PARA-PLEGIC #CHAPTER 2# ⠀⠀That… took far, far longer than expected. ⠀⠀I glance down at my watch and grimace as the others begin to file out of the study hall. It’s already 11:46. I was hoping to at least get to a single one of my classes this morning… ⠀⠀“Hey, Ben.” ⠀⠀I turn in the direction of the voice, and am greeted by a disembodied head. It’s Liz, the Treasurer; the brachiosaur had leaned over to talk to me while she’s tapping away on her laptop. ⠀⠀“Yes, Liz?” ⠀⠀“The Cooking Club is putting together a bake sale. We’re pretty scrapped for cash, buuuut…” her eyes slowly travel in the direction of her body, which is holding her laptop for us to see. It’s open to a spreadsheet. She turns back to look at me after checking her work. “It shouldn’t really be hard for them to make a return off of it if we can get them a timeslot right before the End of Summer Festival. I can’t really sign off on it, though, so…” ⠀⠀Her gaze turns expectant. I sigh, waving my hand in the air. “I’ll take care of it later.” A small smile graces her face as her body stows the laptop in her bag, then moves to join us. “Stressed about the audit?” ⠀⠀“Yeah. It’s, uh, gonna be a lot.” ⠀⠀“Don’t worry about it. Uncle Mike is kind of a softie. He’ll probably be more of a helper than a problem.” I huff at the prospect, but a part of me does relax a little. Liz has always been capable. Really capable. It’s honestly a bit surprising that she never ran for Student Council President - guess she just prefers handling the money instead. ⠀⠀She rolls her eyes as she adopts *that* one look. “Besides, you’re good at juggling those rejects. I swear, half of the people here show up just to goof off and cause trouble” Right. That’s why she’s not Student Council President. She’s a little bit too, ah… blunt. ⠀⠀A rumbling from her phone interjects - thankfully sparing me the need to follow up on that comment. Her bored expression reading her notifications quickly turns to satisfaction. “Speaking of idiots…” ⠀⠀She meets my raised eyebrow with a swaying neck and a dreamy smile. “Damien wants to hang out after school todaaaaay~” I shake my head, the infectious smile making itself at home on my snoot. It’s kind of amazing - Liz is always so serious, so business-minded, so professional, so…judgemental, but the moment Damien enters the picture she just… drops all of it. Guess that’s what love’s like. ⠀⠀This time, my stomach is the one rumbling its interruption. Right - it’s almost lunch. “Let’s head to the cafeteria, Liz. I’d rather not have to squeeze through the riot today.” Her head bobs up and down in assent - easier for her than nodding, with the angle her vertebrae are at - and we’re off. ⠀ ⠀⠀Not a moment too soon, either. The stampede arrives right as we get into the lunchroom proper - which isn’t that surprising. What is surprising is that I can already see some students sitting down. Including Damien and Olivia, who Liz is already walking up to. ⠀⠀Well, I walked here with Liz, so might as well eat with them before I run the rounds. ⠀⠀“‘Sup Liz. Ben.” Olivia was the first to notice us, leaning back in her chair with her legs crossed. Still wearing that old flaming skull T-shirt and jeans, still wearing ratty old sneakers. Her fashion hasn’t changed much. Damien, who had been tearing into his mystery meat like he was muzzle-deep in a carcass, was quick to look up in our direction with a smile. ⠀⠀“Yo! C’mon, we got seats for you!” They always have seats at that table, they’re the only ones who hang out towards the back. Whatever. Liz is quick to say hello to the both of them - and linger over Damien - as she slaps on her soda cap. I just give a quiet greeting and pull out a tupperware of salad. I hold St Hammond in high regard, not the St Hammond cafeteria. ⠀⠀“Hello you two, it’s been a while. Had a good Summer?” ⠀⠀Olivia’s about to speak up, but Damien was quicker. Leaning over to me with a hand on the table, he cuts her off. “Yeah, yeah, Summer was great, but listen! Dude! There’s a HUMAN in school now!” Ah, Inco. ⠀⠀“Yeah, I was showing him around before first period.” I turn my head over to the sheer wall of scale and feather towards the entryway. A wave of concern washes over me. “...I hope he doesn’t get hurt trying to get in here though…” ⠀⠀“Nah, you don’t gotta worry about that. He got sent home.” My head whips back to Damien, pupils like pin pricks. Oh God, on the FIRST day? I do NOT need that this Semester! ⠀⠀“What!?” ⠀⠀With a teasing side-eye at Olivia (who is staring back at him angrily, hands raised in the air), the grinning spino-dilo answers. “Yeah. ‘Liv and I had PE with him, and she domed him right in the face with a dodgeball. Solly took him out after that.” ⠀⠀“Olivia-” ⠀⠀“Look, if I KNEW he wouldn’t get up when Solly walked up to murder him, I wouldn’t have hit him so hard!” My gaze drops from the defensive baryonyx to the table, hands running through my hair. God, I