BOUNDED | Brothers Online Series | BK #2

Chapter 15: Uniformed Fool

Seventh Grade

Beye Middle School

Winter Dance

"Thom! Mah man! What chu up to big guy?" A heavy hand landed on Thom's shoulder. The young Min' looked up over his math homework. He gave a wry grin and nodded.

"Just finishing up some homework. Because of education and all that."

"Yeah yeah, of course." The hand wave dismissively. "So you got a date to that dance tonight? It's not too late you know."

"Ahhh... no..." Thom dryly replied. "I have a date with these geometry problems. No time to dance."

"You're such a nerd! Brotha, just go to the dance. It'll be fun!"

'Yes,' Thom thought to himself with a suppressed eye roll. 'Because contorting your body to the beat of music is ever so fun. I'll gladly subject myself to such lowly ridicule.'

"Yeah dude!" Another voice said, "All the girls will be there! Don't you wanna see some chicks in tight skirts?"

'Yet again, I am amazed at the comprehension of these humans. I already said no. Take your hormones to another universe. Less here makes everyone six times happier.'

However, he didn't say that. No no, that wouldn't do when you're talking to your seniors now would it? After all, seventh graders were to bow to the big bad eighth graders. Plus, Thom really wanted to finish off that pyramid problem. He was just finding the slant height. It wasn't too hard.

"Sorry Jeet, but I don't even have a ride planned out today. How am I supposed to go? And I have no date either."

There, that was more diplomatic wasn't it? Better than telling the three guys to swallow some eggs.

Jeet sighed dramatically and sat himself down on the adjacent chair. "Thom, come on man. Listen to me."

As if he wasn't already. See, this is why he had no friends. Because he would rather shoot barbed remarks in his mind and do homework than bother with who likes whom and what date dated which. It was all so slow otherwise. Movement was key and going fast was better. With his homework completed, Thom could get to the good stuff: sleeping, practicing, or messing around with that new bike his dad got him. It was his best bike and he had so many ideas for it. Stick on a flashlight wired to the handles. Ooh! Maybe even add on turn signals! Yeah, then he wouldn't have to put his hand left to turn left, right to turn right, and down to signal he was stopping. There were so many ideas for the bike. He wasn't sure if he could do them all.

Jeet was completely ignored as Thom's mind jumped from thought to thought, sometimes without even careful evaluation of the previous thought. There was no need for a slow process; improvise where things don't work. Move faster and faster.

Say, maybe he could get his dad to motorize the bike...

"‒that's what I heard anyways. You might get a date sooner than you think."

'What? I never asked for a date!' Thom feel out of hyperspace and into unknown imperial domain. He was back to reality.

"Are you even listening to me?" Jeet prodded the mute boy who was staring intently at him; past him and beyond. "I said that Lill was thinking on asking you to the dance. She did drop all those hints."

'Hints? What hints? And who's Lill?'

"She's that one girl with really long brown hair? Dude, she talked to you the other day!"