Respecting Mr. Ravi

Story Text and Illustrations - Christopher Francis © 2020

CHAPTER TWO Back to School

Alex is awoken from a mysterious nightmare as his brother alerts him of a tornado landing nearby. When the storm passes, Alex learns a woman was killed.

”Yeah, I heard it on the Channel 8 news. A lady died at that farm when a tree fell onto the house. The newspaper said that she was in the attic trying to find her cat.”

Alex’s shoulders slumped. He pulled the newspaper toward him. “You know, Alex,” his dad began sipping on his dainty cup of tea, “a big storm like that deserves a lot of respect. Just remember that.”

Alex nodded, digging deep into his thoughts for a response. He wondered how anyone could respect something that causes so much damage and despair. “Okay, Dad,” he replied.

When school started up again in the fall, Alex thought a lot about the big storm and what his dad had said. He missed the memorable events that had happened that summer. He often daydreamed in class and drew pictures of tornadoes crashing through his list of weekly spelling words. However, by the time October arrived, Alex was finally settled into the routine at Timpleville Public School. He was actually quite happy. He thought a lot less about the summer and focused more on school. The problem was he wasn’t necessarily focusing on the teachers.

“Hi, Alex.” A pretty girl, with a flowery yellow sundress, walked past him in the hallway. The rain bounced off the tarmac outside that Friday morning. The students made their way into the school, tangled in umbrellas and raincoats.

“Hi,” Alex squeaked. His eyes widened, pulled toward her warm glow.

The girl was Daisy Darlington. She brushed her light brown hair away from her face and smiled. “How are you?”

“Cold, I mean, I’m cool, I mean good, I’m good… I’m fine and dandy.”

“Okay.” Daisy slipped her backpack off and tucked it into her locker.

Alex once had a conversation with Rudy Jerqson and Satbir Gill about all the things they would wish for if they were stranded on a deserted island. All three of them agreed that Daisy Darlington would be at the top of the list.

Alex opened his locker, pretending to rummage through his school bag. His blood flowed heavily through his veins. “Are you having a good da—day?” His voice cracked.

“Well, it just started. I’m a little wet from the rain, but not bad, thanks.” “Right.”

Alex spent most nights trying to think of creative yet mature conversations he could have with Daisy. He often practiced in front of his mirror while getting ready for bed. He even copied out a list of big words from his dictionary app on his phone. He had most of them memorized, just in case he needed to use one.

A largely framed boy stepped around the corner and into the locker bay. His giant overalls and curly orange hair made him stand out like a massive bright pumpkin in a field of wilting lettuce. “Hey, buddy, what’s happening?”

“Henry, Henry, Henry—am I glad to see you,” Alex said.

“Why? What’s up?”

Alex pulled a book out of his locker and flipped through a few of the pages. “Um, no reason, just uh—always glad to see my best bud each day—you know.” His hands trembled.

Henry unstrapped his backpack and leaned down to open his lock. “You’re in a weird mood today. What’s going on?”

“Ooh, nothing.” Alex grabbed his phone and opened up the dictionary app. He glanced over to Daisy, closing up her locker. Her legs were so shiny and smooth. “Hey, Daisy, did you spell with the study of the test?”

Music filled the hallways, a warning that class was about to start. “Pardon?” Daisy replied.

“Did you spell for the study test?” Alex closed his eyes for a moment, trying not to look at her shiny legs. Jumbled words and blurry images bounced about in his head. “Huh?”

“Did the test spell for you with the study today?”

“Seriously…I don’t know what you’re saying, Alex.” Warm classical stringed instruments flowed through the locker bay.

“Did you study for the smelly test today?”

Daisy scratched her head and forced out a smile. Her lips sparkled with pink gloss.

Henry wrapped his colossal hand around Alex’s shoulder.”I think he’s asking if you studied for the spelling test today.”

