The Monster of Waymore High (Part 3)

9

 Classes resumed as they normally had, I missed part of second block, but only the homework mattered - which I got from another classmate. Third block flew by, saw a kid walking out of the bathroom in cigarette smoke. Fourth block was easy, there was a test, but all the questions were laughable. Walked twenty five minutes before the bell rang and Kobo happened to be standing outside of my classroom. He pretend not to notice me. He took a few shy steps with his head down and looked back up at me. His voice was harsh,“Don’t try to put any more moves on Mello.” I gave him my dullest smile and just nodded. Was he trying to confuse me? If it was true, then rule number four - the one Jessica wrote - may have been made up. It could just be he’s all lovely-love for Mello and doesn’t want a shorty flirting with a skyscraper. The bell rang sooner than I expected, I just zipped up my pants and headed out of the building. However, I didn’t go home, instead, I waited around at the back of the school. There was a small power station nearby, so I made camp by the wire fenced cage and hid myself behind the maintenance house inside it. I realized I needed to eat, so I went across the street to Burger King and bought myself a sandwich. I ate it until I was satisfied and came back to my hiding spot. Though, now, Kobo was standing in the same spot that I normally had. In fact, the door to the maintenance house was open and people were coming inside. Kobo approached me, “If you want to see it, then it’s best you stay out of Mello’s sight. Got a lighter?”I didn’t have one on me. “No.” He gave a shrug, “Every Wednesday. You can never cope after you’ve seen too many Wednesday’s.” There was trauma in his words, I said, “What do you mean?” He looked around, then back at me, “I can’t describe it. It’s her way of punishing rule breakers. Our code.” Bingo, there’s the magic word - punishment. I was in the right place. “How did you find out about this? The perfect time, the place to even stand. Who told you?” It was Jessica. But that information could get me killed. “Mello told me.” He squinted his eyes suspiciously and started to look through to his texts. Then, he came to an unknown understanding that calmed him. “I wouldn’t be surprised, you are her seed of change. A lot of people in the club are jealous of you, you know? I saw the Jessica was trying to kill you in the athletics shed, but she couldn’t. Her card didn’t tell her to do so.” Another realization had dawned on me. The whole card, death game - was there a time limit to it? Asking Kobo outright out seems possible, but it would be better to ask Mello instead since she wants me to shower her with my concerns. A couple of vehicles coated in black approached and Kobo pushed me towards the woods. I stood behind the trees, his hand swatted me further back. Just as I was out of sight, I saw people (who I’ve never seen before) jump out of the car, wearing outfits you’d see in Men in Black. They even had earpieces. Four of them came out at every corner. Then Mello appeared from the center dressed in a revealing dress. Her chest window was poorly cropped so that her breasts pushed against the dress. They looked like they could slip at any moment. Kobo talked with Mello and the four guards stood over them. It was seven o’clock, and something like this was going on. Did the other members know about this? Mello started for the school and they disappeared inside. The doors were open to anyone. If they had a key, I didn’t see it mainly because I was observing from far away. A reasonable amount of time passed and I entered the building. It was oddly calm. So was the second floor, and the third. The stairwell to the pool as empty, however the presence of demons piled up in inside the doors was visible. You could feel them swell up inside begging to be let out. It would then come to me that I had to open up that door. On that day, there was a school dance. It was a Wednesday, just like this one, and Hallie was heading up the stairs to confirm if Jade was successful in killing Mello. Just then, Mello came down from these steps one at a time. A monster was born. I stood at the top of Mello’s throne and was about to intrude on something traumatizing. I’d probably end up smoking ten packs of cigarettes a day, but information like this could be vital - I just needed to know. It can show me just how dangerous Mello really is. She is a demon, but she’s not alone. She has people by her side willing to carry out her agenda and enforce it here in this school. If I can figure out what there is behind this punishment, then