PETER HAD TO CUT SHORT IN HIS BOASTING when the school bell rang… and had to follow his ‘fans’ – from the hallway… to their respective classes, to start their first lesson period.

In class, seated at the back row… the one-armed tween was looking out for his Janey – whom, he had ‘not’ physically seen-nor-heard from for a week, since the zoo incident… when they were both grounded by their mothers ever-since.

But he only ‘saw’ his fat-twin rolling into the classroom, with his modified wheelchair – to his chair-less ‘spot’ at his desk…

… which was behind Janey’s.

Before long, entered their history teacher, Mr Hull – and the classroom settled… the restless Peter was still looking out for his GF, from the back of the room…

… then, came the glittering-moment of a grand entrance, as Alicia and Jane arrived late. And, half the class clapped and cheered – Peter too was grinning wide…

… with his HEART-POPPING with ‘their’ proud accomplishments…of ‘his’ fame too of the ‘Perth’s famous couple.’

While the other half of the class – the Charlotte and Zoe clique – STARED IN HATRED. Some felt insecure…

… when they saw the ‘blind-school’ WEARING A ‘NEW,’ chromed and a sleeker AI headset.

… Peter nodded to himself-away… he smiled as – he was ‘going’ to meet Janey at recess break …

… to discuss the ‘NEXT’ BRANDING tactics…

… to heighten of THEIR SHARED-FAME in school.

<> 

AT THE SAME TIME, AT THE WALKERS – on the same morning, at the same moment with the 3 Walker-occupants were busy AT WORK AND AT SCHOOL…

… the big house which the late-Solomon Walker had built… sat quietly…

The living room was neater-and-tidy… because they had ‘visitors,’ a few days ago.

At the door, at the security panel system unit – the split to 4 images from the CCTVs feedbacks…

… in the monitor was ‘fine’…

… until…

… the panoramic upstairs’ Camera-3 glitched – the visual image for Camera-3 then went fuzzy – to a blackout.

And, from the ceiling of Peter’s bedroom… ‘crashed’ 2 hippo-like beasts which vibed, from another reality dimension…

… they both were the Fu-Dogs – the hell-hounds of Asmodeus.

They were in search of ‘something’ their Master, had commanded to retrieve.

The female of the hippo-beast jumped on Peter’s metal single bed… and was sniffing for scent, from her broad-nostrils. While her crazy-mate, the other Fu-dog – was trashing away senseless, into Peter’s belongings.

The Fu-bitch caught ‘the’ scent – and it jumped down to the floor, and licked the smeared dried-off bloodstains off the floor, with its wide tongue. It looked up attentive, sniffing around, and spotted the CHAINED BLOOD-VIAL, from the bedside table. It bit it, with its multiple rows of teeth.

The male-Fu-dog saw its mate, had found the ‘prize’ and it fought with her – as their Master had TRAINED THEM TO COMPETE with each other…

… for better rewards to the victor… for every task given…

Both of the massive hounds were at each other’s throat, clawing with their scaly hind-feet, rolling on the floor, and further trashing Peter’s room.

… the Fu-bitch SWALLOWED THE BLOOD-VIAL – and both the fighting beasts ‘vibed’ and disappeared into the dream-dimension realm.

Downstairs, in the House of Walkers – Camera-3 was ‘FINE’ AGAIN – BUT…

…with some ‘lost’ footages.

<><> 

THE RECESS BELL RANG – students were readily leaving the classroom, including Jane and Alicia. Peter wanted to catch up with Jane…

… but was blocked by a couple of his classmates – to ask the whereabouts of the hero-dog-Piper.

… Peter noticed that Janey was AVOIDING HIM today – in comparison to the last term…

… where she was all-over-him…

… and called him Champ.

Peter sarcastically joked… while leaving the classroom.

“That fleabag mutt…? Yea, a Vietnamese, who was kin to Chinatown Wong – and the gook caught it… killed it… cooked it and ate it…”

The boys laughed.

-O-

… Peter stood at the crossroad – the canteen was on the right and on the left, was the gym-office at the west-wing of the school.

