That Boy's Not Right In The Brain
Part the First
“Lou..” he whined annoyingly, I was pretending not to listen to him complaining about my wanting to listen to the radio as apposed to the mix cd he was waving about in my face. “Lou please can we listen to it, please-please-please-please-please!”
“No Gerard!” I laughed with a small grin playing on my lips. Gee was my best friend, had been since we were 3 years old, and I was the only one who never caved to his whining without good reason. As I was about to now, to be honest I was sick of the only sound, besides Gerard and the radio, coming from the engine that chugged away as I tried to force more speed out of my crappy, old car.
“Tallulah Evelyn Davies let me listen to this cd right this second!”
“Ok! Ok! I give up.. Just put your bloody cd on and be quiet Gerard!” he sighed and didn’t put the cd in the player. “What? Changed your mind have we?” I smirked. He shook his head, “Well what then?” he pointed ahead, out the windscreen to the approaching school car park gates. I knew by the disappointed look on his face that he’d have to wait until the ride home to listen to whatever it was he had on there. We both gave the same grunt of sheer joy that we were here for yet another day of compulsive learning. Truth be told, I just wanted it all to be over.. To be free to just do as I pleased, when it pleased me and to be free of the hassles of being an outcast. Not that I cared, but the taunting, name calling, whispering and general hostilities I could definitely, do without.
“You chessing it with me and Mikey today?” he asked as we paced down the wide corridor, our bags slung over our shoulders sloppily.
“No I’m going to hang out with all my amazing friends that have been badgering me since last year to hang out with them and all of their amazing friends..” he grabbed me around the waist and carried me along the corridor kicking and screaming, meriting many a discerned look from by standing students, who could quite frankly, kiss my ass.
“Look there’s your favourite person!” he said with a slight laugh. I lurched my head forward and low and behold, it was Frank, leaning up against a locker chatting up an unfortunate blonde girl who was probably thinking that all her Christmases had come at once having someone like Frank talking to her. Gerard picked up his pace and manoeuvred us over to him and the girl. I bashed at his forearms hoping he would drop me before I’d have to endure some kind of comment made on Frank’s behalf.
“Gerard.. no! Please?” I begged. He just laughed, no doubt getting a kick out of it, seeing it more as revenge for me not letting him play his cd sooner. He did as I wished and dropped me to the ground, I landed heavily on my feet and stumbled back into him.
“Ass hole!” I said, hitting him in the chest. “I’m going to class..” I turned to walk off and bumped straight into Frank’s chest.
“Watch it loser.” He laughed, the girl he was standing with giggled annoyingly before touching her sleek hair again. God how I despised girls like this, girls who used their bodies to entice male attention.
“Fuck off Frank..” I slammed my shoulder into the corner of the locker un-intentionally as I barged past him, not wanting him to give me shit for being a weak ass, I sucked it up and bit my lip until I made it safely into the classroom where I could clutch my shoulder to ease the pain. Yet another caused by Frank.
“Fuck dammit!” I cursed through gritted teeth. I felt a hand on my back, and knew instantly from the plastic ring on the thumb, that it was Mikey.
“Are you ok Loubi?” he asked in a worried tone. He always did look out for me, even though I was his older brother’s friend, but truth be told I was as close with him as I was with Gerard, just in different ways – no pun intended.
“Yeah.. Self inflicted injury in order to keep as far out of Frank’s way as humanly possible..” I laughed, he shook his head and we took our seats for an hour of calculus. Many of the kids at the back of the class grunted in displeasure at the thought of an impromptu test, of course they weren’t there by choice. But for the rest of us, the test was a walk in the park.
“Is there a Tallulah Davies in this class?” a short woman asked, I recognised her from the administration building. Mr. Hawke pointed towards me, and she signalled for me to come with her. I looked at the teacher and he nodded. I stood, leaving my already completed paper on the desk, and followed her through the corridors. She didn’t talk as she speedily made her way towards the principle office, I recognised the route well, having had to make my way there over the years for numerous reasons, not all good. “In there, just knock..” she said before dawdling off towards her desk, no rational thought as to why I was there ran through my mind. I hadn’t done anything wrong, and I hadn’t done anything particularly right. Oh god, what if it was one of those visits where they told you that a family member had died? That they had been killed horrifically in a eight car build up? That a bear had mauled them on a rambling tr.. Now I was just being irrational.
