The Garden of Eden || Canis Canem Edit / Bully [ #WATTYS2018 ]

Chapter Eighteen: Informant

Eden felt her insides churn violently, like curdled milk mixing with lemon. The sight before her was revolting and made her second guess choosing biology as a class. She didn't think much when Mr Slawter carted in the prehistoric television on wheels, nor when he threw around numerous videotapes labelled under suspicious names. She doubted herself when the narrator's voice blared through the speakers of the TV, explaining how to dissect the very frog that lay sprawled in front of her.

The minuscule classroom reeked of dead frogs, the pungent scent hanging in the air resembling rotten meat with an alarmingly sickly sweet undertone. No one could really focus on the Bill Nye the Science Guy rip-off that was slicing up the frog as though it were his next sushi dish, the class was too busy poking and prodding at their own frogs.

The tall teenager had her nose wrinkled at the smell, shaking her head in disdain. Eden couldn't tell if she was more disgusted at the frog guts on the screen or her lab partner. Jimmy heartlessly jabbed the scalpel in the frog's eyes, causing it to pop right out. He chuckled, not noticing Eden shiver at his coldness, and rammed it into the frog's socket harder.

"Ew, I can feel its brain." He crowed, the nauseating squishing noises he was making piercing her ears. "Right in the eye socket."

"Have you no remorse?" She questioned, even though she knew the answer all too well.

Jimmy carried on as if she had said nothing at all. "If I poke any harder it'll come squirting out like toothpaste."

The odour of death rose in the air like invisible smoke, making Eden pale. "Please Jim, enough."

He groaned and threw the scalpel down, the gleaming objection dripping in blood and other fluids. "Fine, fine." He groaned tiredly, plopping down in his bench seat beside her. "I gotta take down those trust fund losers."

"You're referring to The Preppies?"

"Yeah, those pompous losers." He grumbled, shoving the tray littered with frog remains away from them. "I just don't know how."

Eden glanced up intently at the ceiling as if the words she was looking for were somehow written there.

Her mind flashed back to her conversation with Gary, as she held her chin in thought. 'Gary wouldn't mind if I told Jimmy where the Preppies hang out? I mean, it's not like it's important information.' 

She watched as Jimmy wracked his brain, probably devising a plan like his scheming rival, Gary. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, coming to no conclusions.

"I heard that they hang around the Glass Jaw Boxing Club?"

He stared at her with an incredulous expression, leaning in closer to her. "They do?"

"Yes, well I mean, that's what I've heard." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"You heard," He further questioned, a raised eyebrow regarding her suspiciously. "From who?"

She blankly stared at him, blinking her eyes a couple of times to feign innocence. "I do talk to Pinky sometimes, she's mentioned the name a few times."

"Hmm," The stocky boy trailed off, his eyes averting from her to the television screen. "I'll talk to Petey about it, probably check it out after class."

"Want me to join you?" She offered, smiling warmly at him.

"Sure, meet me at the front of the school at around five - it sounds like it'll be a mission to get them to submit."

Eden couldn't help but giggle quietly at his choice of words, rolling her eyes playfully at him before nudging his side. 

"Alright, bad boy."