He hurried to the gym-instead…

-O-

The tennis mixed-double selection for the next Perth’s School Championship, and it was the ‘least’ favourite category – compared to the BOYS’, GIRLS’ AND DOUBLES’ selections, which WAS NEXT YEAR…

… usually, this ‘not’ popular category was the first in the line for grabs – but the only-entry this year, for Stamford High was Doug Zimmerman and Zoe Williams…

… and the DEADLINE FOR the entry closing was in a couple of days.

… Peter double-confirmed by peeking at the notice-paper, pinned on the board, outside the gym’s office. The entry remained the same, that only Doug and Zoe, were the only ones participating, at the knock-out stage. He took out his iPhone…

The one-armed boy entered the door… and saw Coach Jonah behind his desk and he asked...

“Coach Jonah, I want to register an entry for the mixed-double for Jane Wilson and me.”

“But Walker, Principal Harris had banned you from playing, for the whole of this final term.”

“But that is in the Boy’s category, Coach – right now, I want an entry into the mixed-double.”

“Walker, YOU CAN’T PLAY, you are banned for the term! And, you even gambled and placed an illegal bet, in this school vicinity – Principle Harris had let you off ‘easy,’ Walker – by right, you should be expelled!”

Peter felt hot in both of his ears, that became redder.

“Why are you DISCRIMINATING HANDICAP STUDENTS, and… why can’t a blind girl play tennis in this school?” He asked.

“I didn’t say that!” The coach replied. “I WAS REFERRING TO ‘YOU’ – you are banned from playing, and that was why I AM REJECTING your participation!”

Peter was mad…

“I don’t know if you been living under a rock, or a medicine-ball, Coach Jonah – us, the handicap-people, whom you look ‘down’ upon… had beaten your #1 mediocre-selection of Doug and Zoe – look it up, it is viral-ing in YouTube, with over 29,000 views and, with over 5,000 new-views every day – you get me now, Coach – we, handicaps are the new blacks!!?”

“I didn’t say… that I, look-down on handicaps! And, I also don’t watch YouTube, or any other ‘circus’ behind it, Walker! Now get out of my office!”

“Circus…? You watch your mouth, Coach Jonah… handicap people are ‘not’– ‘circus-freaks’ that you able-bodied folks should laugh and ridicule at, I am going to the Vice Principals Office – I got this ‘entire’ conversation in AUDIO RECORDING – I will play it to her… and let her see, what a bigot you are, Coach!”

… Peter took out cell-phone from his pocket with his one-arm – and flashed it at the middle-aged, school’s head of sports section. The tween stormed off…

“Peter, wait! Peter!”

… Coach Jonah locked up his office with a bunch of keys in a hurry… and trailed behind the fast, walking Peter Walker.

<> 

PAUL ROLLED OUT OFF THE HANDICAP TOILET – he saw Alicia waiting for Jane outside the ‘girls-room’. Immediately, Paul complimented her new hair-do.

“Hey-Ali, your hairstyle looks greattt on you.”

… Alicia laughed and walked over to the wheelchair…

“Thank you, Pauly it was a last-minute thing… I got my Mummy to cut my hair at home because the weather had been terribly hot, these past few days.”

She was running her fingers on Paul’s spikey hair, to style it more. “Use the products that you bought, at home, okay?”

The Chinese girl came close… and whispered, with a serious tone…

“Peter has been stressing out Janey lately… he also had been creeping her out, with spamming messages Pauly, can you talk to him… and tell him to back-off – Janey is going on in SOME ‘ADJUSTMENTS’ period in her first day of school, and all…?”

“What’s the ‘drama,’ he got into now?” Shaking his head, Paul sighed.

“He was forcing her to agree to be his mixed-doubles partner – but Janey had been avoiding him… because she wanted to remain a B-girl… to protect her ‘cursed’ identity, just like you.” She said.

“Wasn’t he banned for a term, to play tennis…? What is Ms King saying about it?”

“Ms King is on sickie leave… it is up to ‘us,’ to keep Peter under ‘control,’ and now that Principle Harris too, would ‘not’ be here, for the next 3 days.”

… Paul was dazed in fearful thoughts – of how Peter’s behaviour and attitude had worsened lately, to be aggressive – and he suspected it was THE PRESCRIPTION PILLS, that Peter bought online was the cause of it. Paul needed to tell Ms King about it, so that she would BE PREPARED to deal with the one-armed rebel, during their next anger-management counselling meet.

