Chapter 4: Our separations (The Fight).
It was a month into our new school year, and so far I have never seen Chris or Alexis not speaking to one another for this long. I was the one that played the middle man between the two. They wish they would take back what had happened in the tree fort, but every time they see one another, their anger would spring its ugly head up. They didn't hate one another, just the fact that their opinions were completely different and they didn't agree with them.
Even though that I have not mentioned Ace or his gang is because there wasn't anything to write about, we all knew that his gang was leaving us alone, and picking on some other town people instead. Even as I am writing this, my gut still gets into very tight knots. Pre-warning? May be.
All around the school that we go to has fliers of the holiday that was the Halloween party for all of us, excluding I don't think I would go to it since the next day was a school day. I know that Chris or Alexis could not loose a day worth of classes and then have a surprise pop up test after a day or two.
With Teddy and Vern, that is something that I can't actually say for sure, since the last time that I talk to them was after Teddy and Alexis got into that huge and ugly fight. Chris had to kick Teddy's ass for this one as it led to all of us breaking away from one another.
I didn't mention the full extent of Teddy and Vern that much because the damage and sting, from this fight is healed but, still has a bad taste in my memory. Alexis was devastated by how immature Teddy and Vern were. Chris still gets angry about it, from that time I didn't know why, but now I do.
The day that this happened was a day that started out normally, just the fact that Teddy was holding in his anger, his dad must have had one of those crazy moments, as Teddy was ticking time bomb. One wrong move and he could go off on the wrong person. In some ways I'm glad that it was Alexis, which Teddy took his anger out; also in other ways I am sorry that it had to happen to her.
Chris was walking with me to our next class; it was one where Alexis was in with us, it was our Math. So far she has been ignoring Chris as I knew that they would just like to put this past them, however their damn pride would not let it go. I know that he wanted to talk about it, knowing Chris though, he wouldn't talk about it unless it was really bothering him.
At times I could see him thinking about talking what happened between him and Alexis, but at the last second he would always change his mind. I was sitting at my wooden desk as Chris was on the right of me, Alexis would be on my left but since they argued over whatever it was, she has been sitting closer to the windows.
There were a few minutes before class actually started and it was a surprise not only for Chris but me as well. Alexis was speaking to some of the other girls that lived up in the View.
"Gordie… I think we just lost her." Chris whispered to me.
Now I didn't say anything back to him, but I knew his meaning. For the longest time, no one talked to Alexis either from the View or not. So with Alexis talking to some of the other students from the View, it was shocking. Not just because they were letting her be around and socialize with them, but also let them get to know her more.
Chris and I had a bad feeling that the kids from the View were going to do something bad to her, just how wrong were we on that.
When the bell finally rang for class to start, Alexis walked over to her seat and when my eyes looked into her own, I saw forgiving from her. I wasn't the leader of our gang, but it seemed that she was asking for forgiveness from me. Whatever the forgiveness was from, I don't know, so I just nodded my head at her.
"Quiet it down, now!" our teacher, Mr. Scale, told all of us students.
What the students those aren't from the View call our teacher "Scaly bastard" or "Scaly *****". Rude it was to call him that but he was just as mean as the names we called him. He gave viscous homework assignments out, the school assignments alone were hard enough but, these are college classes.
"For today, you will have a pop up test. But here the reward that I have thought of if any one gets high then a 97 -no homework for a month and free lunches here at school. Any one who gets a B will have three weeks of no homework. As for the person who gets a C will only have one week. If anyone who gets lower then a 70 will not win theses awards. I will tell you after tomorrow who gets the awards." Mr. Scale snarled at us.
As predicted we have a pop up test and knowing how Chris gets when pop up test is presented, nervous as hell trying to remember what information on the subject was about. However when I looked back at him, I saw his head down on his desk with his arms as his protecting armor.
Before Mr. Scale saw him, I kick Chris's leg as hard as I could. That made him looks up and at me, giving him the look that said 'What's up with you?' Chris then mouthed the one word and I knew who it was, it didn't take me that long to know whose name he mouthed out. It was Alexis.
"You will have thirty minutes to complete this test, when I say the word, you may begin." Mr. Scale announced to the whole class.
I saw out of the corner of my eye, Alexis watching us or mostly Chris. I could not understand why. Why was she watching Chris when, they are angry at one another? Is she forgiving him right now? He must have seen her because they didn't look away.
Alexis then sighed while she looked away from Chris, who starred at her for a bit longer before he too looked away. I wonder what they were thinking about because Alexis seemed nervous while Chris looked heart broken.
"GO!" Mr. Scale shouted at us which made not only I but Alexis and Chris jump in our seats as well.
Seeing that I had my test I quickly started to do the problems. Mr. Scale stalked the isles up and down like a hungry lion or tiger. If you made one wrong move, you will fail this test, no questions asked you would fail this test and he would mark down whatever current grade you have.
