He got his butt back where it belonged, but I felt him coming again forward to keep bugging me.-"You noticed the teacher's last name is Jones?"
I shrugged-"So?"
He got a bit closer. The guy in front of Madeline was giving his details now.-"It's totally funny. You see, he's Henry Jones, but he's completely contrary, in all ways, to Indiana Jones."- I covered a smile with my hands... not again with his stupid jokes.-"Just visualize him with a hat and a whip."-Axel began to hum softly Indiana Jones's theme song. I couldn't resist smiling, but I had to bite my lips, or I'll be laughing horribly loud. Axel loves to make me smile, but... this... ha... wasn't... the... ha ha... time.
-"Shut up, Lex."- But my words were drowned in my own little giggles. I had to hide it with a cough, because Indi, I mean, Mr. Jones was waiting for Madeline's response.
-"My name is Madeline Temp. You can call me Maddie, for short."- She was looking at the whole class with a big bright smile.-"And a detail about me is... but there are so many! Just one, Maddie"-She was talking to herself... like she usually does. She, after half a minute, decided- "I love cooking! Yeah..."- That 'yeah' didn't sounded convincing. - " I'm a great chef. Most of the time, I am the one who cooks, but dad takes the kitchen on weekends. He makes a mean grilled steak. You should try it, Mr. Jones."-Maddie concluded.
-"Maybe, if you one day invite me for dinner."- Mr. Jones raised his view from Madeline, to me... oh boy. -"Next."
-"Maledizione!"- I cursed in Italian under my breath (which it mean 'curses'). Why Axel sit behind me? I'm not the smooth twin between us.
-"I didn't hear you, miss..."-Mr. Jones raised his eyebrow, waiting for my response. I raised my head, ensuring my eyes meted his. Not seeing in the eye is a sign of weakness.
-"Um... Miss Temp. I'm Alice Rachele Temp."- I said, trying to prove I can be at least half as smooth as my brother.
-"Temp... by any chances, you two are related?"- Mr. Jones was looking at both Maddie and me.
-"Us three."- I declared a bit shy.-"He's my, um..."-I pointed Axel embarrassingly.-"... twin brother. And,"-Now I pointed at Maddie.-"...she's our cousin."
-"Twins... I never had twins in class... But I accept new challenges with pleasure."-That's it. Everything is going more smoothly than a car in a recently paved road.-"You two come from where?"
Careful everybody! It turned out to be a bumpy road. Hang on to something... maledizione, maledizione, and a million time, maledizione! Say something reasonable, Alice. A place very far away, but you know a bit of its culture. Somewhere it makes you feel like in home...
-"Italy!"- I yelled at the whole class like a crazy goat.
-"Italy?"- Mr. Jones said with disbelief. I don't even eat it myself.- "From where?"- He said with excitement. Biggest. Plot. Twist. I. Have. Ever. Experienced.-"I never had an Italian student before, less two of them."- I can't believe he bought that cheap argument.
Madeline didn't. She turned around, facing me with her face full of astonishment. Indi didn't saw her, but I read her lips: 'What the heck!'
-"Yeah..."-Think of a place now, retarded musician... hey. -"We're from Cremona! Yes, ha, Cremona."- I said almost giving me a face slap.
Who in the name of... chimichangas shouts Italy? Well, apparently, me. Axel must be having a good time back there... Madeline could rip her hair off any second. I had to think about my origins...
-"Cremona... I heard of that place before, but I can't remember where."- Mr. Jones said to me. He completely forgot he has a whole class to attend.
-"You're a history teacher. You may have heard about Cremona before on a history book about... music. Cremona is the country where the most famous violins were born: Amatius, Guarnerius and Stradivarius."- I don't know how to continue.
-"Yes, I have read of it before. You know how to play the violin?"- He was interested, and I just received a chance to stop talking.
-"Um, yeah."- I said a little embarrassed.-"That's my personal fact. I'm a musician. That's why I know a lot about violins."- I hoped he didn't keep asking questions. I was lucky this time.
-"It makes senses. Maybe you can get on the school band. We don't have violins."-I said yes with my head. Mr. Jones turned from me to Axel... At last.-"And you're her sibling."
-"Yep. Axel Abel Temp, at your service."-Axel got up and bowed like a magician making his grand entrance. He's always smooth.- "That's for everybody."-He looked at a blonde girl at the next row, and winked at her. I sighed. My brother never changes... Wait a second...
