PAUL ARRIVED EARLY AT THE FIRST, OF SCHOOL REOPEN – and earlier at home, he heard his mother scolding Peter for oversleeping, because he was watching Netflix late through midnight.
Passing on the school’s east-wing corridor while manually wheel-chairing himself, Paul RECALLED OF THE ‘FIRST-DAY’ of the school final-term in the other-Perth…
… where the phone-bombs exploding on 13 students’ faces WHILE, SHARING THE ‘breakup video’ of The Perth’s Famous Couple…
‘… that disaster…’
Paul thought as he sighed -- AND HE HOPED THAT -- history would ‘not’ repeat again…
‘… please Pete, please behave and be more disciplined to control your negative emotion-levels in ‘this’ Perth…’
So far – thank God, for the last 10 days…
… there had ‘NOT’ BEEN ANY natural disaster nor major ‘freak-accidents’ in Perth city – the cripple Paul then put positive vibes across the ‘universe’ for his one-armed twin to ‘feed’ the gratitude…
‘Pete … calm-down, mate and just chill… be grateful that you are going to school today with a SIM device to assist you, to learn in this Perth…
‘… things too are going well at home – where you got 3 pairs of shoes yesterday… what ‘more’ do you want, mate…?’
Paul approached his classroom in the next turn – he saw some senior students gathered in front of the Boys Room and recognized the loudmouth larrikin named Matt-something -- who ‘had’ nicknamed Peter before as the ‘one-armed-bandit’…
“Hey, it’s Tarzan Poe-pee-Poe! He had swung from tree-to-tree to get to school while peeing on the go!”
They laughed aloud with some nearby girls giggled when the embarrassed Paul’s wheelchair crossed their path…
… he cursed Peter too – who spread the fact in Stamford High…
… that he wore adult-diapers when he slept in the night at home -- where he too had gained the nickname Poe-pee-Poe since…
“You should have seen that poor rhino in the zoo video – the one which went into a coma, because of his pee stank and K.O-ed like chloroform!”
Paul ignored them -- but deep ‘inside-him’ he regretted…
‘… this is unwanted attention to ‘us’ – this later zoo incident was a ‘disaster’ mission, when let alone to Treeton -- where the newspapers said ‘before’ of 3 handicap students who had all ‘irresponsibly’ wandered in the open field during a thunderstorm, and ‘was’ rescued by a retired army veteran – where who himself got hurt…
“… why did we bloody go to the zoo on Thursday – now some animals are ‘injured’ – and we don’t even know ‘if’ Hajji exists in this-Perth…?’
<>
JANE WAS DRIVEN TO SCHOOL BY her doctor-mother who was on the way to her clinic. The blind girl was ‘not’ in speaking terms with her bossy-mother. She sat in the front passenger seat as Shelley drove -- who had even ‘not’ switched on her pop-rock music from her favourite radio-station, in the entire journey.
Both mother-and-daughter were judging each other – the only sound in the SUV Mazda’s cabin was their shallow deep breaths of disappointment and frustration …
Blind Jane was twiddling with the end of her dreadlocks -- as she was thinking of her ‘other’ mother-of-Perthland – where the Wilsons ‘there’ was supportive of their delinquent teenaged daughter ‘whom’ her-aura had shared the host body for less than a week…
… by being ‘that’ Jane…
… who have the gift-of-sight but ‘not’ the 3rd-eye superpowers…
… who was the tennis Sportsgirl talent of the school but ‘not’ her studies…
… who loved Paul Walker but ‘not’ his twin Peter…
She felt sad for ‘that’ mother – in her actions of taking her ‘own’ life in the Cursed-trio’s mission of ‘escaping’ Perthland, after rescuing the soul of Peter -- from Sir Stamford who was about to take him back along to Europe…
‘… how ‘bad’ could that situation be…? Peter would leave Perthland and go to Europe – but why did we ‘stop’ him – its ‘NOT’ LIKE Peter would be the next Hitler or something…?
‘… that poor-mother ‘had’ lost her daughter because of me…’
Shelley saw her daughter sniffle – while she scoffed under her breath…
-O-
Minutes later the SUV was in front of Stamford High School – with sounds of young chatty voices heard from outside the car. Blind Jane heard a familiar voice greeting them…
“G’ day Mrs Wilson – hey, Janey…”
Alicia opened the door and guided her BFF out – the Chinese girl waved at the doctor-mother while the B-girl left without saying-a-word…
The mother felt disrespected…
‘… no-thank-you, no-goodbye – what am I the Uber-mom… with one bloody-star rating…?’
