Bobby drove his convertible into the school parking lot. Other students were standing around in groups. Bobby quickly got out of his car and then reached in for the books lying in the back seat. As Bobby turned Matthew Bradley, one of the school jocks, bumped into Bobby, sending his books flying in all directions. Matthew’s friends looked at Bobby and then broke out laughing.
“Airhead klutz,” Matthew said with a smirk. He glanced at Bobby in a way that indicated his unfounded superiority over his classmate.
Bobby just turned around and held up his hands. “Hey, dude. It was an accident.”
Shelby Mall walked past the group of boys. Bobby’s face turned crimson with embarrassment.
“Like you,” Matthew snapped.
Matthew’s friends snickered while Shelby turned to Bobby. She tried to defuse the situation, knowing how Matthew used his athletic status to bully the other students. It had been like that since middle school. If you did not go along with his antics, then life was made difficult for you in ways that made school almost unbearable, with endless daily taunts from Matthew and his jock friends.
“Haven’t seen you in school lately,” she said and then smiled at Bobby.
Bobby quickly picked up the books. Prior to picking up the last book, he looked up at Shelby. Before he could speak, someone bumped Bobby, knocking him back to the ground and scattering his books once more. Bobby was embarrassed as he turned away from Shelby and looked up at Matthew.
“Dude, that was no accident,” Bobby snapped as his fists clenched.
Matthew laughed mockingly. “Duh! He’s a genius too.”
Bobby mumbled under his breath, “Yeah if you want to look like a winner all you have to do is hang out with losers!”
Matthew turned to Bobby, “What did you say?”
Shelby stepped between the two boys. “Leave him alone.”
Matthew stared at Shelby and then just snapped, “Hum!” He stomped off with his friends and their inflated egos.
Shelby bent down and helped Bobby pick up his books. She turned to him. “Why do you egg him on?”
“It doesn’t take much, and I like to see just how stupid he is.”
“In the few months you’ve been here, you have alienated most of the kids who just wanted to be your friends.”
Bobby did not have a comeback at that moment. He was not prepared for what she had just said. Bobby just looked up into Shelby’s eyes and for the first time realized that he had a friend in her.
Bobby was sitting in his Calculus class daydreaming while watching a bird build a nest in the tree outside the window. Charles Hill, the teacher, was at the whiteboard explaining an equation. He turned and glanced around the room at the students who were all in various stages of boredom. Charlie rested his eyes on Bobby and saw his indifference as Bobby watched the bird outside the window building a nest.
“I’m sorry if I’m boring you, Mr. Drews,” he snapped causing the class to turn to Bobby suddenly.
Bobby slowly turned to Mr. Hill. “You’re not,” was all Bobby managed to say and then yawned with indifference.
“Maybe you would like to finish this equation.”
Bobby just shrugged. He slowly turned to the whiteboard and then with great effort got up. “Sure, dude,” he said as he turned to Mr. Hill. “Your concept is wrong, though.”
Charles turned his attention to the equation on the white board. He studied it a moment as Bobby strolled up to the board and picked up the marker, while the class all snickered at Bobby and his cocky attitude. Bobby used the side of his hand to erase the part of the equation that was incorrect. He then quickly put in the correct numbers and finished the equation. He turned and slowly handed the marker back to Mr. Hill.
“Works for me now,” was all Bobby said as he glanced around the classroom at the students, who just stared at him now.
Mr. Hill studied what Bobby had written while the students watched in eager anticipation to see if indeed Bobby was right. Finally, Mr. Hill cleared his throat.
“You are right,” he said with a puzzled look. “Why didn’t I see that?” he quickly added hardly above a whisper.
Bobby turned back to him. “I don’t know. You’re doing the teaching.”
The class broke out in laughter as the buzzer sounded. Bobby quickly hurried back to his desk and grabbed his books. He turned to follow the other students out of the room.
Mr. Hill quickly stepped in front of Bobby before he could exit the classroom. “I want to talk to you after school.”
Bobby just looked up at him. “Hey, I got a life.”
“What I have to say won’t take long.”
Bobby just shrugged his shoulders, not giving the teacher a confirmation that he would be there. Mr. Hill turned back to the equation in puzzlement while Bobby hurried out of the classroom.
CHAPTER 9
The spacecraft took up the whole inside of the large shed, barely giving room to maneuver around the shed. John slowly walked across the driveway with Spot at his side. He had watched Bobby earlier back up the tow truck and wondered how he managed it with such antique equipment.
John quickly glanced around to see if anyone was watching and then opened the side door and walked in. He was awestruck at what he saw. Slowly he walked over to the workbench and picked up the screwdriver that was lying on the table. He turns it over in his hand, looked at the metal shaft with the flat edge, and then set it back down. His eyes widened when he saw the hammer with the claw-like end. He stepped back as if in fear of what he was seeing. Slowly he shook his head as he viewed all of Elmer’s antique tools neatly hanging on the wall.
John turned and walked over to the spacecraft. He pressed his wristband, and suddenly the door to the craft disappears up into the ship, and steps descended quickly. John slowly walked up the few steps and then looked in at the debris scattered about. Spot quickly rushed up to the steps and was about to follow John inside the craft, but John turned and pointed a finger.
“Stay,” John commanded.
Spot promptly sat down and just stared up at John, who turned and continued into the craft.
The medical cylinders that Jane used to inject John and herself yesterday were lying scattered about with liquid seeping from them. John bent down and picked up the medical box. He picked up the damaged syringe along with all the cylinders. It was a messy job, but a job that had to be done. He put all the cylinders back in the box even though they seemed to be damaged beyond repair. It was important to him to put everything back in its proper place. This was going to be a long, tedious job, but given his position, it was up to him to clean up the mess.
Meanwhile, in town at the Little A’Le’Inn, Jenny was busy waiting tables, serving the breakfast crowd that consisted of her regular customers mixed with truckers, a few elderly couples, and groups of aliens in their costumes for the Star Wars convention.
Jenny grabbed the pot of coffee and walked over to various tables topping off cups before stopping and taking an order from one of her regulars.
She looked at the elderly man. “Felix, you want your usual sunrise special?”
“You know me all too well, Jenny.”
Jenny turns to Felix’s wife. “And what will it be for you this morning?”
“I’ll just have the Number 2 special.”
“Over easy?”
“That’s the way I like them,” she said.
Jenny quickly wrote up the order and walked over behind the counter and pinned it to the wheel between the counter and kitchen in back where Clyde A’Leinn, the owner, and cook, was busy with Jenny’s last order.
“Are you almost done with table three’s order?” she asked.