The Outer Realms - Vol.1

Chapter 2 - A Hostile Visit

The bus is already on the road to Lisa Park. Their teacher, Mrs. Ellen sits in the front of the bus while the students are free to talk and express their enthusiasm on goofing off at the park. Jason and his friends are in the back of the bus, reading comics, giggling, and playing on their handheld gaming systems. Jason and Harvey are playing an action game together using two handhelds connected with a link cable. The boys are having a blast shooting aliens as two pixilated sprites representing as muscular men on each monochrome screens.

"Cover my back!" yelled Jason as he is about to get attacked by one of the aliens.

"Got you covered!" Harvey said, moving his on-screen avatar to take down the alien.

Melissa and Karen looks at the two boys enjoying their game. "You really like that game, huh?" said Melissa. "What it's called?"

"The game is called "Cancer Buster: Operation X", Harvey answered her question. "It's about two ripped dudes taking down the alien menace. Yeah, I know it's a Contra rip-off, but it is so fun in its own right!"

"Sounds like fun," Karen sounds interested. "I got next!"

"If Harvey dies, you can take over," joked Jason.

"Hey, man!" Harvey pouts.

While Melissa and Karen are watching the boys play on their Game Boys, Rebecca is eating half of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She enjoys the taste of a pre-snack before the picnic. Then, the young girl notices Malcolm looking at the window at his left, which he is sitting near. Rebecca finishes her snack and carefully goes over to where he is sitting at.

"Hey, Malcolm..." Rebecca begins the conversation. "What's troubling you? You don't look excited for the trip."

Malcolm was reluctant to answer. Due to her pestering him, he finally caves in. "Alright, alright already..." said Malcolm, slightly annoyed. "Before I got on the bus, I saw another school bus coming toward the school."

"Another bus?" Rebecca is puzzled by his words.

"Yeah," the stern Malcolm replied. Jason, Harvey, Melissa, and Karen join in on the conversation.

"Have any idea which class that bus picked up?" asked Karen, playing with Harvey's Game Boy.

Then, it hits Malcolm. "Come to think of it, I have heard that Classroom 216 is going also going on a field trip." Jason and his friends became both mortified and agitated when they heard Classroom 216.

"W-W-Wait a minute!?" Jason stammered on his words. "Don't tell me that we will have to deal with that psychopath at the park!?"

"That girl gives me the creeps..." Rebecca shuddered.

"How did you come across this information?" asked Karen, putting away the Game Boy.

"I overheard some guys talking about it in the cafeteria yesterday," Malcolm explains. "I didn't think it was a big deal at the time, but I should have taken heed."

"That crazy girl, Marie ruins everything for kids like us..." Harvey said, agitated by the thought. "And she wonders why no one likes her."

"I know, right?" added Melissa. "She actually has the nerve to try to hit on my boyfriend!" The former jovial Melissa became angry as she clenched her right fist. "If she tries anything clever, I will give her a good slap!"

Seeing his friends being rather disturbed by Malcolm's revelation, Jason tries to calm them by reminding them about the field trip, "Easy now, guys. Let's not get so bent out of shape. We don't even know if they are going to the same place as us." They take a breather after listening to Jason's voice of reason.