![]() ![]() Bluurgh! But Steve Leopard knew me too well to be fooled. Then I leaned forward all of a sudden and made a sick noise. He smiled when he saw me sitting down with my pants on. "I'm in here." I hit the door so he'd know which one I was behind. Steve's reputation had softened over the years - his mom took him to see a lot of good counselors who taught him how to control himself but he was still a minor legend in the schoolyard and not someone you messed with, even if you were bigger and older than him. He had a fierce temper and threw scary tantrums when he lost it, but I simply ran away when that happened and came back again once he'd calmed down. My mom says I was drawn to his wildness, but I just thought he was a great guy to be with. I've been his best friend since kindergarten, when we first met. He was feared and despised everywhere he went. One day - he was still in a stroller - he found a sharp stick and prodded passing women with it (no prizes for guessing where he stuck it!). Steve used to be what my mom calls "a wild child." He raised hell wherever he went, got into fights, stole from stores. And not just because the names sound alike. Steve's real last name was Leonard, but everyone called him Steve Leopard. "Darren! Hey, Darren! Have you fallen in or what?" So, there I was, humming, watching my watch, waiting. He doesn't get mad if you trick him but he goes quiet and won't speak to you for a while, and that's almost worse than being shouted at. Dalton would be angry if he saw me in the yard so soon. I heard the bell ring for the end of class and everybody came rushing out on their lunch break. In the end, I didn't get sick, but still felt queasy, so I stayed on the toilet. I wish every teacher was as understanding as Mr. "Throw up whatever's making you sick, Darren," he said, "then get your behind back in here." ![]() ![]() He took one look at me when I raised my hand and said I was ill, then nodded his head and told me to go to the bathroom. He's smart and knows when you're faking and when you're being serious. I'd come in near the end of English class, feeling sick. I WAS IN THE BATHROOM at school, sitting down on the toilet, humming a song. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2022
Categories |