-"Yes, surely you are. Today I proved is true what they say. There's always a more careless twin."-Mr. Jones said, while eyeing the blond girl. But I didn't pay attention to them. Behind her... please, turn around!
-"We're very contrary. She's all about music. I'm all about sports. I'm good at any: basketball, baseball, hokey, football, etcetera. Whatever I find..."- Axel impressed the class with his many talents, but I was looking at the boy behind the blonde girl that was looking at Lex with puppy eyes.
I only saw his brown hair hiding his face. I prayed he turn around and faced me. Is he the boy with the green déjà-vu eyes?
-"How 'bout that? Did my charms made any effects on that girl?"-Axel watched the blondie with desire.-"She's pretty hot. Nothing like me, but she makes a good competition."
-"Yes, perfect, wonderful, what your mind can invent. I don't care."-I said annoyed. I didn't turned around, giving the boy I was staring five seconds to do what I wanted. He was busy, writing (or drawing?) on a open notebook. He took his time, making appear his work. I couldn't take it anymore, so I flipped myself toward my brother to get some advice. Mr. Jones was distracted with a student two desks away from Axel.
-"Is he the boy that survived a punch thanks to the principal?- I said, turning again and showing Axel what boy I was trying to figure out.
-"Looks like him... hey, are your cheeks getting red?"-He touched my face and smiled.-"You feel like you have a... feeeeeevvveeeeerrrrr."-
-"No I don't!"-I felted the rush of the blood coursing through my cheeks. "I deny it!"
Axel gave me a mocking smile-"You like him."
-"What? Ha! That must be the most ridiculous thing you have said in your whole life, after saying Chihuahuas aren't cute. Me? In love? Ha! That just crazy talk."
He hid a smile.-"I never said anything about love."
-"Hey!"
-"You said it."
-"I didn't meant that!"
-"What is said, is said."-Axel crossed his arms, in sign of victory-"You better think twice before speaking next time."
-"Shut up, Axel."
-"Now you want me to shut my mouth. You sometimes get too hostile when the topic in conversation it's your feelings."-He exaggerated a sad face.-"I have feelings too. You hurt me."
-"I'm serious. PLEASE, shut up."-I said firmly.-The blonde that's in front of our mystery guy it's talking. Let's mutually shut up, so we can hear the guy's name."-Axel, miraculously, did what I said. I was relieved, but he probably did because he 'needed' to know the girl's name. I sat there, hiding with my hands my red cheeks.
Turns out she's Emma Callaway and she is the cheerleader captain. She said it all while whipping her hair in an annoying way like 'Oh, look at me! I'm so darn pretty, because I'm the cheerleader captain' and made a pathetic 'cute' laugh to complete the annoying menu. Typical Axel. He ALWAYS likes to aim high, at popularity, makeup, and superficial girls.
-"Aw, she's perfect."- Lex said to me. I, turn to him, with my face full of disgust.
-"What? You're kidding? She's..."- I filled my cheeks with air. I looked like a blowfish, but I made it every time I was really mad, annoyed, or I was trying to lie.-"... horrible! And, beside,..."-I lowered my voice.-"... we shouldn't date, because we're freaking immortals. One day, the tables are going to switch. You'll have a broken heart."
-"Pss, sis."-He pated my head like I was a dog.-"Axel Temp only looks for fun."- I hated when he talked on third person, and I was about to insult him with something clever because of the patting, but he won me.-"Hey, your other half is about to talk."
-"He's my nothing!"
-"For now."
-"Ugh!"-I turned away from Lex, and faced the boy who was tormenting my mind for the longest twenty minutes in history.
He still was working on something in his notebook. I observed more closely, and saw he wasn't writing, but instead, drawing. I couldn't see what exactly he was drawing, but he was taking it very seriously. Mr. Jones waited at his side to drop his pencil, but it was a lost case. He cleared his throat.-"Mr. Bander, another one of your drawings?"
The boy was still as a statue, but upon hearing Mr. Jones's voice, jump of fright in his school desk, gasped of surprise and send his pencil (by unknown and mystical forces) towards my feet. I looked down at them and saw the contrast of my red sneakers with the light orange of his #2 pencil. I dragged it closer to me with my feet, got down and grabbed it with my hands.
-"Sorry, sorry. I didn't know it was my turn to talk."- Said the enigmatic boy nervously. He looked at both his sides.-"Where's my pencil?"