it can help me give a clue as to how I can win in this ongoing fight between me and her. It’s killed or be killed. Do I open the door, or let it rest? I reached out for the handle. I opened the door so lightly, yet everything was more than clear. The inside was fully lit; the pool was drained with people kneeling inside of it. Mello was on the other end, counting the number of people before taking down the dividers. Kobo was in there too. He was turned away, staring at himself in the office windows reflection. He yelled “fourteen” to Mello, she gave him an affirmative nod. I counted with her. And to my horror, there were, people that I knew, inside. Josh was stationed at the second row, third column and Gabriel was just two spaces ahead of him. He was wilted over in agony. I remember the day that I met Mello, I saw her in the bathroom talking with Josh. They were arguing with each other, Josh, probably haggling his way out of death’s row. But it was all so normal, talking about neon shirts and shopping sprees. What happened before then? I’m fucking done for! Gabriel did look to be at his wits end. The door creaked slightly. Did anyone see me? I had to hide, hide… I. Nobody’s looking here. Thank god. Mello started to speak, and the whole room quieted, it made even my breath that much louder. “Hello fellow people of change. Or as we are called GAA; regardless, you are all perfect candidates for change. We strive to the end, and give ourselves the best of efforts to make this country ours, or at least, participate in it’s ruling. We have an image to keep up, and hearing from other locations, I’ve been told that we are the lowest scoring facility for reputation, scoring at 53% The highest is at Kansas university, scoring at 89% It’s still a low score, but better than what’s being done here. You’re all a burden to what we want to achieve. You have all shown me that nothing good can come out of you, so the best I can do for you guys is allow you to make the best defense you can, and redeem yourselves. Or I’ll have to enforce punishment. To start with, your arms will be blown off, followed by your head and then you’ll fountain into a pool of blood. Regardless, you may as well have doomed the person next to you as they will be unable to speak for the remainder of this event. So just prepare yourselves to die. I’m going to start with you, first row, first column. Why shouldn’t I kill you right now?” The guy was exceptionally calm knowing that death was around the corner. Looking at him physically though, he was shaking all over. Was I really going to stay to see someone get blown up? Come to think of it, everyone was wearing sunglasses except for Mello and Kobo, meaning that someone other than them would be traumatized seeing this gore-filled mess. I have to pull back! “Mrs. Mello, first I’d like to deeply apologize for-” And just like that, he popped like a confetti canon. First his arms went, then his head burst into a stream of cherry slushie. His body fell over. He was completely dead. And I had just saw it all happen too. The moment hypnotized me in devastation, that I couldn’t help but build on the trauma, after trauma, after trauma. I even felt like running in so I can have her men shoot me to death. But, even my body wouldn’t allow that. I was perfectly still. The other people nearby went mad. You may as well have doomed the person next to you as they will be unable to speak for the remainder of this event. That much was true. The guy next to the mangled corpses didn’t utter a single word. He also blew up just like the first, except he made a distinct deep popping sound. A fire lit from his arms, and off with his head. Let them eat cake - all of them. The third, then the fourth, then the fifth, sixth blah blah blah. It was bloodshed. Then came Gabriel. Scared. Rule number three, don’t show emotion. He failed, and off went his arms. Then his head; he was beyond dead. Gabriel, the guy who earned a reputation through a foul rumor, who may have not lived a good life but one in fame, just died. He was no longer Gabriel. He was soon to be a pile of ash. It just went on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on; though only five minutes had passed. Then came Josh. There were eight people remaining on the field. Everyone was gorging out snot and tears, but not Josh. His expression was that of acceptance, nor did he look like he feared Mello. It was by some miracle, god’s hand lifted him up from the floor and looked straight into Mello’s eyes. Mello flinched at his bold approach, and she came nowhere close to pressing the button that would detonate Josh. He refused to be like the masses. He spoke loud, “So I just installed a new electrical trap for the mosquito’s hanging out in my yard. How many did you think I killed?”1. Use banter with Mello. Mello tensed up some, “I don’t know, but I heard they are attracted to honey as well” Josh smiled faintly and gave a little shrug. 