Finn
Kicking stones on the ground and letting angry words out, I paced in front of the house, expecting one of the two Momsies to come out any second. They were lovers of peace, and this kind of confrontation had to be harder for them than for me. I was used to hotheads losing their tempers now and then. But Hans and Athena seemed to have no bigger trouble in the world than other people laughing at them.
“Fucking Momsies,” I muttered and kicked another stone. “This is fucking ridiculous.”
I wanted to call Magni and tell him what idiots they all were here. And I could, because the Council had given me and the other four representatives a secure line to send back reports about our time here. But even though I was tempted to call my friend, I also knew Magni would just tell me to stop wasting my time in Athena’s mill and go search for his wife, Laura.
I picked up a small piece of rock and threw it as far as I could. It was all that stupid meditation and seeing Tristan that got to me. Being tied down last night had brought back horrific memories, and I was cranky from not sleeping.
Squatting down, I thought about how my life would’ve been different if I’d gone to a school like Tristan’s. Those children had no idea how good they had it. My chest lifted in a deep intake of air that I released in a slow exhale, memories assaulting me again.
“Tell me, wisecracker, are you having fun now?” Johnson’s hoarse voice muttered in my ear as I hung in the air, my arm feeling like it was about to be ripped from its socket.
My whimpers didn’t soften him; if anything they excited him.
“When I say sprint, I mean sprint. What you did was jogging and jogging is for wusses.”
My eyes were closed, my face distorted in pain, and my throat sore from hours of crying.
“You’re thirteen years old but you look like a ten-year-old.” Johnson’s foul breath engulfed me when he hissed into my face. “I’ll bet my ten-year-old students could run faster than you.”
I was too exhausted and in too much pain to answer him. Besides, talking back was what had gotten me in trouble in the first place.
With an evil laugh, Johnson untied the rope that kept me suspended in the air. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I collapsed and gasped for air.
“Don’t get too comfortable down there, I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said before the door slammed.
I hated Johnson!
This wasn’t the first time he had tortured me, and with no one to report him to, I feared it wouldn’t be the last time either.
Rolling onto my back, I tried lifting my arm, but it hurt too much, and all I could do was lie there and think of ways I would get back at Johnson when I grew older and stronger.
“Get up!” Johnson shouted at me when he returned. I wasn’t fast enough for his taste, and it made him grab my shirt by the collar, dragging me along with him.
The contrast between his dark office and the burning sunlight outside blinded me. But after blinking my eyes open, I saw he had lined up all the students at the school.
“Jack, come here!” Johnson ordered and a skinny boy took two small steps forward. His shoulders hunched up to his ears, and his head hung low.
“You see that small kid?” Johnson shouted at me. “That’s Jack, the smallest student in our entire school.”
I knew Jack. He was three years younger than me and I had found him hiding from the older kids plenty of times. Once, I had interfered when he was being dragged through the snow with his head down. His mouth and nostrils had been full of snow and although the boys said it was just for fun, I knew Jack wouldn’t have survived the hazing much longer, had I not interfered.
“Finn here doesn’t know what it means to follow instructions,” Johnson roared to all the boys. “He thinks he can talk back to me, and crack jokes behind my back.”
With legs like jelly, I would have fallen if Johnson hadn’t been holding me up with a firm grip on my shirt.
“Being small for your age is no excuse not to do your best,” Johnson shouted. “Finn doesn’t seem to know the difference between sprinting and jogging.”
With a shove to my back, Johnson pushed me toward Jack.
“I’ll make it easy for you, Finn. This time you don’t have to race against boys your own age. Hell, you don’t even have to race against boys one or two years younger than you. I’ve chosen the smallest, most pathetic kid in our whole school.”
Jack ducked his head even lower.
“What do you think?” Johnson called out to the hundred and thirty boys in the audience. “Do you think Finn can outrun Jack? Or do you think even a ten-year-old is faster than him?”
No one answered.
“On the count of three, you’re going to race around the school twice. We’ll be waiting right here to see who the biggest loser is.”
Jack got into position while I thought about just sitting down. There was no way I could race around the school in my condition. I was exhausted and in so much pain that just walking took all my strength.
“3. 2. 1. Go!” Johnson shouted and Jack sprinted ahead. On a normal day, I could’ve easily outrun him, but today I just staggered to the school building. Every step was like a mile and sweat ran down my face from the strain of moving my feet. My heart was racing, but my pained body moved in slow motion.
When Jack passed me after his first round, he muttered something about not giving up and getting in even more trouble with Mentor Johnson.
My vision was too blurry to see him clearly, my body too tired to answer his warning. With my shoulder and hands supporting my weight against the school building, I somehow dragged my feet along until my knees buckled under me and I collapsed.
Rubbing my forehead didn’t help erase the memories. If it did, I would’ve rubbed until my skin bled years ago.
A gust of cold wind made me get up from the place where I had been squatting, a sound making me turn my head toward the mill.
Athena’s cat sat on the doorstep, licking its fur, and scheming some evil plan.
“Yeah, I’m with you on that one, Beast, I don’t trust Hans either,” I said and walked closer. “People who seem nice are the ones you have to be careful about. Why is he wearing make-up? What is he trying to hide? Does he really like kale, or is he just trying to get on Athena’s good side?” While talking, I stroked the cat and it started purring. “Ah, you like that, do you?”
With a last stroke behind her ear, I stood up and took a deep breath before I opened the door.
Athena and Hans were sitting on the sofa, and they both turned their heads to look at me.
“Your cat was trying to get in,” I said. “I tried to convince her that she was much better off staying outside with me, but it’s almost November and cold, so you know…” I shrugged and trailed off. “He insisted we should come inside.”
“Bast is a wise cat,” Athena said.
“Wise enough never to curse around you,” I joked.
Athena patted Hans’ hand before she got up and came to face me. “Do you want your name on the cake?” she asked and just like that, we were back on track.