This is my opportunity!-"Um, I... have it."-He searched for my voice at other female classmates. He stopped dead as he saw his pencil at my hand, then, his eyes meted with mine... two pair of esmeralds were looking at me, and my mind froze. He stretched his arm to me. I did the same automatically. His fingers snatched the pencil away from mine, but not without brushing them. I felted coldness run trough my body and I tried to keep calm. My fingers were The Watcher
"Good morning class. I'm Professor Henry Jones. As many of you know, I'm your history teacher."- A man in his thirties was sitting in a desk in front of the whole class.
How did I end up here? I must have gotten carried away with my thoughts... I was looking for answers... after I saw those green gems. I know I have seen that look somewhere else...
And before I knew it, I was sitting in a school desk. A wild case of Alzheimer ... Madeline was sitting in front of me. I didn't saw Axel, but I casually (which in my language means trying to act normal so I don't get caught, but end up being obvious) look behind me and saw him waving at me hello. I was the third in row.
Back at my senses, I explored my view: a typical classroom, full of typical students. The room itself was decorated with posters that made allusion to our history class. A saw maps of Virginia (the current state I live in), the United States, America, Europe, the world... Everything... or everywhere. I saw pictures from different periods, like World War, the Great Depression, some Uncle Sam needing me to go and fight for my land, and all the moments the world has been photographed... I have seen them all...
Either the classroom was painted soft yellow or green, blue, black, white, and gray. I couldn't decide.
-"There are a lot of faces here I recognize from last year, but there are always new ones."- Oh no. Please, don't do what I think you're going to do...- "For the sake of those, everybody, I insist, tell you names and something about yourself."- Mr. Jones said... Son of a... Bummer. I hate this!
-"Pss... sis."- My brother whispered from behind me, poking my shoulder gently. I moved my head slightly to him, lying a bit on the chair. I wasn't looking at him, because I needed to be cautious if I don't want to spend the rest of the day on detention.
-"What now?"- I barely said to Axel.
He keep his voice down-"I can't believe they still use this techniques. How old is it? Fifty years?"
-"Shush Axel!"- I 'shouted' at him.
-"Ok, party-pooper."- He got his butt back where it belongs, but I felt him coming again forward to keep bugging me.-"You notice the teacher's last name is Jones?"
I shrugged-"So?"
He got a bit closer. The guy in front of Madeline was giving his details now.-"It's totally funny. You see, he's Henry Jones, but he's completely contrary, in all ways, to Indiana Jones."- I covered a smile with my hands... not again with his stupid jokes.-"Just visualize him with a hat and a whip."-Axel began to hum softly Indiana Jones's theme song. I couldn't resist smiling, but I had to bite my lips, or I'll be laughing horribly loud. Axel loves to make me smile, but... this... ha... wasn't... the... ha ha... time.
-"Shut up, Lex."- But my words were drowned in my own little giggles. I had to hide it with a cough, because Indi, I mean, Mr. Jones was waiting for Madeline's response.
-"My name is Madeline Temp. You can call me Maddie, for short."- She was looking at the whole class with a big bright smile.-"And a detail about me is... but there are so many! Just one, Maddie"-She was talking to herself... like she usually does. She, after half a minute, decided- "I love cooking! Yeah..."- That 'yeah' didn't sounded convincing. - " I'm a great chef. Most of the time, I am the one who cooks, but dad takes the kitchen on weekends. He makes a mean grilled steak. You should try it, Mr. Jones."-Maddie concluded.
-"Maybe, if you one day invite me for dinner."- Mr. Jones raised his view from Madeline, to me... oh boy. -"Next."
-"Maledizione!"- I cursed in Italian under my breath (which it mean 'curses'). Why Axel sit behind me? I'm not the smooth twin between us.
-"I didn't hear you, miss..."-Mr. Jones raised his eyebrow, waiting for my response. I raised my head, ensuring my eyes meted his. Not seeing in the eye is a sign of weakness.
-"Um... Miss Temp. I'm Alice Rachele Temp."- I said, trying to prove I can be at least half as smooth as my brother.
-"Temp... by any chances, you two are related?"- Mr. Jones was looking at both Maddie and me.
-"Us three."- I declared a bit shy.-"He's my, um..."-I pointed Axel embarrassingly.-"... twin brother. And,"-Now I pointed at Maddie.-"...she's our cousin."
-"Twins... I never had twins in class... But I accept new challenges with pleasure."-That's it. Everything is going more smoothly than a car in a recently paved road.-"You two come from where?"