With Chris doing his best, he would always get a C+ grade, at least which is how I figured it out since I had to make charts of how Mr. Scale grades our school work, homework, and tests and pop up tests is this:
91-100 A
81-90 B
71-80 C
61-70 D
Anything below 60 is fail.
Mr. Scale would always put on Chris's homework or tests an 80.5 why we don't know but I always tell Chris at least it's higher then a D or failing your grade. But Chris would always shrug his shoulders and keep on walking to our next class, not talking about his grade any further that day.
I didn't look neither at my sides or who was in front of me, I kept my eyes glued to my test as I was half way through it. I didn't know weather or not Alexis and Chris were done, but I did hear her get up and walk to the front of the class along with Chris.
Did it seem coincidental that Chris was done just like Alexis? I didn't look up since I still have four more problems to do and I had ten minutes to finish them. Another five minutes went by as I finished the test and walked up to Mr. Scale. Handing my test to him felt like I was doomed, but I knew that I would get a good grade on it. I already have a B+ in this class.
"Five minute warning." Mr. Scale announced to the class, I was already finished and relaxing in my chair.
During those five whole minutes, I was starring out the window, near Alexis though I did notice Alexis looking at Chris and he looking back. I know that you would love to read more on what happened to the two of them but at times some of the story can not always be on them. Knowing how both of my stubborn friends are, I took out a piece of lined paper and just started to write a poem. It was a poem back then, but it's a song now.
The title to it back then was just the first line, 'why you look so sad?' but after a while I would change it several times before I settle on the right one "I'll Stand by You." (Ever wonder, reader where the title to this story came from? Well now you know.)
"Alright ladies and gentlemen, time is up." Mr. Scale announced to everyone while we all had two minutes until the final bell rang.
BRRRING!!! There goes the final bell. All students got up and took their backpacks and book bags with them.
Since I always waited for either Chris or Alexis, I heard from the hallways the voice that only meant bad news, Teddy yelling at Vern again.
Chris was already out of the class room when he heard this. He had to calm Teddy down before he gets kicked out Junior High for good. Alexis was about to join Chris but I grabbed her hand; my guts were telling me 'hold her back'.
Even though it would seem like Alexis could handle the situation, Chris hold Teddy back stronger then her. I am not saying that Alexis isn't physically strong, she is but, Chris was stronger then her.
When Alexis and I walked out of the classroom of Mr. Scale, the hallway was cleared of any students then before.
"Where did Chris and Teddy go?" she asked me.
Looking around I didn't know.
"They will be around some where. Chris can handle Teddy and Vern. Don't worry Alexis." I told her, not knowing that she was concern about those three.
We continued to walk to our next class, our College English. After we entered and sat in out desks near the back area, we saw Chris come walking in. Alexis was the first one, semi out of her seat, seeing a burse starting to form on his lower fore arm.
"I don't want to talk about what happened, please." Was all he told to us?
Alexis nodded to him, sitting back down in her seat. I watched both of them carefully, since Alexis hated to see any of us argue and/or physically hurt one another; mostly with Chris. May be it was a good thing that she didn't come on that Ray Brower adventure?
I know that both Chris and Alexis were on the 'understand' level, instead the 'ignore each other with utter stubbornness' level. Yes, I have different levels for them both, just depends what ones they are at.
"Do you want to eat lunch with Chris and me? We miss talking to you and hearing how your day is going." I asked her, looking at her for this.
"I think I will join you and Chris, today. And I missed you too Gordon." She replied, smiling back at me.
With only her smile, calming my uneasy emotion about Teddy, I relaxed some what. Chris was silent when we talked but he would glance at either one of us.
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Lunch didn't come any sooner if you kept glancing at the school clock. Alexis has a bad habit of doing this; it doesn't matter if it's going to lunch or going to work.
Chris soon enough took hold of her right hand and didn't say anything to her. It always amazed me that, with a simple movement like that, it always calmed her down. Or it could be that Chris knows her too well.
Many other students noticed this small jester. Chris or Alexis were not faced by the other gossiping students. Just one more minute and we could go to lunch.
"Chris?" Alexis nervously asked him.
When he looked at her, the sheer shock was etched on his face.
"What, Alexis?" he replied, putting on his mask of in difference.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, just as the bell rang for lunch.
Chris just nodded and walked away from us. I soon followed him as I thought Alexis was behind me, never looking back to see if she was there at all.
"Hey, Gordie where's Alexis?" Chris asked me, looking around the big cafeteria.
Scanning the groups of people, my guts tighten. She does this if only she needs to go to the library or go talk to Teddy or Vern after a huge argument.
"I-I don't, Chris." I utter to him, fearing the worst.
"You ****ing *****!!" was heard from the hallways, it was Teddy.
Chris dropped his tray of food and ran to wherever Teddy was. I was right behind Chris; my instinct was getting more and more stressed out as we continued to look for Teddy. We didn't find him until we were near Mr. Scale's classroom, out in the courtyard. A loud slapping of skin against skin was then heard.
"Teddy, stop!" Alexis's desperate voice floated through the air.
