Mind Games. - Siagrrl (ebook audio reader TXT) 📗

Chapter 1

He smiled that sickly, sweet smile and the whole class took the bait. He stood at the front of the classroom and surveyed the room as any carnivore would its prey. I’ve always been average at oral presentations myself but after a presentation like that who wouldn’t be in awe?

Oh, wait. Me. That’s who.

His obnoxiousness was almost enough to make me want to jump out of my seat, crash tackle him and punch him square in the face.

But unfortunately there is this little thing called consequences. Like a bruised hand, detention for a month, grounded for a year, sued for physical abuse, you get the idea.

But still. Tempting.

I flicked a loose strand of my pixie-short, chestnut coloured hair out of my face and glowered at Alex - aka Alexander James something-or-other the Third. I don’t really care enough to remember the other name. All I know is its girly.

A giggle erupted to the left of me. “Y’know, Max, if you keep glaring at him like that your eyes will literally turn into daggers.”

I turned to look at my closest friend Guinevere – sorry, Gwen. She’s never really been fond of her full name, she says it’s too girly, but I as well as everyone else, think its suits her.

The same thing goes for her appearance. Waist length, wavy dark-blonde hair that’s always tied in a loose, low ponytail – that more often than not had a beach look – an oval face with almost moss green eyes, and the average freckle here and there. She was also lean and of average height-which bugged her immensely. She has this crazy pre-conceived notion that taller is better. But hey, who am I to judge?

She was quite unpredictable to the untrained eye – and mind – too. Her mood can change almost instantly, but she usually only has two moods.

Depressed and Mischievously happy.

“Maybe that’s what I’m hoping for.” I said plainly, letting her think about it for a minute, as I watched him pick up his notebook and start making his way back to his desk.

“Three cheers for you if you succeed!” She smiled back.

I guess I wasn’t the only one not in awe. But I was the only one expressing my . . . distaste. Well, Gwen too, I guess. I mean we had known him since primary school – almost as long as we had known each other – and he has always been such a stuck-up, know-it-all, bastard that for some reason hated my guts. But he’s never really talked to Gwen. I went to ask her how she truly felt about Alex.

Was she enacting the ‘Best Friends Rights,’ and only hating him because I did?

Or did she have a legitimate reason that I didn’t know about?

But then he interrupted.

“So Gwen, we still on for Friday night?” Alex towered over our desk, notebook in hand, smug smile on his face – directed at me.

I looked at him.

Then her.

Then him.

Then her.

“What?!”

Gwen looked flustered; she wouldn’t look either of us in the eye.

“Yeah.” She said finally.

He smirked and walked away, his definitely-girly black hair swishing behind him. Damn it, he got to me. Getting to me via the best friend. That’s just fighting dirty. I turned to Gwen.

“Explain.Now.”

I didn’t overly hate Alex; I just loathe, despise, generally dislike him and wished he would magically drop off the face of the earth. Spontaneous combustion would also be acceptable.

Gwen put her hands up in a surrendering gesture. “Don’t blame me. I didn’t have a damn choice in the matter.”

“Mm-hm.” I nodded sarcastically. “If you say so.”

“Hey! Don’t be like that! Blame mum, she thinks if I befriend another genius my grades will improve! He’s freakin’ tutoring me! How do you think I feel!? She called his mother!”

“Another genius?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah.” She shrugged. “You’re no dumb ass.”

“So that makes me a genius?”

“Compared to me, yes.”

“Huh. Nice to know I have friends that appreciate my lovely personality instead of my brain.”

She laughed. “Course I do! I love both equally.”

“Hang on.” I sighed with sudden realisation. “We have a thing Friday night. Y’know, that thing.”

She pouted. “Oh, that thing.” She shrugged down in her seat. Depressed.

“Gwen, we saved up for months to buy tickets to that concert!” I half-whispered, half-shouted. Mrs Tenechi looked up and glared at me from her seat behind her desk.

“Ms Vangess. I hope you are aware that we are still in class.” I grimaced at the mention of my last name. Vang sounded awfully close to the word fang, and sometime in primary school I had earned a notorious nickname, which for now shall remain unspoken.

“Yes, miss. Sorry.” I pouted.

“Don’t worry so much! Geez, Max, seriously,” Gwen whispered when Mrs Tenechi was focussed once more on her grading sheet. “We’re still going to the damn concert!” She smiled at me. “That is of course, if you’re up for another mock-study sesh?”

Mock-study sesh. That was Gwen lingo for; sleepover at your house, pretend we’re studying, and sneak out when your parents are asleep. Gotta love the lingo. I couldn’t help but feel proud, though. She seemed to have a plan for everything.

