"WAKE UP MAX! WAKE UP! Everyone is already ready, and you are still sleeping in bed! GET UP! GET UP!"
"uggg…" fuck. I opened my eyes to see my ready and bubbly, energic bunkmate again. He was already dressed and briefly looking past him, I saw that most of the kids were gone or getting their stuff to leave out the door.
"too tired..want back bed." I covered myself with the blanket. I hadn't slept in a bed in a long time. I wanted to savor that moment of being in perfect comfort. That sweet spot on the bed, where it wasn't too cold, too hot and everything was just right. The bed was comfortable; and the blanket was warm. God..had finally shown his love to me….peace be upon the world.
I felt accomplished with the lesson plan. I felt good about being able to write down my feelings and acknowledging them in a safe place. And, felt good about writing my goals down without that small paranoid that I usually got whenever I wrote something in his world. The bed felt good, the sleep was great. I just wanted to stay here and en-
"ITS TIME FOR SCHOOL! Remember Miss Delight was going to do group projects today. Remember! And. You said that I was going to be in your group. Rememberrr…You promised."
Fuck..is this what is was like having kids. Staying up late, waking up tired face to face with a ball of energy.
"COME ON MAX! WAKE UP! THIS IS SERIOUS!
"five more minutes."
"You said that like 100 minutes ago."
"Fine.Fine. I am up. I am getting up okay." I unfortunately had to leave my little comfort, but I would return. I felt groggy, my wrist hurt, my head hurt and I wanted to get this day going. I went to the bathroom brushed my teeth, and changed my cloths. The.Whole.Time.
My bunkmate Xavier kept saying "Hurry up!" "We are going to be late!" "You are taking FOOORREEEVERRR!"
When we finally made it outside, my only thought was coffee….I needed coffee. Speaking of coffee, is that place made yet. What was it called, Katherine loved going there all the time. Starsomething or was it coffee bucks or something like that. Yeah, I think it was coffee bucks. No that wasn't right…Oh yeah. Starbucks!
Hehehe…I wonder if I could take that too. I was going to be rich, rich. The gaming industry mine, the stock market I knew what was hot, computers mine, and popular kids cartoons and anime. If I wasn't a millionaire by the time, everything was set and done I deserved everything that has happened to me and more.
With me being able to actual help the orphans who had turned toys, I was happy. I mean did it suck, yeah it did. But, at the same time. I would just send their soul to heaven or whatever afterlife or even better give them new bodies. I was just going to magic it up, get their soul, do what I got to do and bam problem solved.
I doubted the soul was going to remember anything of this current life if or when I send them to the afterlife, and I really..really doubted that they would be sent to the 'otherworld' or some other crazy place. Nope.
I could focus on making that bread. That real money. That white boy rich money. Ohh a nigga going to get paid. I just need to push through what a few years, make sure nothing goes too wrong with anything. Re-create shit, and get that real money baby.
Oh, I will be young as well too. Yeah..I was going to do all that stupid shit when I get that money. They gonna call me that rich crazy nigga. I am going to buy everything, fuck it. am ballin. Wait, I was a nigga. Who had increase strength, couldn't I just be an NBA player….oh..I was really going to make that MOONNEEYY. HEHEHHAHAH!
"hmm…Max. Are you okay. You are laughing and doing a creepy smile to yourself."
I looked at my Xavier smiled and said
"I am doing great my friend. Just great."
We couldn't get breakfast, and we were late to class. Miss Delight, wasn't happy about it and gave us both a mark. It wasn't that bad and would go away in the near future anyway, but kids being kids did that 'ohh' and 'ooo..your in trouble' thing they do. We eventually got into our group project, which was basically making a story about the animals we learned in class. We also had to give facts about the animal.
Our group was myself, sam, Xavier, and another girl named Grace. As our group sat down at the table, I noticed that Sam didn't look too good. Her head was down, she didn't have the Pikachu, and she looked like someone stole her puppy. I thought about yesterday, and the…God. That was ssoo embarrassing, so cringe.
"Hey..sam. About yesterday. I want to say that I am sorry. I didn't want to hurt your feelings. I am really sorry."
