Chapter 1 – spit, crown joules and detention
Another cold wet day waiting under a disused shop’s porch, cherishing the moment of peace before the inevitable hell that was to come down the hill. John wasn’t the only one taking a second to embrace what time he had left before it arrived. Every school day John and his friend Jack waited at the bus stop at the bottom of the hill in Sandgate. And every time it was the same routine; meet jack, wait for the school bus and then endure the twenty minuet journey to school without drawing any attention to yourself. The joys of being one of the last stops on the bus meant that the old double decker bus which was painted with pictures of Disney land on the side would be almost full and seats would be mostly taken. Whatever this bus was it certainly was not Disney land! Each day it would be a challenge to find a seat that kept you out of the way so to blend in with the mob that was the school bus.
John blinked and came back from his recollection of the day before where someone had set fire to one of the seats causing a lad called billy to get burnt on his leg. I don’t think billy will be on the bus today john thought. But who will be the next victim and can it get worse than burning. John felt sorry for Jack as he suffers from torrets syndrome which automatically made him a target on the bus. Some day they will laugh at him when a swear word comes unwillingly through his mouth and other times it would make him a target for being spat at and food thrown at him. Luckily for him the mob never discriminated making anyone a target. Sounds terrible I know but it shared the load meaning if you got it one day fingers crossed the focus would have changed the next. John realised that he had not been the target this week and by the law of averages it was his turn.
John looked at his watch… 08:18. Two minuets remained and both John and jack took a last few breaths. John could tell that jack’s anxiety was increasing as his ticks began to shown. Please please let there be a free double seat we both thought! This was rare and the norm was to pick the best of what seats were left. Sometimes the bully’s purposely left a seat free next to them and the other seats which were free were next to the people no one wanted to sit next too. John didn’t mind siting next to those people as he didn’t care if people were popular or not. 08:20 on the dot, It appeared from around the corner from up the hill. Once you saw it you had about 30 seconds until it arrived at the bus stop. The squeaking breaks screamed just before it stopped and the air breaks let off a loud release simular to the relise john gave before the doors opened. The crazy thing is that not only do you have to endure this journey but you have to pay for the privilege also.
Jack reluctantly got on the bus first trying to hold his ticks back which must have felt like a shaken bottle of coke ready to explode. He paid his £2.50 and moved down the isle of the crowded bus. John Piper took a step up on to the bus and was meet with a sharp glare. Oh no its him john thought. There was about five different drivers but one had taken unbridge to john for no particular reason. John held his money out but the unnamed driver just stared at him in silence. This meant the bus was being delayed and then everyone on the first floor started to look down the bus to see what was going on. John started to go red as he knew that people were now looking at him and seeing what his happening. The driver then looked and saw that everyone was now looking, turned back to john and the smirked. He took the money and handed over the little printed square ticket which acted as the return.
John turned and started to walk down the isle. Everyone was looking and snigering at him. John saw jack who seemed to have lost his ticks as the heat now seemed to be on john and not him. He offered a smile in the hope to offer some support without actually having to get involved. John looked around a saw there were no seats on the lower deck. He slowly took the spiral stair case to the second floor. This was mixed with the older years of the school. Again they all starred and started to snigger. One double seat remained. John was cautious as this never happens. He was one of the last stops which meant there was only ever single seats next to people that were already sat down at best. John walked with caution towards the seat which everyone seemed to be looking at. In a desperate attempt to detract attention he took a quick glance and sat down the side nearest the window. As soon as he put bum to seat laughing started. John went red, he didn’t want to move to see what had happened, he just froze and could not move. Marc who was another shy lad turned and whispered “they greeneyed on your seat”. John slightly lifted himself of his seat and sure enough a green guey mess was stuck to his trousers!! Nice thought John.
The bus eventually the bus arrived at Brockhill Park Secondary Lower school. A burst of air signaled the release of the double doors at the front of the bus. John waited until the rush had gone and every one had left. He was still looking down at seat and the green stain both on it and his trousers. When he looked up he saw a tall figuar which was hiden by the glare of the morning sun. As the tall, wide dark figuar moved forward it soon became clear that it was the driver. “look what you have done to my bus you little shit!!”, “You school kids are all the bloody same! Dirty, enconsiderate, thick waisters!.
“but I havent done anything” john said.