really didn’t need this today. “Can you at least apologize to him tomorrow, Olivia?” ⠀⠀The green gator’s hands drop limply to her sides as her head rolls backwards, mouth open in a long scowl. “Ugh, fiiiine. I didn’t MEAN to put him out for the count anyways.” ⠀⠀“Yeah, right. I saw how you threw that ‘Liv. You wanted to put him six feet under!” She glowers, tucking her head low as her arms cross over (or, more accurately, under) her chest. “Screw you, Damien.” ⠀⠀Well, there’s nothing I can really do about that whole fiasco. I just hope the gossip mill isn’t gonna be too rough on Inco. I go back to eating my leafy greens ⠀⠀Eager to get off of the topic, Olivia pivots back to my original question. “Anyways, Summer was pretty good. Got some pretty good paintings done in August. Think I’m gonna put one of ‘em in the Art Contest this year.” ⠀⠀“Again?” Liz questions her as she returns from the rafters with a slight grimace. “Olivia, you can’t even win the contest, not after Freshman year. You already know you’re gonna get disqualified with an honorable mention again. Why not sit this one out?” ⠀⠀Olivia looks up at her with a smug look. “Just ‘cause I can’t win doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy seeing my art up on the projector in a month. Besides, nobody worth a damn is getting hurt by it - whoever’s good enough to win’s gonna get their industry plug just like I did, and everyone else in the school’s gonna tell me how much they like my work. Just like Sophomore year, ‘n just like Junior year.” ⠀⠀Liz rolls her eyes, munching her mouthful. “Yeah, but we can’t SELL stuff you put in the contest, it’ll belong to the school. High school’s almost over, ‘Liv. I was HOPING to have a full set of your work to put up for auction after College, when we open shop.” ⠀⠀For her part, the gator just closes her eyes and shakes her head - like a child. “Nope. I’m gonna submit it. Besides, I can just make some better stuff later. We’ve got like four years before it matters.” It’s Liz’s turn to groan in annoyance. ⠀⠀Liz and Olivia had been partners in crime almost since we all got to St Hammond. We all knew that Olivia was gonna be a painter - I mean, have you SEEN her work? And Liz has been pretty vocal about wanting to become an art dealer ever since eighth grade, when she went on that field trip to that art gallery downtown. Once Olivia won the Art Contest Freshman year, well - nobody’s exactly surprised that they work so closely. ⠀⠀Just wish that Olivia’s ego hadn’t gotten so inflated. Not that she’s a bad person - not at all. Just, uh… going from being a kid who plays video games and draws stuff to being paraded around as next-best-thing-since-acrylic-paint didn’t exactly do much to make her humble. Combine it with her, ah, caustic opinions of others, and it’s turned her into a real elitist over the years. Not the most fun to hang around. Still, at least she doesn’t go picking fights with anyone. ⠀⠀After a minute or two of silence, Damien pipes up. A bit weird - usually he keeps things going quicker. “Hey, Liz, Ben - you two gonna be doing the Art Contest too?” I turn to the half-breed to answer, but shock stops me for a moment. His plate had less food on it before, did he go grab seconds? That’d explain the Damien delay. ⠀⠀“Yeah! I’m actually feeling pretty good about my chances this year.” Pulling out her phone, Liz shows us a piece of digital art - a village townhouse. Rustic, classy. I begin to nod approvingly - but quickly wince as Damien blows out my eardrums, his frills going crazy. ⠀⠀“YOOOOOOO! That’s so cool! It looks so realistic!” The brachiosaur beams at the complements from her crush. “Thanks. Took me about a week to really blend some of the more fanciful elements into each other. I based it on my grandfather’s house, back in the old country.” ⠀⠀“This is amazing! You can’t even tell it’s digital!” Damien turns from the phone, to me, to the phone, to Olivia, back to the phone, his mouth agape. He grabs it and shoves it in our faces. “Olivia, Ben, check it out!” ⠀⠀I grimace, pulling my head just a bit as I push his wrist back. “...I could see it when she was holding it, Damien.” I hear Olivia snort next to me. “Yeah, dude. Chill out. It’s pretty good. A lot better than a bunch of the crap people submit.” ⠀⠀The half-breed recedes sheepishly, a gleaming grin on his face. Sighing, I get peppy again. “It’s very nice, Liz. I’ve got several that I was thinking of submitting, but I haven’t decided on anything.” ⠀⠀I hear my fork clunk against the plastic bottom of the tupperware. Looking down and realizing that I’d finished my salad already, I check my phone - 12:20. I pack my tupperware and get up. ⠀⠀“Headin’ out already, bro?” I look back up at Damien, who’s giving me an inquisitive look. “Yeah, well, y’know. Lotta people to catch up with. Fun talking with you guys again!” ⠀⠀Damien gives a slow shrug. “Alright, man. See ya