Chris ran towards where they were, I only saw him like this if Teddy would not let up on teasing or arguing with Alexis.
"Get off of her, now, Teddy!" Chris yelled at him, teddy had Alexis by the throat and repeatedly punching her.
It didn't take long for a coward to form. I could do nothing as Chris had to grab around his shoulder but he was soon flung off of him. Alexis was slowly breathing, her face was bright red from the lack of air.
Teddy wasn't letting her go. With one final punch to her face, Alexis fainted from the pain and lack of air to her body. Without even thinking of it, I grabbed my English book from my book bag and hit him on the head, it didn't work the first couple of tries but after wards it did. Teddy then shoved her limped body to the floor as he dazedly turned to Chris.
"Come on Teddy, let it go." Chris calmly told him.
"No, you keep that ****ing son of a ***** away from me. All of you just leave me alone." Teddy replied back.
"If you don't want to be our friend, fine, but don't beat Alexis up just because she wanted some peace between all of us." I answered for Chris. His anger was getting the best of him because of this fight between Teddy and Alexis.
Silently like a stealthy jungle cat, Mr. Scale came walking out of the shadows of the on looking coward. His expression was an angry one, but held maturity behind it as well.
"Mr. Chambers, Mr. Lachance and Mr. Duchamp, please follow me. Mr. Chambers please pick up Miss Conall and take her to the nurse's office. As for all of you, go back to lunch!" Mr. Scale told everyone.
Chris gently kneeled down, ready to pick Alexis up, while Mr. Scale and Teddy were a few feet away.
"Chris, will she be alright?" I asked him.
"I don't know, Gordie. I don't know." Chris gravely answered me.
He picked her up and started to walk where Mr. Scale was leading all of us. No one spoke, we kept our emotions to our selves. We (Chris, Teddy and I) feared that if we spoke to one another, the anger would come out and we didn't want more punishment that would be added on to what we will be getting from our principal.
It wasn't that long when we got to the principal's office. Chris parted from us as the nurse, Nurse Nelly, was waiting for him.
"You two wait out here, I need to speak to Mrs. Sarco about this." Mr. Scale ordered Teddy and I.
I sat down on the wooden chair and waited. Seconds later, Chris joined me. His face was graved by what Nurse Nelly told him.
Ten minutes. It may sound a really short period of time, however when you're young and in trouble it seems like two whole months. All of our eyes went to the door that had just opened up.
There stood, in his tan pants and stripped shirt, Vern. He was looking terribly sad.
"Thank you, Mr. Tessio, may I please speak with Theodore Duchamp?" Mr. Scale announced to us.
"It's Teddy." Teddy growled at our Math Teacher.
Mr. Scale just ignored that comment as they walked into the office and more so into the Principal office. Vern took Teddy's seat as Chris and I looked at him, he wasn't apart of the fight.
"Vern, what-"
"Chris, I went to go get help, not because she wanted peace but, she couldn't handle Teddy like any of us. Also I can't be friends with any of you, including Alexis." Vern interrupted Chris, never looking in his eyes.
Knowing it was a blow to loose Teddy and now Vern, both Chris and I kept on thinking of Alexis. If we had lost her that same day, I know for a fact that all of us would be different to the present time.
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"Alexis Conall, why did you do that today?" Chris asked her.
She had a woken two hours later and had a long talk with Mr. Scale and Mrs. Sarco about what happened. So far Mrs. Sarco believed her and Vern's story since Teddy's story didn't add up to theirs.
All three of us (Chris, Alexis and I) were in the tree fort as school was over with. Alexis heavily sighed, she was lying on top of Chris as she looked a little green by sitting up so much.
"Chris" was all I said to him, seeing her pale some more.
He then sighed too, gently rubbing her back and surprisingly didn't speak again.
"I did it, Christopher, because I hate to see you get beat up. You get it like I do, at home and from your family members. Plus you didn't need any more from our friends." Alexis whispered in his ear as she snuggled more into his chest.
Smiling softly at them, I started to do my homework. Chris Alexis and I didn't get anything for the fight. Teddy however was suspended for a month for starting the fight and picked a fight with none other then a girl. Alexis looked away when Mrs. Sarco and Mr. Scale said that.
"Alexis, we understand why you did but, please, next time let me handle it? When you were out cold, I thought for one hopeless second, that you were dead. Don't you ever scare me like that ever again, Alexis Jennifer Conall." Chris replied, softly but firmly back.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." She whispered back before she started to cry.
It was then that I looked up as Alexis started to cry. Now before you go off and think she is crying all the time or cries when something horrible happens. No. It's just her emotions get over worked and since words can be difficult to form and say, she let's her actions speak for her.
Chris then put both of his arms around her shaking body and rocks her gently.
As the sun was going down, so many events have happened all in one day. I just hoped that tomorrow will be a lot smoother then today. However, at least Chris and Alexis are speaking to one another again. And it seemed that after this event, they were closer to one another.
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