… Paul and Alicia heard shouting ahead. Some of the ‘busybody’ students at the hallway, ran up to the noise happening. EVERYONE SAW PETER walking in a hurry, towards the VP, Ms Burnell’s office – and with Coach Jonah chasing after him…

…crying out loud…

“Peter! You COME BACK HERE to me, right now!”

<> 

MISS ANN BURNELL, THE VP, AND DISCIPLINE TEACHER – was shocked, to see Coach Jonah and the rebel, one-armed Peter was playing ‘chase,’ in her modicum-spaced office-room.

The nimble Peter was agile… to avoid the big-sized, angry Coach Jonah reaching out… to GRAB HIS CELL-PHONE – while he was video recording his ‘plotted antic’.

Ms Burnell shouted out. “Stop it both of you! Coach Jonah, what is going-on!!?”

The big-man HAD CRASHED INTO her photo-frame which dropped down from the side-wall… and also…

… knocked the soil out-of… her pet-cactus on her desk.

The panting Coach Jonah was still angry, as he pointed to Peter, commanding...

“You are ‘not’ allowed to video record in the vicinity of the school, ask Ms Burnell here!”

“Coach Jonah, what is this all about?”

The pissed off Peter replied, in return...

“Ms Burnell, Coach Jonah here said ‘no’ to my application for the tennis mixed-double, because he is ‘BIAS’ TOWARDS handicap students!”

The coach responded…

“No Ma’am, I did not say those things, and STOP TWISTING-WORDS around there, Walker – Principle Harris had clearly ‘banned’ you from participating in any competitive tennis, this final term – so that’s WAS WHY, I said no!”

Peter shouted out. “By you SAYING ‘NO’ – YOU ARE depriving a blind girl… who eagerly wanting to learn and play sports JUST-BECAUSE ‘I’ had-coached her to play tennis? And, now, you are saying, ‘my’ student can’t play tennis too, because you have a beef with me?

“From a coach-to-a-coach, why are you discriminate and marginalize, the poor handicap, blind-girl…? What is it with you White-adult-men of authority are against minorities… unlike-me…

“… I don’t see any skin colour or creed and all that bloody-shit IF I WANT TO HELP ‘others?’

“…like, the incident in the zoo recently, for instance – my girlfriend has a Black adopted brother, Jaheem from deep-dark Africa – and when he ‘got’ abducted, I did ‘NOT’ HESITATE to help the Black-boy. And, I even bravely climbed into the black panther’s cage to SAVE HIM, RISKING my own one-armed-life for him to do so – and you ask why – it’s because of Black-Lives-Matter!!?”

… by now, Ms Burnell was even confused with Peter’s off-tangent remarks. But she also does ‘not’ want to step on the boundaries, of Principle Harris prior decisions too…

… she then-spoke…

“Okay-stop, you 2 and listen – we all wait for Principle Harris to have a say on this tennis ‘matter,’ ONCE HE RETURNS from leave, okay?”

“But Ms Burnell, the CLOSING DATE for the mixed double is coming now – and Coach Jonah here ‘will’ get back at me… if he was to intentionally submits the form for the knock-out stage, ‘BEFORE’ OUR PRINCIPAL Harris get back here!”

“Coach Jonah, when is this closing date?” The VP asked.

“Tomorrow.” Coach Jonah mumbled.

“You hold-on back in this entry submission date… till the principle is back in his office, and let him ‘decide, Coach Jonah, is that clear…?”

“Uhh-hu.” The big man nodded.

… Ms Burnell pointed at the video-recording Peter. “You, young man, you don’t share your video recording into ‘your’ social media, of what happened in here. If this school finds you sharing or making any negative remarks ‘out there’ – YOU WILL BE EXPELLED, do you understand...?”

The single gloved Peter ‘deleted’ it… and shut his camera, and put his phone into his pocket.

Peter praised her...

“Crystal-clear Ma’am! And, thank you very much, Ms Burnell – I respect you, for the ‘kind and just’ decision towards us, the minorities – who are neglected and left behind in the ‘system.’”

“Now, leave my office – I got work to do.”

… Coach Jonah followed the smirking Peter, out of the door.