The mother compared her ‘current’ friends at her middle-school to her former school for-the-blind when Jane went to the age of 10 – but since leaving her birds-of-her-feathers and joining ‘among’ the sighted-girls, who had ‘corrupted-bad-behaviour’ in her B-tween girl…
Shelley’s greatest fear -- was her B-girl would blindly fall in love and get pregnant…
‘… that would be an embarrassment to the family – just like my Facebook friend Ira Hopkins’ niece whose got pregnant a year ago – but we ‘quietly-fixed’ it…’
…because…
… in her line of work in her Mercy & Wilson clinic…
… she had been frequently seeing a case or 2 in a month, of parents, bring their teenage daughters for a medical check – before ‘confirming’ the positive’ pregnancy and later heading to an abortion clinic…
… which ‘was’ a necessary evil…
… so, to send the ‘unwanted-pregnancy’ girls back into the schooling system for a 2nd chance to complete their education…
‘… this was the monthly one-or-2 cases I came across compared to the many other clinics in the Greater Perth -- who too were dealing with ‘same’ rampant problem of delinquent girls who have free-sex – especially during the school holidays when their oestrogen ran wild…
‘… so, you ‘had’ disobeyed me and went to the zoo – with that Walker-boy, behind my back…’
-O-
Both the girls, holding hands, were walking to the school outdoor corridor – Alicia noticed that Jane had been crying…
“Janey, are you okay? Did your mummy scold you just now, in the car?”
“No, I’m okay, Ali…”
… she was ‘still’ in the guilty thoughts of ‘what’ revolting and repulsive action she did to ‘escape’ Perthland – but Alicia should ‘not’ know about that, for her ‘own’ good.
“But you were crying – you want to talk about it, Janey-gee – I’m always here for you.”
“It’s nothing, it’s my monthly period today -- and I’m totally ‘emo’ over little-little stuff… that’s all.”
“Okay, you’ll be fine – this is our final term before we are seniors – we will be so-so busy in this final term, and soon you’ll be too occupied to worry about such little stuffs.”
Jane nodded and squeezed her BFF’s palm which she held – for the positive motivation on the first day of school…
… that’s was the blind tween’s game plan out of her fear too – that she doesn’t end up like the illiterate Jane-of-Perthland.
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
<><>
AT A T-JUNCTION, THE MAZDA SUV ALMOST RAN OVER into a crossing dangerous cyclist. Shelley blared her horn aloud at the reckless biker and cursed out. Looking at the rear-view-mirror, she was appalled to realize that it was the one-armed Walker…
‘… the ‘boyfriend’s’ twin brother – thank Gawd, Jane was ‘not’ going out with him…’
-O-
Peter arrived at the school’s car park lot, just 2 minutes before the school’s first bell. He parked his bike at the bicycle bay. He still wore the new-SIM headset, tuned to his fave-rock bands' playlist on Spotify, but ‘not’ his programmed study lessons coz’ he – sucked at coding.
He decided to flaunt his ‘new-toy’ at the first day of school – and be the 2nd student in school who ‘owned’ a prototype AI interactive device…
‘… if Janey called hers Boyyo – I will then call mine Pete 2.0…’
He was confident that things would be smooth sailing from now-onwards in his ‘studies department’…
‘… oh yeah Mr Hull, you were teaching some-old school history lessons of someone else's backyard dirty laundry stories, that changed the cause of the world – but here I’m…
‘… wanting to write my ‘own’ history which is to be the BEST-OF-THE-BEST in the world of tennis…’
And, to do ‘that,’ Peter needed that Kimura Star’s ROBOTIC BIONIC-ARM…
… he just had ‘figured-out’ of ‘WHAT’ TO WRITE in his 2nd email to Janey’s uncle – the scientist-inventor, Dr Jack Turner.
-O-
The first period was English…
… and the teacher Mr Fred Bailey had ‘not’ arrive yet when the bell rang – Paul sat at his spot in class, and anticipated for his girlfriend to come – so that, he could update her of the latest of Cursed-trio’s sharing of ‘what’ Peter ‘did’ on the weekend.
He was surprised when he saw Ms Burnell entering the classroom with Terry Donavan – who apparently had been transferred to his class – to the school’s attempt to separate the notorious Irish band-of-brothers. Terry was to sit among the backbenchers in this final term.
