Chapter Twenty-Seven
The screech of the school bells provided relief for the stressed-out students who were pulling their hair out during math class. Among these specific students was Zachary, who looked concerningly close to doing something drastic.
"I get it now," he said to no-one in particular. "They make us do these things so that we go crazy... I get it now!"
He looked at Nicolas and giggled like a maniac. Nicolas, on the other hand, was still mentally frozen from his aced pop-quiz score. He didn't even notice that him and his friends were on talking terms again.
Azure kept her stare averted from Nicolas all the time. She had a blank expression that hid a wrath behind those emerald eyes of hers. Nicolas dared not to try to get her attention, for fear that he may not recover from whatever power her anger holds.
The next class that was due was Language Arts, Nicolas's personal favorite. Professor Modell softly smiled at the children when they entered, motioning all of them to sit down. Nicolas saw Benjamin again, but he had a haggard air about him...
Modell stood up, walked over to the chalkboard and began writing something in large letters. Once he was finished, he turned to the class with a finger pointed to the board, which wrote, once again, "Understanding the English Language".
"Do you remember this?" Modell asked. The class harmonized with yesses.
"Good. I decided that now would be a good time to visit your progress with the comparison and contrasting of Huckleberry Finn and Hamlet. I would like to question you all on that matter, if you would be so confident?"
A blonde-haired student inquiringly raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Collymore?" called the professor. The boy started to blush and tap his finger on his desk, perhaps because everyone turned to look at him. "...Well," he began, "yesterday... I was informed that my grandmother passed. I got the news while I was studying last night... I couldn't bring myself to finish." His face scrunched up and Nicolas braced himself for the waterfall.
Modell's surprised eyes moved frantically, likely in search of extra help in this situation. "I'm—I'm so sorry," he lightly stammered. Nicolas subtly turned to look at his friends who seemed to mirror his confusion.
The professor cleared his throat. "I guess you won't be quizzed today," he said quietly, slightly moving the papers on his desk. "Make sure you have it in by tomorrow, Mr. Collymore."
"Of course, sir!" responded Collymore, his face going from its ugly expression to a bright grin. He joined his hands together and kept his jubilation for the rest of the class. Modell did one quick nod, then turned his attention to the rest of the class. "These papers," he began, putting a finger on the papers next to him, "are going to be assigned to you to explain the difference in speech that you encountered during your reading, and also the similarities. Any questions?"
His eyes flicked from student to student, all of whom were quiet. "Good, you understand."
He picked up the papers and walked from behind the desk, giving Nicolas a sudden rush of déjà vu. As he handed them out one by one, the sound of a tapping finger became more apparent. Nicolas looked over to a sweat-drenched Zachary, breathing heavily with bulging eyes. His pupils looked almost like they were shaking.
When the professor got to Zachary, he stopped in his tracks. He bent down to look him in the face, asking, "Are you okay, Mr. Abbycat?"
There wasn't a reply from the boy, rather a slight movement to adjust his collar. Modell asked again, putting a hand on Abbycat's shoulder. Zachary's eyes shot up, giving the professor a start. "Zachary!" whispered Modell worriedly, "You need to get to the infirmary immediately... You don't look right."
Chatter came in from all around the classroom, booming in an unintelligible unison. Zachary instantly stood up and took a few steps to the side, though very wearily so. Suddenly, with a deafening thud, his body fell to the ground like an anchor thrown in water.
Nicolas's heart began pounding out of his chest as waves of children jumped up from their seats at the scene. Shrieks of "Zachary!" and "Oh my god!" rang through his ears, and most likely, the entire school. Passerby kids could be seen looking through the door's window to see what the commotion was.
Professor Modell quickly grabbed Zachary's body and threw him over on his shoulder as if he'd experienced this before. "Calm down!" He shouted at the crazed class. "I'm taking him to the infirmary, you all stay here!"
Without any stall, the professor sprinted out of the door with the unconscious Zachary, leaving behind a trauma-struck classroom. Azure began to cry, and Patton was starting to hyperventilate; his kippah had fallen on the cold floor.
Tens of children exchanged whispers in distress. All of them were asking if Zachary was okay—and no one had the answer. Nicolas put his hand through his hair in an attempt to calm down his dangerously fast heartbeat, but in vain.
He had never felt anything like this before... Why did this shake him so much?
End Of Chapter
I am so, so sorry for how long I made you wait for this. I really hope it was worth it for you :]
Love ya'll,
nobodyimportant out—
