The Difference in Mind

This is the last time I'll abandon you
And this is the last time I'll forget you
I wish I could

Stockholm Syndrome – Muse

~***~

Martin was hurrying through the corridor of school. He was late. He was very late. He had already overslept a bit, and now he couldn’t find the classroom. Not that he was new at this school, but there had been a renovation of the building. They had built some new classrooms, because the school was growing and growing in students, and even the elder students weren’t able to find their way into the school building.
Damnit, Martin thought. I’m already late…
With his timetable clutching in his hand, he looked at every classroom he passed, but none of them had the number he was looking for. He did get near though. He should almost be there now.
Martin was a 17 year old boy. He had dark blond hair, and never used something for it. He never used any gel or wax. He just kept it like it was now. He had squared classes, and for the rest, he was a pretty normal boy. Although, he found himself normal. Maybe other students didn’t, but he thought he was. Okay, maybe he had a bit more interests in school and hobbies other students didn’t had, but he was just like them trying to do his best.
And there it was: the classroom he had been looking for. Hurrying up the last paces towards the door, he wrenched it open. He could see all the heads of the students and the teacher turn to him. Martin swallowed. He didn’t like this class. The introduction day had been a few days before, and Martin couldn’t have ended up in a worse class. It was full with arrogant, irritate-able students.
Martin looked at the teacher, who asked him:
‘Why are you late?’
Martin bit his dry lips.
‘I couldn’t find the classroom’ Martin muttered.
He could hear a scattering laugh, and when he tried to look who it was, he saw how a girl with blonde hair elbowed a boy with spike dyed red hair in his side, which made the boy chuckle.
Martin look back at the teacher, who had ignored the laughing.
‘Alright’ she said ‘Sit down’ she added and nudged at the empty seat in front of her and Martin sat down at once, dropping his heavy shoulder bag and began to take out his books at once.
‘Page 5’ the teacher muttered, and than resumed her introduction.
Martin didn’t listen, but took out his notebook and began to work at once. He could hear the class mutter, but the teacher made a hushing noise, which only caused a few giggles until it was really quiet in the classroom.
When the teacher wrote their homework on the whiteboard, Martin noticed he was already beyond that assignment. He grinned and he started to pack his bag. He closed the bag at the moment the school bell rang, and the entire class got up hastily. There was a break of 20 minutes now, so Martin hurried over to the auditorium, eager to see his ‘real’ friends.
In there, he spotted Jeremy at once. He was tall, so he was always well to spot, and he always wore the same Red Hot Chili Pepper shirts. He stood with a group of people, his hands in his pocket and his blood hound eyes looking a bit unamused. Martin went over to him, and as soon Jeremy spotted him, he went over to him as well.
‘You’re a git, you know that’ Martin said
‘I know’ Jeremy said. ‘How’s your new class?’
‘Not so good’ Martin said, opening his bag and taking a sandwich out of the potato salad box he used as a bread case ‘They’re all... well… scum’
Jeremy grinned
‘Well at least better than fourth years. I get to hear the standard speech of that the exams will start this year all over again’
‘I’m getting that too now’ Martin said ‘You shouldn’t have doubled last year. At least we together would have suffered the agony of the class I’m in now’
‘That bad?’ Jeremy asked
Martin shrugged ‘Not sure yet’ His eyes began to scan the auditorium and Jeremy asked:
‘Who are in your class?’
Martin looked through the hall, and soon spotted the red haired boy, along with the girl he had been sharing seats during maths. Martin saw they were with some other students, but he had no idea whether they were in his class too. He hadn’t paid attention too well to the rest
‘Him’ Martin said as he nudged to the red haired boy
‘Who?’
‘The one with the dyed red hair’
‘Oh god, no’
‘Oh god, yes’
Jeremy placed a hand on Martin’s shoulder
‘You’re doomed’
Martin raised his eyebrows
‘Am I?’
‘Yes you are’ Jeremy added. ‘There’s nothing wrong with punks, but that lot…’
‘He looks more emo to me’ Martin said, looking at the boy with raised eyebrows
‘No he’s not’ Jeremy said ‘You don’t even know what emo is’
‘Oh great’ Martin muttered and Jeremy removed his hand from his shoulder.
‘Although, he listens to good music’ Jeremy added, and pointed at his Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt. Martin raised his eyebrows.
‘Oh, and if you want to upset him, you should call him Garfield’ Jeremy added
Martin frowned out of curiosity.
‘Garfield?’
‘Yeah. His name is Gary, and since he dyed his hair red over the summer, he’s named Garfield’
‘Garfield…?’
‘Yeah you know… the red cat’
‘Yes, of course I do. But why Garfield…?
Jeremy stared at Martin for a while until he raised his hands, capping the word
‘Gar… from Gary…. And Garfield… because he’s red?’
Martin raised his eyebrows again.
‘And he doesn’t like it?’
‘No, because Garfield is fat, and he’s not’
Martin looked at the red haired boy, who had now grabbed the blonde haired girl around her waist, and lifted her off the ground, which made her shriek. There was a silence for a few seconds, until Jeremy asked him:
‘Have you bought a new set of Goblins yet?’
‘No’ Martin said ‘I wanted to go get them next week, but dad said he first wanted me to start planning first’
Jeremy shook his head
‘It’s so good to have a father as a teacher at the same school you are at’
Martin grinned.
‘Would have been worse if he really had been my teacher’
Jeremy grinned again.
Martin’s father was a chemistry teacher. He also taught at this school. Martin got threathened a few years ago because of students who had received detention from his father.
Martin didn’t mind his father was a teacher. It came of hand very often.
Martin and Jeremy spend the rest of the break by talking about Warhamer. When the bell went, Martin stuffed the last bit of sandwich in his mouth, and Jeremy picked up his bag.
‘Well, see you later’ Jeremy said, and Martin only waved.
He reached out into his pocket and took out his timetable. He scanned it and saw he had physics. He hoped he would share this class with different students.
It didn’t take him long to find the classroom. This was in the older building, so he was familiar in it. When he reached the classroom, he leaned against the wall, waiting for the teacher to arrive and let them in.
It didn’t take long before Martin found out he was sharing this class with some of the students he’d had maths with. Including the red haired boy. Martin sighed.
When the teacher arrived, she opened the door for them. Martin went inside and sat down at his seat at the side of the class. The rest of the class sat down a bit scattered through the classroom.
The teacher closed the door and did her introduction. And to everyone’s big irritation, she told them she would make groups the next lesson, so they could begin the project that would be a part of their exams.
Martin sighed. He hated projects. Especially when you have to work in groups. You were dependable of someone else. Martin didn’t like that. He found that working on his own was always better than in groups.
He scanned the class
Especially with this lot, he said to himself
They spend the rest of the lesson discussing. Martin didn’t speak. He just said there and listen. He noticed Gary, the red haired boy spoke the most, and that most of the students agreed with him. Martin didn’t agree with him on some subjects, but he was good in giving examples.