‘… gosh, its Perthland, all over again – where Peter would have his partner-in-crime…’
Jane and Alicia walked in -- and automatically the class were in their gossip-mode as they shunned the blind-girl from Treeton, who days later was involved a 2nd tragedy at the zoo where a bull elephant was seriously injured when it had rescued her, from an attacking rampaging rhino on-the-loose…
… gone were the ‘brave’ blind-girl and her heroic dog ‘reputation’ from the other-Perth -- who ‘have’ rescued her kidnapped baby-brother at the same zoo…
… Charlotte Thompson and Zoe Williams gave the blind-girl the evil-eye – Jane then sat at the desk in front of the class, with Paul behind her…
Paul noticed that she did ‘not’ acknowledge him, ‘her-blue-beacon-boyfriend,’ as the English teacher too stepped in the classroom, at the same time…
… maybe he WOULD TALK TO HER during the recess break – where the following 2nd and 3rd periods were at the science-lab, where he was in a different group from Ali-and-Jane…
He turned towards the backbenchers in his rear – his ‘evil’ twin too had just arrived – and, had used his one-arm to high-five Terry Donovan.
-O-
After the English class, Jane was distracted by Mr Bailey -- and she then left the classroom with the rest of the students to their biology and chemistry classes at the science lab…
… Paul did ‘not’ have any interaction all-Sunday with Jane as her-Samsung was switched-off – he presumed that she was ‘busy’ reprogramming her ‘newly’ received replacement substitute Boyyo -- from the ‘charr-fried’ SIMY at the Treeton tragedy.
Paul was unfocussed during biology class, as he was more of thoughts ‘of what’ his devilish twin Peter would be-up-to next…
… he had ‘not’ slept-well the ‘previous’ night – by-being ‘aroused’…
‘… by-the-way, who did he meet to have sex in the wee hours 2 nights ago – on that Saturday night…? What is mom holding ‘back’ too, and ‘what-did’ happen on Thursday in Peter’s tennis practice during school break?’
He thought of Ms King who ‘might’ know and provide of ‘what’ went around on Thursday – and would provide the answers for Cursed-trio because she had promised them-both-so, that Thursday morning at the café.
Paul was waiting patiently for the recess break to BREAK THE SECRET to Jane…
… that he ‘caught’ his twin who ‘had’ sneaked out on Saturday night to have sex.
The slow minutes prolonged into the chemistry class until – Terry Donavan accidentally broke a beaker of hydrochloric acid -- and the science class was dispersed early for the chemical clean-up.
-O-
Being on the wheelchair, he lost Jane again among the crowd – but his bladder too was killing him and he needed to pee badly. But the handicap toilet stall in the Boys Room was ‘broken’ hence locked-up -- and, with the other 2 stalls for abled-boys were occupied…
He was in-line waiting as he cursed….
‘… I’m the ‘only’ handicap boy in school – and-yet the dunny is busted…’
He cursed the negligent and irresponsible abled-body boys who might have ‘broken’ his privilege of convenience…
After 10 minutes of waiting, the recess bell rang.
<><>
IT WAS MIDWAY THROUGH RECESS when Paul arrived in his wheelchair to the mess hall. Most students were going out, and the long tables were emptying gradually. He sensed the ‘energy-glow’ of the blind-girlfriend was still present. But Paul’s stomach too growled, and he needed to eat…
… hastily he ordered a red sauce meatball pasta and a can of coke – and hurried to Jane.
Jane was there sitting alone, eating her tuna-and-egg sandwich, as she was hooked-up with her AI Boyyo. Alicia was in a different table in discussion with members of her music class. Paul greeted and joined Jane…
“Hey, Jane, how you been?”
“… oh Pauly, I’m fine… but been really busy, as I had to reprogramme this dumb AI…”
Paul chuckled and flirted, “Have you completed with ‘him,’ cos’ this ‘boy’ needs your attention too…?”
Jane giggled, “… ‘not’ complete yet, just 75% done in coding Boyyo – then, there is this ‘privacy’ settings for full access to my personal and private life information sharing -- which I would code a protective ‘firewall’ to block any excess to it, just like ‘before’…”
“Listen, before Alicia comes over, we ‘need’ to talk…”
“What happened…?”
“It’s Peter – I caught him returning at 4 AM on Sunday-early morning sneaking-in back – and guess what – he is meeting someone, and even had sex with…”
… the moment she heard Peter’s name – Jane sighed…
“Look-Paul, I’m ‘not’ interested at-all in ‘who’ your brother is sleeping with, okay? Just leave me out of this, as I need my ‘space’ in this final term to focus in schoolwork and I ‘suggest’ that you do that too – instead of ‘kicking’ the hornet’s nest to ‘provoke’ him…”
“… ‘why,’ do you think everything is over? We ‘still’ have to keep an eye on him constantly, after ‘what’ he had done before… and I’m reminding you that ‘our’ duty is ‘not’ over yet…”
... Alicia looked up and saw both of her friends – but something was wrong in their tone of voices – seems that Paul was stressing out Jane during her vulnerable period of the month. The ‘concerned’ Chinese girl approached while listening to them – and heard Paul saying…
“… but Peter had ‘done’ it before in Perthland – we should monitor WHO’ HE IS sleeping with – come-on Jane, we should be vigilant, okay?”
