Chapter Nine: First Day Punishment
Ray and Rhonda sat in ‘Better Science’ class, listening to the mindless teacher drone on and on about how the economy has improved and how the ecosystems have thrived since BL/I has taken over. It was so boring that they both started to fall asleep in the boring white classroom. The rest of the kids, however, sat up straight in their seats, eyes on the teacher, hands on desk, listening contently to the teacher.
“Take notes on what I have just explained to you, and make sure you read chapters 1 through 5 and complete the question sheets that go with the chapters.” Said Professor Bardon, the science teacher. He was a tall man, bald with a shaven face and black framed glasses with lenses that magnified his eyes. He too had black beady eyes, like the S/CA/R/E/C/R/O/W/s.
After five minutes of complete silence, the only sound made was the scratching of pens on paper, Ray turned to Rhonda. “What kind of school is this?” he whispered to her.
“Dunno. Some ‘bore people to death’ kind of school.” Rhonda whispered back, her head on her folded arms, as if she were going to sleep.
“Don’t fall asleep Rhonda. The teach will see-“
“There will be no communicating at any time Mr Toro and Miss Coulter.” Shouted the teacher. “To the headmistress’s office. NOW!” he pointed a sharp finger towards the door of the classroom. Ray got up sluggishly, taking his bag with him. Rhonda, however, still sat in her seat. Ray sighed, “Don’t be rebellious, Rhonda. You’ll get into more trouble” he whispered to her.
“Miss Coulter. Get up and go the headmistress’s office. NOW!!” shouted the teacher, louder than before.
Rhonda smiled, her hair covering most of her face so the teacher couldn’t see. She got up painfully slowly, as to annoy the teacher some more. Her rebellious side taking over. The teacher’s face turned red with anger. She had always rebelled against people she disliked, she was halfway up. The teacher was so furious, his face went purple.
“Hurry up Rhonda! Now’s not the time to be a rebel.” Whispered Ray frantically. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out, she grabbed her bag before they left the table.
“What are you trying to do?” half shouted Ray when they were out in the corridor. “We could have been punished right then and there.”
“Oh come on! What would he have done? He’s just a mindless idiot anyway.” She laughed.
“He could have had us punished like we were the other day!” said Ray with a very serious face. Rhonda’s smile faded. “Sorry…” she trailed off.
“It’s fine. Just don’t do that again. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Now. How to get to the headmistress’s office?” pondered Ray as he looked up and down the corridor.
“This way.” Said Rhonda, consulting her school map on the back of her timetable. Ray followed her to the headmistress’s office.
It was a large white walled office (gee what isn’t white LOL! XD) with a dark mahogany work desk situated in front of a wide window and a white leather chair behind the desk. There were two white seats in front of the desk. There was a middle-aged woman sitting at the desk. On the desk, was a name on a metal place card, it read ‘Headmistress A.P.Wood’.
“Please, do come in.” she said. She sounded just as mindless as everyone else.
Ray did as he was told, not wanting to get in anymore trouble. Rhonda on the other hand hesitated a little until Ray shot her an angered glance did she sit down beside him.
“Now, I have heard that you two have been communicating in class.” Said the headmistress holding up a piece of paper with writing on it. “It is against the rules and regulations of the Institute to communicate during lessons. As for you both, we have punishments for this kind of behaviour. You will both be writing lines with Professor Bardon after school.”
They both looked at each at one another with expressions that said ‘WTF?!’ They looked back at the headmistress.
“You may go back to class now, I have other students I need to see for bad behaviour.” She said. Rhonda and Ray knew immediately that that person would be Frank or Mikey or even both. They were both notorious for being troublemakers when they were together. Rhonda and Ray left the office as the school bell rang. The walked out to see both Frank and Mikey standing there with their heads down, trying to hide their smirks.
“What did you both do this time?” asked Rhonda putting a hand on her hip and leaning to one side.
“We-we made spit balls and shot them at the kids in front of us.” Said Frank stifling a chuckle.
Ray looked at them disapprovingly. “Why did you do that?”
“Because it was funny.” Laughed Mikey. Frank nodded in agreement.
“Yeah they were all like ‘Urrgh… Stop that. Argh!’” Frank imitated the voice of a zombie. “And then we scared the kid next to me. He farted in his pants! It was so loud!” Frank and Mikey couldn’t supress their laughter anymore; they burst out in chuckles and snickers. Mikey even snorted while he laughed.
Ray and Rhonda looked at each other and laughed along with them.
All of a sudden the headmistress came bursting out of the room.
“I told you to go back to class. Both of you go this instant, or I will have you punished severely!” she shouted at Ray and Rhonda and they both fled to their math class. “As for you two!” she shouted at Frank and Mikey, their smiles faded away. “Get inside now!!”
They both went inside the pure whit office. Shouting could be heard from down the hallway.
“How could you both do this? You are here to learn, not to scare the pants off another student!”
“Oh dear.” Said Ray looking back at the office. “The shit they get themselves into sometimes…”
“Hey, they’re only young teens. Remember when you and Gee use to set fire one of the bins at our old school?” said Rhonda.
“Yeah. We were quite the arsonists. But Frank is more interested in setting fire to things than Gerard and I was.” Ray started reminiscing the good old times, when they were all free to do as they wished.
They arrived at their classroom for maths two minutes later. The teacher was quite the opposite of the other. She was portly and had a small mouse like nose and wispy blonde hair.
“You are both exactly two minutes and forty seconds late. Quickly sit down in your seats.” She almost squeaked. Ray and Rhonda both sat at the table at the back of the classroom. Like the last lesson, they were in, it droned on and on. Neither of them learning anything.
Meanwhile in the headmistress’s office, Mikey and Frank sat timidly at her desk, a burning hot branding iron sat on a stand on top of her desk.
“You know what BL/I does to children who misbehave and fail to abide by every rule and regulation?” the headmistress asked.
The two boys shook their heads, their smiles had turned into frowns.
“We punish them.” She said simply. Frank too one glance at the branding iron and torn his gaze from it immediately. “You.” She pointed a finger at Mikey. “Stand up and come over here.” She gestured behind her desk.
Mikey hesitant at first, got up and walked slowly over to the headmistress. He gulped in fear as she picked up the branding iron, moved is shirt out the way and branded his right shoulder with it. He let out agonised screams of pain. He tried to pull away, but she had a strong grip on him.
Then, she took the iron away from his skin and an ‘X’ mark was left. It was covered in blood and there was seared skin surrounding it. Mikey still whimpered and cowered away from her. Frank however sat there, awe struck by what had just happened.
The headmistress got up and did the same to Frank, he to let out cries of excruciating pain. After she had left an ‘X’ mark on his right shoulder she sat back down in her leather chair and placed the iron back on its stand.
The boys cowered into their seats, crying out of pain and hatred for what she just done.
Why would such a harsh punishment be handed to such young boys on their first day at school for just scaring another student? So what if he farted. It was not their fault he had a flatulence problem (LOL! XD).
This place was like a torcher chamber, everywhere you go, you’ll always find trouble and then you are punished unfairly for it.
“Go back to class. And if I ever hear that you are both causing trouble ever again. I will have no choice but to punish you again.” With that, Frank and Mikey hastily ran out of the office and back to class.