When the class ended, Martin was the first one who left the classroom. His next class was biology. He noticed that a group, including Gary, was following him.
Oh no, Martin thought. Don’t tell me they have biology as well.
But they did. They entered the next classroom together with him.
Martin sighed and took out his books, listening to the next introduction.

~***~

Martin entered the sitting room, dumping his bag on the group. He sank down on the sofa, next to his sister who was watching a TV show. Their dog, Mort came towards him and placed his head on his knee. Martin rubbed him behind his ear.
He sighed, running his hands through his hair. He didn’t like this class at all. They were annoying, loudly, and irritating. And he would have to spend another year with them. Another year!

Martin watched a bit tv with his sister, until he got up, picking up his bag. He sat down at the dining table and took out his homework planner and some of his books. He began to make homework at once, so he could paint some dwarfs later.

His sister didn’t speak a word. She was two years younger than him, and they did get along fine. But Martin knew Ally didn’t want to be disturbed while watching tv. And she knew he didn’t want to be disturbed while making homework. It was only until the front door opened and their mother came in.
‘Give me a hand you two’ his mother spoke from the hall. Martin got up at once, but Ally stayed where she was. Martin had already brought a shopping bag inside, when Ally finally joined them, carrying the last bag.
‘We’re eating cabbages tonight’ their mother said, as she closed the car door.
‘Joy’ Ally muttered and took the dog’s belt to go and have a walk with him

~***~

The next day, Martin was sitting at maths again. He was already halfway through the chapter. It was rather crowded in the class, so Martin had problems concentrating.
When he saw something move in front of him, he looked up. The red haired boy had just walked past his table, and slammed his book on Martin’s table. He looked down at Martin. Martin just looked up at him, not saying anything
‘Hi’ Gary said
‘Hey’
Gary grinned, and shoved his book on the desk of the teacher, now asking her his question.
Martin raised an eyebrow, as he watched how Gary got taught by the teacher
He’s strange…