The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 19

"Well, it's too bad I sent PFC Ford back to base," Dave grumbled as he took out his communications device, snapping the antenna off before finishing, "It's gonna be at least two hours before I can make my way back to base, and another thirty minutes after that till we can get more men out here to help you excavate this site."

Sam had already followed suit and sabotaged his own radio by turning up the brightness on the screen and forcing the vibration mode to activate. "I really shoulda' checked the batteries on this before I left."

Clasping his friend on the shoulder, Dave looked Sam in the eye and stated, "Thank you."

The younger man just smiled, pride in his eyes as he looked into his mentor's gaze.

Without another word, Dave turned and started jogging off into the forest. Thoughts of what had been discovered swarming through his head as he tried to figure out what to do. Within five minutes the smell of fire came up from behind him, carried on the breeze.

Turning, Dave could see the dull glow of a fire off in the distance, roughly from the location of the blast site. Despite that comforting light, Dave had a hard time taking solace from it, struggling to understand how Andrew had accomplished what he had seen a few moments before.

He was relieved to know that his son was safe, but was infuriated as every uneasy feeling that had settled over him over the last few weeks was put into context. Andrew had quite literally walked into the lion's mouth, placing himself and Sara into great danger, and never once considered reaching out to either of his parents.

Whatever was happening, Michelle and he were going to get to the bottom of it, and Andrew wasn't going to talk his way out from under the pile of shit he had built upon himself.

***** Tempered Expectations *****

Andrew and Sara burst through the doors of the school arm in arm, laughter escaping their lips as Sara bumped Andrew with her hip.

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Sara protested. "I just think that a bear, while larger, is not as fast or agile as a lion. There's just no way a bear would win that fight."

They were deep in their debate, oblivious to the countless stares they received as they moved down the hall.

"Well, I can't argue that a lion isn't faster, but a grizzly is almost twice as massive..."

They'd been having the same contest of ideas since they sat down for breakfast a few hours before, and neither of them had made a dent in the other's commitment to their side. While they bantered back and forth, Sara noticed the casual way that Andrew responded to the people around him, his head nodding in greeting as they acknowledged his passing. Whatever nervousness had defined Andrew a week before was gone, and in its place she felt a strong confidence radiating out.

Andrew opened his bag and dropped his last couple of books into his locker, leaving a notebook and enough office supplies to open a small store behind. He knew he had no need for his calculator, or the drafting tools he carried with him. With his developing gifts, he could sketch a perfect line without a ruler, and a flawless circle without the need of a compass.

Given those thoughts, he considered lightening his load even more, but decided that as much as he hated it, he needed to keep up appearances. So, after a hearty sigh, he pulled the books for his next couple of classes from his locker and stored them in his bag. Sara laughed at the annoyed look on his face as he peered up with a fake smile, slamming his locker closed while slinging his pack up on his shoulder.

"One more year, SD, and then we'll be free to do whatever we want."

Andrew took her hand and together they walked towards Dr Blake's classroom, the point where their days would first diverge. Neither of them were eager for the separation, which was why their steps slowed to a glacial pace while Andrew gave one last attempt at convincing Sara how doomed her position was. The truth was he knew there was no solid answer in either direction, the phone in his pocket having given him plenty of opportunity to explore the facts. But, he was not about to let that get in the way of teasing his feisty mate.

"Did you know that Ford once tried to use a bear in a commercial to show how tough their trucks were?"

Sara grimaced, knowing that Andrew was setting her up with a trap.

"Andrew, unless the truck suddenly grew razor sharp claws, teeth that can shatter bone, and lunged into the bear's side, tearing out its throat while vivisecting it with its back legs, I don't want to hear it. Because that's exactly what a lion would do if a bear even looked at it sideways."

There was challenge in Sara's eyes as she glared at Andrew, daring him to continue his story. After a moment of looking into each other's gaze, they both broke out in renewed laughter, Sara bumping Andrew before pulling him back against her side.

"Nope, no transforming trucks in the story I read, you got me there."

