Creative Writing Attempt Part 2

This is my attempt to continue in my efforts to write a 100,000 page novel. This is the second installment. I will be attempting to write 500 pages a day over a 200 day period. I hope you enjoy. Criticism is accepted...

Now it was a different year, a different school, but the same old treatment. Charles felt like he was painted into a corner, there was absolutely nothing he could. He understood that other kids could be cruel, but it had reached a point that he prayed for relief. Until it did, school was a misery to be endured.

Scooping up the remainder of his books, Charles stood up and shuffled quickly to his next class. Biology was one of his favorites as he was able, for fifty minutes anyway, to separate himself from the rest of the horrors of high school. He loved his teacher, Mr. Martin, who was a self proclaimed science geek (something Charles and him had in common) and showed a real passion for his profession. He also treated the students in his class as adults, as young scientists, instead of freshmen experiencing their first taste of high school academia. This appealed to Charles who was often treated as a little kid, not only because of his diminutive size, but because of his helpless and feeble appearance amongst the larger, more developed student body.

Mr. Martin controlled his class. Gently he would put even the biggest egos in their place. The students who struggled felt success (even after repeated failures). He would make the beauty queens feel plain and the homely feel beautiful. When Charles was in his class, he made the boy feel superior, at least as far as science went.

Most importantly however, was the fact that Mr. Martin was in complete control of the actions of his students. During the first week, one of the kids had made a snide remark about Charles. This elicited a laugh from the boy’s girl friend, who proceeded to make her own biting remark. Mr. Martin had overheard, and rather than scold the two students, simply informed them that their grade for the next month would be tied directly into the progress that Charles made.

“You need to realize that in life you have to take any friendship you can get. People who drive others away do not realize what they are losing out on,” he explained to the two. “I will not have one of my scholars worrying about anything other than the important work that he is here to do. You two as well are to remained focus. For the next month while in this lab, you work for Charles. He will lead the experiments and you will listen and you will follow. At the end of the month if Charles feels as if you are not a productive part of this team, then it could very well reflect on the grade I put down in my book.”

After that the pair had been very courteous, and even friendly towards the smaller boy. Charles dared to say that Darrel and Sarah had actually become friends.

That had always been the trouble with Charles. Once people got to know him they realized that he was a pretty decent kid. Granted, he was a bit geeky (with his glasses and chronically unkempt hair), and for his age, dressed strangely at times. The thing was, he just didn’t care about mundane things like clothing or appearance. His mind was squarely centered on academics and his voracious appetite for reading.

After the fiasco in the hall way, Charles knew he was going to be late for biology. It didn’t really bother him as he knew that Mr. Martin wouldn’t hammer him like other teachers did.

“Mr. Davenport, our workday starts at 9:55am. I am sure your previous appointment was important, but in the future please remember your commitment to your fellow colleagues.”

This wasn’t the first time the class had heard that line used by the teacher. Matter of fact, you could typically expect to hear it at least once a week. While Mr. Martin didn’t make a huge issue out of tardiness, the class was aware that if it got habitual, then the teacher would present an envelope with an attendance contract to be completed by the student and their parents so as to bind them to a “more acceptable standard of responsibility”. It was Mr. Martin’s way of saying, “Alright, this has gone far enough, time to shape up.”

Charles moved to his seat and climbed up onto the high stool of the octagonal shaped lab tables. He let piled his books in front of himself and shuffled through them until he found his biology text and his blue notebook. The rest he shoved to the center of the table to sit there until he had an opportunity to put them on the floor and out of the way.