The Kids They Forgot

A dull lecture given by an even duller teacher filled the air and the ears of the bored students in the classroom. Some dozed off while others listened to music on their phones. Others were too busy conversing amongst themselves to pay any actual attention to the teacher.

Alex tapped his fingers against his desk as his calculus teacher droned on with the lesson for the day. He sighed softly as his hazel eyes glanced over to the clock sitting atop the doorway, the smaller hand ticking slowly as the minute hand made its course.

Soon it hit the point that he'd been awaiting for so long. The minute hand covered the six and the hour hit the two, signaling for the end of school. A few seconds after this happened, a loud ringing sound was released throughout the intercoms. It was the bell alerting students that the day was now done.

Everyone burst from their seats with excitement as Alex grabbed his navy blue backpack and began to shovel his notebook, papers, and pen into the unzipped section of the bag. He slung it over his shoulder and gave a wave to his teacher as he bustled through the nearly empty doorway. The halls were flooded with students rushing outwards to cars and buses, and others heading towards the back of the school to begin practice or other activities.

Alex ran a hand through his auburn hair as he rushed towards the football field, his black letterman making the cold temperature of the outside seem like nothing as the wind whipped at the white sleeves of his jacket. He walked towards the entrance to the locker room and headed inside, setting his backpack down onto a bench and walking over to one of the green painted lockers.

After changing into a pair of black shorts, red and blue cleats and a red sleeveless shirt, Alex closed the locker, assuring the safety of his personal belongings as he locked it away and headed out towards the field. His eyes moved around the field, looking over each person on the grass at the time. His attention was abruptly drawn towards the bleachers where a lone black haired figure sat, face towards their lap. It was obvious they were writing something, but Alex didn't think too long on it and looked at the goal on the end of the field he was located.

The black haired figure that Alex was so quick to look away from continued her writings, her pen scribbling at a nearly blurry speed. She looked up towards the football field and over at one of the goal posts. Mai adjusted herself on the bleachers and returned to her physics worksheet, filling in the last constructed response question, which had asked for measurements involving the average length of a high school football field. With that finally done, she placed her work into her dark brown bag and stood up, then walked towards the gate.

She tugged at the bottom of her navy blue skirt and adjusted the black tie that connected to her white long sleeved button up while she walked outwards towards the area where the buses usually parked. They were all gone by now, leaving her there alone. She walked slowly as her mind ran over several equations repeatedly, almost like a record on constant replay. Mai looked over to the only bus left at the school, which was currently empty and parked in a lot across the street. She couldn't help but wonder why they didn't have a more secure place for the buses. But that thought escaped her mind almost as quickly as it had come, and she moved on.

The wind blew wildly and cars passed by as she took a seat on the ground, unzipping her bag and taking out a notebook. She flips through the book until she finds a blank page and takes out a pen, scribbling something down as she waited on her mother's blue Nissan to arrive. Footsteps could be heard approaching her from the East, and she turned briefly to see an African-American student in jeans, black converse and a red hat walking past her. He gave a brief nod as he headed towards the end of the street to the bus stop.

Tre hummed silently as he leaned against the pole holding the sign that signaled for the bus to stop. He opened the largest section of his backpack and moved his arm inside, fishing around the bag until he grabbed onto what he was searching for. Once found he pulled his hand out and gently gripped a small pack of mint gum, taking out a slice and chewing it.

He gently stretched out the gum and blew into it, forming a bubble as his fingers tapped against the pole. He looked back towards the field as a loud whistle and the shout of a feminine voice drew his attention. He shrugged it off as he remembered the cheerleaders practiced at this time. At that moment, an idea entered his mind and he walked towards the football field, taking a seat in the bleachers and watching the cheerleaders as they practiced. He would pass the occasional look over to the football team to avoid drawing attention and pulled out his phone as well.

All of a sudden, a blur of white and black soared his way. One of the balls that the boy's soccer team had been using was approaching at a vast speed and Tre had little time to react as he thrust his hands out to grab ahold. The force from the ball slightly pushed him onto the bleacher seat behind him, but he was able to get up from that easily.

As he looks up, he sees Alex jogging his way. Alex chuckles lightly as he approaches, holding his hands out as Tre tosses the ball back.

