Wings So We Can Fly (Part 3)

*GA-LING! GA-LING! GA-LING! GA-LING!

Four resounding rings of the school bell formally brought classes to a close. Paris and Alekay packed their bags. Double English on a Monday afternoon ALWAYS dragged.

"Ay! You two are staying with me." declared Mr. Porter. He wrote the word "detention" on his white board. Paris and Alekay sat down.

"Unpack your English books."

Paris and Alekay unpacked their English books and set them open on their tables, in unison.

"Let's talk." said Mr. Porter. He brought a chair to the front of the class and sat with the chair between his legs, facing them.

"Do you two not understand how serious what I am teaching you is? ... Do you think that just because it's the start of the year you can... slack off and I'll excuse you?" He paused and took a deep breath. "You're not tenth graders anymore. Do you think that time will just- wait for you to realise that?"

The question gave way to a silence too thick to cut with a knife.

Mr. Porter's lectures could convince a person that the world is a cube. It was all in the way his face cooperated with his immaculate and articulate choice of words; the way his eyebrows furrowed when he asked questions- as if to impatiently probe for an answer; the way his voice calmly penetrated one's eardrum and inveigled it to accept whatever point was put across.

Alekay and Paris shook their heads. Mr. Porter took off his old fashioned, round-framed spectacles. He still had a healthy mop of brown hair that he regularly trimmed on the back and sides to reveal short gray hairs blended in with the brown in resonant unity of age and youth. He put his glasses aside and stood up.

"Don't think of this as detention, think of it as 'catch up'. I'm going to test you on what I taught today"

The kids were quiet. Mr. Porter's face was a composed pale. You did not want to make it pink.

"Now?" asked Paris, not sure if she had asked the question loud enough. Mr. Porter nodded.

"Give me a second, I'll be back."

Mr. Porter left the class.

It's just me -and her.

Paris seemed truly remorseful as Mr. Porter left but quickly, she metamorphosed into her usual self. She took off her hairband and let her curly hair free.

"We're sharing answers?" she asked, the question itself sounding more like a declaration than a request. Alekay shook his head.

"What do you mean no?" she asked, in total shock.

Girls like boys that can say no to them.

He shook his head again. His mouth wasn't functioning. Paris grabbed his hand with one hand and put her other on his cheek.

"What do you mean no?" she asked, again- this time with female manipulation powers.

Alekay ignorantly brushed aside the possibility of Mr. Porter returning. Paris was within kissing distance. His heart was racing. His left hand was comfortably cushioned in her warm right and her left hand was softly caressing his chin.

I should tell her I like her.

Paris smiled.

"We're sharing answers, right?" her eyes squinted a little as she slowly smiled the last word out.

My heart.

"RIGHT??" she asked, again, impatience edging her normally gentle voice. She was slowly getting closer, almost mounting him. Paris was a hunter, a hungry vixen. Her curly hair dangled in his face, it smelled of - her. There wasn't really a replacement for it. It was just - unique; It was just - Paris. He breathed it in like he'd replaced oxygen.

She stared at him boldly, daring him to defy her. He looked straight into her bold, brown eyes with his heart in his eyes. He looked into her eyes like he'd never let her go. He looked into her eyes like he wanted her; he looked into her eyes like he needed her; he looked into her eyes like he would even take pride in just how desparate he was for her; he looked into her eyes like he would defy her. His stomach churned with heat and butter.

What is this girl doing to me?

Alas, they were at a stalemate.

There she was, for the taking. At this point, if somebody walked in, from a lot of angles the whole situation would easily be... misunderstood... unless.. unless it was what it felt like.

Does she know what she's doing?

She has to. Does this mean she knows I like her? Or better still, the boy she said she likes is... m-

"EXCUSE me,"

The authoritative voice of Mr. Porter sliced through the room. Paris scrambled back into her seat and sat absolutely upright, pretending to be putting back her hairband.

Mr. Porter was holding two papers. He walked in, disappointed but not surprised.

"No need to pretend, I already saw everything." he placed one paper on each desk. "And it explains a LOT."

He took a seat at his desk and woke his PC. "And you know the rules about Acts Of Public Affection on Campus."

Paris's eyes widened.

"Mr. Porter! I'm afraid you've misunderstood! That's not what it was!" she laughed.