The one-armed boy remarked…

“G’day Coach Jonah – and also, from a coach-to-a-coach… I see bright futures ahead of us, once you allow ‘Team-Perth’s famous couple’ to AN EQUAL CHANCE on the playing field, to excel sports for Stamford High – and byee.”

Peter swagger towards the canteen, while the middle-aged coach sighed…

… as the man took his pill bottle…

… and dry-swallowed his high-blood-pressure meds.

<> 

JANE WAS ALONE, AT A TABLE EATING A TUNA SALAD – Alicia was at the other table with her music class friends, in a discussion with a musical notebook, in front of them.

… Jane had some well-wishers from other classes, come by to greet her, and even they took selfies – although Jane was ‘not’ to keen… BUT SHE OBLIGED.

Now… Douglas Zimmerman approached her…

“Jane, how are you? This is Douglas, remember me, you beat Zoe and I, in your viral video?”

“Oh-Douglas... yes, how are you…?”

The blind-girl grinned in-self-consciously, recalling winning a practise-match recently, before the zoo incident.

“Wow! That video now has 30K views – good on ya, you played great in it, congratulations, Jane – well done!”

… she was uncomfortable with the compliments received, because she FELT SHE HAD ‘CHEATED,’ using her 3rd-Eye.

“How was Zoe taking it…?” Jane asked.

“Not well.” Douglas laughed aloud. “I told her, it is part and parcel of the game – you win some, you lose some.”

“… I’m sorry.”

“Jane-hey, why are you feeling sorry for…? Zoe should be the one who should feel sorry, for underestimating you. I told her, let this be a lesson for her, to practise even harder, and all.”

“Zoe doesn’t like me-much in class,” Jane said awkwardly.

“Well, that says volumes about her now – she had been playing tennis FOR 3 YEARS, and currently #1 in the Girls’ category… and here you come, a beginner – and you beat her, making her eat the humble-pie – AND US-BOTH ACTUALLY – wow, that is truly amazing of beginner’s luck!”

… Jane looked down guiltily and did ‘not’ reply.

“Was it true, that you had only ‘one’ lesson of tennis… before you ‘trashed’ us both? Its Peter… who told that, this morning. That was totally incredibly-sick!” He laughed out.

Jane sighed – seemed like Peter was the ‘SPOKESPERSON’ for both of them… for-whatever ‘Perth’s famous couple’ WAS CONCERNED.

“Yes, I had a good teacher…” She mumbled.

… Peter walked into the canteen, after his ‘victorious campaign’ in the VP’s office just now – and was looking out for Jane… to tell her the ‘good news.’

At a distance, he saw his ‘rival’ Douglas Zimmerman – talking with his ‘girlfriend’ – they were SEEN EXCHANGING cellphone numbers. He saw the senior boy, getting up from the table, saying…

“Thanks for your number, Jane – if you ‘change’ your mind… let me know ya?”

The one-armed boy saw him leaving, from another exit door. Peter WAS SUSPICIOUS that Douglas was ‘stealing’ his tennis partner. He approached her table-fast… where Jane continued to finish her salad.

… Peter has ‘NOT’ SPOKEN to Jane for more than 4 days… and he had the gut-feeling, that SHE WAS AVOIDING him…

“Hey, Janey!”

… the blind-girl cringed, as she heard Peter ‘s voice – she replied to the red-glow...

“Hey…”

“What is this all about…? Why was Douglas Zimmerman here, talking to you? What were you both talking about…hah…? And… why did you GIVE YOUR PHONE NUMBER to him?”

A few tables away was another senior student, who was the captain of the cricket team, with his mates, and they OVERHEARD ‘TROUBLE’ brewing… with the ‘Perth’s famous couple.’ He wanted to MAKE A VIDEO – and share it with his girlfriend Charlotte Thompson… 

… who hated Jane – in her class…

… who-even called her ‘blind-school.’

… Jane stood up… Alicia came to her side, holding her arm. The blind-girl spoke up, aloud…

“It’s my phone number, and I can give my number to anyone I like – now, who are you to question me, Peter Walker? Are you my mother…?”

“Jane, let’s go!” The Chinese girl intervened…

“You get lost, Chinatown – I’m ‘not’ finished talking to her yet!”