“Yes you have you burnt my chair, you spit on my seats, you call me fat, well I have had it up to here with you little pricks!.
The driver then grabbed John by his coat and pulled him off his seat. His grip pinched johns skin underneath which sent a sharp pain through his body. His teeth were clenched and his face as red as blood. The heat that was radiating of the driver was emence. The driver was a large fat man, he had large square framed glasses with dark pinprick eyes. He had a real sense of eveilness about him which was reflected in his anger towards john. The driver squezed harder and drew his other hand back clenching a fist. John took a deep breath, plucked some courage and kicked out as hard as he could whilst having his eyes closed. He used all his force and lashed out. His foot with his doctor martin look alikes frusted up into the drivers groin.
Bulls eye – straight in the nackers john thought. The driver went down like a sack of patatos enabliling john to make a run for it. He flew down the stairs and towards the bus door whilst looking behind him. John then came to an abrupt stop after runing into someone standing buy the bus door. A tall, slim straight man with sort hair and small eyes looked at John. “Mr Black sir, I was just…” John struggled to get his words out and started to stutter. Behind he could hear the bus driver rushing to the bus door. He also stopped sharply on seeing Mr Black.
“is there a problem here?” said Mr Black.
The bus driver paused and considered his next move.
“no” he said, “there is no problem here” in a revengful tone.
John knew that this was not the end of this and as he walked off with Mr Black he could see the bus driver staring at him in his proifral vision.
After getting through the school gates, Mr Black said to john “is there anything I need to know about that?”.
John paused and thought “yes sir the bus driver grabbed me and I kicked him in the crown jouls!!!!, He would really belive that!!!”
“No sir, nothing to tell”
Mr Black staired at John with his pin prick eyes and and rubbed his chin for a second. He then turned and said “life will test you john and its how you deal with the moment that will shape the future” John shiverd and ran off to his form room for morning registration which he was already late for.
John walked into 7SG and saw everyone stairing at him as he came through the door.
“And where have you been a sharp loud voice rang out”
“sorry miss” john said in a quiert voice trying not to draw to much attention to himself. John went to sit down and as he walked passed Miss Gibson, he heard here shout “john!” what is that sticky stuff on your trousers!!!”
“erm eerm” John had nothing.
“go clean yourself up”
As john walked out of the class he heard a loud spate of laughter explode in the class room.
John sighed and said “bloody briliant!”.
“I heard that john” Miss Gibson Shouted. “I will see you at lunch for detention”
“oh bolex” john said under his breath.
“forget that john we will call it after school detention!” she shouted.
The class were loving this. Was like pouring petrol onto the fire.
John ran off before his mouth would get him in more trubble.
John Cleaned himself up in the toilets, wipeing the green gunk off his trousers.
“I hate them all” he wispered under his breath. “why is it always me”. John who was standing in trap 2 turned and sat down on the toilet lid and staired at the door. A poster was there of a tall ship set in a picturesque tropical sourounding. Before john attempted to read what was on the poster a loud crash came from the boys toilet door slamming.
John froze and tried to listen to see who it was. The toilet block was massive with over 10 cubical or traps as the kids called them.
“JOHN!!!” a voice shouted out ringing through the block.
“I know your in here!!!”
John instantly knew this was the voice of Dean Daily, the schools full time bully, whose girlfriend may of taken a shine to john. “I think she just thinks I am a little special, but she is really nice to me and dam!! She is hot”.
Jade wilson was the most beautifull girl in the year. She had long chocolate brown hair, deep brown eyes, lightly tanned skin and spoke like an angle. The first time john had meet her was when he was walking from the upper school to the lower school which was a three hundred meter walk when he was pushed by one of the bigger boys off the single narrow path onto the huge open field that separated the schools and fell straight into a thick puddle of soupy muddy water. Jade rushed over and helped him up onto his feet whilst the rest of the school just laughed. She smiled and walked on leaving john standing there cold, wet, embarrassed but ultimately in love!! Whilst standing there watching her walk off with her friends who were gigerling, John was mesmerised watching her pritty much with his toung stuck out, then a huge thrust launched into his side and before he knew it he was back in the puddle! John later saw jade but due to his trousers being so wet and muddy he had to wear a pair of white tight small PE shorts, shoes and a shirt and tie on top! Sometimes it felt like the teachers were bullies too john thought. She smiled and said “looking good john” in a cheeky but non patronising way and touched him on his arm as she walked off. This is where dean had seen John and chased him around the corridors for hitting on his girlfriend. “how he thinks I could hit on his girlfriend dressed how I was” john thought.
