Chapter 2: The Other Extreme Twin

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PAUL WALKER WAS RIDING SLOW, on his motorized wheelchair over the school's ramp. He made it up to the floor – where at the end of the SHS corridor, was the school's notice board, with the mid-term examination results posted.

In a couple of minutes, the school bell will automatically ring for-their first lesson period, on that morning. SHS students who arrived late were having a peek-on the notice board – some were rejoiced, while others cursed after seeing their examination score-ranks, on display.

… 3 laughing boys – the DONOVAN BROTHERS... who were Paul's schoolmates, came from behind and hopped onto the slow-moving wheelchair. One boy clinched on the back, and the other boys hung on both sides. Paul fought 'them' off, struggling-to push them off...

"Get off! You will break my chair...!"

"Does this thing, go 'any' faster!!?" The boy on his right-said.

"Hit the pedal, Pauly – let's go Fast and Furious-turbo!" the other boy responded. Paul pushed him off by palming his face and shouted at them.

"No, get off! My mother will be 'mad' if you all break it, okay? She might even come here... and arrest-you 3!"

… Paul now pushed the boy on his right, off his ride. Only 'one' boy hung at the back, of the moving chair. The other two jogged along with Paul's wheelchair and challenged him...

"Come on, Pauly. Race us, with your grannie-mobile! Let's see 'who' is faster...!"

… Paul shouted back. "No! Leave me alone...!" The boy that hung at the back, kicked the back of the chair, shouting...

"Go faster, you-fat-slug!"

"Get away from me!" Paul pushed the control button, and the chair swerved clockwise a few times – it made the-disorientated-boy at the back, who-jump off...

"Spin away like a ballerina, Pauly...!"

The mocking boys laughed and ran away, after tormenting him. Paul sighed-deep in-relief – at the sight ahead, of the 'bullies' going away.

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Jane got down the public-bus, with other senior students and some passengers. She entered the side-entrance gate, into her school – Stamford High School.

She was running late, and her first class that morning was just a couple of minutes away. The blind girl ran-up fast, on a dozen stone steps to the side door – to get to the school-corridor, that led to her classroom. The artificial intelligent headset cautioned her aloud...

"Jane, SLOW-DOWN – you will trip over, and break YOUR NECK!"

The blonde girl paced fast, along the SHS east-wing corridor, to reach the noticeboard – where her class midterm results were 'posted.' She arrived and gave commands...

"SIMY, details."

"One moment, Jane."

The camera, in her blind-glasses, that she wore, captured the image of the printed-results on the noticeboard – and, SIMY immediately 'processed' the information.

"Janey!" An excited voice called from her back.

"Alicia!" Jane spontaneously responded, recognizing the 'voice' of her best-friend – Alicia Wong – both the girls hugged. The Asian girl was hopping on the spot.

"We did it again! We did it again!" Alicia cried out, and SIMY's voice on speaker mode, from Jane’s backpack, also chimed with equal excitement...

"Congratulations, you both – you-2 'again' are-the TOP STUDENTS IN CLASS, for your midterm exams!"

... Alicia replied. "Thanks, SIMY." She tickled Jane's ribs and asked. "Hey you, 'did' you hold back? I saw you study so-hard this term, and I thought 'you' will be the top-girl in class."

Jane giggled from the tickling and replied. "No Ali, you are 'still' the best – and, I don't have a photographic-mind like you – but, I will get there soon, with SIMY." They both laughed and hugged again.

"Aww...you girls…"

Alicia saw Paul Walker, approaching on his motorized wheelchair. She announced out, bending over to hug him.

"Pauly, you are the 9th in-class – what a 'great' jump! You were 15th last term. Congrats Paul!" She said while holding Jane's hand. Paul's jaw dropped.

"Really? I 'never' came the Top 10, ever-before in class."

"Congratulations, Paul." Blind-Jane shook his hand.

"Yes, Paul Walker, stick with us-both – and you will come up to 'Top 5' in class, next term!" Alicia motivated.

"Thank you both – I wouldn't have done it, without 'both' of your help." Alicia bent over, and hugged him again, on the chair.

A group of boys were coming from the SHS west wing of the corridor. They were arguing aloud with a student, who had ONLY ONE-ARM.

"Is that Peter's voice?" Jane recognized his shouts.

"Yes, he is with his tennis team," Alicia responded while Paul sighed deep, shaking his head.

