After School Turmoil

After School Turmoil

David C. Russell

“I’ll meet you guys at the library,” Carley said as she, Bree, and Hannah exited the school grounds.

“What do you have to do?” Hannah asked.

“Stop by the discount mart and pick up some girl stuff for myself and my twin sister. It’s “bitch time” of month,” she said. Her friends smiled out of empathy.

Empathy in the school corridors seemed a contagious condition. The typical school day was regarded by many with: disinterest, nothingness, brain-wasting, manipulation, or indoctrination. Drama rampant included reports of: breakups, making up, exploitation, grumbling. Criticism of another’s physiology: body odor; displayed charm to connive, gossip, which was the Grand-dad of all maladies.

The three girls further discussed plans to watch the SNL episode from the previous week. The current QB for the Buffalo Bills had been host. He was a 'new hottie' for American women with superb tastes in guys.

“We’ll save you a spot at one of the terminals,” Bree said, holding the school door open for Carley and Hannah.

“Gee, thanks. See you there.” The threesome were tenth graders, and had been tight since middle school days.

At the library the scene was typical. Ms. Regina scolded a couple boys for fresh graffiti they had posted in the restroom. “Get the wipes and remove your display of intelligence from the bathroom walls,” she ordered.

One youngster was in tears. His parent had not shown up to transport him home. “I’m stuck here possibly forever,” he wailed.

“A couple argued vehemently over a math problem amid others urging, “Just shut up.”

Scenes like this went on most week days after school. The library had become a haven for what were termed ‘latchkey’ students. Some viewed these students as misfits, neglected, run-aways, unsupervised, lazy or uninvolved kids.

At a corner table for two, sat one boy named Dan. His mobile device in hand; before him was a book on ways to disconnect the power from a home. He thought this advice could be transferred to accomplishing the same at the high school.

“Want to do this tomorrow?” he said into his device.

“Oh, you have a track meet in the afternoon?”

“Screw the track meet. Getting school called off is…”

“Dan, are things all right?” asked Ms. Regina. She walked past him to reshelve some books that had been turned in by patrons.

“Oh, yea. Just talking to a friend,” he said.

“Gosh that was close. Ms. Librarian almost heard our chat,” Dan said into his phone.

“All right, I will, I will choose my words better. Go easy on me for God’s sake.”

Meantime, Hannah, Bree and Carley sat at a computer terminal about five feet from where Dan was seated.

“Dan’s up to something I think,” Carley said.

“Don’t mind him. He’s just a loser,” Hannah said.

“He has this studious, serious, look of concentration,” Bree said.

“I heard him tell someone to blow off the track meet tomorrow,” Hannah said.

A couple minutes later, it appeared Dan was on his device once more.

“You’re having a sail on dark glasses?”

“How about basic work gloves, those on sale too?”

“How long are you opened today?”

“I’ll walk there. I can be there in twenty minutes.”

As Bree had her attention on Dan, Carley and Hannah ogled over Josh Allen and laughed uproariously at the skits featuring him on SNL.

“Hey, this stuff Dan’s doing may be serious,” Bree said, reaching over to turn the volume control down on the desktop.

“If you’re so worried about the man Dan, go sit with him and hold his hand,” Carley said.

Bree stood from her chair and joined Dan at his table.

“I gotta go. Wish we could talk more but you know how it is,” Dan said, smiling wide in Bree’s direction.

“Not sure I know how it is. What is?” she asked.

“Big day coming up at the high school. Be ready,” he stated.

“What do you know that the rest of us don’t know?”

“Plenty honey, plenty.”

“Just tell me,” Bree urged, adding, “Your secret’s safe with me Dan.”

“You’re getting nosy and intrusive. That’s the main problem with people at our school: annoying too,” Dan said.

On Thursday, school hours were passing either quickly, slowly, or barely at all according to whom one may ask. It was now early afternoon. Bree, Carley and Hannah were in choir together. The student body numbered close to five-hundred ninth through twelfth grades.

In the office, two boys had been excused from school that day due to illness. So, no one was expecting Dan and Bill to be on the premises.

“Oh, hello Mr. Marshall,” Dan said, carrying a handbag at his side as he entered the school building.

“May I see ID, son?” he asked.

“You know me. We say hi just about every day. I’m Dan Zimmer.”

“Let me see identification,” Mr. Marshall said, tone a bit stern.

Dan waved his ID card before the security guard. Bill did likewise.

“Log says you boys are ill. How’d you recover so quickly?” Mr. Marshall asked.

Bill answered, “Our mothers are nurses. They can work wonders you know.”

“Nurses my buttock. I know they are in retail,” Mr. Marshall said.

“Well, let’s go today. We’re going to class now,” Bill stated.

Before Mr. Marshall could impose his will, the boys were off. Minutes later, the building went dark.

From a nearby Burger King, Dan called the school to report a bomb threat was in process. Students, of course, were dismissed.

On departure from the grounds, Bree and Hannah went to the office and reported Dan’s curious behavior having occurred at the library earlier in the week.

An hour later, the two boys were apprehended, parents notified, and in the office of the local Police Chief. They sat in hard plastic chairs, concrete floor under foot, air a bit stuffy, the Chief smoking a cigar behind the desk.

“You boys went too far. You will be suspended obviously, and facing criminal charges too,” the Chief said.

“We were just trying to have fun,” Dan said, tears streaming down his face.

“You should have looked up the word fun, what it means and act accordingly,” the Chief replied.

A short time later, two men entered the office. They were each the father of Dan and Bill.

“Problem here?” Bill’s father asked.

“These two cut the power at the high school and one called in a bomb threat,” the Chief said.

“Treat them with justice. Some have to learn the hard way,” Bill’s father urged.

“I agree. I love my son but not enough to get him off the hook,” Dan’s father added.

“Very well. You boys will be booked now, thank you gentlemen,” said the Chief.

End