Blind Beauty (Currently Editing)

Chapter 8: Creative Incorporated

With the lunch period now over, Brett only had one more class in his day. He walked through the hallowed halls off the school as a puddle of water followed behind him. His pants were soaked from the snow outside, he tried shaking as much of it off as he could but still some remained.

He could of tried longer but he didn't have the time he was still trailing behind and class was just about to start. He was on the first floor and his next class was on the third. There was a secret though that only a few of the outcasts knew. The basement hallway connected to two stairwells that led directly to all three floors.

With expert speed Brett headed for the stairwell, passing through the gym teachers department and down a corridor. He was now in the belly of the beast. The sounds of furnaces exasperating steam filled the long tunnel, accompanied other random noises. There was a good reason they made this hallway into an attempted haunted house every year for halloween. The scariest thing of all though was the band kids.

They were the cool cats, who still felt like they lived in the fifties, getting all dressed up and believing that there music playing was masterful. Yet the sharp screeching of wrong notes, gave even the furnaces steam a run for it's money.

He didn't have time to think about it though as the shrill sound dug it's way into his ears when he finally reached the other side pushing open the door and running up the stairs to the third floor. His classroom had a large glass window extending around the door. It was probably the biggest room in the whole building mainly because it was a computer lab. Wires came down from the roof and were scattered about, but it felt like home.

Pigeon had already made it to the class. He sat in the second row from the front with another nerdy looking kid sitting a seat away from him. Brett walked over and placed his bag beside the middle seat and pulled out the chair.

"Good day boys."

Brett said as he took his seat between the two guys. They both looked over at him.

"What up dude."

Beside him, Pigeon had his iconic stupid grin across his face as it barely showed through his curtain of hair while having his hand raised in the air anticipating a high five. Brett obliged as always giving Pigeon the satisfaction.

"Hey man."

The words came from the other side of Brett. Cam, the nerdy looking boy who had a slight bowl haircut going for him, looked contently over. He was one of those guys who didn't really care what others thought, usually using the 'my mom says I'm cool' line frequently just to get a laugh out of someone but overall he was down to earth and content with his surroundings.

Brett begin logging himself in to the computer as Mrs. Hart, the computer science teacher stood up from her desk and walked over to the whiteboard. She had long blonde hair, with black round frame glasses. She was exactly what you would imagine if you thought of a computer science teacher. Mrs. Hart though had large bags under her eyes, likely from the Dungeons and Dragons game that had partaken the night before, it was almost cringe worthy how devoted she was to the pop culture world.

She stood in front of the board, the day's lesson projected right beside her.

"Alright everyone we're coming close to the end of the semester. That means its time we discuss the final project."

The class had heard about the rumoured end project that would put all there skills into practice from the older students, yet didn't no a single thing about or what it entailed until now. As if on cue a word document popped up on everyone's computer screen.

It was a side project of Mrs. Hart's. She had created a computer program that locked all the students computers forcing them to follow the lecture. The whole computer wing had this enabled in there classes, while all the students in the classes had a good feeling that in those D&D sessions, Mrs. Hart was usually the smart, or technology savvy character.

"You will be working on it in a group of three or four. You'll also need to elect one of yourselves to give me a bi-weekly report on your progress."

The three boys looked at each other, Cam and Pigeon locked eyes before Cam patted Brett on the back and put an arm around his shoulders.

"I think we both know who should be in charge, eh Pigeon."

Brett and Cam both turned to look at Pigeon. He gave Cam the reassuring nod that he was on board with what he had in mind, as Cam patted Brett on the shoulder again.

"Alright boss it's settled."

Cam removed his arm from Brett's shoulders and turned to face the screen. Brett didn't know what had just happened, as the whole thing progressed so quickly.

"Wait so you want me to-"

"Yep you're the boss, you do the reports."

"Thank's guys, put me in the line of fire. Just so you can avoid some work."

"You know it."

Cam's answers were always so blatant, as Pigeon now felt obligated to step into the conversation.

"Yea I agree with Cam. You should be in charge besides I'm not even fully capable of using word yet."

The other two both start chuckling to themselves about Pigeons inability to use word, even after being in two different computer programs for the last three years and was now sitting in an advanced computer course. Pigeon struggled to find the humour though in what he said as he meant it to be quite literal.

Mrs. Hart watched as everyone finished picking their groups before resuming the lesson.

"Alright now that you have had some time to figure things out. I need you to come up with a group name by the end of class."

She finished up scrolling through the word document with the project on it and returned to her desk, before clicking a button on her keyboard unlocking all of the computers to give the kids limited reign over what they were doing.

"So any group name idea's boss?"

"What about Creative Inc."

"Yea it has a bit of a ring to it. I'm game."

"Sounds good."

Cam nods as the 3D modelling software appears on his computer, Pigeon was still nodding beside Brett as if there was a beat stuck in his head. Brett on the other hand took one last look through the word document to see what he really got himself into as it seemed the day wouldn't end.

After a few minutes the boys all returned to working on the computers, and developing there idea for the final project. The class passes by quickly as the three of them don't say much to each other until the bell finally rings. They pack up and leave the classroom and head outside to search for their respective buses as the world passes around them.

Another moment of peace was finally bestowed upon Brett in the bus as he was able to reside with his thoughts of Bailey as the packed charter bus drove back to the neighbourhood, giving him time to contemplate what his next move would be to impress her.