No Smart Kids Allowed

Chapter 18: Strings and Thick Needles

Before I walk back into class, Mrs. Riker steps out. "Cosima," she smiles. "I have some interesting news for you. Your parents informed me that you were good with makeup. We want you to be a part of the Cover It Up unit. How about it?"

Did I have a choice? Of course not. "Is this a choice?"

"You don't have to," she says. "But I insist."

I smile. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't think I'd be cut out for that."

She sighs. "Okay, not a problem. There are other opportunities here in Johnson City Middle School. The Body Dismemberment Treatment Training is open and we're looking for a new member."

Immediately I think, BDT. Aaliyah is in that unit. "Why? Isn't...Aaliyah in the BDT unit?"

"Ehhh," she looks away from me. "Well, the teachers and others in charge are so upset with her that they made up a new punishment."

"What!" I say louder than I should have.

"Watch your tone of voice," she crosses her hands. "For Aaliyah's video being shared around with students, she will have both her hands cut off and acid poured into her eye sockets."

I find it hard to blink my eyes in that moment. "I don't think that she deserves that. I mean,-" I start looking for an explanation, but I can't find one. Tears fall from my eyes. "Please don't do this to her," I beg. "I will do anything, but please don't do this to-"

An announcement comes on through the speakers. "Everybody report to the gym for Aaliyah Shamwil's punishment."

All of a sudden, students are running out of their classes. Some are fist pumping into the air. A lot of them are excited for this to be happening. I hear people say, "Oh yeah, another atonement," or "I can't wait to see this one."

"No," I choke. It's the only thing that I can say. There is no way for me to save her, no matter how hard I think. 

All of a sudden, I feel a hand whack me in the face, slapping me out of my thoughts. I cover the burning sensation on my face, but Ms. Riker yanks my hand away. "I've had it with you. Come with me. You must forget about rule number four often."

"What?" I call out when she drags me back into the class and closes the door behind herself. 

"Speaking your mind," she says, locking the door.

I'm scared now, completely terrified. I try and run for the door, but I should have known better not to. Mrs. Riker grabs my waist and pulls me away from the door.  She slaps me in the face three more times, then pushes me into a chair. I tumble over it, hurting my back and left shoulder.

"If you move again, I'll kill Aaliyah myself. Felix, Mulan, Scott, and Gemma will be dead in the blink of an eye if you don't take a seat right now." She stares me down.

I don't think twice. I won't let my friends die. Even if I try to escape, I can't. I get up and take a seat in the chair, waiting for what's coming my way. Rule number four...Rule number four. What was it? I sit there, watching as she shuffles around in her desk for something. I can't remember the punishment, so I wait for it, hoping I would survive whatever it is.

"Don't worry," she says, reaching into the desk. "It will feel uncomfortable, but you'll live."

My lips shut together when I see her holding and needle and thread. The needle is a little thicker than a thin one you would use for sewing. Upon seeing it, I knew the punishment coming for me. 

Lips sewed shut.

"For how long?" I ask, trying my best not to run. I hold onto my chair. If I ran, that's it for my friends. As much as I want to save Aaliyah, I'm too late.

"A day," she smiles, now walking towards me. "Now hold still," she bends down next to me and raises the needle near my lips. 

"Hey," I say as she inches near my lips with the needle. "It's too thick. It won't go through." She pinches my lip and looks into my eyes.

"I'll make it go through." She hisses.

The needle is almost thick as a pencil. I can't let her stick them into my lip. I just can't. I'm about to jump up, but she had already read my mind. My body leans to the side uncontrollably and Mrs. Riker catches me to position me back in the chair. I can't move my body and it's when she shows me a needle, I know what she had done. She had paralyzed me and I hadn't felt the needle go through me.

"Now you'll stay still."

"Please don't do this," I begin to cry. 

With no mercy, she jabs the pencil sized needle into my bottom lip first and with a powerful force, pushes it in. I let out a loud cry. I hold my breath, taking in all of the stinging sharp pain in my lip. Blood slides underneath my tongue. She very slowly slides the needle farther through my lip, making me feel every small movement of the metal object. I've never experienced something so uncomfortable and painful in my entire life. Next, she bends the needle towards my top lip. I can't help but cry out as she does.

"I know, I know, this is the hard part." She winks at me.

I close my eyes as the needle now slides through the skin on my upper lip. She has to yank and pull the needle through because it's so thick and long. I scream as the pain grows more and more intense. I can taste more blood and feel it dripping down my chin. My entire lip tingles as the needle come out and the string slides through the holes, irritating the nerves.

"On the bright side," she smiles. "You don't have to worry about your lipgloss for a few days, right?" She breaks out into hysterical laughter. I just stare, not believing that this is happening. This feels like a dream, only I can't seem to wake up.

She's about to stick the needle inside of my lip again, but a knock at the door interrupts her. Mrs. Riker drops the string and lets it dangle from my mouth. The needle weighs on my lip, adding more intensity to the stinging pain. She then lets go of me and I drop to the floor as well, landing right on my shoulder. I let out cry as my face hits the hard ground.

She opens the door and I start hearing Rachel's voice. "Where is Cosima Niehaus? The kids will be here in 20 minutes for her to show them around."

"She's being punished." Mrs. Riker replied.

I heard a long silence between them, then the door shut very softly. "What punishment?" Rachel asks in a quiet voice.

"She stated her-"

I hear a loud slap, then some chairs tumble over. There's a lot of grunting and I can hear Mrs. Riker yelling for her to stop. I can't look because I'm still paralyzed. Soon I hear high heels clinking towards me. Rachel is now standing over me with a needle in her hand. She stabs me in the arm with it and injects me with God knows what. However, all the feeling comes back and I'm able to stand on my own.

Holding the needle in my hand, I watch in horror as Mrs. Riker's skin begins sliding off of her face. The skin on her face is loose and black gooey stuff starts pouring over it. She's moaning for help. Rachel shakes her head in pity. "I'll send in the CIU for you soon. Next time don't intervene in on my work. We're low on food you know." 

When she faces me I shiver. She pulls out something from her back pocket and takes the same kitchen knife she used on me to cut the string inside of my lips. She then removes the needle and drops it on the ground along with the string. "I believe we have some chaperoning to do." She faces me with a serious expression. "But first, we have an atonement to watch."