The Lightning in the Bottle - Chapter 5

Link to Chapter 1 - http://www.Writing.Com/main/view_item/item_id/2059582-The-Lightning-in-the-Bottl...

"The hypotenuse is the side opposite of..."

The teacher's voice drones on and on. Jake is limp against his chair; his head permanently glued to the desk in front of him. Beside him, a boy scribbles notes furiously onto line paper.

"Anyone? Does anyone know what a hypotenuse is? Anyone?" the teacher asks. She focuses on the sleeping Jake. "Culling," she says, "wake up." Jake doesn't budge and the teacher grows impatient. "Harrison, could you wake up Culling?"

The boy next to Jake stops his furious note-taking and pokes Jake in the shoulder. "Psst, Jake," Harrison says, "Wake up."

Jake stirs. He props his elbow on the table and his head in his hand. "Do not fall asleep in my class, Culling," the teacher says, "You'll miss out on valuable information you'll need later in life. Now if you were paying attention instead of sleeping you'd know what a hypo-"

Jake cuts off the teacher, "The hypotenuse is the side opposite of a right angle. It's also the longest side of a right angle triangle."

Irritated at being told off, the teacher says sharply, "See me after class, Culling."

Collective oohs and giggles erupt from the rest of Jake's classmates. 'Are these kids twelve or something?' Jake thinks to himself. 'Wait, they are twelve.'

Jake sits there, his eyelids drooping lower and lower, for the next hour. Unable to fall asleep anymore, Jake daydreams about the girl with long, flowing brown hair. He thinks about her soft brown eyes and the dimples when she smiles. He thinks about her feisty, playful personality. Most of all, he thinks about why she had kissed him earlier during breakfast.

Why did she kiss him? He didn't consider himself that attractive. When he looks in the mirror, he sees someone gangly and boney. His hair never falls the way he wants it to and he doesn't have brand name clothes. He hears his voice and he can tell it's high pitched. She really confuses him.

On the other hand, it's really easy to see why any boy, would like her. Her voice is melodious and rich. Her appearance is more beautiful than the starry night sky. She moves like clockwork, like a dancer gliding across a stage, turning what could be jagged movements into gentle curves.

The bell rings, snapping Jake out of his thoughts. He pulls his book bag up across his shoulders and begins to walk out of the classroom.

"Mr. Culling," the teacher to him, "Come here."

Before Jake turns around, he lets loose a small sigh. He walks over to the teacher's desk and looks at her with tired, hooded eyes.

"Why do you not pay attention during my class?"

Jake says in a plain voice, "I don't get enough sleep." He thought it was quite obvious. Apparently not so obvious to the teacher.

"You best get some or I'll call your parents. Detention's on Mondays," she says as she hand Jake a referral slip.

He looks down at the pink paper. "Insubordination" it says. He doesn't sign it. He rips off the carbon copies underneath and he gives back the pink slip.

Jake walks out the door.

---

On the way to third period, Jake sees Harrison again. Harrison is a lean boy with freckles that dot his face and has a crown of dirty blonde hair.

As Jake walks past Harrison, he notices that Harrison has a slight stagger with his footfalls. He didn't remember Harrison walking with a limp before.

Changing direction, Jake walks with Harrison. "What's up Harrison?"

"Nothing much, just the ceiling," Harrison replies.

Jake gives him a deadpanned look. "Ok, let's try this again. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine Jake," he says. Always one to not beat around the bush, Harrison asks, "What's the real reason why you want to talk to me? Did I bother you or something. If this is about first period, I did what I did so I wouldn't get in trouble."

"Chill bro, this isn't about first period at all," Jake says trying to ease the tension. "I was actually trying to make friends. Anyways, I noticed you limping. What's up with that?"

Harrison hesitates before responding. Still feeling uncomfortable with Jake, he gives a vague answer, "I got into an small accident over the summer. It's nothing much really."

"You're doing better, though, I hope. Does your leg hurt?"

"Not really, no."

Thwack! Jake walks into a column. He falls back on his bum with a red on his forehead and cheeks. Every student who saw, laughs.

"Hahah, you good?" asks Harrison. He extends his hand out to Jake. Jake takes the hand and pulls himself up.

"Thanks," Jake says as the bell rings. "I got to go. I'll see ya later maybe." Jake turns back around and walks to his third period class.

---

At the end of the school day, 17 sags with the weight of 30-something students. The school bus inches closer waiting for the transportation officer to let the busses go. He waves the busses off and 17 lets loose it's diesel engine.

---

After a couple stops, 17 pulls onto unmaintained backroad. Jake and Jael bounce on their seats at the back of 17 and laugh at their own ridiculousness. At a particularly big bump, Jael pushes Jake into the window while in midair.

"So that's how you wanna play, huh?" says Jake. "My turn." While in mid-air, he takes grabs hold of Jael with one hand and tickles her with the other. She shrieks, flailing her limbs and starts to hiccup.

"Quiet back there!" says Ms. Markel, "I'll stop this bus and kick you out if you don't shut up."

They settle down in their seats and crouch behind the seat in front of them to hide. Jake quietly laughing at Jael's hiccuping.

"Shut-," hic, "-up."

"Are Joe and your mom home?" Jake asks, referring to the plan they made earlier.

"Both are-," hic, "at work," says Jael.

"You know this is the first time I'm ever going to your house," states Jake.

"Mhm. So?"

"I was just saying."

17 arrives at Jael's house. She picks up her book bag and stands up in the aisle. She turns around and looks at Jake who is still sitting.

"You coming-," hic, "or what?"

The link to the next chapter will be posted a week from now. Probably on the 5th or 6th.