What Am I?

Chapter 5

"Brianda, there's no compulsion. You sure you wanna do this? Like you've just come back."
"Dylan, we came back last week. I've had a week's rest."
"Darling, you don't need to."
"I need to mom. How long am I gonna stay trapped in the past. I need to move on in life, cope with time."
"Ok fine...but just remember I'm always there if you need anything."
"I know. We should leave or we'll be late."

" You sure about this? I mean I can drive you-"
"Dylan."
"Got it."
"Pheow! Let's go." said Brianda as they entered school- Brianda for the first time in three months. The entire school had seen the humiliating and character degrading video, but Brianda was not scared anymore.

"Hey isn't that Brianda?" "Look, she's back." "How come she's back?" "Heard she tried to commit suicide." The hallway was buzzing with the murmurs on Brianda's return.

"I'll walk myself to class. You'll get late for yours" she said nonchalantly, as if there were no people talking about her.
"I'm so proud of you" he smiled as they parted to attend their respective classes.

Dylan met his friends while everyone settled in the chemistry class in the presence of their teacher, Mrs. Forgerdus. Half the class was dozing off while Mrs. Forgerdus was with full interest teaching them, or at least trying to teach them, how and why atoms mix, protons, neutrons and what not.

"I would make jokes on chemistry, but all the good ones ARGON(Ar)! Get it?!" whispered Max.
"Are you serious Max?" Mia asked with a completely bewildered face. 

"That joke was sodium funny! I slapped my neon hearing that!" laughed Reece.

"Their jokes are so awful."
They couldn't control their laughter any longer. The two of them cracked up in the middle of the class, so loud and sudden that poor Mrs. Fogerdus jumped out of her skin.

"What is wrong with you two?! Stand up and leave the class right now. Meet me in the principal's office after class."
The two boys, still laughing got up from the seats and were about to leave when a brighter idea occurred to Mrs. Fogerdus.
"Hold it there boys. Going out of the class is like a blessing for you. Why don't you 'all sit through class and then come for an extra two hours after school to me so that we can polish your chemistry knowledge." 

"But we'll go out . Why do you wanna hassle your poor old body. We'll meet you at the principal's office."

"No. You are sitting here and then after school. No further arguments." 

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

The students waited for the class to get over; every minute felt like an hour. 

Dylan suddenly held Andrea's hand and when she looked at him, he gave her the most flirtatious smile ever. 

"Dylan, what are you doing? Not now, not here at least."

But what's wrong. I've done this so many times he thought.
Before Andrea could say anything more, Mrs. Fogerdus was ready with what she had to say.
"Mr. Wood. What do we think we're doing?"
"What am I doing? Just holding my girlfriend's hand, that's it. Is that a problem?"
"Oh, certainly not if you hold her hand. But there is if you start unbuttoning your shirt in the middle of the class."
"What do you me-" saying this he looked down at his shirt.
He was unbuttoning his shirt with his left hand.
"What the hell?!"
"Dude, you should know what the hell you're doing."
"Why am I unbuttoning my shirt in the middle of the class. I'm sorry Mrs. Forgerdus! You can continue till I fix myself."
"Hmm...seems like quite a libido rush." she said turning back to the board.

"She knows psychology?" wondered a shocked Reece.
Dylan managed to button up his shirt with his right hand.
After he was done, Alex said, "You're doing it again."
Dylan had started unbuttoning his shirt again. 
"WHAT THE FISH!"
The entire class looked as his hands tussled with the buttons to open or close them. Finally the bell rang and Dylan rushed to the washroom. Max went after him.

"I hope he's ok. I don't know what got into him during class."
"Chill, Max has gone behind him. I'm sure he'll be fine. We should wait at the cafeteria."
Mason, Alex and Reece took the girls to the cafeteria where they waited impatiently for Dylan and Max to return.

"Dylan! Come out! It wasn't a big deal."
"Exactly! You just unbuttoned your shirt in class. And you do have an amazing physique."
"Agreed. So there's nothing to be worried about."
Before they could say anything more, Dylan came out of the washroom, bemused.

"It's not the part of unbuttoning my shirt that's troubling me. It's the thought that I didn't even realise that I was doing something. This is the second time in two weeks that I've done something but I haven't realised. It just feels...weird."
"Your mind must be preoccupied. Maybe your mind is playing on Brianda. It's but obvious for you to worry about her. After all you almost lost her."
"Max is right Dylan. It's nothing major. Just don't think about it. Everyone's waiting. Let's go."
" You guys go. I'll join you in two." "Cool."

Dylan spent a considerable amount of time in the washroom thinking about what just happened. Nothing like that had ever happened to him. Cutting his thumb with the fork, unbuttoning his shirt in the middle of class seemed very unusual. Then he thought about what Max had said. Maybe he wasn't intending to do it but because of his mind being preoccupied he wasn't thinking about what he was doing. He thought not to worry himself further. He took a deep breath and walked out of the washroom.

Everyone in the cafe was giving him the 'is he ok' look, which irritated him.

He came and sat with his friends, but they were all silent.

"Why are you guys quiet? I'm fine, everything is normal."

"We know...it was just...weird..."

Dylan convinced them that everything was ok and he was just feeling hot. (Really bad excuse)

But no one knew what the future had in store for Dylan.