Post by X-Kids and Co. on Oct 1, 2006 13:57:29 GMT -5
"Coach, why we gotta have gym inside today?" Stevie asked as he looked longingly at the sunshine beaming in through the high windows.
The coach looked down at the freckled, ginger boy through his shades and heaved a long-suffering sigh, "because there's a giant hair-ball tearing the grounds up."
Stevie went very wide eyed, "really?" He asked excitedly.
The coach kept the same neutral expression plastered on his half concealed face. "No Stevie, we can't have gym outside today because we've been told we can't have gym outside today."
"But why?"
"Because we can't, now get over to that climbing rope, I expect you to be up and down it in less than a minute!"
"Coach?" Stevie asked with a grin.
"What?"
"Why are you wearing shades indoors?"
"ROPE!" The coach yelled, the super-sonic vibration rattling the windows in their frames. Stevie paused just long enough to allow his hair to stop blowing in the breeze of exhalation before scampering away with an impish grin.
Coach Campbell sighed and pulled his cap off before running his fingers through his hair. It sometimes seemed that barely a day went by when the mansion wasn't being alerted to some catastrophe in the med lab, a fire in the kitchen, an intruder in the lobby, a Sentinel on the lawn. He honestly wondered why parents sent their children to this so called school.
It certainly wasn't for the regularity of the lessons if his thus far short tenure was anything to go by.
So far three out of his four classes had been put off due to emergencies and the one he had managed to start had been canceled half way through due to one of the kids accidentally vomiting textile glue onto another kids face.
Discipline.
The place lacked discipline.
There were times, when he lay awake at night listening to the nocturnal activities of some of the older students (a set of expanding ear-plugs had at least managed to cancel out that discomforting noise), when he wondered why he had come to this place.
"Get up there!" He yelled absently to Stevie who was half way up the rope in competition with a kid with yellow skin and bug eyes. Seth. That was his names. The group of kids waiting their turn had started to chant their encouragement to the pair.
"The rest of you get on the frames and start climbing, you'll get you're chances on the ropes!"
The group dispersed a bit, though scattered chanting remained.
"It's like monkeys," he muttered, "only the little monkeys are being lead by big monkeys and the whole thing is one big screeching competition!"
Just then their was a ping of breaking metal and the ring supporting Seth's rope broke apart, ditching him on to the crash-mat below. A glance at Stevie was all it took to confirm the coach's suspicion.
"Sa-bo-tage! Sa-bo-tage! Sa-bo-tage!" The rest of the kids chanted as Stevie grinned victoriously from the top of the rope.
"STEVIE SABOTAGE!" The kid's nickname was far too appropriate and much easier to remember than his real name.
"DETENTION! EVERY DAY FOR A WEEK!"
Most of the kids clapped their hands over their ears. The ropes swayed and one of the window panes cracked.
So did one of the lenses in the coach's shades.
He put them away and fished an identical pair out of his pocket. Setting them on his face he glared around at the now silent hall.
"The rest of you ... carry on."
The coach looked down at the freckled, ginger boy through his shades and heaved a long-suffering sigh, "because there's a giant hair-ball tearing the grounds up."
Stevie went very wide eyed, "really?" He asked excitedly.
The coach kept the same neutral expression plastered on his half concealed face. "No Stevie, we can't have gym outside today because we've been told we can't have gym outside today."
"But why?"
"Because we can't, now get over to that climbing rope, I expect you to be up and down it in less than a minute!"
"Coach?" Stevie asked with a grin.
"What?"
"Why are you wearing shades indoors?"
"ROPE!" The coach yelled, the super-sonic vibration rattling the windows in their frames. Stevie paused just long enough to allow his hair to stop blowing in the breeze of exhalation before scampering away with an impish grin.
Coach Campbell sighed and pulled his cap off before running his fingers through his hair. It sometimes seemed that barely a day went by when the mansion wasn't being alerted to some catastrophe in the med lab, a fire in the kitchen, an intruder in the lobby, a Sentinel on the lawn. He honestly wondered why parents sent their children to this so called school.
It certainly wasn't for the regularity of the lessons if his thus far short tenure was anything to go by.
So far three out of his four classes had been put off due to emergencies and the one he had managed to start had been canceled half way through due to one of the kids accidentally vomiting textile glue onto another kids face.
Discipline.
The place lacked discipline.
There were times, when he lay awake at night listening to the nocturnal activities of some of the older students (a set of expanding ear-plugs had at least managed to cancel out that discomforting noise), when he wondered why he had come to this place.
"Get up there!" He yelled absently to Stevie who was half way up the rope in competition with a kid with yellow skin and bug eyes. Seth. That was his names. The group of kids waiting their turn had started to chant their encouragement to the pair.
"The rest of you get on the frames and start climbing, you'll get you're chances on the ropes!"
The group dispersed a bit, though scattered chanting remained.
"It's like monkeys," he muttered, "only the little monkeys are being lead by big monkeys and the whole thing is one big screeching competition!"
Just then their was a ping of breaking metal and the ring supporting Seth's rope broke apart, ditching him on to the crash-mat below. A glance at Stevie was all it took to confirm the coach's suspicion.
"Sa-bo-tage! Sa-bo-tage! Sa-bo-tage!" The rest of the kids chanted as Stevie grinned victoriously from the top of the rope.
"STEVIE SABOTAGE!" The kid's nickname was far too appropriate and much easier to remember than his real name.
"DETENTION! EVERY DAY FOR A WEEK!"
Most of the kids clapped their hands over their ears. The ropes swayed and one of the window panes cracked.
So did one of the lenses in the coach's shades.
He put them away and fished an identical pair out of his pocket. Setting them on his face he glared around at the now silent hall.
"The rest of you ... carry on."