THE BASEMENT [REVISION 2] [INCOMPLETE]
It came as no surprise when Mrs. Kooper slammed an F-branded math test onto my desk. “You’re a mess, Raymond. An absolute mess!” She declared aloud. A couple kids turned in their seats to smirk at me and giggle. But they were none of my concern. I watched Mrs. Kooper as she sauntered over to the black board, and picked up a piece of chalk. She then proceeded to slowly and neatly write my name underneath the dreaded detention sticker up on the black board. She turned around and cast me a disappointed glare. More laughter from the kids. Yup, it was just a typical day at school. That detention sticker was Pooper Scooper’s magnum opus, that she went to great lengths every day to expand with the names of unfortunate and undeserving kids. She would write each name with the utmost care, as if they were trophies upon her desk, of all of the kids she had the pleasure of keeping in at recess for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Such as staying on one page for too long during silent reading. She would assume that you were daydreaming. She was constantly on the lookout for even the slightest opportunity to get your name up under that stupid pink and green sticker. She finished handing out all of the test results, then plopped herself down at her desk. She sorted through a couple papers, then cleared her throat. “Once everyone has changed into their indoor shoes, we will be going to the gym.” She announced. Everybody rose to their seats and hurried to get into their runners. I remained in my desk and waited for everything to settle down before I even bothered to get mine. Mrs. Kooper eyed me angrily from her desk. She pointed at the cloak room area, as if ordering me to go there. I didn’t move, and I looked away from her. “Raymond…” She started. I got up from my desk and walked slowly towards the crowd of people in the cloak room area. I knew that she was still watching me. I shoved my way into the crowd, and pretended to be putting my shoes on. I emerged, still wearing my outdoor shoes. She didn’t seem to notice, she was far too busy writing a couple reminders up on the chalk board. Once the crowd cleared, Poop Scoop ordered everyone into a straight line, and lead us to the gymnasium.
Gym was my best area in school. I was a pro at all forms of dodge ball, from Doctor Dodge Ball to bench dodge ball. It was just an ordinary gym period today. Nothing unusual from Kooper or anyone else. After all of the balls were ordered to Kooper’s likings back into the storage room, she lead the class out of the gym. In the little hall the branched off to the gym, Mrs. Kooper had to stop and remind someone near the back of the line to respect the other classrooms, and not to be talking in the halls. It was then that I noticed the principal, Mrs. McKenzie, talking to a parent out front of her office, a parent that I’d never seen before. I was curious, so I waited for Kooper to take her place back at the front before I slipped out of the line, and took cover beside the vending machine. The parent seemed interested in enrolling her child in the school. The principal accepted, then queried the mother for her kid’s name. The woman’s smile slipped off of her face, and she glanced behind her. McKenzie gave her a questioning stare. “Are you alright?” She asked in a low voice, placing her hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Yeah, yeah… um… I’m fine. Um, may we please continue this conversation in your office? With the door closed?” She asked in a shaky voice. McKenzie didn’t seemed very bothered by her request, and directed her inside the office. Shutting the door behind her. Just before the door closed, the evil secretary spotted me squatting beside the vending machine. Her mouth dropped, and she rose from her seat. Before she had a chance to come after me, the principal had closed the door. I knew that it wouldn’t be long before the sec would be on my case though. I quickly rushed back to the classroom, to see Mrs. Kooper sitting in her desk, going through more paper. She glanced at me through the corner of her beady little eyes as I entered the room. “Where were you, Raymond?” She challenged. I quickly thought of an excuse. “I was really tired from gym, so I just went to get a drink.” I said. She seemed to believe me. Or perhaps she thought that having my name under the detention sticker four times was sufficient enough. “Very well. Sit down and get some silent reading done before the bell rings.” She ordered. I sat down at my desk, and pulled out my math book. She didn’t know this, but I was the only kid in the class who didn’t have a silent reading novel. I would always pretend to be deeply engrossed in my math book at silent reading time. She approved of it, and even remarked it as a healthy step towards math success. When in reality, I would only be thinking of what I needed to do to get to the next level in Mario back at home. About an hour later, the bell rang, unleashing a frenzy of excited kids and flustering teachers into the halls. I jammed my math book back into my desk. Since I hadn’t bothered to change into my indoor shoes, there was no need for me to try to wrestle my way through the cloak room area. I headed straight out the classroom door, and out into the hall. Ryan, my best buddy, had said to meet him out front of the school so we could walk home together. I saw the sec walking towards my classroom, probably to fill Kooper in on my snooping. I rocketed through the front doors of the school, and scanned the playground and parking lot for Ryan. Nowhere to be seen. We usually met near the play fire truck. I waited around for about ten minutes before giving up. His teacher had probably held him in after school for something, I figured. I couldn’t afford Kooper catching up to me and detaining me as well. Her recess detentions may have been bad, but her after school ones were brutal. She would usually dump a truck load of review assigns on you, before she would phone up your parents and inform them that you were going to be at the school for at least an hour or two. If she had to go to a staff meeting, or for some other reason was not able to damn you to homework, she would abandon you in the office with the secretary, to serve as her little slave until she had to go home. I thanked my lucky stars that I wasn’t in that position as I walked down the road leading away from the school. I also prayed that Ryan wasn’t with the secretary right now. In the school, the teachers were the ones who dealt out the punishments, and it was their loyal secretary who did the snitching. She could see and observe nearly everything that went on outside from her office window. She would then use a Microsoft Office tool to connect to any teacher she wished, and rat out on any kids she believed were misbehaving.
THE BASEMENT [Original] [COMPLETE]