Shouted Peter to Alicia… and he stuck his face close, to Jane’s face… and shouted. He ‘glowed’ dark red, to her.

“Are you BAILING-OUT ON ME – TO GO PLAY TENNIS, for that mediocre loser!!?”

Both the girls walked away, ‘not’ responding. Everyone stared, as Peter shouted.

“Hey-Jane, where you going – I’m ‘not’ finished talking to you!”

… Peter was now aware that EVERY ‘BUSYBODY’ was rubbernecking – some laughter raptured… when someone SAID ‘GAME-OVER’ – that angered Peter more, and he also saw, the CRICKET CAPTAIN VIDEO recording…

“You-there! Put YOUR CAMERA AWAY – I ‘curse’ you all… if you share the video!”

Peter realized that a moment ago, at the VP office, when he ‘too’ held the camera and posed a threat just now…

… it was the ‘reversed’ situation now…

He too walked away, from the canteen.

<> 

OUTSIDE THE CANTEEN, PETER STOPPED – he was mad, with shallow raging breaths, growling-to-himself… as he evaluated ‘what’ had happened at ‘that’ blink of the moment – he was confident that…

… he had the ‘CONTROL’ OF ‘HIS-DAY’…

… but now…

… he had lost it…

‘I fought hard for a place in the VP’s office, JUST NOW, AND HERE YOU are’ – you bloody Douglas Zimmerman, you are TRYING TO STEAL MY-GLORY, under my very own nose – and in front of my very eyes! Hey Dougie, you will ‘NOT’ HAVE ‘MY’ Janey – and I have TO KILL-YOU if I have to… TO HAVE WHAT is ‘mine!’

“Peter!”

… Paul in-his wheelchair… intercepted Peter outside the canteen – he was ‘not’ there when the ‘breakup’ of the ‘Perth’s famous couple occurred.

… Paul saw his twin glowing in dark maroon. Paul too-was ‘sweating’ from his throat onwards – where his own ‘cursed’ scar was…

… the crippled boy shouted…

“Peter, what is happening? What HAVE YOU DONE…? Is it something TO DO WITH JANE?”

“Poe! You bloody-short-legs – you DON’T INTERFERE, in my love-life – ever…!”

He saw Peter walking away, to the corridor.

… Paul ‘had’ mentioned Jane, because ALICIA HAD TOLD him, outside the washroom – telling him that Peter was ‘stressing’ Jane out… on the first day of school.

Paul was distracted by a small explosion happening in the canteen with shouts and screams that followed. His wheelchair raced into the canteen… to see a group of senior students were attending to their injured cricket team captain. His blood was splattering everywhere as he hollered his lungs out...

-O-

… the captain had ‘selected’ a group of friends on his WhatsApp list…

… wanting to make his popularity known to them, by being the ‘first,’ in-his posting on the ‘BREAKUP’ VIDEO of ‘Perth’s famous couple’ and…

… and when the captain PRESSED THE ‘SEND’ button…

… his iPhone blew off – severing his thumb.

… Paul rushed to the chaos, with his ‘own’ finger touching the metal disc, that charged the dynamo… for giving him speed in his-modified wheelchair…

He arrived at the scene of disarray, and seeing boys were helping the screaming captain in pain, to the school’s Infirmary. Then…

… ANOTHER EXPLOSION… came from the other end of the canteen, that panicked that section of the students, into-disorder…

A Sony cellphone had exploded… and injuring another student.

… Paul heard a senior student shouting out, amongst the madness…

“It’s the batteries! The PHONE BATTERIES are exploding!”

Then, the school bell rang – recess was over…

-O-

Alicia hugged the upset Jane as they walked to their classroom. Jane told her that Douglas Zimmerman had ‘told’ to her that, he and Zoe were willing TO ‘PRACTICE’ WITH the ‘Perth’s famous couple’– if they signed up for the knock-outs...

… Douglas-then ‘asked’ for her number… and she gave it to him.

Alicia seated the already sweating Jane at her desk – when ‘ANOTHER’ EXPLOSION happened in their classroom… that panicked the handful of classmates, who had arrived early from their recess-break.

They were frightful and horrified…

… when Charlotte dropping-down to the floor…

… with a fresh open scar over her right ear… and blinded-eyes.

