“That can’t be,” I
whispered to myself. I was standing just inside the door. I was the only one
standing. Everybody was staring at me. I could hear them muttering under their
breaths. I went to a seat quickly and plopped down as if dropped into it.
Relax, I told myself. Just relax. The person behind me leaned forward and spoke
into my ear.
“Finally figured
out how to get to class on time, eh Shawny boy?”
“Yeah,”
I said, speaking for the first time. My voice sounded husky and foreign.
“Everybody’s
counting on you for this game tonight,” the voice behind me said. “Think you’re
up to it?”
I
tried to focus on the teacher, who had begun writing on the chalk board and
discussing the day’s lesson. “Sure,” I whispered back.
“Not
on drugs, are you there, Shawny boy?”
“What?”
I wished in vain for the person to stop.
“Don’t
play dumb with me, Shawny boy.” The voice chuckled loudly. He didn’t seem to
care about the math lesson at all. “All those big-wig scouts in the stands and
you here opening your third eye.”
“Scouts?”
I asked, recovering some distant memory, my stomach sinking.
“Oh
yeah, you should know, you arranged for them to be there,” the voice said,
giggling. “Or don’t you remember, Shawny boy? Have those white powders scrubbed
your mind clean?”
I was taken aback.
What have I got myself into? How did I get here and how do I get back? I told the
voice behind me that I was not doing drugs, but did not know what else to say.
I felt sure that telling him that I was not who he thought I was would make
matters worse, so I kept quiet. I could feel the students looking at me. This
is all a dream, I told myself. I will wake up soon. I must simply let things
run their course. To be continued....
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