2. If she looks at you, look, smile and wave (except he didn’t wave).“I don’t think that works with mosquito’s, Mello. In fact, I sometimes hope the most bloodsucking, beastly mosquito falls for that stupid light. Flies right towards it, then it just get’s zapped.” 3. Show no emotion, if any, happiness. Josh didn’t wipe the grin off his face; he looked like he was enjoying his moment. I knew what was coming next. Josh walked from the pool and started for Mello. His steps were slow, and she didn’t know how to react. She lent a hand at her chest window to protect it. Was she getting flustered, no, flustrated? (a play on frustrated and flustered) Josh climbed his way out, still maintaining eye contact. His dedication to keep up with his act rendered him beyond insane. It probably even surpassed Mello’s insanity. He was finally face to face with her. His eyes hypnotized Mello. He reached out for Mello’s left breast and popped it out from it’s tight socket. It molded to his hand; he played with it. His eye contact still undisturbed. He let it fall down and backed away from Mello. He said, “And I hope it suffers too”. She screamed. As if a knife had pierced her abdomen, she let out a blood curdling scream. All of the security guards next to her wiped off their sunglasses and went to contain Mello. The bloodied mess was finally revealed to them. Her face melted into sadness, then joy; she looked into the invisible holy lights above “Oh my god! You’re just a commoner, yet you weren’t even given the title to be my seed of change. If only things were different, if only!” This was the first time I’ve seen Mello sad, and the first time I’d feel jealous of Josh. Mello wanted Josh as her seed of change, not me.

10

I started my first day of antidepressants. The doctor had told me that my symptoms were beyond flu-like; neither my mother or dad were there to hear about it. I took one pill in the evening, and another during the mornings. For every pill I took, I wrote it down on a little notepad that I kept hidden in a piggy bank. Along with my medication. The first night and th effects started to wear off. I thought about all of the overwhelming bloodshed that happened. The hopeless look on both Josh’s and Gabriel's face. It all felt like my innards were being gushed around. Following the event, I avoided school the next day and instead slept a good ten hours at home. Nighttime was a difficult battle, I hardly had the time to think about sleep. One thought after the other, and I’d be awake all night. Two hours passed and I dozed off. I had a dream. Mello had just blown up Gabriel and I came out from the doors reaching to him. Then I was shot multiple times - the pain was numbing. It felt real and I jolted awake. It had only been twenty minutes since I had slept, and my eyes were in a downpour. The pain was just too much. I went into the kitchen for mommy’s secret alcohol cabinet and pulled out a thin bottle of Campari, poured myself a glass, and washed it down my throat. The alcohol did better than the medicine (which I forgot completely was still in my system). After my second swig, my symptoms suddenly dipped, and I was at my lowest. The feeling was insufferable. I thought about everything around the house as a tool to kill myself. Breaking the bottle over my head seemed like a fine way to go. I dialed for a helpline and they picked up on the second ring. They told me (in summary) that my feelings were temporary and left me to marinate in my despair the entire night. Morning came quick. My father had the early shift, so he left before I could crawl out of my room. He thought I was asleep. He wasn’t even aware of what kind of pain I was living through. Look at me, I wanted someone to look at me. There’s Mello. Her blood-spattered face appeared in my mind and put me in a tear spell. To think that someone that I once hated so much would become my object for comfort. Or was it that something was happening inside of me - a seed growing. I lugged my body towards the mirror. My emotions and body were separated, a sort of forever out-of-body experience. I looked at myself - I was a shaggy mess. My ghost floating above saw him move towards the mirror, and stare at, me. Though I was no longer the person I grew up to know. There… was someone else inside of me.