“Well looks like he’s caught up with me now” John thought.
“I’m going to find you and I’m going to flush your fat head down the toilet and use you as a bog brush!” Dean shouted as he checked and slammed each toilet door individually.
Four traps remained, three traps, TWO TRAPPS, ONE TRAP!!!!!! And then John heared a shout; “DEAN! – Mr LING is coming”. He was the head teacher. John could hear quick footsteps back to the main door and a voice saying “your time will come john, your time will come!”
A chilling silence turned the toilet block into an icy arena of thought in which john could only see bad things happening to him.
DICK! A shout came and smashed the icy atmoutear that surrounded him. BUGGER, DICK, KNOB!! A louder shout this time. John stood on the toilet seat, looked over into the next toilet cubical and saw Jack sitting there with a nervous smile on his face. “Alright John” said jack, “that was a close one wasn’t it”. John sat back down on the seat and looked at the poster of the boat.
“I need to get away” john said.
“Me too” said Jack.
John jumped back up on to the seat and looked over to where jack was. Only this time jack was now in full flow urination!
“What” jack said “I couldn’t go before in case Dean put my head down the loo”
“It’s about time we stood up to these people jack. Gather everyone together and we will sort this out once and for good.
3.15 the blast of three loud pips sounded the end of the school day. The last lesion of the day was religious education with Miss Gibson in Johns form room. No sooner than when the pips had finished the screech of chairs moving and books being thrown into bags dominated the room. It was like someone had shouted BOMB!!! Really loud and everyone was rushing for the door.
John stood up and started to pack his bags. “And where do you think you are going?”. John looked up and saw miss Gibson standing over him. Johns head feel onto his bag which was laying on the desk in front of him.
“I WILL NOT BE LATE FOR RAGISTRATION, I WILL NOT SWARE IN CLASS AND I WILL RESPECT MY TEACHER IN RAISTRATION”
“I WILL NOT BE LATE FOR RAGISTRATION, I WILL NOT SWARE IN CLASS AND I WILL RESPECT MY TEACHER IN RAISTRATION”
“I WILL NOT BE LATE FOR RAGISTRATION, I WILL NOT SWARE IN CLASS AND I WILL RESPECT MY TEACHER IN RAISTRATION”
150 lines later john dropped the pen, sighed and said “excuse me miss, I’m all done”. Miss Gibson took one glance at the paper and said “is registration not ragistration, do it again!”
4.10 John wrote the last word of the last line down on the paper. “I don’t want to see you here again John PIPER” Miss gibson said in a loud voice.
John stood up, clicked his over worked hand and left the class room.
It was a long walk back to Sandgate via the beach. John didn’t mind as he loved the beach and the sea! He eventually got home and found that his mum was out. John got changed and wrote a quick note saying he would be back at 8pm.
John walked up the long hill to military park where he had planned to meet his friends. On arrival he meet up with jack, Marc Albury, Craig hothman and blind Dave Denman. Dave wasn’t fully blind but he was born with only limited sight in one eye. For someone that couldn’t see very well he had a very good perspective of life and he loved the ladies!!!! He was a small lad but quite athletic looking. Marc was smaller and ware glasses. Craig was the same build as John, more stocky although craig was a bit taller.
John and marc were the dyslexic arm of the group, Craig was the OCD part and blind Dave was the brains of the bunch. “guys we are here today to come up with a plan of attack on how to deal with Dean” John Said.
“lets just kill him” Said marc. “yeah that sounds good” said Craig “but we need to kill him in a way that no one knows he’s dead and that we did it!!” “yeah” said marc.
“what an amazing plan, no one would ever know hes gone” john said in a sarcastic tone that took the grins off marc and Craig’s face.
An argument erupted about what they were going to do when Dave shouted “suspended”. The others stopped their petty arguments and listened. “we need to get Dean suspended, but in a way that he doesn’t know who set him up!”. “Marc where is that pen and paper you brought?”.
Marc passed the scrap bit of paper and the half chewed pen to Blind Dave.
“now boys this is what we are going to do……”.
