The Unwanted

Chapter 2- Riddle

Chapter 2 – Riddle

"Yeah what did you expect?" said Anthony as we walked into our next class, "Did you really think you could just show up and be on a 1st team?"

"Well yeah, kind of," I stammered.

This classroom was large. It was equipped with three state-of-the-art computers, an interactive whiteboard and an overhead projector centred in the room. The classroom was littered with different styles of periodic tables, chemistry puns such as "Never trust an atom – they make up everything", motivational posters "Think like a proton and stay positive" and books on all chemistry matters.

The whole class fell silent as Mr Ramsay, our chemistry teacher, entered the room.

He was a short, thin, middle-aged man with long black hair, no taller than us. He was a brilliant, respected teacher who got a reputation for fighting for what he believed in. He was a kind, understanding person who worked hard to make his lessons fun and interactive. 

He would tell stories and jokes in his class to make it more memorable. He believed that if students showed him respect, he, in turn, would show them respect. He was a fair, caring teacher but he also didn't tolerate any disrespect. I had only been there for about two weeks, but it was clear that everyone, from the students to the teachers, loved him.

As Mr Ramsay started his lesson, I began contemplating what Anthony had told me.

If I don't pass at least one of these trials for the 1st team, could I lose my scholarship? What would happen if I lost my scholarship? My parents can't afford to send me here, which means starting all over again at a new school, without Anthony.

An echo of a voice calling out my name began to overlap with my thoughts. I soon realised it was Anthony calling out to me. But I couldn't see him. The whole world had become blurry. In a flash of shock and anxiety, I twitched awake, finding myself in a situation where every pair of eyes were on me. I blinked multiple times and as the distortion dropped to a bearable level, I could see Anthony's expression.

He was pale and clammy and was glistened by a cold sweat. His eyes were wide as if someone was coming to deliver the fatal blow. His watery eyes enlarged as he moved his pupils. He began gesturing for me to look in the direction he was pointing at. Slowly and deliberately. I turned to look at the horror he seemed to be gesturing at.

It soon became apparent to me what Anthony had been gesturing at was Mr Ramsay, who stood at the centre of the classroom with the scariest expression I'd ever seen. I began to piece together the situation that everyone else in the classroom had already known.

"Mr Ramsay was calling you" Anthony whispered, in a terrified voice.

A student out of sight stated, "That's an understatement . . . he was screaming your name for about 5 minutes."

I soon began hyperventilating, trying to avoid making a sound. Each second seemed to play on forever. I sat perfectly still, listening for the words of my likely murderer. My legs twitched, fighting the impulse to stand up and sprint out the room. My throat closed in, my jaw became tight with anticipation and fear. We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

How didn't I notice his voice calling at me? I need to stop this awkward silence. First, I'm going to have to apologise.

With my uncontrolled breathing and breaking voice, I broke the pin drop silence, "I'm very sorry Mr Ramsay. My mind wandered off for a second. I ...."

"Oh, that's perfectly fine then," he smiled calmly as he cut me off, "all our minds 'wander off' "

"I promise it won't happen again," I replied, "I'll..."