Tainted Hearts in a Glass City

"Out of my way freak!"
Jack suddenly found him self falling toward the ground and then felt it coiled with him
as his books scattered along the length of the hall. People looked now, they looked nervous and
concerned. Halfway between joy and fear they laughed tentatively, waiting for Jack to react. But
he didn't, he never reacted. Jack didn't allow them to get a rise out of him. Their tricks were
getting old now that they were in high school. He was used to the sneering, the ridicule and
pranks. They always called him freak, weirdo or any number of expletives they could think of.
People scattered around him now, none offering assistance. Jack gathered up the rest of his books and straitened up. He was tall for his age, about 5'7" but not nearly tall enough. He was thin, not from malnourishment but from his high metabolism. He never could keep any thing on him but never really tried that hard. He adjusted his glasses, got a better grip on his books and
continued to class.

He was nearly at the door when the bell rang. "Mr. Thompson, your late again." A cold
voice echoed from the front of the room as the door shut with a slight slam. "One would think
you might be as sensible to arrive on time to my class, like the rest of your little friends." An
unmistakable sneer crossed Mr. Guthrie's lips. A look came into his eyes, cold satisfaction.
The general class that had been snickering now fell into a hush, as if Mr. Guthrie's eyes
commanded it through sear force of will. "Now, Mr. Thompson, I will ask you to take your seat only once.. MOVE BOY!"

Jack crossed the room quickly and sat down next to the window. His eyes now following
Mr. Guthrie's hands as they moved about during the lecture, yet his mind was elsewhere. People were often nervous around him and the sensible people were careful to tread lightly. They all looked at him, like a bomb ready to go off. His teachers, classmates and even his parents were sure to give him a wide birth, but one that was unwelcome like that given to a smelly dog. It's not that he didn't know why it just seemed like such a stupid thing. His grandfather was clinically insane. One day he started to shouting about dangerous monsters and the townsfolk got concerned. Jack didn't know much about what happened to his grandfather, only that he died
sometime after that.
Jack wasn't proud of his family, but his grandfather at least had some imagination. His
parents were about as serious as they could come. His father was a public relations director for
Donaldson & co., a very large conglomerate in the area. While his mother was a case worker for
the Dashwood County board of child wellness. There was nothing that involved imagination or
creativity at his house. Well, except his sister. Jenny went to college out of state, Deer
Creak Tech. She was a music major and about the only person Jack could talk to after he was
eight. It was about that time he begin to see them. They were at the park, in the woods and at
the docks, they loved the docks. Shapes, vague shapes of something that should be human but
weren't quite loomed just beyond his field of vision. He told his parents he saw these shapes and
they ignored him. But he wasn't making it up then and he certainly wasn't making it up now.
Everyone just assumed he slipped like his grandpa, but he can still see them and no
matter what everyone else said or how they scoffed the amorphi were still there. If there was
any truth in this world it was that and that alone was enough to sustain Jack through the thick
of it. He just wondered why, sometimes. "Mr. Thompson!" Jack shook his head a little and looked
up quizzically. "I am sorry, Mr. Thompson, if you do not find my warning concerning enough..."
"What warning?"
"The warning," Mr. Guthrie snarled. "That I was giving to the rest of your classmates who had at least enough brains to pay attention to know that mid-level graduation assessments are in two
weeks."
Jack held his breath, waiting for Mr. Guthrie to continue but he just stared back. The two were
engaged in the fiercest of contest when the bell rang.

"Please do not forget that the assessments will be one of the key factors in determining what
kind of college you get into and therefore stands as the door way for your entire future." Mr.
Guthrie did not move as he said this the rest of the class packed their things hastily and left,
though a few waited outside of the door to see what would happen. Mr. Guthrie's eyes fell back
to Jack. "I expect at least a pass from you, do not make me look bad." And with a turn he was
gone and off to the staff room.
Jack sighed in relief, another day done.