Before I could think about anything further, the siren blared its way through my ears and the PA system, signalling the end of the first week day. Excited chatter swept through the class as they packed up their books and scraped back their chairs to leave. Gwen and I were no exception.

“Mm. Can’t wait to go home,” Gwen smiled sarcastically, while she stretched. “Coz, I have, like nothing to do!”

I smiled and shook my head, packing up the last of my untouched books. She always had things to do. Her parents were strict believers in the learning of responsibility which included many chores and jobs. And when she wasn’t doing that she was studying – or being tutored, as it were.

“Totally.” I nodded in mock agreement. “You need a lift home today?”

“Yup. I always do. But we better get our projects back from Ms Pinckar first.”

I stuck my tongue out. I didn’t overly like Ms Pinckar. She always had this authorative tone that stuck to every word she said – that, and she was a little bit ditzy.

I sighed.

“Yeah, I guess we’d better.”

I left the classroom in a hurry – anxious to get home – and headed for Ms Pinckar’s classroom. Gwen stretched and followed me. We gossiped for a while, until we reached the Science room and upon doing so, stopped to listen.

Raised voices and occasional thumping – of either a fist on a desk, or a foot on the floor – was clearly emanating from the classroom. Gwen snorted. “Wonder who the victim is this time.” I grimaced and agreed. “I feel sorry for the poor soul – who ever it is.” Now’s probably a good time to mention that Ms Pinckar also had a short and extremely perseverant temper.

“You think it’s her arguing with our next dissection experiment?”

“Nah, whoever she is arguing with is very much alive.”

Gwen smiled wickedly. “For now!”

She then snuck closer to the barely open classroom door and crouched down with her ear to the door. “What’re you doing?” I whispered. “You’ll get in trouble if you’re caught!”

Gwen smirked at me. “You mean you don’t want to know who’s in there and what they did?” Of course I did, and she knew that. But I’d be darned if I’d actually tell her that. Gwen beckoned me over with her hands and after a defeated sigh I complied. “Fine.” I muttered, more to myself than Gwen.

“ – and to speak to me in that way, in front of the class, Alexander. What were you thinking?!”

Alexander?

The posh, over-egotistical, narcissistic Alexander with too many middle names to remember? He never gets in trouble. He’s beyond the title of Teachers’ Pet.

“You were clearly wrong, Ms, and if you plan on defying the standard codes of practise when it comes to efficient and correct teaching procedures – then maybe I wouldn’t have had to correct you.”

Gwen snickered. “Oh my god! Did he actually just say that to Ms Pinckar!? He is so going to get it!” I couldn’t help but smile at that. The Alexander, getting trouble by Ms Pinckar!? It was just too much.

“Alexander!? How dare you continue to speak to me in such a manner! I have had enough of your attitude, and because of your inappropriate behaviour, the next few months in detention should do you some good!!!”

Gwen put a hand to her mouth trying to stifle her laughter and fits of giggles. “This. Is. Great!”

“Now get out of my sight, and I shall see you first thing tomorrow morning – as well as after school – for supervised detention!!”

Another loud thump.

Then a few more.

“Shit! I think they’re leaving! We gotta move!”

I grabbed Gwen by the arm and hauled her to her feet. “C’mon!” We hurried and crouched behind one of the hedges near the door, which was coincidently a few feet away. Just seconds after we hid Ms Pinckar’s classroom door burst open so hard I thought it would crack in half.

“With all due respect Ms Pinckar, you have no right to do that! And I’ll be darned if I let you actually enforce it!” Alexander shouted backwards from the doorway. With that said he stormed off down the courtyard, Ms Pinckar hot on his heels giving him the ‘what for,’ and through the side door of the Literature building Gwen and myself had come from only moments ago.

I was speechless.

“Wow.” Gwen mustered after a minute of silence. Flabbergasted. We both just sat there and stared after them.

“C’mon.” I said shaking my head and getting up. “Let’s go. I think it’s better if we get our projects back tomorrow.”

Gwen nodded in silence, still a little stunned. The next 6 minute walk to the front gates of the school was done in silence. By this time the crowd of streaming 8 – 10 graders had already sprinted out the gates and onwards to their homes, so there was only a littered few that remained.

Upon reaching the gates Gwen’s head snapped up, and shouted a loud “Max!” Needless to say I was surprised.

“Wha-what? Jesus. Gwen don’t - ugh, what?”

She was making a face I knew of her all too well. A scheming and mischievous one, with a small glint in her eyes.

“Y’know . . .” she started, her smile widening from ear to ear. “Wouldn’t it be awesome if someone really could just . . . take him down a peg? Or two? Or ten?!”

I paused, one foot out the gate, one foot in, intrigued as to what she had to say.

“Yeah?” I replied simply, trying to seem less interested than I actually was. “So? Doesn’t everyone think that way