Careful everybody! It turned out to be a bumpy road. Hang on to something... maledizione, maledizione, and a million time, maledizione! Say something reasonable, Alice. A place very far away, but you know a bit of its culture. Somewhere it makes you feel like in home...
-"Italy!"- I yelled at the whole class like a crazy goat.
-"Italy?"- Mr. Jones said with disbelief. I don't even eat it myself.- "From where?"- He said with excitement. Biggest. Plot. Twist. I. Have. Ever. Experienced.-"I never had an Italian student before, less two of them."- I can't believe he bought that cheap argument.
Madeline didn't. She turned around, facing me with face of full of astonishment. Indi didn't saw her, but I read her lips: 'What the heck!'
-"Yeah..."-Think of a place know, retarded musician... hey. -"We're from Cremona! Yes, ha, Cremona."- I said almost giving me a face slap.
Who in the name of... chimichangas shouts Italy? Well, apparently, me. Axel must be having a good time back there... Madeline could rip her hair off any second. I had to think about my origins...
-"Cremona... I heard of that place before, but I can't remember where."- Mr. Jones said to me. He completely forgot he has a whole class to attend.
-"You're a history teacher. You may have heard about Cremona before on a history book about... music. Cremona is the country where the most famous violins were born: Amatius, Guarnerius and Stradivarius."- I don't know how to continue.
-"Yes, I have read of it before. You know how to play the violin?"- He was interested, and I just received a chance to stop talking.
-"Um, yeah."- I said a little embarrassed.-"That's my personal fact. I'm a musician. That's why I know a lot about violins."- I hoped he didn't keep asking questions. I was lucky this time.
-"It makes senses. Maybe you can get on the school band. We don't have violins."-I said yes with my head. Mr. Jones turned from me to Axel... At last.-"And you're her sibling."
-"Yep. Axel Abel Temp, at your service."-Axel got up and bowed like a magician making his grand entrance. He's always smooth.- "That's for everybody."-He looked at a blonde girl at the next row, and winked at her. I sighed. My brother never changes... Wait a second...
-"Yes, surely you are. Today I prove is true what they say. There's always a more careless twin."-Mr. Jones said, while eyeing the blond girl. But I didn't pay attention to them. Behind her... please, turn around!
-"We're very contrary. She's all about music. I'm all about sports. I'm good at any: basketball, baseball, hokey, football, etcetera. Whatever I find..."- Axel impressed the class with his many talents, but I was looking at the boy behind the blonde girl that was looking at Lex with puppy eyes.
I only saw his brown hair hiding his face. I prayed he turn around and faced me. Is he the boy with the green déjà-vu eyes?
-"How 'bout that? Did my charms made any effects on that girl?"-Axel watched the blonde with desire.-"She's pretty hot. Nothing like me, but she makes a good competition."
-"Yes, perfect, wonderful, what your mind can invent. I don't care."-I said annoyed. I didn't turned around, giving the boy a was staring five seconds to do as I wanted. He was busy writing (or drawing?) on a open notebook. He took his time, making appear his work. I couldn't take it anymore, so I flipped myself toward my brother to get some advice. Mr. Jones was distracted with a student two desks away from Axel.
-"Is he the boy that survive a punch thanks to the principal?- I said, turning again and showing Axel what boy I was trying to figure out.
-"Looks like him... hey, are your cheeks getting red?"-He touched my face and smiled.-"You feel like you have a... feeeeeevvveeeeerrrrr."-
-"No I don't!"-I felted the rush of the blood coursing through my cheeks. "I deny it!"
Axel gave me a mocking smile-"You like him."
-"What? Ha! That must be the most ridiculous thing you have said in your whole life, after saying Chihuahuas aren't cute. Me? In love? Ha! That just crazy talk."
He hid a smile.-"I never said anything about love."
-"Hey!"
-"You said it."
-"I didn't meant that!"
-"What is said, is said."-Axel crossed his arms, in sign of victory-"You better think twice before speaking next time."
-"Shut up, Axel."
-"Now you want me to shut my mouth. You sometimes get too hostile when the topic in conversation it's your feelings."-He exaggerated a sad face.-"I have feelings too. You hurt me."
-"I'm serious. PLEASE, shut up."-I said firmly.-The blonde that's in front of our mystery guy it's talking. Let's mutually shut up, so we can hear the guy's name."-Axel, miraculously, did what I said. I was relieved, but he probably did because he 'needed' to know the girl's name. I sat there, hiding with my hands my red cheeks.
