Chapter 1
“A pilot… What’s that?”
Oh, my sister! My sweet dumb sister! She is a dumb woman. But she is the only family I got. I can’t really hate her. After all, she has been responsible to feed me every now and then. But she got a thick brain and sometimes I wish she wasn’t related to me. But then, who’s going to take care of a wanna-be college dropout like me. So how did I get here? It was quite a roller coaster ride.
The day was May 18, 2000, and it was quite a sunny day when a woman’s water broke while she was stalking a person who supposedly stole my father’s project which lead him to commit suicide. Thanks to the man who knew that this lady was on to him, and when her water broke he realized that she needs immediate help. He called an ambulance just in time. Well not in time, according to the doctor, quite early, and thus I was born. Months later, she married the man whom she was trying to accuse of the death of my father. My sister was seven at that time and couldn’t handle the fact that her mom was marrying this guy. She was pissed and when they kissed at their wedding, she literally peed in the church. I did not know about my sister’s confederacy to violate their relationship until much later. I didn’t even know I had a sister.
After the act of vandalism at mom’s wedding, she was sent to my aunt’s house. I, on the other hand, went to a school which was not far from where I lived. Though I liked going there, my teacher had a different opinion. They thought I wasn’t meant for the school, they thought I wasn’t attentive. For a year they were convinced that I needed a special school. My annual report shut their mouth. I was a brilliant student till 5th grade when my downfall began. If a jet plane represents my performance at school, then up until 5th grade it was flying past the moon and was about to leave for mars. But that didn’t happen. Enter the 6th grade and the jet plane nosedives straight into the marina trench hitting the deepest part of the planet and explodes. Mom was in utter shock while she was holding my report card. If you’ll ask me about my reaction, I couldn’t care less. For me it was the same old school, the same old class, the same old teacher, the only thing that changed was, now Susanne sits in the third-row second column and I can’t stop myself to think about her.
It all began when it was the first day of our 6th grade. Susanne is our classmate since 2nd grade. I know everybody in my class. I knew everyone in my class. I was late that day because of my mom. She burned our toaster and the oven. She also had lots of drinks the night before. I guess it was because my sister showed her the proof that my father,.. no, our stepfather has been hooking up with his secretary in his office. Long story short, they end up getting divorced and my sister was allowed to live with us but that’s not the point. The point is, I was late. I somehow managed to enter the school premises without anyone noticing, I checked the hallway, if anybody from the school staff or head boy/head girl aren’t roaming in the corridor and when I was absolutely sure that the coast was clear, I sprinted towards my classroom. Thank God, the teacher hasn’t come yet. I was relaxed but as soon as I entered the class I saw Susanne sitting on the first bench.
I have known her for almost four years now, but today she was looking immensely beautiful. maybe because now she has grown her hair, or maybe her skin is clearer unlike mine or anybody in the classroom or maybe her smile somehow got more beautiful. Whatever the case may be, I was mesmerized by the way she was looking at me. And she noticed that she even asked me if something was on her face that she should be worried about. I wanted to tell her, it’s her beauty but my stupid heart started pounding like a V6 with jet fuel. I got so nervous, I ran to the last bench, sat there with my hand on the table, and put my head down. From that day onwards, I couldn’t concentrate on the board. I would just keep staring at her from the back. I tried to talk to her but whenever she came near me at about 5ft of radius, I would forget how to talk. By the time she would be around 3ft of radius, my vocabulary skills would match the skills of a caveman. This would also be a gentle reminder that I had to go away from her because if she came any closer, My heart would beat so fast that it might leave my body. My mouth would refuse to even produce a sound, making me mute. My legs would start to shake, my hands got sweaty and my ears would warm up. It would feel like losing control and I hate losing control. But at the same time, I liked her.
That annual report card was a reality check for me that I later know about it. She passed and went to 7th grade while I got stuck in the 6th. For the next 4–5 months, I tried convincing my principal that If I scored more than 95%, then he would have to double promote me. But no deals cracked at his office, but my hopes were high. I calculated that If she passed out from the school early then I would have the chance to know which college she went to, and then join that college. For next year, I redeemed my annual score and tried my absolute best to get a glimpse of her at the school. I even tried to follow her to her house, but our school bus was way faster than my bicycle. Though mom was happy that my education got back on track, I was restless. Every night, I would think about ways to talk to her.
Maybe I would walk up to her and say, “What’s up baby girl?”
No, no, that’s way too cheesy. Besides I cannot speak whenever she was around.
What if she needs help with her studies. I can help her. But then, I had to also study her class’s subjects too. In the end, I would end up with a pile of books and before I could figure it, she would already begone in the arms of some douchebag.
Douchebag! The heartthrob of every girl. Maybe if I act like a vagabond, she would notice me, then she would try to talk to me and I won’t have to do a thing. Genius should be my middle name; or at least that’s what I thought of myself, if only I could build a time machine, I would have smacked the teeth out of myself.
Later that week I pick fights with my classmates and junior. I picked the ones who were weak and were easy to bully, then I would smack them. I would throw them, push them and most importantly, I would violate them. I would tell them to lick my boot, I would force them to wear lipstick (which I had stolen from my mom’s bag) and make out with the wall. I would give them my homework and will tell them to complete or else I would throw used toilet papers at them, in front of everybody (though this trick comes in handy). I would snatch their lunch and if they resist, I would spit on them. Within a week, I established myself as Annabelle and inflicted so much terror that if James Wan would have been in my school, even he would have shit his pants and never would have made Saw. They would fear me, they would surrender to me and they would obey me. The only problem was, Susanne didn’t notice me at all. I once throw ink at the person who was walking beside her, yet she didn’t notice me. She walked up through the hallway as if nothing bizarre was happening around her. I throw a dustbin full of used tissue paper on the guy that was in front of her, she walked past by her. Was there something with the way I was bullying? I got so frustrated thinking, she might not even see me as a bully. She might not even see me at all. For her, I am some random student. I need to elevate my game (such a disastrous idea that led me to more uninvited trouble). I filled a balloon with pee and smash that on the person walking behind her. It was our Spanish teacher. I got detention and I had to listen to this boring lecture from my mom back at home. They obviously can’t expel me, I tried to reason with mom, she knows my potential, and my ability to score maximum.
“Mom, I am their asset. Before expelling me, they gonna have to think thrice.”
Mom wasn’t open to discussion, she rather accused me of shouting at her and started crying in the corner.
Why am I surrounded by fools, why?
Later that week, I caught Susanne exchanging books with this older guy. He was from 9th grade. It drop the lead and I was so furious to fire. I went to the toilet to punch someone. Instead, I was punched by this dude. I was shocked and was about to hit him back, but I stopped. He was well built. I can’t take him down so I tried to reason with him. He kicked and then told me I throw used tissue paper on his brother. I tried to recollect the event and then I realized, he isn’t going to leave me, I had to fight out of it. I watch WWE and that’s my entire source of knowledge when it comes to fighting. Turn out that an RKO also hurts your back. I wonder how Randy does it? But then, they fight on a stage, and I am fighting on this concrete (Tiles actually). Being spontaneous was my only chance to beat him. I thought about giving him a spear, but my back hurt, which restrict me from moving. Now my only option is to cover my head and pray that he ran out of stamina.
My prayers worked, he ran out of stamina (after twenty minutes) and he went out. It took me about fifteen minutes to get back on my feet and five more to reach my classroom. The day wasn’t over yet, I still had to complete all the classes. I wanted to go home so badly, yet I decided not to. Can’t miss the opportunity to see Susanne getting on her bus. Also, I have to pay back.