11

Going back to school was weird, meeting with an estranged uncle weird. All of the people who I’ve ride with on the bus became a burden in my life. I no longer felt comfortable around anyone. In the hallways, I always sat in the abyss of the crowd at the back. The only people that would gather near me were the loud mouthed flocks of “cool kids”. Or, some people would purposely stay behind to sneak into the bathrooms and smoke. I entered one of the bathrooms. The atmosphere consumed me and I didn’t care about my second-hand smoking. I sat in there for as long as second period. The bell finally rang, and I exited the bathroom. My absence from second block would cause some confusion. People were giving me sympathy. They’d say shit like “How are you doing?”, and I’d assure them that I was fine. I am fine. Though, I am carrying the largest camcorder - my brain - with one single video file on it. And it keeps playing over and over. The pools of blood, Mello and, Kobo. The gruesome mess that would overwhelm the once horrific encounter - the one Hailee experienced at the stairs. If I hadn’t opened the door, or if I wasn’t head-over-heels curious, then the demons from inside the pool wouldn’t have gathered inside of me. They’re swarming within me. Lunchtime had started and I went to the courtyard where Mello would be (it’s not like I ever wanted to face her again). She wasn’t there. Kobo and Jessica were sitting in Mello’s place. They both saw me and gave me a “come over here” look. I walked up to them. Kobo stood up from his seat, “You coming to tonight’s meeting? Mello wants to check in with your progress; how are you doing?” I said, “not much”. He leaned in towards me, “again?” “I haven’t done anything yet!” Kobo acknowledged my lack-luster effort and gave an unsure grin, “Then you better do something soon. I hear they have parties on Wednesday for people that want to leave the group-” “Stop”, I said in a flat tone. Kobo looked up at me. His eyes like a hawk, “You’re in some deep shit. So deep, that I can’t even pull you out. I’m surprised if Mello cuts you loose; no. You’re just- didn’t even start on your card, plan - that’s what I’ve heard. What good is a seed of change if they don’t want to grow for the harvester? I don’t even know what to say”. His laughs were both nervous and frill; he took two puffs of his cigar and dropped it to his side. Kobo walked right past and reached out for the door; he stopped. “Well, if theris one thing, Mello has more of a reason to keep you. You feel something, donchya?” It took me five seconds to hear it in full. He asked me if I felt something - I was thinking something tangible, but no. “No?” He looked at me, and back at the door, “It will come out eventually.” He parted us, and exited the courtyard. I turned back to Jessica and sat down next to her. “Why do you have to be a part of this, you… seem like a good person” I said. Jessica gave me a “shut up” stare and quickly perked a smile, “Cause then I wouldn’t have an excuse to buy skull heads. So hopeless and kinky too!” We talked in nonsense for fifteen minutes until she too left me. I was by myself. I walked out of the courtyard, endured the last two hours that would plague my day, and headed home. My father was already home. He stationed himself in front of the television, fortunately that was the last destination he’d reach on weekdays. I passed by him and went up the stairs into my room. Not even a “Hello”. I grabbed a sheet of paper and a pencil. Soon, I would write the worst of my malice on paper. A plan to kill someone. I took the card out of my desk drawer and examined it down to the shavings of it’s four soft corners. Mello said that our cards were to be used in the murder, and that if we stared at it long enough, the plan would construct itself. The foundation wasn’t poured. I stared at the paper in the orange glow of my light for the remainder of the night. My dad would still be sitting in his chair, and it was already past ten o’clock. Maybe I need something to eat. My stomach nagged at me and I went into the kitchen to grab a creme filled oatmeal cookie. I threw away the wrapper and headed back upstairs. They say food for thought, but there was still rarely any thought. The blank paper demonstrated that. Ten minutes after I headed to bed, I had to write something. I wrote, “buy axe from the utility store.” That was it. Then it was lights out. I went to school the next day, struggled to focus through all of my classes then finished whatever paperwork they handed me when I got home. I even drew little doodles of how I would want to kill someone - they were actually kind of adorable. Cute things can be terrifying. Nighttime came and it was already time to head for the meeting. I passed the intersection, saw a good number of cops