… blind-Jane removed her beanie… as she was sweating from her ‘own’ diamond-shaped scar, on her upper forehead, and she was pleading out...

“… Ali, what is happening…?”

Then, the school bell rang – recess was over…

-O-

Peter reached the staircase to the 2nd floor which was where the senior students’ classrooms were, and Douglas Zimmerman’s CLASS WAS too. The one-armed tween… pursued HIS ‘HUNT’… as he raced up the 25 steps at the foyer.

… meanwhile…

… Douglas Zimmerman exited from the boys’ room, at the floor below.

Then, the school bell rang – recess was over…

…Douglas took out his cellphone… to check for any important notifications, as he ascended the 25 steps…

… Paul arrived at the school’s foyer, as he WAS SEARCHING for Peter.

… Douglas’ eyes were on his phone, as he reached up-the-stairs-to his classroom’s floor… and he switched his phone to vibrate, in his last footing steps – where a sharp-pitched scream cried…

“SPARTAaaa…!”

From below…

… Paul saw his evil-twin KICK THE SENIOR STUDENT, square on his chest – that flung the boy backwards… to DROP A FATAL DROP…

… or-of some-major injuries, upon the impact below.

In precise instinct, Paul ‘powered-up’ his wheelchair… that sped over to the foot of the staircase – while he too flung-over…

… flying and reached out, to the senior boy…

At the foyer, a flash of blue sparks flashed and exploded in an eye’s instance, when…

… the crippled Paul caught Douglas in mid-air…

… and they both crashed-below on the floor… at the other side of the foyer.

The few students who were present back then, ‘hardly and barely’ saw and were aware… of ‘what’ had just happened…

… of Paul’s superpowered-speed…

… ‘what’ that they only saw was the wheelchair and the foot of the stairs – while, PAUL AND DOUGLAS were sprawling on the floor, on the other side of the foyer.

Some were shocked to realize, how ‘THAT AMAZING’ FEAT had just happened – of the quadriplegic who had just rescued a fellow student.

-O-

But, ‘not’ Peter…

… he glowered mad, of WHAT PAUL HAD DONE…

… as he looked-down from upstairs – at more students coming over, to attend to the 2 boys.

-O-

… the first thing to do now… was to escape from the crime scene – and so…

… Peter ran away.

Peter fled, hearing several other explosions… HAPPENING NEARBY IN CLASSES – and the terror screams that followed.

-O-

Peter came down the 2nd floor – from the other school’s exit. There were already some panicking students running-out the main-entrance, to outside the school’s parking lot…

… as they heard ‘more’ explosions, from behind them… and screams of…

“Terrorists!”

In the helter-skelter, the angry Peter Walker walked-fast… among the running legs.

… there was a freaking-out assumption of a terrorist attack, among the frightened.

The PA system then came-on:

“ALL STUDENT PLEASE LEAVE YOUR CELLPHONES IN YOUR CLASSROOM – AND EXIT IN AN ORDERLY MANNER TO THE OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL’S PARKING LOT – DON’T BRING YOUR PHONE ALONG – YOUR CELLPHONES WERE ‘THE’ CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSIONS!”

The existing students outside the school began throwing, their cellphones away in fear.

The angry Peter walked among them, as he recalled Paul rescuing Douglas Zimmerman, just now…

‘Poe… I had WARNED YOU ‘NOT’ TO INTERFERE, into my love-business!’

Instantly…

… over 20, BATTERY-OPERATED, ELECTRIC CARS, parked at the parking bay, belonging to teachers and senior students…

… exploded in flames, sky-high.

That was pandemonium in Stanford High School in that mid-morning, of the FIRST DAY of the final term… both inside and outside of the school…

… as-Peter, wearing his green school uniform who…

… rode his bike away home.

<> 

THE ONE-ARMED BOY REACHED HOME AND HE WAS EXTREMELY THIRSTY… for a ‘celebration-to-his-escape’ drink – Peter wanted to drink his Red-Bull…

… he raced upstairs…

He unlocked his room… and the one-armed was shocked to discover that his BEDROOM WAS TRASHED...

… Peter hollered aloud…

“What the BLOODY-HELL HAPPENED here…? Who dare, ENTER MY ROOM!!?”