J.M. Barber
Avery’s Recruits
May 2016
1
You can’t bring a gun to school.
Well, of course he couldn’t. Guns were the kind of things concealed in the backpacks of the hopeless losers who couldn’t accept the fact that there were other, wiser ways of getting a message across. The message he wanted to send would only require what most considered a bit of magic. But what it was really was a bit of beautiful science. After all, Avery Johnston was here to save people, not kill them, which a large piece of rock promised to do to everyone within a decade.
Avery Johnston kept his hands clasped under his chin, looking out at everyone in the cafeteria. He had dropped out of school for the sake of the world, literally, a few months ago, without any intention of coming back. Plus, he wasn’t wanted here by the staff either. And cops had some questions for him to answer. But he’d walked into the cafeteria nonetheless, and took a seat, knowing the potential consequences, but understanding one thing for certain. The time had come to spread the word. As for the ones who responded positively to this truth, he and the others could sift through to see who was a snitch, a spy, genuine, or along to sabotage all he was and all that he fought for.
Your intention can no longer remain a secret.
“Mind if I sit here?”
Avery Johnston hadn’t seen the chubby boy with a torn shirt and glasses approach, had missed the overloaded tray of food—extra helpings you had to pay for—held in his fat hands. But he’d seen this guy many times before, sitting in the cafeteria alone when he’d last attended high school. Even when this boy sat at a table with someone he was still alone. Poor kid. Avery Johnston looked silently at him for a moment. Normally Avery would’ve been seated with Alan and Danny—they were involved in their own business at the moment—and this chubby boy with the glasses would’ve gone somewhere else.
“No, I don’t mind at all,” Avery said. “Go ahead.”
The boy sat down. Began shoving fries into his mouth in a manner that solved the riddle as to why he was overweight in the first place. Avery waited a few moments, then pushed his chair back and stood up from the table, his backpack slung over one shoulder. Avery moved to the center of the cafeteria. In all directions, students talked, laughed, and ate their food. Maybe it was Avery’s imagination, but he had always felt that toward the end of the year, the vibe in a school, whether middle-school or high school, was far more easy-going. He liked this.
“Okay,” Avery said, stopping when he reached the center of the room.He was now surrounded by students eating their lunches. He put his backpack of personal items on the on the floor. It was filled with a number of things meant to take back to where everything was headquartered and was only brought out of necessity. A number of students cocked their heads over their shoulders to look at him. Some chuckled and some looked simply bemused. Then they turned back to their food, shaking their heads.
“Motherfucker’s off.”
“Yeah, probably going to start jerking off in front of everyone for no reason. Better watch your back.
Avery’s Recruits
May 2016
1
You can’t bring a gun to school.
Well, of course he couldn’t. Guns were the kind of things concealed in the backpacks of the hopeless losers who couldn’t accept the fact that there were other, wiser ways of getting a message across. The message he wanted to send would only require what most considered a bit of magic. But what it was really was a bit of beautiful science. After all, Avery Johnston was here to save people, not kill them, which a large piece of rock promised to do to everyone within a decade.
Avery Johnston kept his hands clasped under his chin, looking out at everyone in the cafeteria. He had dropped out of school for the sake of the world, literally, a few months ago, without any intention of coming back. Plus, he wasn’t wanted here by the staff either. And cops had some questions for him to answer. But he’d walked into the cafeteria nonetheless, and took a seat, knowing the potential consequences, but understanding one thing for certain. The time had come to spread the word. As for the ones who responded positively to this truth, he and the others could sift through to see who was a snitch, a spy, genuine, or along to sabotage all he was and all that he fought for.
Your intention can no longer remain a secret.
“Mind if I sit here?”
Avery Johnston hadn’t seen the chubby boy with a torn shirt and glasses approach, had missed the overloaded tray of food—extra helpings you had to pay for—held in his fat hands. But he’d seen this guy many times before, sitting in the cafeteria alone when he’d last attended high school. Even when this boy sat at a table with someone he was still alone. Poor kid. Avery Johnston looked silently at him for a moment. Normally Avery would’ve been seated with Alan and Danny—they were involved in their own business at the moment—and this chubby boy with the glasses would’ve gone somewhere else.
“No, I don’t mind at all,” Avery said. “Go ahead.”
The boy sat down. Began shoving fries into his mouth in a manner that solved the riddle as to why he was overweight in the first place. Avery waited a few moments, then pushed his chair back and stood up from the table, his backpack slung over one shoulder. Avery moved to the center of the cafeteria. In all directions, students talked, laughed, and ate their food. Maybe it was Avery’s imagination, but he had always felt that toward the end of the year, the vibe in a school, whether middle-school or high school, was far more easy-going. He liked this.
“Okay,” Avery said, stopping when he reached the center of the room.He was now surrounded by students eating their lunches. He put his backpack of personal items on the on the floor. It was filled with a number of things meant to take back to where everything was headquartered and was only brought out of necessity. A number of students cocked their heads over their shoulders to look at him. Some chuckled and some looked simply bemused. Then they turned back to their food, shaking their heads.
“Motherfucker’s off.”
“Yeah, probably going to start jerking off in front of everyone for no reason. Better watch your back.
Similar Books
