Chapter Three
The end of English class bell rang, and not a moment too soon! The honeymoon was over before it even began! To have a teacher like that for my first class at a new school, fresh from school holidays? I dread to think what the rest of my teachers will be like! I’ve never seen anyone pack up and leave the room as fast as this class of students did – me included! I especially wanted to get to my skateboard before anyone else did. I kept a sturdy eye on Ms Fatigoo to make sure she didn’t try to catch me on the way out. Her back was turned whilst she was rubbing clean the whiteboard with the chalk duster - her short, fat arms made it difficult for her to reach the very top. She would probably look taller if she was slimmer.
‘Karris!’ came a shout from behind her.
Well, so much for trying to be discreet. My heart jumped as I tried to rush out the door as quick as I could before Ms Fatigoo had any ideas. But I knew it was Lisa who called out to me and that she would understand exactly why I didn’t acknowledge her. I quickly darted out of the door and reached for my skateboard, but when I ducked down underneath the bench to retrieve it, it wasn’t there.
‘Looking for this?’ came a sarcastic boy’s voice.
I looked up, only to notice it was the same boy who had teased me in class earlier on… and he was riding my skateboard! My jaw dropped to the ground because I couldn’t believe it! I felt tears well up in my eyes at the humiliation of everyone starting at me and laughing along with him!
‘Hey, Karris!’ Lisa puffed behind me. She immediately looked in the direction at where I was glaring, soon realizing what was going on.
‘What a freakin’ jerk!’ she whispered to me out aloud. Then, the next thing I know, Lisa storms right up to him and demands, ‘Hey, Preston.., what gives your fat arse the right to take her skateboard?’
I was quite shocked to hear such language come out of Lisa’s mouth, as she comes across as such a sweet, innocent girl. I mean… I’m guilty of using occasional bad language myself… but Lisa? God! Now I’m starting to sound like my Mother!
‘I give me the right to take Carrot’s skateboard!’ Preston snarled.
‘It’s Karris, now give it back!’ I yelled as I stormed over to him.
‘Carrot McApple!’ Preston teased, ‘what next? ‘Ronald McDonald?’’
I suddenly felt my blood boil as I heard everyone around me laugh. I looked all around and noticed everyone staring at me, waiting for my response. It didn’t feel real, it wasn’t really happening. My head was spinning and everyone seemed to look blurry, as if they were 3D. It was then that I realised that… I was potentially in a fight – with the school bully! The new girl V’s the school bully! Oh my God! How did I get myself into this situation? I had to do something… I couldn’t let him humiliate me any further in front of all these people… so, without thinking, and basing the blame purely on natural reaction, I took a full charge – like a bull to a red flag – and rugby tackled Preston to the ground and knocked him clean off my skateboard! Mixed reactions from the crowd said it all – especially when Ms Fatigoo came out to see what all the commotion was about!
‘What’s going on here?!’ she yelled as she made her way through the crowd of on-lookers.
I jumped to my feet as quick as possible before she got to see. Preston, on the other hand, was still flat on his back, struggling to get up, as he, too, was a bit on the chubby side. Ms Fatigoo stood over Preston and looked directly down on him, and without wanting to hear any explanation what so ever, she yelled, ‘Preston Flower, you have detention at lunch time today and everyday for the rest of the week! Now get up off the ground! And everyone else, GET TO YOUR NEXT CLASS!!!’
