The boys and girls of Mr. Mavros’ gym class were doing jumping jacks in the Middle School’s track and field stadium. Hair, necklaces, shorts and shirts bounced in the air with every jump, but nobody was quite as bouncy as Roadkill Joe, his one buggy eye on the end of a wire spring made a creaking metallic sound with every jolt and jump. The inside of Joe’s head was hot and sweaty, and Xavier heard his voice echo inside it as he counted in time with his jumping jacks.
Mr. Mavros walked in front of the group, his eyes gaze like a predator, seeking out any sign of insecurity and barking out orders as the children jumped.
“Jackson! Lift your arms when you jump. If you were swimming, you’d drown. Use your hands and legs! Kelly, you’re supposed to spread your feet when you jump. you look like a bouncing pogo stick. Davros! Are you counting? I can’t hear you!”
“22…. 23…. 24…. 25” The children all called out in unison. At reaching 25, they all break, in various states of exhaustion and breathlessness.
“Alright class, Five minute break, go get some water.” Mr. Mavros called out his order.
Xavier pulled off Roadkill Joe’s head, huddled around a bench with cups and a large ice filled water jug, each of the kids taking turns in an unorganized jumble getting a chance at a desperate gulp of cold refreshment. They all got a chance to drink and catch their breath, with Mr. Mavros watching. “Ok, you’ve all had a chance to rehydrate and catch your breath. Today we’re going to be… running the mile.”
Xavier groaned along with all of the kids. Running the mile was usually done as a part of national physical fitness standards, and you only had to do it once a year, so long as you were able to run it in less than 10 minutes. However, it seemed Mr. Mavros enjoyed giving this test multiple times to the students. “Come on, you’ve all had a break, we have to keep your heart rates up. Line up, line up!”
Hoards of additional groans and complaints escape from the children as they obediently walk over to the starting line on the track.
“In this class, we take physical fitness very seriously! That means risk and reward.” Mr Mavros was walking in front of the group as they gathered at the starting line. “So, that means, if Hog here is able to get a 6 minute mile, and if everyone here is able to run a 10 minute mile.. then you will all get to enjoy early release from this class!”
A cheer rose up from the whole class as they heard this news! Xavier could hear the noise, muffled through the head of the mascot, hearing his own small cheer of joy! Early release was a treat worth working for.
“But! If you aren’t able to make a 10 minute mile, and if Hog here doesn’t make a 6 minute mile… you will all have to run the mile AGAIN!”
Mr. Mavros paused, the whole class went silent. The moment of dread hung in the air for a few moments until a burst of laughter escaped from his lips. He grabbed the stopwatch held by a string around his neck, holding it as he looked over his students.
There was a strong sense of tension that overcame Xavier and the other kids. He could see shoulders slumped and fists clenched through the eyes of Roadkill Joe. Inside of the sweaty mascot head he could hear the distant mutterings from the other kids. He saw all of their eyes, looking at each other, and at Hog. A few of them offered encouragement to Hog, While others were complaining and groaning.
“He’s not going to make it, no way…”
“Mavros is so pushy, we have to run the mile Twice…”
“Why did I have to be in the same class with hog… Mavros always does this”
Mavros stared at his stopwatch, pausing until the class grew silent. Hog kneeled down, one leg planted in front of the other, his body looking like a coiled snake, as other kids whispered under their breaths.
Mr Mavros Called out. “Ready…… Go!”
They all launched up from their stances, Hog was out front, his big frame carrying himself faster than the other students. Xavier tried his best to keep up with the group, but with the floppy feet and awkward heavy Mascot head, he quickly fell to the back of the pack. They ran around the track, Mr Mavros Calling out so-called Encouragement every time they passed.
“Keep those legs running! Lift your feet! Swing your arms in time with your legs, and remember to breathe!”
They passed Mr. Mavros on the track. Xavier could hear Mr. Mavros called out to Hog as he passed. “You have one more lap to go, Remember you have to make six minutes!” Mr. Mavros was holding his stop watch as the kids started to file in and slow down as they all finished, Hog very close to the front of the pack.
“Hog! You’re almost there, you have to sprint to make it! Come on, Sprint!” Hog was breathing hard, his lanky uncoordinated movements working against his movement down the last stretch. As he passed the white finish line painted into the track, he groaned and squatted down, resting his hands on his legs, trying to catch his breath.
“I’ve told you before, raise your hands behind your head to catch your breath, you’ll recover faster! You have to remember our lessons.”
The Kids were all starting to come in, watching on with high nerves. Xavier finally crossed the finish line and joined the group of kids, looking on as they caught their breath and looked up at Mr. Mavros. Xavier took the head of the mascot off, sitting down on the ground with the head next to him as he leans back on his arms.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“Alright, looks like that’s everyone. Good news, the whole class was able to make it in under ten minutes!”
A cheer called out from the whole group, whooping and high fives among them!
Hog, his face covered in sweat and desperation that anyone could see, looked up at the coach and asked “What… What was my time?”
Mr. Mavros had the same smile on his face as he looked at his watch.“Six minutes, and thirty six seconds. You failed. You’ll all have to run the mile again.”
The whole class had their hopes dashed, Xavier could barely breathe, but he was adding his little whimpers and grunts to the chorus of complaints from the class.