“Ahh.. Miss. Davies, we’ve been expecting you. Please, take a seat..” Mrs. George said with her fake endearing smile. She was never one for sincerity, though as an elderly woman who’s husband was having multiple affairs and who’s estranged daughter was a pin up girl, I could hardly blame her. Sitting opposite her was a middle aged man, I knew him from somewhere but couldn’t place where. As I took a seat, the door to the office opened again, revealing Frank looking as confused as I was. “Perfect timing Mr. Iero Junior..” That was it, I’d seen this man picking Frank up from the Way’s house, his dad. “Now, I’ve brought you both here after an extensive conversation with Mr. Iero Senior.” Her use of junior and senior was beginning to get to me, and by my count she’d only said either one once. “Frank your grades are, to say the least, appalling.. As is your attendance and attitude.” His head dropped down, not making eye contact with anyone, his dad sat looking disappointed, “So we’re going to do something about it, and we believe we know the best person for the job..” her gaze fell upon me and my stomach sank. Me? Best person for the job? What job? As if he had read my mind, Frank asked the pivotal question.
“What job?” she grinned knowingly, she obviously knew neither of us would like the answer.
“Of taming you into a model student of course..”
“And you chose her?!” he said as if disgusted by my sheer presence.
“Look! I’m not exactly happy about this either Junior.” I retorted sourly. Mrs. George bashed her hand down on the desk making both of us jump nervously.
“That is quite enough!” she said losing her temper slightly, “You’ll do as I say and that’ll be the end of it! Now, Miss. Davies.. are you happy to help me curb Frank’s.. enthusiasm, or lack there of..”
“I.. uh, but this is hardly fai..” she cut me off before I could complain any further.
“Are you happy to help Frank in his school behaviour and studies?!” she said raising her voice further, I couldn’t say no. The wrath that would incur would be a fate worth then death. I nodded meagrely and bit down on my lip to stop me from screaming profanities at her. “And Frank, you have no choice in the matter.. So it’s sorted. Started tomorrow morning, at 8pm sharp you will both arrive here at my office and I shall escort you to a class room where the teaching can begin. You will then, at 3.30pm sharp come back to my office once more, and again I shall escort you to the class room and you will remain there until 4.30pm when I shall unlock the door and you will be free to leave..”
“What?! This isn’t fair! I haven’t done anything that deserves this, this punishment!” I shouted in disgust over Frank’s shouting as well. She threatened us both with permanent expulsion if we didn’t obey, I was stuck with him.
“No Gerard!” I laughed with a small grin playing on my lips. Gee was my best friend, had been since we were 3 years old, and I was the only one who never caved to his whining without good reason. As I was about to now, to be honest I was sick of the only sound, besides Gerard and the radio, coming from the engine that chugged away as I tried to force more speed out of my crappy, old car.
“Tallulah Evelyn Davies let me listen to this cd right this second!”
“Ok! Ok! I give up.. Just put your bloody cd on and be quiet Gerard!” he sighed and didn’t put the cd in the player. “What? Changed your mind have we?” I smirked. He shook his head, “Well what then?” he pointed ahead, out the windscreen to the approaching school car park gates. I knew by the disappointed look on his face that he’d have to wait until the ride home to listen to whatever it was he had on there. We both gave the same grunt of sheer joy that we were here for yet another day of compulsive learning. Truth be told, I just wanted it all to be over.. To be free to just do as I pleased, when it pleased me and to be free of the hassles of being an outcast. Not that I cared, but the taunting, name calling, whispering and general hostilities I could definitely, do without.
“You chessing it with me and Mikey today?” he asked as we paced down the wide corridor, our bags slung over our shoulders sloppily.
“No I’m going to hang out with all my amazing friends that have been badgering me since last year to hang out with them and all of their amazing friends..” he grabbed me around the waist and carried me along the corridor kicking and screaming, meriting many a discerned look from by standing students, who could quite frankly, kiss my ass.
“Look there’s your favourite person!” he said with a slight laugh. I lurched my head forward and low and behold, it was Frank, leaning up against a locker chatting up an unfortunate blonde girl who was probably thinking that all her Christmases had come at once having someone like Frank talking to her. Gerard picked up his pace and manoeuvred us over to him and the girl. I bashed at his forearms hoping he would drop me before I’d have to endure some kind of comment made on Frank’s behalf.
“Gerard.. no! Please?” I begged. He just laughed, no doubt getting a kick out of it, seeing it more as revenge for me not letting him play his cd sooner. He did as I wished and dropped me to the ground, I landed heavily on my feet and stumbled back into him.
