Bring Glory(Us) Life

Chapter 3- Life Bringer

        It had been a hard day. In english Lachlan’s work had been praised by the teacher, but he heard none of it. All he could hear were the murmurings behind: ‘Showoff,’ ‘teacher’s pet,’ among other condescending comments. He wanted to sink into the floor, melt away from all the sharp objects wounding his heart from left and right.

        Lunch. The cafeteria: big, open, loud, the atmosphere weighing heavily on Lachlan. He sat alone at a table away from other people, feeling mocking gazes flicker over him as he ate his packed meal. It turned to ash in his mouth.

        A hand came down near his elbow and made a loud noise on the table, startling Lachlan from the textbook he had been studying. He looked up to see one of his regular tormentors, an unpleasant eighteen-year-old whose name was irrelevant. Lachlan never spent energy memorizing the names of people he hated.

        “Hey, Rolex, wanna do me a favor?” the bigger boy asked, leaning close to Lachlan’s face. He made no move to answer.

        “Come on, just this once? I mean, you’re totally loaded, what’s a couple Benjamins to you, huh? Fork it over, Rolex.”

        “Yeah, share the love, man,” one of the bully’s friends called, echoed by several others until it became a chant. Lachlan tucked his nose into the pages, feeling his ears redden. His breath came in short, panicked gasps, sweat trickled between his shoulder blades. Anxiety seized his heart like a vice.

        “What was that? Speak louder, we can’t hear you,” the biggest boy snapped, grabbing Lachlan roughly by the ear as the boy tried to protest.

        “I said I don’t have any money. I don’t carry any on me,” Lachlan said, pulling away and hiding his gaze. The bullies laughed and one grabbed Lachlan by the shoulder, dragging him up. The next thing he knew Lachlan was being pushed from one boy to the next, as if he were the ball in pickle-in-the-middle. His weak protests were lost in their raucous laughter. He could feel ‘that’ feeling again, bubbling up from the dark place deep within where it grew like poison, threatening to bare its ugly face.

        “Come on genius, it’s easy. Just give us some money!”

        “Yeah, Money Bags, show us some green!”

        “That’s enough of that, boys!” a sharp voice barked from behind the mob. One of the hall monitors, a big, black muscle man and ex-football player, stalked over, glowering fiercely at the boys.

        “Hey now, we didn’t mean any harm,” the lead boy said, hands in the air innocently. “We were just having some fun with our pal Lachlan here,” he continued, reaching out to put a hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder, only to find he was gone. Looking around, Lachlan could just be seen hurrying from the cafeteria, books and lunch box in hand. He disappeared before the big double doors slammed shut, racing down the halls toward a bathroom.

        The limo was late to pick Lachlan up from school again. He had wanted to learn how to drive, but his father had said, very firmly, that it was not for men of their status to be seen driving themselves. Lachlan was instead stuck relying on the crabby old man with a terrible sense of timing who had worked for Arman for thirty years.

        So as to avoid other people, he set off on a walk around the school. Rounding the corner, he reached the segment of the school that connected to a local park where students or parents hung out in nice weather. Currently it was empty but for one woman with fiery red hair and one arm, seated casually, legs stretched out, in the sun, waiting for someone. When she caught sight of Lachlan she smiled broadly in a way that resembled the sun she was resting in.

        “Hey, kid, there you are. I was looking for you,” she called, standing and stretching stiffly. “It took me a little while to figure out where you went to school, seeing as I don’t know your name, but since there’s only two high schools, it was easy.” Lachlan backed away, a nervous sweat beading on his forehead.

        “Look, I don’t know what you want from me, but why don’t you leave me alone before I call the police,” he yelled, trying to make a quick retreat. He tripped over the edge between grass and sidewalk and went down hard, books flying everywhere. The woman appeared at his side, helping him gather his stuff.

        “I’m just so happy to see you in one piece,” she continued, “and I can’t leave until I’ve taught you how to love your life. You tried to give away the most precious gift in the world, and I’m here to tell you—Hey! Where are you going?” Lachlan walked quickly away, the tardy limo in sight.

        “Stay away from me, you stalker!” he cried. Running to the car, he turned to see her, standing still a few yards away, watching him.

        “Why couldn’t you have just let me die? That’s all I ever wanted! And it’s none of your business, so stay the hell away!”

        The woman watched sadly as the broken boy got into the limo and drove away. She stood for a long time, pondering her next step. He was going to be difficult to fix, but she would do it. She had to.