“Well well, if you’re all that unhappy about it, I could change my mind about all of this… But, I would need to know that you’re getting the education that you truly need! Which means, Hog… in preparation for football season, you’ll have to come in after class until you’re able to make a 6 minute mile! I’ll even let the whole class go early.”
“But… But…” Hog couldn’t catch his breath fast enough to express his frustration and upset at this suggestion. Xavier watched as this scene of emotional blackmail played out. “I have… stuff I need to do! This friday… this friday I have plans with my fam! You can’t take me away from that” He was standing up at this point, looking up at Mr. Mavros with a sense of defiance and desperation in his voice. “My family is going on a vacation this weekend, and there’s a freestyle rap competition that I’m enrolled in!”
Mr Mavros nodded his head. “Well, I guess you just have to train hard enough to make it in under 6 minutes, and then you’ll be free. Otherwise, the whole class will have to run the mile every day this week!”
The class all let out complaints at the idea.
“Oh my god, seriously?”
“We can’t let that happen!”
“Hog, you can just train and do a 6 minute mile.
“Just do it Hog, please, we’ll get out early today”
Xavier watched this back and forth, his heart catching in his throat. Mr Mavros was a frightening person, his domineering glare could cut through glass and melt ice. He felt something inside him; a sense of anger at the injustice that exists in the world, an injustice that he naturally wanted to overcome.
“Fine… I’ll do it. I’ll see you after school today.”
The whole class lets out a cheer at hearing Hog’s agreement, their happiness at being let out early made him seem even more upset.
“Ok! Then we have it. Class dismissed!” Mr. Mavros slapped Hog on the back. “This extra training will be good for you, it’ll really help you get into shape for football season.” He walked away, the whole class disbursed, leaving Hog standing where he was, looking dismayed.
Xavier walked over to them, holding the MAscot’s head under his arm, that eye squeaking with every step as he approached. “Damn… he’s really harsh on you.”
Hog looked at Xavier, sweat dripping from his brow. “Yea bro.. I just don’t know what to do. Like, I can’t miss this vacation my dude, but then the whole class will like, be hatin on me. I can’t do that to my homies, make them have to run the mile every day…
Xavier walked along next to Hog as they headed back towards the building. “What was all that about football season? Did you sign up for special treatment or training for football?”
Hog was looking at his feet, they were dragging slightly as he walked. “No! But like, according to him and the student handbook, because last year I was caught lacking last year on gym clothes on the first day, just like you did, Mavros can draft me into any after school program he wants.”
“Woa.. what? Like he can draft me the same way?” Xavier felt his heart beating faster.
“Well he probably won’t though, I mean no offense dog but you’re not like all that big and athletic like me.”
Xavier didn’t know whether to feel relieved or insulted. He felt a little bit of both. “Why haven’t you tried talking to your parents, or the administration about this? This special treatment, drafting you like that, it’s a complete violation of your rights as a student.”
“You dog, like I tried that, but Mavros is… you just don’t understand, he’s a master level karate word black belt dog, he’ll turn anything you say against you and make it seem like you’re in the wrong. Worst is, my dad is like, a total football star back when he went to highschool so he believes everything that Mavros says.”
They walked on in silence for a few moments. Xavier cleared his throat. “Well you know, I am a lawyer. I have my temporary license in oregon.”
“Oh yea, like on that card right? Like… I guess you’re one of those GK kids that I see on the internet?”
Xavier cringed. “GK Kids is superfluous.”
“Super what? I mean, like I know you’re smart but it’s not like you have super powers dog.” Hog shook his head and let out a little smile as he slapped Xavier’s back friendly again. “I don’t believe any of those rumors about GK kids, like your experiments or CIA weapons or something. You don’t gotta worry about me dog.”
“No, what I mean is, GK kids is like saying ATM machine. Like, it’s just, kind of extra…” Xavier looked up at Hog, who was staring back down at him as they walked. “Never mind.” He clears his throat. “Listen, I completely think that this special treatment violates your rights, and I would like to offer to represent you… pro bono.”
“Pro what?”
Xavier pauses for a moment longer, suppressing a need to rub his forehead. “It means for free”
“Oh… represent me like as my lawyer or something?”
“Yea, that’s what I’m saying! We can bring this up to the principle, and we can get a hearing about his treatment. She’ll have to listen to us, and if we don’t get what we want we can appeal it to the board of superintendents.”
“Oh, you wanna represent me to the principal… I mean…” He opened the door to the building, holding it open for Xavier as he walked by. “Do you really think there’s a chance that I could win?”
Xavier nodded. “I really do. You deserve to be treated with fairness and equality. We could even get a hearing from the principal tomorrow.”
Hog looked at Xavier, thoughts crossing his mind as he glanced from the locker rooms, with Mr. Mavros standing in front of the door, and then to Xavier. “Like on god, I can’t miss this weekend, I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks and it’s totally banger, I have permission to leave early on friday too already.”
“Then it’s settled. I’ll go speak with the front office and set it up for tomorrow.” He smiles and reaches out his hand.
Hog smiles back, and reaches out, giving him an awkward fist bump, then grabbing his hand, pulling him in and giving him a brief chest bump and a slap on the back. “You got it dog! I should totally give you my number so we can strategize. You gotta know, Principal Williams is totally different dog. You have to keep your friends closer, know what I’m saying? Watch your back…”
Lightning struck outside, shocking both of them as they look out a window. Xavier pursed his lips. “Wow, it got really dark outside really fast…”