"Still laughing," noted Mr. Porter, writing it all down. "Well no need to explain to me." he said. "Explain to yourselves. If it was anyone else, you'd both be in the Principal's Office for - whatever you two were doing before I came. But anyway, we have wings so we can fly I guess." he said submissively.

Ms. Saunders poked her head through the door. Mr. Porter looked up from his PC.

"Well, speak of the devil,"

"And he arrives," said Ms. Saunders, finishing his sentence. She invited herself into the classroom.

"Quince, I'm here to collect this young man here. He's in trouble with me."

Mr. Porter nodded. Ms. Saunders beckoned Alekay towards her.

"Go with your paper," ordered Mr. Porter, "leave it outside my office in the early hours tomorrow."

Alekay picked up his paper and neatly placed it between two books in his bag.

"Oh and- if you fail, I will call you back here tomorrow so I can teach you the topic again."

Mr. Porter didn't mention anything about what he had seen.

Good dog.

From the school parking lot, you could see the school gates. The parking lot was a fresh space of new concrete and clear paint. Each parking spot was immaculately thought out and marked. Although, the parking lot was surrounded by trees, there was seldom shade on the parking spots themselves.

Alekay's task was to sweep all the leaves and dirt off the lot. Ms. Saunders supervised from the shade of a camping chair set up underneath a tree on the lot's perimeter. More wind came and blew leaves onto the lot. The time was 4:33 p.m. on Alekay's watch.

Alekay dropped the broom.

"Ms. Saunders, can I go? It's 4:33!" Alekay shouted across the lot.

"Yeah, right!" was the response. Alekay rolled his eyes. What did that even mean? He kept sweeping.

"Doesn't feel good, does it?!" shouted Ms. Saunders. "Ha! Revenge is ss-weet! Ha! Ha! Keep sweeping, sweeper boy!" Ms. Saunders burst into laughing fits at her own words. "Sweeper boy? How do I come up with these things?"

Alekay picked up the broom and started sweeping again. After about twenty minutes, Paris made her way past the parking lot to the school gates: she was going home.

"Kid?" asked Ms. Saunders.

"Yeah?"

"Why were you in trouble with Mr. Porter?"

"Um, talking in class." Alekay didn't stop sweeping while talking. He was upset.

"Talking... to that girl?" she asked.

"Yep."

"Oh okay. By the way, she went home just now. I don't know if you wanted to know but- just putting it out there." said Ms. Saunders.

Alekay stopped sweeping.

"Her and I are friends so I usually walk her to the bus stop." said Alekay. He continued sweeping. "-to make sure that she's not absolutely alone if-- any strange person accosts her on the way there." he added, lying; he just walked her to the bus stop because it was enjoyable but he also really wanted to leave.

Ms. Saunders smiled.

"You're such a sweet kid."

Alekay stopped sweeping the floor for one second and smiled back. Then he continued.

"Yeah. I guess,"

Ms. Saunders stood up and walked over to him.

"Tell you what? I think you've learned your lesson. Never ever, ever vandalise the school."

huh?

Crickets chirped through the silence that followed.

Alekay paused, not sure if correcting her would wind her up.

This principal is totally cuckoo.

"Yes ma'am I won't vandalise the school again," he said, agreeing with her for the sake of leaving.

"Huh? You weren't serving a detention for vandalism."

Alekay was stuck. If he said he was serving a detention for vandalism, he was lying and if he said he wasn't, he would expose that he was lying at first.

"Oh I thought- that was what you said just now so-"

"Noooooo, I was testing your honesty! Look at you! So eager to leeeavve! Why are you so desperate to leave huh?? You wanna chase your GIRLFRIEND??"

"Ah?!"

"You haven't denied it! So you admit it?" asked Ms. Saunders.

"I deny!" shouted Alekay.

Ms. Saunders was laughing fully.

"But look at you! You're smiling so much!!!" she laughed, clutching her tummy to hold in the laughter. "So what if I say her name now, will you smile?"

"What?"

"Paris."

Alekay smiled.

"What? You smiled!!!"

"No! I was already smiling. Try again!"

"Paris."

Alekay smiled. Ms. Saunders burst into laughter.

"It's because of the way you're saying it!!" he cried.

"Just- just go!" she laughed. "Don't embarrass yourself any more."

