Read Online The Afterlife Academy by Frank L. Cole - Free Book Online
Authors: Frank L. Cole
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of the students set aside trays and lunch boxes and craned their necks to look over at the commotion. Charlie’s face flushed red as he heard their laughter.
Mo shook his head in mock disappointment. “This isn’t kindergarten, man,” he said as he tossed the box over his shoulder. “You can’t just be wetting your pants whenever you want to.”
“You’re an idiot!” Melissa said. “It’s okay, Charlie. No one thinks you wet your pants.”
But hearing her defend him in front of everyone else just made everything worse. Scrambling to his feet, Charlie ran out of the cafeteria and headed straight for the bathroom.
“I told you that was going to happen,” Walter said as Charlie dried his pants under the hand dryer. “I saw him reaching for the box. It’s a classic bully move.”
“Well, you didn’t do anything about it!”
“I did! You’re just slow to react.”
Charlie checked his progress in the mirror, but the lemonade wasn’t drying fast enough. A dark wet mark remained.
“You know what I don’t get?” Walter asked. “Why did a hot girl like Melissa Bitner stick up for you? Maybe she really is your girlfriend.”
“No,” Charlie answered flatly. “She’s just nice like that. She’s nice to everybody.”
“Wow. She’s amazing! We should try to talk to her today. I could help you not sound like a moron.”
“Could you please stop talking about Melissa? I have a real problem here.” He pointed to his pants.
Walter giggled. “It looks really bad.”
“I know! I can’t go to my next class looking like this. I’ll be laughed out of the school!”
“Then leave,” Walter suggested.
“Okay,” Charlie said sarcastically. “Good advice.”
“No, I’m being serious.”
“I can’t cut class.”
“Sure you can.”
“I wouldn’t even know how to. I’ve never done it before.” But he was warming up to the idea. There was no way he could go to his next class looking like this. He stared down once more at the lemonade on his pants and vowed never to bring a juice box in his lunch again.
“Just follow my lead,” Walter said confidently. “It’s not hard.”
“Fine. Let’s try it.”
With the exception of the janitor and a couple of hall monitors facing the opposite direction, the hallway seemed empty when Charlie quietly pushed open the bathroom door and checked around the corner.
“Okay,” Walter whispered, although he didn’t need to. “You have to act like you’re supposed to be out in the hallway.”
“Explain,” Charlie said, wiping his nose.
“Don’t creep around. Don’t act like you’re trying to avoid being seen. That never works, and it only draws attention to you. You’ll get caught for sure.”
Charlie nodded. That made sense. After grabbing his bag from his locker and stopping for a swig from the drinking fountain, per Walter’s instruction, Charlie headed for the cafeteria.
“Slow down!” Walter hissed. A teacher stood between him and the cafeteria, posting announcements on a bulletin board. “Be cool!”
Charlie smiled at the teacher as he passed her, but she paid him very little attention, focusing more on the position of her pushpins in the corkboard. Three minutes later, Charlie was racing along the sidewalk by the front parking lot entrance, headed for home.
“I can’t believe I just did that!” He pumped a fist in the air. “Did you do that a lot?”
“Yeah, whenever I needed to,” Walter answered. “But you can’t get careless. Teachers don’t notice if you’re gone a class period or two every now and then, but they’ll pick up quick if you make it a habit.”
“Believe me, I won’t make it a habit. But I’ve never felt so alive!” Charlie practically skipped.
“Way to rub it in.”
“Oh, sorry.”
Several dark clouds gathered overhead, blotting out the afternoon sun. A storm was brewing, and Charlie gave a satisfied sigh. “I love it when it rains, don’t you?” Thunder, lightning, the feel of
Mo shook his head in mock disappointment. “This isn’t kindergarten, man,” he said as he tossed the box over his shoulder. “You can’t just be wetting your pants whenever you want to.”
“You’re an idiot!” Melissa said. “It’s okay, Charlie. No one thinks you wet your pants.”
But hearing her defend him in front of everyone else just made everything worse. Scrambling to his feet, Charlie ran out of the cafeteria and headed straight for the bathroom.
“I told you that was going to happen,” Walter said as Charlie dried his pants under the hand dryer. “I saw him reaching for the box. It’s a classic bully move.”
“Well, you didn’t do anything about it!”
“I did! You’re just slow to react.”
Charlie checked his progress in the mirror, but the lemonade wasn’t drying fast enough. A dark wet mark remained.
“You know what I don’t get?” Walter asked. “Why did a hot girl like Melissa Bitner stick up for you? Maybe she really is your girlfriend.”
“No,” Charlie answered flatly. “She’s just nice like that. She’s nice to everybody.”
“Wow. She’s amazing! We should try to talk to her today. I could help you not sound like a moron.”
“Could you please stop talking about Melissa? I have a real problem here.” He pointed to his pants.
Walter giggled. “It looks really bad.”
“I know! I can’t go to my next class looking like this. I’ll be laughed out of the school!”
“Then leave,” Walter suggested.
“Okay,” Charlie said sarcastically. “Good advice.”
“No, I’m being serious.”
“I can’t cut class.”
“Sure you can.”
“I wouldn’t even know how to. I’ve never done it before.” But he was warming up to the idea. There was no way he could go to his next class looking like this. He stared down once more at the lemonade on his pants and vowed never to bring a juice box in his lunch again.
“Just follow my lead,” Walter said confidently. “It’s not hard.”
“Fine. Let’s try it.”
With the exception of the janitor and a couple of hall monitors facing the opposite direction, the hallway seemed empty when Charlie quietly pushed open the bathroom door and checked around the corner.
“Okay,” Walter whispered, although he didn’t need to. “You have to act like you’re supposed to be out in the hallway.”
“Explain,” Charlie said, wiping his nose.
“Don’t creep around. Don’t act like you’re trying to avoid being seen. That never works, and it only draws attention to you. You’ll get caught for sure.”
Charlie nodded. That made sense. After grabbing his bag from his locker and stopping for a swig from the drinking fountain, per Walter’s instruction, Charlie headed for the cafeteria.
“Slow down!” Walter hissed. A teacher stood between him and the cafeteria, posting announcements on a bulletin board. “Be cool!”
Charlie smiled at the teacher as he passed her, but she paid him very little attention, focusing more on the position of her pushpins in the corkboard. Three minutes later, Charlie was racing along the sidewalk by the front parking lot entrance, headed for home.
“I can’t believe I just did that!” He pumped a fist in the air. “Did you do that a lot?”
“Yeah, whenever I needed to,” Walter answered. “But you can’t get careless. Teachers don’t notice if you’re gone a class period or two every now and then, but they’ll pick up quick if you make it a habit.”
“Believe me, I won’t make it a habit. But I’ve never felt so alive!” Charlie practically skipped.
“Way to rub it in.”
“Oh, sorry.”
Several dark clouds gathered overhead, blotting out the afternoon sun. A storm was brewing, and Charlie gave a satisfied sigh. “I love it when it rains, don’t you?” Thunder, lightning, the feel of
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