Chapter 2: Doing the Mashed Potatoes
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Gary Giles- Mad World
Another round of thunder rattled the window as Noah laid in his bed, looking at the shadows of light flashing through his window, the lightning providing a momentary contrast in the still dark room. Looking over at his small alarm clock, he sighed. “Looks like I’ve woken up before the alarm. Again,” he said quietly to himself before reaching over to shut off the alarm. Pulling off the covers from on top of him, he slowly sat up in the bed, shivering slightly as the cool air in the room leached away his body heat and left his metal arm feeling like an ice cube against his side.
Straining his ears, he was soon able to make out the sound two sets of snores through his bedroom wall, more muffled from the rain pattering on his bedroom window. With the relief spreading though him, he got up, and shuffled sorely into his bedroom to begin getting ready for the day. --- Finally satisfied he’d gotten all the water from his shower out of the joints and spaces in his arm and leg, he quickly got dressed, cringing as his right foot, yet again, shredded his sock as he pulled it. Shaking his head, he decided to ignore it, and pulled on his shoes and walked out of his room. Grabbing his backpack, he rushed out the door and into the hallway, fear tearing through him that he’d wake one of his two foster parents with his morning routine. “Crap!” he swore to himself, realizing that he had, yet again, forgotten his umbrella at home, leaving him yet again to be drenched by the time he made it to the train station. Running as fast as he could, he quickly made it to the old towering brick structure of the elevated train station, and grabbing his wallet, swiped his train pass through the turnstile, and shoved his way through the crowded stairway. Now able to rest, he looked around, watching the people, who like him, were waiting for the next train. That was, until his attention was quickly turned to the sound of something he’d heard every day at school.
“Why look everyone, it’s the Tin Man!” the voice, coming from one Ashton Paul, called out behind him, followed by the idiotic laughter of teenage boys, “Where little Dorothy, Tinny?” Sighing, Noah continued to stare forward, quietly glad as the gleaming metal train screeched to a halt in front of him. “Awww, what’s the matter Tin Man,” Ashton continued, mocking sympathy filling its voice. “Did your jaw rust shut? You know, I’ve got just the thing to fix that!” another voice, most like one of his goons, from the small group yelled out over the mild roar of the station as people made their way on and off the train. Suddenly, Noah jumped as he felt something slam into his back. Jumping he turned around to see a bottle, quiet obviously from a trash can from the pieces of refuse stuck on its sides, laying on the ground behind him, it’s brand name laying face up towards him, reading in bold letters “Buy-n-Large Discount Motor Oil.” Rolling his eyes, he silently was glad that at least this time it was an empty bottle, and the cap was in fact securely on top of it. “Oops! Our bad! We thought you were the scrap heap,” Ashton’s voice, along with even more laughter, carried over the crowd, as Noah looked forward again and stepped on the train. Turning around, he watched in a resigned silence as the doors closed and the train left his classmates at the station. --- Waiting in the lunch line, Noah stuck his nose back in the history book he’d been reading as the line moved forward again. The morning itself had been uneventful; the pop quiz in AP Physics had been rather easy, Calculus was a repeat of the previous week, and his private studies hour was always the pinnacle of his day. Physical education, on the other hand, had been an utter nightmare. It wasn’t that Mr. Meredith was a bad teacher, but asking him to keep up with everyone while running was next to impossible when you had metal limbs. And the usual name calling in the locker room was something he’d come to expect.
Looking up, he saw that it was his turn to grab his food. “Oh! Noah! What will it be honey?” the older woman asked, smiling at him. “Um…” he replied, looking over the different dishes, before finally deciding, “I think I’ll go with the chicken fingers, some mashed potatoes, peas, and… orange sherbet.” After the woman finished loading up his tray, he grabbed it and made his way to the register, and paying for his food, walked out into the bustling lunchroom. “Hey guys, look who it is!” a voice in front of him exclaimed, causing Noah to jerk his head up, to find Ashton smiling evilly at him. “Tin Man!” the group called out, in unison, as he walked past. Suddenly, Noah’s foot caught on something under him, sending him flying quickly at the floor, before slamming squarely on top of his tray. Groaning and picking himself, the sound of the entire school laugh at him filled his ears. Finally standing up, the roar of laughter got even louder. Confused, he looked down at the front of his body, his attention quickly drawn to his groin. Oh dear god, his mind screamed, his face turning a deep shade of red as he started to make his way out of the lunchroom, the front of his pants looking as though he had just had a very intimate moment with his mashed potatoes. “I bet I know where the Tin Wonder gets the gravy for his mashed potatoes!” he heard Ashton yell out between laughs as the metal doors slammed shut behind Noah.
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These last two are to show you how far I am on building the city...
Jacob |
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