later.” Liz gives a small wave, while Olivia nods. Haven’t really hung out with them much these past couple of years. Not sure why, guess I just drifted. Or I got busy. Lot of Student Council work, lots of school work, lots of keeping up with people and being social… ⠀⠀A Hadrosaur smiles at me as I approach his table. “Hey, Ben! Long time no see!” I smile back. “Hey, George...” ⠀ ⠀⠀I sigh, rubbing my tired eyes as I walk through the hallways. It’s funny - I’m pretty sure most people dread the lunch bell. With all the walking around, starting and stopping conversations, keeping track of what’s going on with everyone… it’s almost relieving to go back to classes. ⠀⠀A smile crosses my face. Scratch that. This year, it absolutely is a relief. I’ve got photography with Iadakan after lunch. The Pterosaur has got to be the best teacher I’ve ever seen. Just kinda wish Olivia didn’t send Inco out of commission, I’m sure he’d love to me- ⠀⠀The doorknob isn’t turning. My brow furrows as I feel annoyance creep up. Why is it- ⠀⠀Looking up, I see a dark and empty classroom inside. And a piece of paper taped to the door right in front of me. ‘Mr Iadakan is currently absent. Due to scheduling conflicts with our substitutes, today’s GA401-A, GA301-A, GA401-B, and P405-A classes are canceled. Class will resume tomorrow.’ ⠀⠀My smile soured as the annoyance turned to disappointment. This su- stinks. I was really looking forward to catching up with Iadakan. Glancing around, I see a few other students - Vanessa and Claire, I think - chatting in the hallway about it. Out of habit, I take a step towards them to chat before I stop myself. I’m really not in the mood to talk to anyone right now. ⠀⠀Guess I’ll just find a quiet table outside and catch up on the morning classes. ⠀ ⠀⠀The rest of the day was… pretty uneventful. Had AP Calc with Mr Garfunkel. There were a couple students there who never had him before, so he gave the normal warning about not making “THE joke”, since he got the last kid who did expelled for it. I made a mental note to reinforce that warning next time I chat with each of them - I don’t want Mr Ferris to see the student base being so insensitive. Other than that, the Nigersaurus is a pretty cool guy, really soft-spoken and laidback. First time I’ve seen a Math teacher who teaches music, too. ⠀⠀That was last period, though. School’s over, and most people filed out for the day. The two of us are in the tutoring center now; on paper he’s proctoring, but really he’s just leaning back in his chair, listening to quiet folk-rock music. I, on the other hand, am tutoring a student. A particular salmon scaled student, with brown hair and frills. It’s an uphill struggle, to be sure. ⠀⠀“...You just add three to both sides, an-” ⠀⠀“But where do you get the three from?” ⠀⠀“Wha-? The three doesn't come from anywhere, you just add three.” ⠀⠀“Dude, that doesn’t make any sense.” ⠀⠀Mr Garfunkel calls over from his desk. “Damien, if you’ve got - if you’re trying to… isolate a variable, then it doesn’t matter what you do to one side as long as you do it to the other. You’re just trying to get the variable alone so that you know what it is.” ⠀⠀Damien stares at him for just a moment, before his eyebrows raise and he nods. “...Oooohhh. Thanks, Mr Garfunkel.” Damien turns back to me, raising his frill for secrecy’s sake, whispering, “The variable was the letter, right?” ⠀⠀I pinch my brow. It’s a miracle he’s in Algebra and not Remedial. “...Yes, Damien, it is.” ⠀⠀The sound of Mr Garfunkel standing up stops the session. “Well, you two, it’s been an hour. I’d say that’s enough for the first day back.” He hardly finishes his sentence before Damien runs out of the class, calling out a goodbye to both of us. I trudge up to the front of the room after him. “Are you feeling alright, Ben?” asks the Nigersaurus. I sigh. “Damien’s just a lot, Mr Garfunkel.” ⠀⠀He smiles a bit at that. “Yes, well, we, we’re going to have a lot more on our plate starting tomorrow. Archie is making us force kids in danger of failing to meet a tutoring quota starting then.” There’s a brief moment of confusion before I recognize the name - Archie Hauer’s the head of the Math department this year. I grimace at the news. ⠀⠀Mr Garfunkel’s expression gets a bit more dour. He looks like he’s considering holding his tongue, but ultimately decides to speak his piece. “I’ve heard from the Principal that a representative of the school board is coming to audit the school. I… I hope that you haven’t been too stressed out by that, being a member of student administration.” I shrug, and he cocks his head, frowning. “Well, if you feel like you want - err, need - some time, I wouldn’t hold it against you if you decided to take some time off from tutoring. You really do a lot, Ben.” ⠀⠀I wave away his concern, sighing. “No, it’s alright, Mr Garfunkel. I don’t mind.” ⠀⠀“Alright Ben. See you tomorrow afternoon.”