Turns out she's Emma Callaway and she is the cheerleader captain. She said it all while whipping her hair in an annoying way like 'Oh, look at me! I'm so darn pretty, because I'm the cheerleader captain' and made a pathetic 'cute' laugh to complete the annoying menu. Typical Axel. He ALWAYS likes to aim high, at popularity, makeup, and superficial girls.
-"Aw, she's perfect."- Lex said to me. I, turned to him, with my face full of disgust.
-"What? You're kidding? She's..."- I filled my cheeks with air. I looked like a blowfish, but I made it every time I was really mad, annoyed, or I was trying to lie.-"... horrible! And, beside,..."-I lowered my voice.-"... we shouldn't date, because we're freaking immortals. One day, the tables are going to switch. You'll have a broken heart."
-"Pss, sis."-He pated my head like I was a dog.-"Axel Temp only looks for fun."- I hated when he talked on third person, and I was about to insult him with something clever because of the patting, but he won me.-"Hey, your other half is about to talk."
-"He's my nothing!"
-"For now."
-"Ugh!"-I turned away from Lex, and faced the boy who was tormenting my mind for the longest twenty minutes in history.
He still was working on something in his notebook. I observed more closely, and saw he wasn't writing, but instead, drawing. I couldn't see what exactly was his drawing, but he was taking it very seriously. Mr. Jones waited at his side to drop his pencil, but it was a lost case. He cleared his throat.-"Mr. Bander, another one of your drawings?"
The boy was still as a statue, but upon hearing Mr. Jones's voice, jump of fright in his school desk, gasped of surprise and send his pencil (by unknown and mystical forces) towards my feet. I looked down at them and saw the contrast of my red sneakers with the light orange of his #2 pencil. I dragged it closer to me with my feet, got down and grabbed it with my hands.
-"Sorry, sorry. I didn't know it was my turn to talk."- Said the enigmatic boy nervously. He looked at both his sides.-"Where's my pencil?"
This is my opportunity!-"Um, I... have it."-He searched for my voice at other female classmates. He stopped dead as he saw his pencil at my hand, then, his eyes meted with mine... two pair of esmeralds were looking at me, and my mind froze. He stretched his arm to me. I did the same automatically. His fingers snatched the pencil away from mine, but not without brushing them. I felted coldness run through my body and I tried to keep calm. My fingers were getting colder with the tension... this was the boy from before. He smiled at me and assented with his head in gratitude.
-"Sorry, butter fingers."- He disconnected his eyes from me, and I felted a rope inside me snap. I inhaled deeply. He still had his pencil on his fingers, twirling it with confidence, as an occasional custom. He looked at our professor.-"My name is..."-The moment has come.-"... Michael Bander. I consider myself as an artist, because I like to draw."- His gaze felled to his notebook, now a sketchpad for me.-"A lot, lately. It has increased in the last days."
Mr. Jones walked away towards the guy behind Michael and continue with his mission...
Michael Bander...
Michael...
Bander...
Bander Michael...
Rednab Leahcim...
Even backwards sounds like music... WHAT AM I THINKING? This guy is creeping me out. First, feels like a déjà vu, and then he makes me feel weird... I don't know. My stomach hurts... but it's like a pleasant pain, like when someone spills alcohol on a bruise. It burns your soul, but it makes you feel better later.
Oh my Lord. My mind is racing. No... My heart is racing!!!
WHAT'S
HAPPENING
TO
ME!
I need a doctor. I need to get out of here. I'm already hyperventilating calmly, so nobody notices. I have to control myself. I still felted the coldness on my fingers, so I pressed one hand to another, to prevent an accident .Maybe I'm overreacting... HELP!
-"Can you slap me?"- I asked my brother. He looked at me like the strangest thing alive on Earth... maybe I am.
-"I don't hit girls. Maybe I'm hitting on some girls, but not hit, hit them."
-"Thanks for nothing, useless brother."
-"Your welcome."- He chuckled.
-"Ugh!"- I dropped my head to my desk and began hitting it repeatedly on it, to see if I had any luck to get out of this craziness. I begged for the bell to rang, but it didn't.
Is.
Going.
To.
Be.
A.
Freaking.
Long.
Heck.
Of.
A.
Day.
...
Just.
Like.
This.
Sentence.

Some time later...
(Everybody left the classroom, except Michael, Mr. Jones and Alice, who was asleep.)
Michael: Is that the new girl?
Mr. Jones: Yes. Looks like her brother is pranking her... We should wake her up.
Michael: Weird... She's kind of familiar...