"really…you promise?" she brighten up
"Really I promise. Sorry. I wasn't nice to you, and was a meanie pants. Tyler made sure to let me know"
"o-okay. I thought you didn't like me anymore."
"Oh..Oh..No..no don't cry Sam, don't cry. I am right here, it is alright now. I am not mad at you. How about this. How about we pick a fluff-
" I wanted the snake." Xavier said.
Grace countered and said. "eewww…that's gross. I wanted the bunny"
"That`s too girly"
"No it isn't"
"Hey!...Hey. How about we pick..a..hmm..oh I know a fox. They are fluffy, they hunt snakes…and they are cute like a bunny. How about it?"
Thankfully they all agreed, and we started working on our project. We spent time making our story which was about a fox finding his friends in the scary woods. Sam, and Grace did the story. Me and Xavier did the research part.
We presented our project to the class, and it was fun. I admit that I might have the soul of an adult, but it was nice doing simple dumb side projects like this. There was no rush to this.
Class ended and just like yesterday there were staff members waiting for me. It was the same bald guy from yesterday and his group.
He looked at me and said.
"Mr. Pierre wanted to talk to you again today."
"But, didn't we sign papers and stuff?" I asked
"You did, but Pierre wanted to get with you about working on designs."
"Okay. Bye Sam. See you guys later"
I said my goodbyes to them, and followed the staff members to the train. The bald man sat in the middle while the other staff members were either sitting or standing holding on to the rails.
I looked down at my feet, feeling embarrassed about yesterday. I don't know why I acted like that or hell even behaved like that. I shouldn't have acted like that, and honestly shouldn't have acted like I have been doing to any of the staff and workers here.
I knew why I acted like that…and it was simply because I was scared. I didn't like feeling helpless or defenseless...after…IT. I didn't like being in a situation I couldn't control. I didn't like that I was in a kid's body, and the people around me could kill me if they wanted to. I didn't like that Pierre had such control over me, and the other kids. He could with just with a few words say…'you're the next one' and there it goes I am a toy stuck and dead.
I wasn't a control freak or anything…but. I just liked to be independent, be able to steer my own life. Having someone be able to control your life and death is…was stressful.
Now though. Now it was different. Even if I became a toy, so what. I would just transfer into another body. Being in a toy body would suck dick, but at the end of the day…I had a solution to the problem. Magic.
A few things here and there and I am a normal human again. There was no fear of being a toy because I didn't care about it. Which leads to no more fear of this whole place. If I died, then yeah game over but everything else…nope.
I kept thinking about how much of a dick I was. These people already had bad lives working here, and I made it worse for them. Some did deserve it though, but not all of them did. You fucked up yesterday own it. Apologize, you are a man. You fuck up, you own up. Come on do it. Don't be a punk bitch.
Deep breath in and out.
"Mister…s-sir"
"Holy crap he talks. You owe me five bucks chuck." Said a man standing with his hands on the pole, that was connected to the top and bottom of inside the train. He was a skinny tall black guy. He reminded me of my older cousin, except my cousin was fatter. This guy had that thin muscle build to him. The person he talked to Chuck was the country redneck boy through and through by his looks. Chuck had a cap on, with freckles on his face and an orangish colored full beard. He was a red hair, ginger redneck.
"Cut the crap Mike"
"Shut up both of you." Said the bald man to the group.
"Y-y…sigh..You were right yesterday, and I was wrong. I am man enough to admit that. I would like to apologize for how I acted yesterday. It was stupid and childish of me."
There was silence in the train, before mike started laughing out loud.
"I-I cant..Of all the people..Holy fuc-crap. Holy crap bossman you got 'The brat' to apologize. Hahaha…Oh my god..hahaha. The stars have aligned for you bossman. Hey, I am needing some extra money. How, about me and you hit some spots. I am feeling LUCKY today."
"Can it Mike. Ignore him kid he likes to run his mouth. First off good on you for apologizing. A man`s got to own up to his mistakes in life. Second what you did was stupid…real stupid. You had a chance to get somewhere aint none of his going to see in our lives. Don't blow it son. Third I aint the one you should apologize to. You need to apologize to Mr. Pierre, who I might add not only didn't do or say anything about what you did. But, is also giving you a chance to get somewhere in life. I don't know your parents son, but I can bet every dollar I got that they didn't raise you to ruin this chance at a better life. Remember that"
"Than-no your right. I shouldn't let a chance like this slip away. Thank you."
