Chapter Five - I Like Him

The car cruising past was a blue Honda Accord. An old lady was inside blasting Katy Perry songs through her speakers. Six cats poked their heads out of the windows, their ears and eyes flapping in the wind. 

What's with old ladies and cats anyway? Always feeding any puss they come across. Maybe its loneliness. No one knows and I'm afraid no one ever will.

Most of the kids had took buses home and the place was halfway deserted. But some of them weren't ready to face the chores they were sure was waiting for them at home. The popular kids. They hung around discussing their latest clothes, the hottest boy in class, which show they'd attend on the weekend. 

Another car🚗 parked in the school's parking lot. Principal Rockwell was sitting on the foot of the fountain⛲. He looked up to see who it was. He was wringing water💦 out of his shoes👞. He looked down and saw he was wearing mismatched socks. His left leg was clothed with a pink sock and bright red hearts was doodled on it. The door of the door slammed closed and a smart lady and a young boy stepped out.

It was the guidance counselor, Miss Tyson. She was holding the boy's hand. The kid had a fringe haircut and his bangs fell in front of his eyes. He was wearing a red T-shirt and navy shorts. He wore brown sandals on his feet. 

The boy ran forward and stuck his hands out for a handshake. "Hi. I'm Chirag Kumar. Are you the principal?" His words came out with an Indian accent".

"Yes. I am the principal". The principal remembered he looked dishonorable. He gave Chirag's hands a waggle.

Miss Tyson asked "Sir, why are you wet? And why do you have paint splattered on your clothes? Why are the students outside?

"Its a long story". The principal sounded defeated.

"Hello principal! I like your school. So many bright colors!" Chirag said, referring to his spoilt suit which he was intending to give away to charity when he got home.

"Who is he?" He asked Miss Tyson. She'd dropped his hands and he went over to some nearby students. The populars. He was gesticulating wildly. They they laughed. Principal Rockwell looked at him and back at Miss Tyson. She was tall and sported long, wavy dark hair. She was wearing a short sleeved green blouse and a matching black skirt.

"He's the foreign exchange student from India, remember?" The principal shook his head sideways.

"I don't think I do" he replied.

"Well, he's supposed to fill out some forms in your office today. Could we fill them today?"

"No. I need to refurbish the school first. Then I'll binge watch some romance movies when I get home".

"You watch those?" She asked, surprised.

"What? Anything wrong?" 

"No. But you should probably hit the showers first. Did you take a bath today?" She asked, scrunching up her nose.

"No. I was too busy". 

"Too busy to even take a bath?

"Yeah. There's this dude who's always running up the block every morning. Everyday. I think he's watching me. So today I followed him"

Then he stopped to heighten effect. "And then?" She prompted.

"I didn't have enough time to bath and then chase him so I carried my suit and chased after him in my boxer shorts. Then I hide behind a car and wore my suit and the trousers. The trousers wouldn't pass though, because I was wearing shoes. We keep running up and down. Up and down. Like that".

"And then?"

"This one time I was sure he saw me but I was behind a street lamp so he couldn't have saw me. He went back to his neighborhood and I came here".

"And what happened here? 

"I'm too tired to say". He said, raising himself up. "I think I'll fill my bathtub with ice and lie in it for two hours". He closed his eyes, trying to conjure up the image in his mind. "Too bad. I didn't even bring my car".

He walks away. His shoes make squelchy sounds as he walks. Miss Tyson watches him and shrugged. "I don't know what's wrong with him". She muttered to herself. Chirag laughs behind her.

"Why are you laughing?" She asked Chirag. 

"I like him. He's funny". He said, chuckling lightly. She smiles but it doesn't quite reach her eyes.

They stand silently and watch as the principal tries to furtively stop a cab. Anyone he waves forward, slows down, take in his present state and drives along. He remembered that he had his phone with him. He brings it out and tries to call an Uber. His phone doesn't power on. He hits it repeatedly over the palm of his head. A few drops fall out, and nothing more.

Greatly vexed, he smashes it against the hard, tarred road. He jumps and stomps on it and flaps his hands around. He looks like a flapping turkey.

Satisfied, he stalks off towards the direction he thinks is his house. Miss Tyson chuckled, greatly amused. So does Chirag.

The principal stalks off to the other direction, hitting his leg on a fire hydrant.

They laugh louder. Chirag is clutching his ribs from laughing too hard. "Why are you laughing?" She asks. 

This time, he doesn't have an answer.

🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴

Its almost three o clock. Josh emerges from the cafeteria where he'd been scrubbing the utensils clean. His hands are raw and bloated from too much washing. The janitor and some plumbers are trying to fix the water problems. The floors are slippery. He almost feels his feet slide under him but he clutches a door just in time.

Outside, he squints at the sunlight. The cafeteria lights had been dimmed so when he stepped out side, the lights hurts his eyes.

His dress is in his backpack. He walks home.

He doesn't see Hunter's bike leaning against the foot of the oak tree.

🛂🛂🛂🛂🛃🛃🛃🛃

Hunter watches him from atop the tree lining the driveway. He'd been searching for Josh everywhere. He'd called Josh's mom and asked Zoey and his geek friends. They hadn't seen him anywhere.

He had a hunch he should check their school.

Now Josh was walking home. And why was he still at school when school let out a long while ago? Why wasn't he at home, doing his seriously weird science stuff? Hunter thought.

He slithered down the tree. Then he picked up his bike and made to cross the road. Walking past, his leg hit something metallic. It bounced screeching on the tarred road. 

On the peices of the phone, he bent over and saw a memory card sticking out. He removed it and slipped it into his pocket.

He continued walking home.