The music abruptly stopped. The bell chimed in, piercing the ears of the students hustling to class. Daisy giggled. “Ah, yes, I did. Our test is after lunch, so I’m going to study a little more in the library at recess. Fingers crossed.”

“Tremendous,” Alex replied, placing the random book back in his locker. “That is delightfully tremendous.”

“Okay, gotta go.” The feet of hundreds of students slapped the tiled floors. “Um, see ya.” Daisy held on to her books tightly and stepped past Henry and Alex. She nudged Henry and smiled, “Mom is picking us up after school, so don’t be late this time.”

“Got it,” replied Henry.

As Daisy walked around the corner, Alex relaxed his arms and legs and leaned up against the wall. “Tremendous?” he mumbled to himself.

The teachers stepped out into the halls with their attendance books, standing in front of their classroom doors. “What’s up with you?” asked Henry. “What was that all about?”

Alex pulled out his spelling book and closed his lock, eyeing his homeroom teacher, Mrs. Oxford tapping her pencil. He turned back to Henry. “What’s it like being Daisy’s step-brother?”

Henry shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Come on, weirdo; we’re gonna be late for class.”

“Okay, students, put your books away and take out a pencil. It’s time for your spelling test,” Mrs. Oxford announced.

Alex sat awkwardly in his chair in the back of the classroom, straining to see the smartboard at the front. Henry sat directly in front of him. His broad shoulders and big head made it almost impossible for Alex to see the teacher. Daisy was in a different class, with Mrs. Rutherford. For the most part, Alex didn’t mind because he knew he would never be able to concentrate. Mrs. Oxford ran a tough language arts program, which was one reason his mom requested he take her class.

Alex twisted his head and shifted his chair out into the aisle, trying to catch the lecture at the front. The teacher’s mouth moved, but nothing registered. Daisy’s face popped into Alex’s head— her eyes looking at him, her pink lip gloss lighting up the locker bay. He hated the conversation he had with her that morning. He wanted so desperately to go back in time ten minutes and try it all over again.

“Alex Thomas? Are you paying attention?” Mrs. Oxford slapped her pointer stick against the wall.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

She adjusted her glasses and rolled her eyes, continuing her incoherent babble.

“Buddy, you okay?” Henry turned his head slightly, whispering from the side of his mouth.

“Yeah. I think, why?”

He checked the front for a second and turned back to me. “Because Mrs. O started the spelling test five minutes ago, and you’ve been sitting in the aisle staring at the exit sign above the door.”

Alex tucked himself back into his desk and began writing his name in the lines on the piece of paper. A drop of sweat trickled off his forehead, making a perfect salty circle on the page.

The lead on his pencil snapped, scratching a gray line through the ‘e’ in his name. He chipped off bits of the wood with his fingernail, trying to dig out the lead from the tip. Daisy’s face returned to him. Drops of rain ran down her cheek, falling onto her shiny legs. Her hair bounced slowly in front of his face like a meadow filled with flowers, blowing gently in the wind.

Alex shook his head and rubbed the sweat off his brow. He raised his hand, bouncing his knees up against the bottom of his desk.

“Yes, Alex?”

“May I please go to the washroom? I was so busy studying this morning that I didn’t have time to go.”

A few giggles slipped out around the room. Alex moved his head around Henry and smiled. The drone of rain slapping the window sill drowned out the grinding of his teeth.

Mrs. Oxford looked at the clock and shook her head. “Okay, off you go.”

Like nails on a chalkboard, Alex dragged his chair back. He stepped out of his little nook in the back of the room and escaped into the hallway.

“Maybe if I took the entire period to go to the washroom, then I might not have to do the stupid test at all,” Alex mumbled to himself. He watched his reflection in the glass display case by the water fountains, rubbing his fingers along the grooves between the bricks on the wall. “Hello Alex, how are you this morning?” Alex turned around. It was Mr. Ravi, the custodian.

To Be Continued: Tuesday, January 26