At that moment, the school bell rang, for their first-morning lesson. Alicia invited. "Are you coming, Paul?"

"No, you 2 go ahead – my mother told me to keep an 'eye' on him."

Both girls left for class, and Paul parked his wheelchair in front of the noticeboard and 'observed' Peter – his identical twin brother.

He looked up at the noticeboard – PETER WALKER – was the 'last' student of 22 in class, again... and again 'every' term...

… Paul sighed again and shaking his head, looked at Peter being 'bullied' by the boys – from his tennis team.

"Hey Peter, Zubeer beat 'you' fair-and-square – he won – and is now ranked 3rd and, you go 'down' to being 4th -now!" A boy protested.

Peter the one-armed boy, shouted back at them. "No, I'm 'not' 4th...!"

"Hey! Sooner or later, 'more' people will keep beating you, single-handedly, Peter – because you are 'no' longer the tennis protégé, that everyone used to talk about, a couple of years ago!" Another boy jeered.

"No, I want a rematch!" Peter chested-up and countered.

"Forget it – I 'won,' and you-lost...!" Zubeer Khan faced-off.

Peter with his right hand's finger, pointed straight at him. "No, I can beat you, Khan – I can even beat you 'too,' Oliver Brown!" He then pointed at the face of another boy who was the school's current junior-champion.

All the boys laughed and booed Peter.

Oliver Brown replied. "Get lost, Peter, I am the number-one now – and, I have beaten you in all my games, all year long."

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"Enough of this BS, now 'give' me a rematch – I bet $20, that I can beat you, Zubeer Khan – because your so-called win yesterday, was just a 'big' fluke!" Peter then cried out.

The Australian-Pakistani descendant-boy flashed his confident grin. "Okay-mate, bring it on, you-big-mouth – this will be the easiest $20 I will get, once I beat 'you' again!"

… Peter stared back. "Oh yeah-mate, you make 'sure' you be-on the court after school, and I will whip your ass-later because I am still the-best around!" Everyone laughed and, heckled...

"Stop dreaming that you are some famous 'superstar,' Peter! Look, your protégé days are over – but, you still 'keep-on' bragging around that you will play-someday, in the Perth Open – yeah, you will play there alright, my foot!"

"The only way you can be famous in the live Perth Open is by your new YouTube career in ball-picking, as a one-armed ball-boy!"

Peter was fuming and walked away, from the loud jeering boys. He reached towards the noticeboard, and 'saw' his twin Paul, waiting on his wheelchair.

He barked at him…

"Poe, you deaf or what…? The school bell had rung, so 'why' are you here...? Are you spying on me? Get back to class, you-dumb-tortoise on a chair!" The one-armed Peter walked-away, and entered the nearby boy's washroom, and slammed the door.

… Paul rode slowly on his motorized wheelchair towards his classroom. He briefly recalled an incident, more than a year ago where he sat at the backseat of his father's BMW, with Peter. Their father was driving them, to school that morning.

Solomon Walker was in an argument, with his twin Peter.

"No Dad, you are 'not' listening – I don't need studies...because I am already the 'best' tennis player in school... and soon, they will 'select' me into the tennis academy in Sydney – and after that, I will represent Straya in many major tournaments – and soon, be the best in the world!"

"Yes, you 'are' a talented player alright, Peter – but, your education is important 'too' – you can't neglect your grades, to only focus 'only' on your sports!"

"You are 'still' missing the point, Dad – to be the best world-class player who someday earns millions of dollars, and has a celebrity lifestyle – well, I am surely wasting 'time' in class, studying useless subjects like Math and Science. Why even bother 'going' to school, at all?"

… Paul heard his father speaking out louder to his DISILLUSIONED BROTHER, from the driver's seat.

"No-Peter, from today onwards, your mother and I, 'want' you to focus more time with your studies, and less-on tennis – you too, Poe – you 'both,' must study hard!"

… in a tantrum, Peter, who was seated at the back of his father, WAS MAD – AND HE KICKED and punched the front driver's seat.

"No, I will 'not!' You people are making the wrong choices for me – and you're screwing up my dreams, to be the 'best!'"

"Peter, stop it!"

His father WAS DISTRACTED FROM THE ROAD, by Peter's kicks on his seat. Paul looked up at the road, and saw a 'truck,' driving fast to the side of their car. His seatbelt was unbuckled...

... the crash impact threw Paul right-out of the BMW – and he rolled hard, on the concrete road after landing – bleeding and feeling massive 'pain' to his spinal cord.

