Sound

Chapter Nine

When Jack arrives back at the classroom, the students are all talking loudly, apparently abandoned their assignments all together.

“Quiet down!” He says, taking his seat at his desk.

“Where's Jason?” At least three of them shout at the same time, causing him to wince.

“He was sent home. Finish your work.”

“Was he suspended?” another student asks.

“I'm not allowed to tell you,” Jack says.

“He was just sent home, he gets to come back tomorrow,” says one of Jason's friends from the back of the room.

“What? That's not fair,” snaps Allison. “He attacked Sebastian.”

“Oh, shut up. He punched him, he didn't attack him. He isn't a wild animal,” says the boy from the back again.

“Could've fooled me.”

“That's enough,” snaps Jack. “Do your work.”

This time they all quiet down and a moment later Sebastian and Zack walk through the door, Sebastian holding a bag of ice to his face.

The class erupts into chatter again, bombarding the two boys with questions as they take their seat.

“I said be quiet,” Jack says, raising his voice. “Class ends in ten minutes, you can gossip then.”

This, of course, earns him some annoyed whispers and insults that he pretends not to hear.

Zack and Allison are whispering as quiet as possible to each other, both of them leaning over Sebastian to hear. Sebastian looks uncomfortable, as if he's resisting the urge to move seats or push both of them away.

Jack's phone buzzes, and when he looks at it he sees that he's been added to a group chat.

Luke: come here!!!!

Lindsey: He means come to the lab. We have something to show you.

Lindsey: Now.

Jack glances up at the class for a second before texting back.

Jack: I'm at work.

A split second later, he receives a text back.

Luke: Well, leave.

Lindsey: Come when you can.

Jack: Sebastian got in a fight.

As soon as he sends it, his phone rings, earning laughs and eye rolls from the students. He quickly tries to hit the red button, failing multiple times.

Jack: Lindsey I'm in a class

Jack: It wasn't really a fight, a kid just punched him.

Lindsey: Come to the lab. Now.

Luke: Yeah!

Jack rolls his eyes, but as soon as the bell rings and his students leave the room, he grabs his things and makes his way out the door. He doesn't have a class second block, so they shouldn't miss him. He considers finding Sebastian and taking him home, but decides against it considering the boy hasn't been to more than one class a day since he started at the school.

When he reaches the lab, he's greeted by an excited looking Luke.

“Come on, we have to show you something,” Luke says, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him down the steps to the basement.