Their time was over, Dr Blake's doorway standing before them like a portal to the ninth ring of hell. Andrew reached up and grabbed Sara by the back of her neck, pulling her down into a soft and understated kiss. Her legs went weak as Andrew took control of his mate, fulfilling both of their desires in that willful but simple act.

"Good luck," Sara said with a grin, before turning and heading down the hall. "Lions forever!" she yelled as she pumped her fist in the air, not even looking back to see the adoration on Andrew's face.

"What's that all about?" Seth asked from Andrew's side, both young men wearing large smiles as they watched Sara vanish around the corner.

Andrew just laughed and shook his head. "It's nothing."

They made their way to their regular seats at the back of the room, Andrew ignoring the venomous looks he received from Zack and the two 'A students'. Bruce was seated beside Zack, stifling a laugh that seemed to be making the quarterback's sour mood all the more bitter.

"Sorry I didn't return your texts, man. Things kinda' got crazy this weekend," Andrew whispered towards his friend while setting up his desk.

Their routines were remarkably similar, despite how different their configurations were. Each of them placed their tools in precise right angles, every implement designated a specific location on the desks limited surface.

"It's cool, bro..." Seth began, looking at Andrew with a nervous sideways glance. "I was just gonna try and find out how things went with Sara's mom."

The look on Andrew's face must have given away his surprise, he didn't expect Seth to have known who the woman that had interrupted their role-playing session had been.

"Alli filled me in while I was taking her home."

Andrew nodded and smirked at his friend, making his best attempt at fake porn music, "bow bow chicka bow wow."

"Shut up, ass-lancer."

Despite his protest, Seth's cheeks were red, and Andrew could see that perhaps his friend's crush had finally turned into something more substantial.

"It's nothing like that... We just..." Seth looked around the room and leaned towards Andrew, continuing in a whisper. "We talked for a couple of hours, and... well we kissed, okay."

Andrew's face lit up with joy for his friend. "That's fantastic, man."

Again, Seth blushed and looked away as he settled back into his seat. "Thanks," was all he could bring himself to say before the bell rang and class began. Andrew refused to look away, a thousand questions burning behind his eyes as he forced himself to remain quiet. After roll call had been taken, and Dr Blake had began his lecture, Andrew finally opened his notebook and began doodling.

The class was everything he knew it would be, and more. Dr Blake no longer attempted to harass or demean Andrew, choosing instead to maintain his assault on the jocks. Bruce had taken Andrew's advice to heart, and deftly deflected the sadistic teachers baiting jabs with an honest, "I don't know, sir," every time a question was asked that he couldn't comprehend.

Zack, much to everyone's dismay, never seemed to learn that lesson, and continued to fall into every trap Dr Blake laid out for him. Midway through the lesson, Andrew could hear Bruce and Elizabeth — Zack's devoted and worried girlfriend — whispering for him to admit his ignorance. The problem was, Zack was too upset to see reason, too stubborn to accept their advice, and too proud to ignore the teachers treacherous comments.

"Mr Taylor, if this question is too complex for you, I'm sure Mr Williams would be more than capable of overcoming your failure."

"Damn, he's good," Andrew thought, recognizing how deep of a game the teacher was playing. Not only had Dr Blake determined how Zack felt about him, but leveraged it into the perfect bait, keeping the jock from withdrawing from his abuse.

After glowering at Andrew with a long and spiteful repose, Zack turned his attention towards the teacher and attempted to answer the question. It was painful to watch, a unified sigh filling the room with the sounds of the classes anguish, while Dr Blake and the two A-students watched on with glee.

It wasn't difficult to sympathize with Zack, a burden that Andrew had always suffered as his personality and intellect forced him to recognize the emotions of the people around him. Pain was a familiar device that drove everyone through life, and Andrew had known his fair share. But, as he watched Zack's red and shame ridden face turn towards the floor, he could almost feel the suffering washing off of the large and athletic young man in a strange new way.

The shame that Zack felt was understandable, a lifetime of excelling and being praised conflicting with the defeat he was suffering within that classroom. Andrew expected that, but through those stereotypical emotions Andrew could sense more, as if the persona that Zack carried was threatened by what was happening.

