Unknown

Unknown Read Online Free PDF Page B

Book: Unknown Read Online Free PDF
Author: Christopher Smith
aware that the room had gone quiet.   People were listening.   “A change from what?   What did I look like before?”
    Somebody behind me said, “A freak.”
    It was Mike Hastings—I’d know his voice anywhere.   I turned to him and when I did, the expressions of surprise that shifted across every face in that room were priceless.   Everyone was rooted to my face, which was indeed smooth and actually had a hint of color to it.   I looked better.   Some might even consider me handsome.   Many were staring at my hair, which had a kind of hip, curly vibe to it.   I saw Alex in the back of the room and his brows were knitted together, trying to figure me out.
    “You think I’m a freak, Hastings?”
    “Any guy who wears that amount of makeup to cover his zits is a freak, buddy.   You didn’t look like that this morning.   You looked like you always look—a frigging volcano ready to erupt.   Who’d you get the makeup from?   Your momma while she was passed out?”
    “You’re a class act, Mike.”
    “And you’re a friggin’ drag queen.”
    “If you think it’s makeup, come wipe it off me.”
    “Why?   So you can get close enough to shove your tongue down my throat?”
    Save for Alex and a few others, most in the room laughed.
    “Why don’t you leave him alone?” Alex said.
    But Hastings was having none of him this time. More interesting is that Mrs. Branson was allowing all of this to unfold without stopping it.  
    “Why don’t you shut up?   This doesn’t concern you.”
    “Actually, he’s right,” I said.   I turned to Mrs. Branson, who had a look on her face that suggested she was enjoying this.   Her eyes were bright.   She was biting her lower lip.  
    She didn’t know what was coming next.  
    “Isn’t it your job to make sure none of this goes on?” I asked her.   “Isn’t it your job to keep order?   Make peace?   Keep us in line so we can do our work and do it well?   Isn’t it your job to make sure people like me aren’t bullied?   I’ve had you for a teacher for years and you never interfered when they pulled this kind of crap on me or on anyone else.   Can you explain that to me?”
    She was flustered, embarrassed.  
    “Explain it to me?”
    “I owe you no explanation.”
    “You owe me every explanation.”
    “For what?”
    “For standing there and doing nothing.   For getting off on watching them take their repressed self-hatred out on me.”
    She pointed toward the door.   “Go to the principal’s office.   Now.”
    “For what?”
    “Insolence.”
    “That’s an impressive word, but I haven’t been insolent.   I was just called a freak by one of the worst, most morally corrupt people in this school.   You heard it and did nothing about it.   So, I’ll go and see the principal and here’s why—I’m going to question your teaching, your lack of morals and ethics.   I’m finally going to let them know exactly how you’ve behaved in these situations since I’ve been coming to your classes.”   I snapped my fingers.   “Time for the curtain to go up on your teaching career, Mrs. Branson.”   I snapped my fingers again.   “And then, when I’m finished, time for the curtain to go down on it.”
    “Holy shit,” someone behind me said.
    Branson came around her desk.   “Get out.”
    “You’ve got it.”
    I started to walk past her and when I did, she grabbed my arm.   “No one in this class heard or saw anything you’re claiming.”   Her eyes swept the room.   “Am I right, class?”
    Immediately, the majority either nodded or said, “yes.”
    But when I looked over at Alex, he was out of his seat, gathering his books and coming to the front of the class, where he towered above Branson.   “If he goes, I go.   I saw what happened here.   I’m backing him with the truth.   To stop us, you can do this:   Send Hastings to the principal, apologize to Seth and set the record straight.”
    “Two against twenty is a
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