“No, don’t ‘get’ me involved – I’M ‘NOT’ INTERESTED in who he is sleeping with cos’ I’m ‘not’ a busybody…”
… Alicia ‘misunderstood’ the conversation -- and she butt-in…
“Hey-Paul, just because your twin brother is sleeping with someone – it doesn’t mean Jane ‘should’ sleep with you too – you just only had been on a single date to the zoo, and now you are demanding for sex – how disgusting you ‘boys’ are!!?”
“Hey-Ali, that was ‘not’ I meant…”
He dumbfounded when he saw the Chinese girl pulled her best friend away – and they both left the cafeteria. He was relieved that it was a ‘not’ a big-mega scene that Peter-and-Jane had created, like the PFC breakup hoo-hah…
… he thought of Peter and sighed…
‘… whatever HE’S DOING -- it working in his favour…’
… it was just like being kicked-in-the-balls again by the platinum blonde teen-Alicia of Perthland.
…but he ‘had’ needed to remind his-girlfriend of Jane of Perthland – which had the incubus ‘who’ possessed Peter -- that ‘had’ sex with the teenager-Jane’s host body over there – and in another occasion too…
… Peter too ‘visited’ Jane in her Dreamworld in the other-Perth, just to ‘distract’ the blind-girl when her baby brother was abducted by Hajji…
‘… how CAN SHE ‘NOT’ see this…?’
Paul was kind-of disappointed with Jane’s attitude of thinking that THIS TREETON RESET was ‘game-over’ – so that she could focus in her studies, and ‘totally’ neglect their superpowers and obligation to protect from any evil entity, that would harm their city…
… so, he DECIDED-AND-WANTED to be the sole Cursed-trio member as Gemini Blue -- to be vigilant and defend Perth, WITH NO BACKING of his counterpart StarGirl.
Paul noticed the occupancy of canteen was emptying fast, and looked at his watch – it was a minute more to school recess end – seeing his untouched bowl of pasta in front of him, he then took-in big-spoon feeds, so ‘not’ to let the food to waste – chugging down the coke to aid the big-swallows.
… the bell then rang, and the crippled-tween hurried in his wheelchair to his class with the rest of the students, before the discipline teacher-cum-VP made her inspection rounds. As he was leaving the mess hall – he heard a call…
“Hey, Tarzan Paul, wait up…”
… it was the Zimbabwean foreign student Akatendeka Ibori – who was Jane’s friend -- approaching from the rear.
‘Tarzan Paul? Is that an African joke of some White saviour bloke, who swung on trees and talked to animals…’
Akatendeka…
… ‘remembering’ her too as the Black tween-self – who was the girlfriend of Samuel Jaheem of Perthland – who were ‘both’ mean to him for the 4 days over there.
The 2 of them spoke, while they hurried to their respective classes…
“Thank God for you, Jane Wilson and your twin who were alive after being hit by lightning -- I saw you 3 going off in the ambulance from Treeton, and I prayed to Jesus for you all.”
… Paul was surprised that the Zimbabwean student was a Christian like him…
“Thanks, Aka, and Amen to that – we are fine now, and were only admitted overnight for observation in the hospital -- and the next day we went home.”
Both the middle-school and high-school students parted ways, to their respective classes…
… at least some-one spoke about Treeton, as none of his classmates did-so after they went on the ‘same’ field trip on a rainy day – Paul was glad that ‘not’ everyone was being judgemental, after reading the ‘one-sided’ reports by the newspapers and online portals.
-O-
Jane and Alicia returned to their classroom for their Math class. The backbencher Peter swaggered to the front-row, to them wearing his ‘new’ AI device, and he spoke-up…
“Janey, your uncle ‘told’ me to tell you to ‘programme’ this AI-thing – can you make it ASAP, cos’ I’ve lots of studies to catch-up in this final term – thank you.”
… he handed his headset and SIM notepad tablet to the blind-girl and left…
… Alicia overheard their conversation – and saw Jane’s face was now stressed by handling --2 SIM tech-devices… the Chinese girl whispered…
“No worries, Janey – give it to me, I’ll help you to code it.”
Paul entered the classroom through the backdoor…
… avoiding Alicia who just-now ‘had’ made an embarrassing-and-false accusation, that he had ‘demanded’ sex from Jane.
Terry Donovan made fun of him…
“Hey-mates -- Poe-pee-Poe is back for Math class -- to learn the calculation of horsepower needed for ol’ Tarzan to swing from tree-to-tree.
All the backbenchers laughed aloud.