"No but-"

"You've lost kid. Chase your girlfriend before somebody 'accosts' her." said Ms. Saunders, finger quoting the word "accost".

Alekay rolled his eyes.

"Right."

"Get out of here before I change my mind. Three... two..."

Akekay took off before she reached "one".

"Mmmm! You're running so fast!! Slow DOWN!" she shouted; but he was long gone.

She laughed to herself.

"Hmph. Cute kid."

Alekay had never felt faster. He glided through the school gates and onto the long stretch from the school to the suburban areas. Not stopping once, he stole away to the streets of the suburbs. His arms pumped up and down with steady ease as his energy flowed from his torso, to arms, to legs in swift and continuous motion.

Bursting past the streets, Alekay passed the neighbouring high school and entered the town square. He checked his watch. 5:12 p.m. She could already be at the bus stop. The town wasn't very busy at this time. Strangers threw bewildered glares at him as he sprinted past shops and dodged walking strangers to catch up to her. The busier side of the town fizzled out into the side that needed business, where green grass, tall trees and foot paths dominated the land. The sky was greying. It was going to rain. The next stop was the playground.

He saw her. About 100 metres away.

From the distance, Alekay could see her curly brown afro tied into two puffs and her smooth neck making a minute appearance underneath it. She was wearing a grey-white bag with the white shirt and burgundy skirt of Redwood High School.

The last stretch.

He was panting heavily but she couldn't hear him for some reason. Nevertheless, it was for the better. He clenched his teeth and forced his body to go faster even though it felt like he was slowing down.

She stopped and looked at the ground- for long enough for Alekay to catch up to her.

She was a little shocked to see him. She took her earphones off of her ears. He checked his wrist watch. 5:36.

Whoa.

She stopped again and looked at him. Creeped.

He was panting so heavily that he couldn't stand upright.

"Do you - want some water?" she asked, kindly offering him a plastic water bottle from her bag.

He snatched it out of her hand and collapsed onto his back, voraciously ravaging the room-temperature liquid inside.

"Ewww don't put your lips on it!" she whined.

He stopped drinking for a moment and gave her a maniacal eye twitch. Then continued.

"Geez. Thirsty much?" said Paris, kicking the side of his bum.

After Alekay had hydrated himself, he stood up and offered her back the bottle, sucked dry and temporarily deformed because all the air had been squeezed out.

"I apologise for my recent inappropriate conduction of myself, ma'am. In exchange for your forgiveness, I will offer you the pretext that I had been utilising my limbs to manually mobilise in pursuit of your--"

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? WEIRDO!" shouted Paris, but she was laughing. Alekay laughed too.

"And you can have your bottle back," he said.

"It's okay. Keep it. You've already indirectly kissed me with it anyway."

"You didn't have to catch up to me or walk me home everyday," she continued. "I'd be fine going home on my own."

He laughed.

"I know." he said. "But just in case."

"Bruhh."

She slapped her forehead.

"Why do you have your phone?" he asked.

Paris put a finger to her lips to gesture silence to him. He rolled his eyes. "You're not allowed to bring them, you know?"

"Shh-Shh-Shh!"

"YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BRING THEM, YOU KNOW!!!" he shouted.

Paris grabbed his lip shut with her fingers.

"This is why I don't like talking to you."

Alekay knew she was joking but it kind of hurt for some reason.

I'm just over thinking.

"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask," he said, feeling a little awkward, "who's the guy you like?"

She smiled.

Is it me?

"Text me when you get home and we'll talk." she said. Alekay scratched his head.

"Well um, I don't have your number," he replied shyly, "you and I only ever talk at school," he laughed a little to dilute his accusative tone but it just sounded awkward. 5:50 p.m. The sun had set and it was getting cold.

"Okay then. I'll tell you tomorrow." she concluded.

"No!" he shouted, then realised that he was shouting. "I mean, no. Can I .... hvyrnmbr"

"What?" laughed Paris.

"Can I hvyrnmbr?"

"Stop mumbling!"

"Can I have your number." he said, loud and clear this time.

"Do you have your phone with you?" she asked

"No."

"Exactly. Talk tomorrow." she concluded.

"Wait!" he said.

"Alekay! We've been standing in the same spot for so long! I think I've even missed the bus!"

I love it when you say my name.