"Hey man great catch. Wish our goalie was that good,'' he says, nodding towards the soccer goalie at the other end of the field, who is currently struggling with other oncoming soccer balls.

"Thanks, I used to play soccer back in middle school. But... stuff happened and I gave it up."

Alex nods as he listens to this, spinning the ball in the ball of his right palm as he did so. "Well, I think you've got potential. Why not try out? We're still looking for members since the season doesn't start for a good few weeks."

Tre shakes his head slowly as Alex makes this proposition.

"I don't know man. Maybe,'' Tre said as he stood up, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "I gotta get going, bus is gonna be here soon."

He needed to get away before he was pushed into something he knew he didn't want to do. Playing soccer again would be a social death sentence if he messed up. Alex gave a wave as he stood and began to walk away "I'm Alex, by the way!" he called out.

"Tre!" was the response he received from the receding boy who returned to the bus stop, just as the bus came down the street. After paying his fee and taking his seat, his eyes moved back to the field as the bus pulled off, watching a dark haired cheerleader lead the next routine.

This cheerleader was Marie, a preppy young girl with a grudge against most teachers. That grudge was something she kept a secret, as it was a strand of a darker tale.

Marie spoke through a bullhorn with a commanding tone, one she only ever took to using when practicing a cheer routine "Legs up, arms out ladies!" she bellowed out as the other cheerleaders continued to stretch their legs upwards in order to prepare for their next routine.

"And... rest!" she called out, each cheerleader releasing a breath that had been held in as they lowered their arms and legs. "Alright ladies... we've got exactly five days before Homecoming so I want to see your absolute best at practice this week," she said with a bright smile as she walked past each of her fellow cheerleaders.

"You all have the energy, the strength and, most importantly, the courage needed to succeed. So I want you all to put that to the test." Her speech would've gone on for longer, had it not been for an interruption by the soccer team. A stray ball was launched their way, leading the girls to quickly duck as a shout rang out from the other side of the field.

Marie bounced up with ferocity in her eyes as she looked towards Alex, who was making his way over to retrieve the ball. "Sorry ladies, hard to control our balls... Wait that came out wr-"

He was abruptly silenced by a swift poke to the chest from an angered Marie. "Watch what you're doing, Jockhead. We can't afford any injuries."

With that being said, Alex kept a calm demeanor and placed his hand around her wrist, moving her arm aside gently. "Yeah okay, I did say sorry but ya know, whatever," he replied as he carried on with picking up the ball and looking at each cheerleader, then returning to Marie and smiling, shaking his head slightly. "Just... good luck," is his simple and last statement as he walks back down the field.

Marie raises an eyebrow at the boy and brushes off his comments, turning her attention back to the cheer team. "Now then, let's carry on shall we?"

The cheer team returned to their practice, as did the soccer team. Practice seemed to end almost as soon as it begun, as Alex checked his watch while walking towards the locker room and reading in bright green flashing numbers, 5:30. "Three hours, that's good enough for today," he comments as he goes to change.

While walking, his attention turns from the locker room entrance to the bridge nearby, seeing a lone figure walking down the side and towards the elementary school yard where they sometimes practiced. It was questionable, but not enough for him to go investigate. After all, this wasn't Scooby-Doo and he certainly was no Fred Jones, so why bother?

That lone figure moved further behind the elementary school and headed towards a window, sliding it open and climbing in. He rolled onto the floor and stood up, looking around the dark room before moving onwards. His red curly hair stuck to his face due to the sweat that had been plaguing him since he began his walk from his house to the school. Jack was here because he knew that this school didn't lock up everything until around 7 PM. This was a perfect time frame for him to grab what he needed.

He walked over to a drawer and pulled it open, finding several packets of balloons and string. Jack smirked as he grabbed at a few of them and saved them for later before moving on to a shelf carrying paint. "Green, blue, red, purp- violet? Was the name change really necessary?" He wondered aloud as he picked up several bottles and placed them into a garbage bag he'd brought along.

"Man, Homecoming is gonna go off with a bang," he says with a chuckle as he creeps his way back out of the window he'd entered into before.