Finding Joy

Chapter 5

After Ms. Adams' class we had Mr. Simmons. His class wasn't my favorite of the day. Everyday was very repetitive. It was almost like he didn't prepare much of a lesson for us. I mean he was teaching English he could have done plenty of things. But I'm not the teacher and I don't really understand how difficult his job was. After Mr. Simmons' class we had Mrs. Williams class. It wasn't much of a class. I'm not saying it was boring. I'm saying we just sat there and watched our teacher cry for forty five minutes. Yeah apparently she found out her husband had been cheating on her. It was a lot. She had used maybe three complete tissue boxes. And I'm pretty sure she is going to be fired. She used a few not so pleasant words in our presence. I tried to ask her if I could go to the bathroom. I walked up to her desk and took my headphones off. I then said "Excuse me Mrs.Williams." She then said back to me "That's not my name anymore kid!! Not for long!" She groaned in frustration and said loudly "I hate you Carl!!!" She cried harder and put her head on her desk. She put both of her middle fingers up and said quietly "Why Carl." I just walked back to my seat and put on my headphones.

Elizabeth looked back at me with her eyes widened and mouthed "Why is this happening?" I looked at her with my eyes widened and said "I don't know." Mrs. Williams cried harder and louder. She blew her nose. Elizabeth cringed and mouthed "This has to stop." I mouthed "Whatcha gonna do... I mean." I pointed at Mrs. Williams. She was still crying and she needed to blow her nose again. She blew her nose and said "Oh no!! I don't have anymore tissues!!" Elizabeth mouthed "I'm gonna put an end to this. Are you behind me?" I shook my head and mouthed "Ha ha no no no heck no I'm not in." Elizabeth rolled her eyes and said "Come on Joy." I mouthed "No I tried to ask to go to the bathroom and she flicked me off uh uh no thank you!" Elizabeth thought to herself "Awww Joy is so cute right now.... if I walk up there she'll probably follow." Elizabeth stood up. I watched her walk to the front of the classroom. I decided to get up and join her. As Elizabeth saw what I was doing she thought to herself "I knew it!!"

Mrs. Williams had her face on her desk as she said "Children there is only a few more minutes of class. If another teacher asks you what you learned today tell them you learned about.... oh it does not matter tell them anything!!" Elizabeth said "Um.. excuse me Mrs. Williams..." Mrs. Williams ignored her. Elizabeth said again "Mrs. Williams." Mrs. Williams cried harder. I rolled my eyes. I went to her side and squatted down next to her and said quietly so only Elizabeth and Mrs. Williams could hear me "Okay Mrs. Williams pull yourself together!" Mrs. Williams took her head off of the desk and looked and me and said quietly "But he..." I interrupted and said quietly "Yes your husband cheated on you... and! Mrs. Williams you are a strong woman! So what he cheated on you! That was his mistake!" Mrs. Williams was a hot mess. She had ruined her eye liner and it was running down her face. Mrs. Williams said "But the girl he cheated on me with... she is so hot... she is a model... and her name is Toni... she is tall and skinny and has a great a.." I interrupted and said "And what Mrs. Williams! So what! Screw your husband! Who knows this might not have been his first time! There may have been plenty more models before Toni!"

Mrs. Williams was in denial. She said "Maybe Carl was drunk... maybe it was rape... maybe that's what happened.." I was becoming impatient and angry. I grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes and said "Okay listen woman!" I shook her as I said "Snap out of it!!!" I stopped shaking her and said "Your husband cheated on you!! I assure you it wasn't in any way shape or form rape!!" I shook her again as I said "He cheated on you!!" Mrs. Williams nodded and started crying again. I rolled my eyes and said quietly "Oh god please stop crying." Mrs. Williams snapped on me and said "You don't understand!! How much this hurts!! This is the worst pain I've ever experienced!! This is the worst part of my life!! I never felt so much pain!! I loved him!!" I just stared at her. I smiled a little and said "Yeah your life is pretty much hell isn't it?" I stood up and walked to the back of the classroom. I grabbed my supplies and put my headphones on. I stood up and walked out of the classroom.

Elizabeth was on her knees beside Mrs. Williams still trying to comfort her. Elizabeth saw me leaving the room and said "Wait wait Joy!" I didn't turn back around and said "I'm gonna go play the piano." Elizabeth said "Do you have permission?" I stopped walking for a moment and turned around and said "Whenever I feel like I need to go downstairs and play I'm allowed to go play. The principal gave me permission." I started to walk away again as I said "Toodle loo." Elizabeth watched me walk away. Elizabeth turned back and glared at Mrs. Williams and said "You don't even realize who that was do you?" Mrs. Williams looked up and said "What?" Elizabeth said "That student who just left... her name is Joy..." Elizabeth stood up and said "Maybe you should have been... more sympathetic..." Elizabeth walked to the back of the classroom. She grabbed her supplies and left the class room. She went down stairs. She went to the music room. And walked inside to find me playing a song she didn't know. I started to sing "Well did you enjoy that fairy tale story? I'm gonna be honest.." I stopped playing as I said "The ending was kinda corny." I continued to play as I sang " The foolish lies the story told you left you without a clue." Elizabeth stood there watching me play. I looked up at her and sang "But don't you worry I'm here to tell you the truth."

I looked back down as I played and sang "Stupid story tellers you poisoned the minds of the youth. Oh and if you can't handle the truth.. here take this noose." Elizabeth's eyes widened as she watched and listened. She walked over to me as I sang and played faster " Sometimes things don't turn out as planned. Don't think you can control your life like the palm of your hand. Your worth in this universe is like a grain of sand! Reality can be quite bland!" She got closer to me to see that I wasn't reading any sheet music or any lyrics. I closed my eyes tightly and tears came streaming down my face. I sang loudly as I played "Real life is enough to drive one insane! Be smart and use your stupid brain! These lies they told you.. believing them what do you hope to gain?!" I cried harder and sang and played " Let me be blunt let me be plain! Ohhhhh prince charming never comes to save the day! This leaving you clueless and out a stray! You'll forever be stuck in that tower for the rest of your life!! Filling your heart with all of this pain and all of this strife!"

Elizabeth started to cry as she watched me play. I grunted and sang loudly "Fairy God Mother never shows up and says to your problems.." I said the next part in a mimicking voice "Bibbity bobbity boo poof!" I went back to my normal singing voice and played and sang "Yeah if you still believe in that you should go and jump off of a high roof!" I couldn't finish the song and I slammed my fists on the keys making a sour note. I cried harder and louder. Elizabeth came to my side. Elizabeth said to me "Oh Joy... come here.... come here.." She pulled me up and hugged me. I could feel her crying. She rubbed my hair and said "Listen Joy... everything is going to be okay.... you are far far away from them... and you have been for seven years." I slowly stopped crying. For some reason I started to feel as if I was safe. I said to her with a shaky voice "Elizabeth... they might not be physically here... but they are still torturing me in my mind. They never left my mind. " I hugged her back tightly. She hugged me and didn't give me any crap. She just sat there and held me close. I calmed down but I didn't want to let her go.