On that tragic day, Peter 'too' LOST HIS 'GOOD' TENNIS-PLAYING-ARM – and…

… 'their' father died on the spot, with severe fatal injuries.

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IN THE WASHROOM, PETER WALKER REMOVED his school backpack, with two tennis racquets strapped, and threw the bag on the damp floor. He slammed and locked-himself in a toilet stall, and punched hard-on the wall a few times, till his one-and-only fist hurt...

... feeling defeated, frustrated and pain – he sat on the toilet bowl and sobbed hot tears.

His school-life was 'not' working for him...

Since he was nine, he neglected his studies – and his primary-focus in life then, was – his tennis games, playing videogames, and watching Netflix-shows.

But disaster struck more than a year ago, when he, his brother Paul and their father were 'involved' in an automobile accident – WHERE THEIR FATHER WAS KILLED...

... Paul was paralyzed from the waist below – and with Peter, losing his left arm – which was his 'good' tennis playing arm...

... that dark day too dashed-Peter from his big, ambitious dreams of being a world-class, tennis superstar...

... and, Peter became a 'bitter' boy in life, ever since that day and he blamed and complained a lot. He argued WITH A LOT NEGATIVELY and had 'no' respect for other's opinions.

After the accident, he returned back to school after 6 months of hospitalization, rehab and recovery, and started WEARING A PROSTHETIC 'ARM.' He was an 'angry' boy since his return – as he found his once-group of friends, began to laugh at him, ridicule, humiliate and bully him because – he was 'no' longer the school's tennis protégé.

… Peter had since 'removed' his prosthetic arm, and walked around, exposing his stump arm to 'rebel' – and vowed to everyone that he will train his weaker right arm – and get 'back' into the limelight in school.

But it has been a frustrating-months since-then – WITH LESS OR SLOW PROGRESS – because at the junior game practices, the boys he 'once' had beaten before...

... were now beating him, day by day in the court.

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PAUL WALKER ENTERED HIS CLASSROOM using the rear door, and his History teacher, Mr Alexzander Hull was 'not' in-yet, for their lesson. He saw a group of girls gathered at the front of the class, arguing with Jane and Alicia, who were both seated. His wheelchair approached his desk in front, that was behind Jane's.

Blind-Jane spoke out. "That is 'not' how it technically works, and I also don't use my learning AI-device during our examination – and also, I type all my answers in 'Braille.'"

… Charlotte Thompson was 'not' convinced. "DON'T BLOODY LIE to us – do you think we are all 'blind' like you too? YOU CHEATED in every term, ever since you got here from your blind school. We will get our parents, to file a complaint, and investigate on 'HOW' A BLIND BAT like you, can be top in class always – yeah, we will 'get' you, YOU DIRTY CHEATER...!"

Alicia stepped in…

"BACK OFF, Charlotte! Jane did 'not' cheat using her SIMY device. She studied hard to 'get' on top, and that is why she is BETTER THAN YOU!"

"OII-YOU, Chinatown Wong – you just shut up, you don't have a photographic memory as you brag about. I was always the top in class, UNTIL ‘THIS’ BLIND-SCHOOL CAME in here, to this school – that is why we all believe that you 'BOTH' ARE INTO THIS TOGETHER – bloody cheating and robbing us all, in our school exams terms!!!"

Alicia laughed, before lashing out…

"Hey Charlotte, if you SPEND LESS 'TIME' smooching with your boyfriend Bruce Bronson from the cricket team, AND STUDIED MORE – then, you will 'not' be 3rd in class, okay!!?" Charlotte Thompson's jaw dropped, in shame.

They-all then heard a soft 'voice,' at the back. "Excuse me."

It was Paul, who came from the rear to his desk, which was surrounded by the bully girls.

… Zoe Williams who was #1 in the SHS' Girl's tennis team, stared down at her crippled classmate. She was the 9th in class in the 'last' class-term, but Paul bumped her to the 10th spot this term.

"YOU TOO, Paul Walker – you too BLOODY CHEATED BY COPYING their answers, and somehow you are 'now' 9th in class." Zoe too accused.

This was the competitive Stamford High school that they all 'were' in, where everyone was for 'themselves' – fighting hard to be the 'best,' in both their studies and sports...

... they formed their 'own' SHS cliques...

... and they would ridicule, bully and torment those – who were weak, isolated and – still 'HELD' DEAR-ONTO their-dreams.