“Ass hole!” I said, hitting him in the chest. “I’m going to class..” I turned to walk off and bumped straight into Frank’s chest.
“Watch it loser.” He laughed, the girl he was standing with giggled annoyingly before touching her sleek hair again. God how I despised girls like this, girls who used their bodies to entice male attention.
“Fuck off Frank..” I slammed my shoulder into the corner of the locker un-intentionally as I barged past him, not wanting him to give me shit for being a weak ass, I sucked it up and bit my lip until I made it safely into the classroom where I could clutch my shoulder to ease the pain. Yet another caused by Frank.
“Fuck dammit!” I cursed through gritted teeth. I felt a hand on my back, and knew instantly from the plastic ring on the thumb, that it was Mikey.
“Are you ok Loubi?” he asked in a worried tone. He always did look out for me, even though I was his older brother’s friend, but truth be told I was as close with him as I was with Gerard, just in different ways – no pun intended.
“Yeah.. Self inflicted injury in order to keep as far out of Frank’s way as humanly possible..” I laughed, he shook his head and we took our seats for an hour of calculus. Many of the kids at the back of the class grunted in displeasure at the thought of an impromptu test, of course they weren’t there by choice. But for the rest of us, the test was a walk in the park.
“Is there a Tallulah Davies in this class?” a short woman asked, I recognised her from the administration building. Mr. Hawke pointed towards me, and she signalled for me to come with her. I looked at the teacher and he nodded. I stood, leaving my already completed paper on the desk, and followed her through the corridors. She didn’t talk as she speedily made her way towards the principle office, I recognised the route well, having had to make my way there over the years for numerous reasons, not all good. “In there, just knock..” she said before dawdling off towards her desk, no rational thought as to why I was there ran through my mind. I hadn’t done anything wrong, and I hadn’t done anything particularly right. Oh god, what if it was one of those visits where they told you that a family member had died? That they had been killed horrifically in a eight car build up? That a bear had mauled them on a rambling tr.. Now I was just being irrational.
“Ahh.. Miss. Davies, we’ve been expecting you. Please, take a seat..” Mrs. George said with her fake endearing smile. She was never one for sincerity, though as an elderly woman who’s husband was having multiple affairs and who’s estranged daughter was a pin up girl, I could hardly blame her. Sitting opposite her was a middle aged man, I knew him from somewhere but couldn’t place where. As I took a seat, the door to the office opened again, revealing Frank looking as confused as I was. “Perfect timing Mr. Iero Junior..” That was it, I’d seen this man picking Frank up from the Way’s house, his dad. “Now, I’ve brought you both here after an extensive conversation with Mr. Iero Senior.” Her use of junior and senior was beginning to get to me, and by my count she’d only said either one once. “Frank your grades are, to say the least, appalling.. As is your attendance and attitude.” His head dropped down, not making eye contact with anyone, his dad sat looking disappointed, “So we’re going to do something about it, and we believe we know the best person for the job..” her gaze fell upon me and my stomach sank. Me? Best person for the job? What job? As if he had read my mind, Frank asked the pivotal question.
“What job?” she grinned knowingly, she obviously knew neither of us would like the answer.
“Of taming you into a model student of course..”
“And you chose her?!” he said as if disgusted by my sheer presence.
“Look! I’m not exactly happy about this either Junior.” I retorted sourly. Mrs. George bashed her hand down on the desk making both of us jump nervously.
“That is quite enough!” she said losing her temper slightly, “You’ll do as I say and that’ll be the end of it! Now, Miss. Davies.. are you happy to help me curb Frank’s.. enthusiasm, or lack there of..”
“I.. uh, but this is hardly fai..” she cut me off before I could complain any further.
“Are you happy to help Frank in his school behaviour and studies?!” she said raising her voice further, I couldn’t say no. The wrath that would incur would be a fate worth then death. I nodded meagrely and bit down on my lip to stop me from screaming profanities at her. “And Frank, you have no choice in the matter.. So it’s sorted. Started tomorrow morning, at 8pm sharp you will both arrive here at my office and I shall escort you to a class room where the teaching can begin. You will then, at 3.30pm sharp come back to my office once more, and again I shall escort you to the class room and you will remain there until 4.30pm when I shall unlock the door and you will be free to leave..”
“What?! This isn’t fair! I haven’t done anything that deserves this, this punishment!” I shouted in disgust over Frank’s shouting as well. She threatened us both with permanent expulsion if we didn’t obey, I was stuck with him.