"You know I am seeing this, but I aint believing any of it. 'The brat' apologizing thought I never see the day"
"I hear it chuck. I am telling you bossman got that luck on him right now…so about those gambling spots?"
"Sigh..seriously can it you two. Why couldn't you be quiet like yesterday."
"Cause bossman, you know that was torture for me. I aint said nothin cause 'The Brat' was here. I couldn't let him said something that get me. You know."
"Well. You were able to get through it fine yesterday. Make due for today and be quiet."
"Hmm…why are you calling me 'The Brat'"
Was I really that bad, I couldn't have been that bad right? The way they looked at me I was..not looking forward to what they would say.
"Kid list-" The bald man was interrupted by mike
"Bossman let me..Please let me. I have been wanting to do this for so long. Don't ruin it for me."
Oh my God, I was that bad.
Mike turned to face me more, but he didn't get closer to me. He took a deep breath and said.
"Kid you the rudest, brattiest, foul mouth little boy I have heard done hear of or seen in my life. Like kid come on now." He stopped to snap his fingers and continue saying
"What was her name…you know the one…nice girl…what was her name"
"You mean Sally"
"THAT'S IT!. Boy let me tell you what you did to this poor girl. Sally done came here from somewhere far…California or something anyway. She came here to help kids, and she and her man was thinking about having kids. I tell you what little man you not only got her to quit this job, but she told me straight to our faces that she was NEVER going to have kids."
"R-really"
Oh my god…please bury me in a hole. I want to crawl in a hole and die. In my defense I was acting like how I did on deployments. You know cant trust anyone, not knowing if there was an ambush coming or an enemy. I projected that my nighttime in the 'otherworld' was just me going on patrols. I had..a lot of stuff going on. And, I may have been known as a dick in my unit. 'Big balls Bell' and 'Doc Boom Bell' and god help me 'Bell Dog'
I got 'Big balls Bell' because I might have gotten into an argument with upper command. And told our Company Officer "Go fuck yourself" along with many other upper ranking personnel.
I got 'Doc Boom Bell' because I might have knocked out a few…people.
'Bell Dog' was because I was the only medical person for like 60 dudes, and I didn't like any of my guys to be due for anything medical related. So I would "sniff" people out, and "bark" at them and bring their ass where they needed to go.
Needless to say, I wasn't the best personality type when on deployments and when shit needed to get done. Which, happened to be all the time…Oh man…at least I didn't knock anyone out.
"Yeah kid you is one bad son of a gun. If I was acting like you…boy, my momma would beat my as—butt. She would whip my behind."
"That bad"
"Oh kid you made..what is it 5 people quit, 3 people never wanting kids. And-"
"You…counted?" I asked
"Nuh-uh. Son you got a board."
"A board"
"Come on Mike not the board, don't tell the kid about the board. We should take our wins"
"Nono no Chuck I wanted to tell him this. I wanted to for a long time now. Son you got a board with a list of people that quit because of YOU. Nothing else, not the work environment YOU. We even got your board of insults you give out"
"Alright that is enough!"
"Sorry bossman"
The bald man leaned towards me. I knew what this was. This was moment when the older guys get together, and starting teaching the young buck..me.
"Let me give you some advice son. You hear what he told you, you got a bad reputation in this company. That aint good. So you better be thanking your lucky stars and the Lord for this.-
"I-
"I aint done. I like my job here, pays well, benefits are good. But, let me tell you something.Mr. Pierre is a good man, he is helping this company…But, I am going to be frank. He aint well liked. Now I want you to pay attention Two people, who aren't well liked. One of them is a boy with a bad reputation, and the other…is well a businessman. People aren't going to be happy about it, workers aint going to be happy about it. You know why that is a problem?"
"Why?"
"Because it aint the fancy suits, and the boss, or those executives that do the work. It is us, the working folk who do it. You design me the best and greatest crap the world has ever seen, but if you cant get no one to build it…then you aint got nothin do you. It's the workers who get it done. Remember that. If and when you get somewhere."
"I will."
"Good"