There was a frailty within Zack that Andrew never expected, and as he felt the weight of it washing across him, he knew there was more to the stubborn young man than he'd given him credit for.

Dr Blake went in for the kill, but Bruce volunteered an answer while Zack struggled to form his thoughts. The frustration in their teacher's eyes was subtle, but Andrew saw it clear as day. Dr Blake was nearing his goal with Zack, and was reticent to give up the chase. The shocking thing was, that Bruce refused to let him. Every question that was asked was answered with glorious and ignorant failure by the large black man. It wasn't until Bruce failed to answer a question that Andrew had helped him with the week before, that Andrew knew the powerful young man was purposefully giving the wrong response.

Andrew expected their teacher to accept Bruce's sacrifice, thinking that the instructor's goal was to humiliate one of the people the school considered blessed or chosen. But, with every question that was taken by Bruce, Zack rallied a bit more, and Andrew could see the teacher's growing angst as the quarterback pulled himself back together.

Thanks to Bruce's continued intervention, Zack only had to answer one more question before the school bell rang. It was just as difficult a question as the rest had been, but the crazed look that had started to build in Zack's eyes never returned, despite Dr Blake's attempt to pull it out. While everyone shuffled from the room, eager to move on to a more pleasant part of their day, Bruce was told to remain behind.

Exiting the room, Andrew and Seth turned the corner into the hall where Andrew stopped, saying, "Seeya' in third, man."

Seth looked confused as he studied Andrew, his eyes scanning his friend for something unseen, and after a second he nodded and agreed, vanishing down the hall while Andrew lingered behind. The moment the room was empty, the door closed, and under normal circumstances that would be that, but thanks to Andrew's improved senses, he could still hear the muted voices of the teacher and the jock.

"Mr McCoy, I know you think you're helping your friend, but if anything, you're doing him a great disservice. My methods may seem harsh, or even cruel from the outside — I recognize that — but someone like Zack needs to be pushed if they'll ever overcome their shortcomings."

Andrew hated the man even more, trying to justify what he was doing while removing the only person who was keeping him from pushing Zack over the edge.

"Dr Blake, with all due respect, fuck you."

Bruce's statement was given with a deep monotone confidence that was devoid of the emotion that Andrew would have expected. Without waiting for a response, or acknowledging the breach in protocol, Bruce turned and left the room, patting Andrew on the shoulder as he passed.

Andrew grinned and observed that for such a small school, there sure were a lot of impressive people in it. His mind wandered back towards their Physics instructor, and he was forced to acknowledge that there were some profoundly bad people too, a feeling of rage seeming to pour out of the classroom.

Without Sara to distract him, Andrew was much more aware of the recognition he received from the many smiling faces that greeted him as he made his way towards his English class. Despite those kind and genuine glances, his mind kept returning to his Physics class, and how different he felt about the whole thing. He was upset at how Zack had been treated, proud of Bruce for how he had handled himself, and most notably frustrated with their teacher and his own inability to see a way to stop him.

Even with all of that, there was something that just clung to Andrew and refused to let go, a hollowness that he had trouble pinpointing. While his mind continued to work, chipping away at that mystery, Andrew smiled and nodded at the few people who openly greeted him as he passed. Sooner than he realized, he crested the doorway into Karen's classroom and his mood immediately lifted.

While Dr Blake's room felt cold and impersonal, Karen's was warm and full of personality. The windows looked out across the field, their blinds drawn to allow in whatever light was available, and despite the spotty clouds, the sun did its best to brighten their day. Not that they needed it, Karen was seated behind her desk mumbling to herself while she audited through her notes, her presence a warm comfort to the darkest of moods.

He could feel her excitement as he entered her domain, and together with Sara he basked in its delightful melody. Her eyes never rose from her paper, but they knew she was joyous at their reunion.

"Was Mr McButtface less of a jerk today?" Sara asked in a not so subtle whisper while Andrew began to setup his desk.

Andrew laughed and shook his head, responding, "Ohh no, if anything he was worse."

