Alexander -- part 3 [ii]

Due to the fact that part three was too long, I split it into two and here is the second part.

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"Hey Charlie, come sit over here," I said. He nodded, picked his chair up shuffled over.

"So..." he said, adopting the classic Charlie pose, of rolling back on the legs of the chair. He balanced precariously on the back two legs and put his hands behind his head.

"Looks the old trout," he said, (that would be Mrs. O'Connor and was our nick name for her).

"Won't be teaching us much more today. Like we learn anything in this class anyway!" I agreed. We then started discussing the rugby match Charlie had participated in the previous day.

"We slaughtered them, fifty-six to twelve. I scored a hat trick. Ben converted them," he said smiling; he liked to win and would always to talk about it for days after. "There was this prob, a real animal. He kept running at Jake and Mike, the little guys, you know. Well, it was about half way through the second half," I nodded interested. Whilst not a rugby player myself, I still enjoy hearing Charlie's stories.

"I think we had about ten minutes left and again this prop runs at Mike. He ran right through him, Mike went down. Then he was running at me and I wasn't going to be run through. I went in for the tackle. He didn't stand a chance." He laughed.

"I picked him up like a baby and drove him into the turf," he clapped his hands and chuckled. I laughed at his stories; he always got really over dramatic and acted them out.

"Was he ok?" said a voice, soft as falling snow. It was Alexander, Charlie had completely forgotten he was even there, so engrossed was he in regaling the story.

"Hmmm?" he asked.

"Was he ok?" Alexander repeated.

"Oh yeah, he was fine, probably a bit bruised though!" Alexander looked horrified.

I was getting the impression that Alexander was not into contact sports. The way he seemed to draw himself into a ball as Mrs. O'Connor shouted and the way he seemed, if not scared then worried about the thought of getting hurt. This was an attitude I had not come across before. Here, if you were thought to be weak or scared then the older boys made sure that that attitude was beaten out of you. I myself had come home supporting sore ribs or a split lip on numerous occasions. Alexander did not seem to fit into the system at all. I hoped that he would learn. The thought of him being beaten up sent knots of anger coursing through me. I silently vowed that I would let nothing would ever happen to him.

"Not a rugby player then?" said Charlie to Alexander, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"No," he replied quietly. The sound of his voice every time I heard it made me feel warm inside.

The people around us, getting bored with the shouting match going on at the front of the classroom had remembered Alexander. Sharron and Mrs. O'Connor's match had not ceased nor calmed down. Alexander was getting more and more attention. He slowly seemed to be getting smaller and smaller in his chair. He had seemed to be opening up to me earlier. But that looked as though it was going to be ruined. When some of the girls came over and sat on our table right in front of him and started bombarding him with questions, he sat there looking at the floor in silence. I felt as though I had to protect him. I answered as many of their questions that I could, despite my limited knowledge. The ones that I couldn't answer he merely shrugged. Eventually, realising that they weren't going to get an answer they started talking more to me and Charlie. Even though I was a bit of a "geek", I was liked because I was a nice person and didn't have a problem helping anyone. I built a reputation as someone that people could rely on. I often helped people with their homework and I knew the right thing to say to make someone feel better. Whilst Charlie and I joked with everyone, Alexander sat tracing the line of the wood-grain on the table. I felt concerned. When Charlie launched into a dramatic re-enactment of a try he had scored at the rugby match, drawing every one's attention. I meanwhile leaned over to Alexander.

"Hey, you ok?" I asked. Silence. "Come on, Alexander. They are just being friendly."

"I know," he said, so quietly that it was almost inaudible

"Then what's the matter?" I asked sincerely.

"Nothing."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding. He was still looking at the table. I wasn't convinced although I dropped the topic, convinced that I would ask him more later. Charlie at that moment was trying to explain to Jess the finer points of punching someone in the face. She laughed shrilly.

"Will you all just shut up?!" Came a shout from the front of the classroom, it permeated the general din of the room and got every ones attention. It was Mrs. O'Connor. She had finished her argument with Sharron and had sent her out. Perhaps Sharron had stormed out. I didn't really care. This whole episode of the argument, everyone crowding round Alexander and the dramatic rugby re-enactments had lasted around ten minutes. The lesson wasn't going very well. Surprisingly however, Mrs. O'Connor managed to assemble some form of order. After several brief shouting sessions, she had managed to get everyone back to reading Shakespeare.

"Alexander?" I asked, when Geoff and Alice were reading, poorly.

"Yes Josh," he whispered.

"You'll get used to being here, I promise. It takes a few days to settle in. Not all the teachers are like this one. We have French next, with Mr. Shelly, and I'm sure he will make you feel more welcome." He smiled. There it was again, that feeling.

"Thanks Josh. Its just so different here." He had opened up again, I concluded that he didn' t like big crowds of people he didn't know.

"What was your old school like?" I asked.

"Small. It was the local village school," he explained. I understood. It must have been a nice environment. Where everyone knows everyone else.
"I liked it there," he continued. "I don't really understand why we had to move here in the first place. But I suppose there was one good thing.

"What's that?"

"Well, I would never have met you." My heart jolted. "Now shouldn't we be reading this?"

"I suppose so," I said, glowing. I looked back down to the book, I could see his neat handwriting along the edge of the text. It looked so neat and perfect. I tried concentrating. But I couldn't think of anything else but him. His smile, his hair, his eyes and lips. I leaned back, my thoughts racing. There was something deep inside me shouting.

"Alexander, Alexander, Alexander," it shouted. I knew what it was. It was my heart and it was calling. I didn't know whether I could or even if I wanted to resist it.

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Well that concludes part three. Look back for part four, in which Alexander will suffer a twist that will shake all that he has known.

Love,

J xxx