arresting a driver over for an expired license. I waited it out - took about thirty minutes of my time, but I made sure to get an early start. By the time I arrived at the school, it was 8:15 - fifteen minutes until the meeting. I climbed through the window on the second floor and made my way into the engrossing light at the end of the hallway, and walked inside. Everyone that had attended last Thursday was there. Jessica sat nearest to the door. She smiled at me and waved in front of my face. I looked in the back row. Gabriel wasn’t there. Maybe Gabriel had shown up at the morgue my dad worked at. What an unforgiving life he had. I sat down in the back - third row, second seat. Mello played with a nail file at her desk, swung her legs and jumped up from her seat like how pole vaulters look in mid air. She centered herself in front of the classroom. Mello started her speech; her tone was different. Her voice was callous from the rest of her body movements. “Okay everyone, welcome to the sixth meeting of game club. As we all know a new ‘seed of change’ has been born and we can all expect the best from him. On a side note, I’d like to take a moment in silence, for Gabriel as he is no longer with us… and to appreciate all that he has done to help us further the need for change…” Everyone bowed their head in silence. It’s ironic that Mello is trying to gain sympathy for Gabriel, even if she was the one who killed him. He didn’t even have a chance to plead for his life, Gabriel. Silence. “Then as well for the former member, Josh.” What. Josh, died? But he was the same person who declared war on Mello? He… he promised us all in that room that whatever Mello was planning, would be dissipated. This is unreal. It’s almost as unreal as when Jade was killed, and when I learned that Jade was a former “seed of change”. The classroom seemed to swallow me whole. I could picture Josh, Muppet-faced Josh. The smirk with the cologne, the fraternity look - never again would I see that. I looked up. Mello had finished her prayers and went on with the speech. Talking in the same, apathetic tone. “I really want to tell you guys how much Josh appreciated me. As we all know, we are gifted a ‘seed of change’, but if things were different. Change could’ve came quick. And now he’s gone, just gone, and- all we have left is Brandon. I trust him, but my trust only runs so deep. I’m so sorry Brandon.” She got all tear-eyed in front of me. Her mourning face made my chest tight; I wanted to well up too. Rule two, no emotion. I can’t cry in front of Mello. Kobo gave me a look, a “we both know what happened, and it’s unbearable” kind of look. She talked and ranted, on and on. Josh was great, let’s give him a platinum grave. Fuck Josh. Forty-five minutes and all she could talk about was Josh, she commented on the card game at the end (thank god she finally said something, the last thing I wanted to do was ask). “Oh, the card game. The due date to ‘do the deed‘ is in the next two weeks - the week before Halloween. Because spooky month calls for spooky things. Kill your target, put the pin, and- and everything will be ok. Okay?” She walked back to her seat, laid her head down and dismissed everyone. They piled out. But I stayed behind. Kobo closed the door, signaling to me that their business with me wasn’t over. Mello shot up from her chair and started to thrash her desk. She pounded her hand on a couple of papers. There were staples on top and it had pierced her hand. She let out a small squeak and stole a glance at her bloodied hand. She murmured, then started to laugh. Her hopelessness echoed throughout the classroom; both me and Kobo looked discomforted by this. Laughed - she laughed for a while. Sat down and took a few deep breaths. Her voice went quiet, Helen Keller talking silent - her voice was barely audible. It was raining outside. The atmosphere was filled with melodrama. “Isn’t it funny? Just, as I could find a way to use him, he goes ahead and kills himself… He didis on purpiss, gab me a false hope. Weed be lucky to eben rea this months dealie. The week before Halloween my ass, it’s jus, not poss, ibol…” She looked up at me. Her face smiled sadly, but her heart was still filled with joy. “Brandon, com closer…” I sat up from my chair and walked through the compress of desks before reaching Mello’s. I looked down at her, the orange glow making her innocent as a child refugee. She held her hand at my cheek. I slightly smiled back. Gradually, I felt like I was looking into a mirror. My face was perfectly matched with Mello’s. She spoke softly. Any intent of seduction was drained from her voice. I was beginning to get a feel of the sadness that she had hid - the sadness that made her a monster, her last words to me that day, “Poor thing. You have my eyes…”