Chereads / Jack Of Nothing / Chapter 7 - Back To School

Chapter 7 - Back To School

Caution:WIP

Walking into the front office he couldn't help but feel slightly nostalgic, especially because due to his part-time job and a terrible sleep schedule which said part-time only worsened, thanks to those things being tardy was practically second nature, for most people school starts at first period but for him it started around third.

Because of his repeated tardiness, the staff usually wouldn't even spare a second glance, except this time something was very different, his appearance had significantly changed, he hadn't thought much of it having an angel kidnap you and force you to undergo grueling trials and sustaining deathly injuries had a slightly higher place in his mind.

Though to people who knew him before all that happened, they would obviously be confused on his quick (to them) change, the front desk staff asked him how he changed so much in just a week, he replied that he was working really hard at the gym.

They were clearly skeptical, as big a change as he had undergone would take a couple of months at least, but there'd be no other reason for such a change to them, except of course plastic surgery, but if he had done that his scars would still be healing, so they had to accept what he said.

After getting a pass for being tardy which he shoves into his small pouch on the right side of his bag, where people would usually keep pencils, except for him it was practically a graveyard for tardy passes, a just reminder on how often he'd stumble to school well after the bell had rung.

The left side of the hallway was lined with unused lockers, he wasn't even sure if they'd been open in the past decade, and on the right side, club posters were hung up on the boards with thumbtacks, it was mostly the clubs that were too unpopular to get members without trying.

He made it to the end of the hallway and peered into his class through the rectangular pane of glass in the middle of the door, all the students were quietly paying attention as the teacher lectured them on the American Government.

At the back of the class was the lone desk without a person in it, one of the back legs was ripped off the chair, so that the person who sat in it would be forced to push against the floor to make sure the desk didn't fall over, it was Kalin's desk of course.

Looking away from the desk, he grasped the door's handle, slowly opening the door and entering the classroom, everyone went silent their eyes following him as he walks to the back of the class, taking a seat, and after maybe five seconds of staring their eyes go back to the front, and the teacher starts talking again.

Throughout the lesson he caught a couple of people specifically women glancing in his direction, whenever he looked back at them they'd immediately reel their heads away, but besides that everyone treated him like normal, aka they didn't interact with him unless they had to.

Besides the occasional timid glance, he went through the rest of the day like he always had, but he was terribly confused in almost every class because his first trial took months, and anyone would forget geometry after spending a couple weeks in a forest, didn't really need to know who the first U.S president was when fighting a goblin for your life y'know?

To top it off in english, he was asked to answer a question, "Okay everyone, just to make sure we really digested what we read this month i'll ask some review questions, Kalin, what is the main theme of the book?"

Kalin, who did read the book in it's entirety but forgot it on account of having more important things to worry about, i.e his life, just stared at the teacher blindly, "Uh... violence is not the answer" the teacher crinkles her eyebrows wondering how he could be so wrong, "Um, no it's about Identity and Self-acceptance, did you even read the book, you had a whole month you know"

Kalin scratches the back of his head, "That's what I grasped from it teach" The teacher doesn't say anything and just asks the next student a question, Kalin silently wishes he didn't come to school today.

Besides that it was an uneventful day, after english he sat in his most boring class of the day Math, the teacher was an old man who could barely support his own weight his legs were so skinny they made it look like he was walking on stilts when covered by his way too skinny jeans, that is if he ever stood up which is rare as he usually just plays random youtube videos on the projector and basically tells us to, "figure it out"

But don't do anything else, like listen to music, talk to a partner, text someone, or breathe, he will somehow completely disregard his broken in 50 places knee, and run up to you at mach speed to grab it, putting it into his cabinet which people call the phone graveyard, adding onto the pile like a gladiator piles up bodies.

When that luckily ended, everyone including Kalin hurries out of his room as if he they couldn't leave any faster. Soon his fourth period ended and the lunch bell rang, a couple people walked out the class with their friends to go to the cafeteria together.

While he's walking down the hall he's suddenly attacked from behind... he feels a dull sting in the middle of his back and he turns around to face the culprit, it was his only friend at school, he's a short more on the heavy-side guy with a mountain of an afro, his hair is a bright orange, and it looks like laces of copper intertwined above his head, freckles are placed all around his face with no care for order or balance.

"Hey August, been a while" Kalin says, and he breaths a sigh of relief completely ignoring Kalin's greeting, "Dude, do you know how scared I was when I saw that your apartment was involved in the attacks, I went to check on you but your complex was destroyed, they had a huge thing of caution tape around it.-" he looks at Kalin up and down, and his brows knit "You look fine though"

Kalin cheaply laughs, placing his hand behind his head and scratching the scruff of his neck, "Yeah, I wasn't there that day... went grocery shopping" August stares at him for a moment and a smile slowly appears on his face, "That's good, but... where are you staying now?"

He responds, "I'm living with a relative for now, until my apartment's rebuilt at least" admittedly he felt bad about lying to him but he figured it'd be better than saying, 'Yeah, i'm actually homeless right now because some monsters decided they wanted to play jenga with my apartment'

August nods his head, "Well if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask" Kalin put his hand on shoulder, "Of course."

August waved goodbye and left the hallway, he decided to stay there for a bit to get a drink of water, after doing so he left as well.

He squinted his eyes at they readjusted to the sun, gracing my eyes upon the center of his school, everyone was chopping it up with their friends as they walked to the cafeteria.

Kalin however didn't follow the crowd, opting for a more secluded option.

A building to the side of his school that was relatively unused and very vandalized. All along the outer walls were stained with graffiti, the windows had cracks in them that let wind seep through. 

He slid down the wall, sitting under a poorly drawn pair of wings that was a frequent spot for photos.

Having not packed himself a lunch he stares into space for a bit, the occasional drop of a leaf and rolling of a twig, being his only source of entertainment.