His gaze left his bag and fell on Zack, who was seated with his girlfriend in the center of the room. The quarterback's jaw was clenched as he flipped through his book with a righteous fervor that almost tore every page as it turned. Elizabeth was whispering sweet encouragement to her man, and felt helpless as she rubbed his back, knowing that her words were making no difference.

It was a strange feeling, Andrew realized, knowing how Elizabeth felt in that moment. He had never felt anything like that before, and as he studied her, he began to piece together a small part of what had been bothering him from his experiences in Physics. Just as he had made his revelation, anger swam to the front of his mind, interrupted by an abrupt and harsh voice.

"What're you looking at, shit-stain?" Zack was glowering over his shoulder, staring Andrew in the eyes. "Well, fuck-tard?"

Andrew hadn't realized he'd stopped his preparations until that moment, and while he could think of a hundred biting and witty things he could say, he decided to take the more difficult path.

"Ohh, umm..." Andrew lowered his gaze and shuffled his feet before he continued, "I... I just kinda lost focus for a second. Sorry."

Half the room stifled a laugh while Andrew hastily put his desk back together. With only a couple of upwards glances, Andrew could tell that many of the students were watching him, and that Zack had never looked away.

"You better keep your eyes to yourself, bitch."

Zack's words were slight, just loud enough to reach Andrew and those students who were seated nearest to him.

"Mr Taylor," Karen intoned from her desk. "Respect, young man. You must spend it, to earn it."

With a loud exasperated huff, Zack turned and shook his head towards the front of the room. "Sorry, Karen."

"What was that all about?" Sara whispered. "You don't need to keep cowering to Zack anymore, you know that right?"

Andrew maintained his sheepish appearance while he turned his eyes towards Sara. He reached out and caressed her pock-marked cheek as he responded, "I know, but not all bullies need to be beaten. Right now, I'm not the one in trouble."

Sara looked at Zack for a long moment, and before she could inquire what Andrew had meant, the class began.

While Karen took role, Andrew and Sara studied the tree line, searching for the silver owl that had been watching them the last couple of weeks. It wasn't until after the full sequence of names had been read and class was underway, that they turned their focus on their mate, and basked in the joy of her lecture. The owl was nowhere to be seen, but as they fell into Karen's voice, they no longer cared.

To think the difference a teacher makes. Karen, in her full frumpy frock, forced all of her students to join her in a journey through literary works both modern and old. The mysteries of the english language laid out before them, a past of rigid rules given way to a future of ample flexibility. Their teacher's joy became their joy, and her contagious spirit lifted them up and carried them through their class in the blink of an eye.

Every word was recorded onto Andrew's phone, transcribed into text and annotated with as many references as Andrew could muster. Those tasks, which a week ago had been new and unfamiliar, had become natural and were handled without thought. The bell rang and the class ended, and just like most of her lectures, no one was prepared for its conclusion. Everyone grumbling as they shook the fog of Karen's captivating class from their thoughts, trying to hold onto that feeling for just a moment longer.

The truth was, it was not normal, and Karen knew it. Her first class had taken her by surprise, seeing how her mood seemed to influence her students. During that second class, while teaching Andrew and Sara, she confirmed her suspicion as she felt her excitement wash through her mates.

Karen had always been able to influence the emotions of the people around her, but it had been difficult, often requiring physical contact and concentration. The changes that Andrew had made to her seemed to have impacted that gift, and as she studied her magical center she began to feel the slight trickle of energy that powered it. A subtle sigil that formed through the force of her subconscious, and shared her emotions with her class. It was different from the spell she had used to change another's mood, similar but unique in obvious ways.

She severed her connection to the spell, having seen what it could do and knowing that it was a mistake to have allowed it to remain during that entire class.

"Amazing class, Karen. Thanks," Andrew stated with a reverent tone as he scurried past her desk, Sara hanging from his arm as they made their way from the room. They were the last to leave, and their final glance towards her was punctuated with a wink as they broke out in laughter and blended into the crowd.

Andrew continued to ruminate on his thoughts about Zack and Elizabeth, the young couple helping him spot a mystery he knew he needed to understand. Those musings kept him company all through his preparations for PE, and while he found tremendous joy in the exertion of the class, he had a hard time keeping himself from becoming distracted.