Public Pet Bus Escape

“Mrs. Webb, what about the homework you assigned over break?” That’s all I needed to say to have five VERY bad kids in my algebra class after my throat.

So, let me set the atmosphere. I’m Max, it’s the end of Monday after spring break at Frederick Douglass Junior Academy. Mrs. Webb, our algebra teacher, took her job seriously enough to give us a trigonometry pamphlet over the break. I did all of mine before I even clicked the TV on, and turned it in with a smile. But it was definitely me against the world here.

A minority of students walked up with it. It turns out many of us let the idle time get to our head. Sucks to be them. Unfortunately, I pissed off five dudes in particular that were gonna make it suck to be me after school. They were hard dudes, breakers of the school dress code, always throwing out curses against the teachers’ wishes, and often absent from school. But they were here today to watch me snitch on them. That’s some protagonist luck right there. I already knew they branded me public pet number one in their class, and at the Frederick Douglass Junior Academy, those five had a “crashout” problem against students with that title. The kind of problem that leaves many students unable to continue school.

I looked at the clock. Five minutes left before class ends. I called my Dad--told him I’d take the bus fifteen minutes away. The car circle was a malefactor. I couldn’t wait 20 minutes outside and expect any student to play unpaid security. I hastily got my stuff together. It wasn’t hefty, thank Yahuah. Those five dudes watched me secretly, thinking I didn’t know what was coming. I heard Mrs. Webb mumbling something. I didn’t pay attention. She already had her cart packed for the drive home.

“Max, thank you for the reminder of the homework. It absolutely crosses my mind. I guess I let the relaxation get to me.” Mrs. Webb said publicly. “For the few students who turned it in, I’m giving you extra credit for being on top of business. For the lot of you, you’re gonna have to work harder if you don’t want to fail. That assignment was ten percent of your grade.” I looked at everyone. Many groaned and muttered. Those five dudes scowled at me.

DING!!

I got out of there and tailed Mrs. Webb with small talk until she reached the elevator. I looked back and saw my soon-to-be pursuers watching. I counted five. “You’re an exceptional student, Max.” said Mrs. Webb, one foot in the elevator “With your attitude, you’re going to go places. I know it.” That depends on my little entourage. I rushed to the other side, to the hallway, still waving until she wasn’t seen. And then…my survival was then endangered. I stuck to another class headed for the 3rd floor exit. My stalkers started walking now, their violent intentions hitched on me like gum on a shoe. I started rushing to the exit. They were shoving their way to it first. They were within an arm’s length distance. I couldn’t fake it anymore.

I juked the corner and bolted out the freaking exit, bee-lining it for the staircase. I had to push other students to the floor to get the freak away. They were hunting after my trail, fast. They too thrashed incoming students out their way. Now I knew they wanted my butt-cheeks on a wall. I was shouted and cursed at by my victims. They didn’t know. I hopped the staircase. The 2nd floor was full of traffic too. All I could do was push through. They were still running after me. I could sense it. I swam my way to the next exit, ignoring everything else until I was hyperventilating, overheating. My wooly scalp was itching something fierce like a spider bite. I wasn’t the athletic type-- just my freaking luck that my pursuers were. My stomach was coming together in knots. I’ve been running for five minutes. I needed air. Now. I looked back; they’re vision was obscured by students in the way. I jumped into an open class and collapsed. I took some desperate breaths to get up and do it again. I ignored the teacher inquiring if I was okay. I crouched behind the door and watched for my pursuers to pass me by. I saw one, two, three, four. I screwed up and left the classroom in front of the fifth one. He wrestled me in place. I kicked that sucker off and ran the opposite direction

“Hey,” they shouted. “Over here! That motherfucker’s running through here!” Screw my life. I hopped the stairs again and made it to the 1st floor. I wasn’t running as fast anymore. I hadn’t recovered, whereas those thugs were still in a full sprint. Dang it, I needed another breather. I crashed through the cafeteria doors, where three old ladies were cleaning. Their heads cocked up at me. Brain blast. I threw myself at one of them. They were armed with a mop. “You gotta help me, please. Those five wanna kill me!” I shouted. That made them angrier. The old ladies looked at me, then looked at the five boys, then walked up to the boys. They trusted me.

“Are you all messing with him,” the women said to the boys.

“No, we ain’t doing nothing ma’am. We’re just trying to go home,” said the tallest thug. He lied so naturally it got to the old women. They looked at me again.

“He said five boys were chasing him. Five of you just walked in. Why is he so scared then?”

“Ma’am, he’s lying. Tryna get us in trouble-” The boys knocked the women asleep. I couldn’t believe it. Within arm’s length, they threw a straight jab to their faces. I heard the impact more than six feet away. Their bodies folded on the lunch tables. Their devious eyes went back to me. We were still in public. People have just left, are leaving and entering the cafeteria. Students saw this. They had their phones out.

“Really,” I said. “You really about to catch a case over this?! You’re going to get arrested for that.”

“Not only are you a snitch, but you’re also bitch-made, tryna get old ladies to fight for you,” said one of the thugs. I was hyperventilating again.

“It’s not my fault you didn’t do your stuff. We’re students. Homework comes with the job description. It ain’t my fault you wasted your time on basketball or madden whatever the freak y’all be doing.”

“Ain’t just about the homework, you just get on our nerves. Always telling Mrs. Webb everything we do. Always tattling, always on our dicks. You ain’t know when to shut up!” said the tall thug.

I looked at my watch. Eight minutes before I arrive “Please,” I pleaded. “I don’t want any smoke, and I gotta catch the bus…”

“Sucks to be you.”

I ran out the building, to the car circle. So did they. The sidewalk to the bus was clear as water. Not one friend group using it, nor a stray dog on the path. It was a disadvantage. I only had a minute to breathe, I was running on fumes. The thugs still had plenty gas in the tank. I read my watch, and I needed seven minutes to arrive, and my condition wouldn’t allow a seven-minute dash, but I had no options. No classrooms to breathe in. No senior staff to cling to. No student traffic to hide me. My legs were slowing down, my doom was closing in. I couldn’t force my legs to go. They were getting even closer. Less than ten feet away. Now, my red eyes could see the future. They foretold the ambulance lights, the missing Jordans, teeth littered on the ground and my bloodstained cheeks against a hospital bed. It was set in stone, unchangeable…unless I ignored the strain and locked the freak in.

I screamed the fatigue down and forced a sprint. I ran faster and faster, faster than I’ve ever ran in my life. Took a dangerous shortcut, ran a bustling street, scraped a hand hopping a fence. It hurt more than hell, I kept on running. Five minutes left. I can’t, I won’t look back. Gotta stay focused on the deadline. Gotta keep running even if my legs disagree with me. Three minutes left. I saw the stop afar. I saw the bus waiting for me, but I still had to run. The thugs were still tailing, albeit tired now. They were slow and far—if I stopped now, I would drop to the street.

Two minutes. One minute. My freaking body wanted to rip apart. I was wheezing more than my asthmatic grandfather climbing the freaking stairs. My freaking stomach was ready to heave out on the concrete. I was almost blind from the sweat in my eyes…and then I finally reached my escape. Zero minutes left, and I couldn’t do it anymore. I scampered inside, dropped everything on the farthest seat. I burned through all my reserves, immobilized head to toe in heat.

The bus closed its doors. The thugs didn’t come in. On my way home, I saw my pursuers several hundred feet back, hunched, panting and puking. The bus drove off. I had finally escaped. I can finally rest. I definitely ain't coming to school tomorrow.