Chapter Text
(It was a stormy school night, the windows were dark. I spot Mr Mcbride down the hall, his shiny head illuminating the hallway. The shimmer from his glossy head hits my eyes, but I can’t tear my gaze away from him. “What are doing here so late?” I speak into the hallway, echoing in the emptiness. McBride’s head shifts towards me, clearly not aware of my presence before. “I could ask you the same thing, sir” He replies, a little puzzled at my sudden appearance There’s a moment of silence before I speak. “I need to have a word with you” I say statically, stepping forwards until I’m an arm’s length away. McBride looks up at me curiously, though I can feel the tension creeping up between us. “About…..?” The shorter man trails off, I raise a hand to swipe his head, tucking his last hair behind his ear. My lips collide with his before he can finish his sentence.)
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[Lovefool-The Cardigans]
I’d never noticed the man much before, he moved here maybe around a year or two ago, I couldn’t tell you.
It was the first Friday of the month, which meant all the staff had to stay at the school, to catch up on late work, attend a meeting between administrators, whatever they had to do, it was mandatory to be present.
These meetings were routine by now, I’d drag myself out of bed, get ready with the same blue shirt, and greet my workers with a smile that was a little too cheerful.
After saying hi to everyone and making sure they were probably doing something productive. I’d sneak off to the teacher’s lounge, sliding a hand down my face with a deep exhale.
I figured I could catch a few moments of silence before re-entering the cold cafeteria where everyone else was mourning their weekend. Atleast, that was what I hoped, until I heard the creaky old door open behind me.
“Damn, we really have to stop wasting all our money on this shitty football team and start renovating this place”
I heard an unfamiliar voice complain from behind me, and a surprised gasp as I turned around.
“Excuse me?” I spoke, a little taken aback, though my face shifted to a smile, force of habit. Mr McBride stood at the doorway, staring at me, his mouth agape, he stumbled to find his words for a second.
“Jesus, I-.. Sir, Good morning!” He forced out, putting on a joyful expression that he only bothered to wear infront of anyone above him.
“I didn’t realize you were in here, seriously, I wouldn’t have said that if-“
“I agree, did you watch that last game? 0-52, you’ve gotta try to be THAT bad.” I spit out before I can process what I’m saying, cutting him off halfway through his apology.
*What the hell??? I’d never speak that way about my students, especially not in front of a staff member.*
There’s an awkward moment of silence, we just stare at each other, waiting.
Finally, he pipes up again, looking like he just took a breath after forgetting how to breathe.
“Hah, right….0..52.” McBride gives me a phony laugh, and I smile back, trying my hardest to keep this horrible expression on my face, my cheeks sore.
I return his half-assed laughter, stepping past him in an awkward shuffle.
After escaping…whatever that was, I make sure the door shuts behind me, speed walking to the nearest staff bathroom. I let out a groan in the mirror, pinching my temple.
I grip the sink with a tight hand, and for a moment, I ponder two things. *How was I supposed to fix my impression on that guy, I’d never spoken to a staff member so loosely, would he tell the others? And second, how had I never noticed him before?*
—————————————————————————— [Lavender Buds-MF DOOM]
From the day I first noticed him, I saw him practically everywhere. Had he always been this prominent?
During lunch, I’d usually call my wife, or finish up on my past-due work. Today, I met with the yearbook kids to take photos in the cafeteria.
It seemed like a normal day, about a week from the first time I’d seen him. Me and the girls walking around, taking some nice “flicks” for the high school instagram.
I wandered for a moment, allowing them to converse with their own friends. I found myself standing in the hallway, in between the fine arts hall and the path to our classrooms. Silently observing the students as they chatted and ate, I almost felt calm, until the sound of a voice beside me broke my veil of peace.
“It’s loud in here, huh?” My head snaps to the side, observing how the man shrunk when my eyes landed on his.
Mr Mcbride looked up at me with the same obsequious expression. “Right, sir?” He repeated, and I smiled, remembering where I was and who I was.
“Yeah, a little, but as long as the students are safe and happy, right?” I respond automatically, careful not to slip up again.
He nods in acknowledgment, breaking eye contact. I remain silent for a while longer, studying him, I’m sure he can feel my gaze on him, but I don’t really care.
*Who is this guy?* I think, before tearing my gaze away, I’d been staring for too long.
“Where did you move from?” I ask, facing the kids in the lunch room.
“Uhh, nowhere special, just a little area in Garland.” I make a sound of recognition.
“I came from Chicago, not that long ago, actually” I pause. “Came here to make a better life for my….myself…and my daughter, Allison”
Something stopped me from mentioning my wife. Sometime after that, we sat in my office, discussing something unimportant.
I sat in my chair, which I made sure was a lot more comfortable than all the other’s.
The principal name plate sitting on my mahogany desk, “Mr Golf”, it read. Mr McBride sat across from me, glancing around somewhat anxiously, not sure why, because he followed me in willingly.
“I don’t bite.” The words left my mouth a little more aggressively than intended, so I forced a smile onto my face.
He chuckles in response, and it’s a little less awkward, after a moment, McBride pipes up again.
“I’ll hold you to that” There is no more tension.
—————————————————————————— [Go Away-Weezer]
After that, we found each other around the school often. I found myself searching for him sometimes, simply out of boredom, I thought.
It was the first Friday of the month again, and like clockwork, I got up, slipped into the same bright blue shirt, and slapped a clownish smile on my face.
When I arrived at the school, I was met with a much quieter cafeteria. Covid was going around again and many of my staff members had stayed home to recover. There wasn’t much to do this time around, especially with half the people gone.
I held a small meeting, discussing how to make up the days lost for snow days and congratulating the teachers of the month. McBride sat across from me, I could feel his eyes burning into my skull. I felt my face flush a little at the thought, and I glanced over at him, still speaking.
“I just want to start this meeting off by saying thank you to all of you for being so hardworking…” The meeting lasted maybe 30 minutes, but the way his eyes lingered on to me, watching my every move, seeing through me made it seem so much longer.
As I stood up, making my way towards the nearly abandoned staff room once more, I felt a surge of ambivalence.
A feeling of turmoil I couldn’t quite decipher, maybe it was something I ate, like the school lunch, which consisted of melted F students.
I practically slid down the wall, cupping my face in my hands.