A complete stranger entered the classroom. Everyone looked oddly at the boy who had just entered the classroom riding on a skateboard. The boy then sat on the teacher’s chair and put his feet on the desk. The entire class fell silent at first but then low whispers of “Who is this guy?” were heard among the students.
Indeed no one knew who he was. They even suspected the kid wasn’t from the school. For a while he just sat there with a smirk on his face with his big DC shoes on the desk. He didn’t even bother taking off his cap. The boy probably wanted to cause some trouble and nothing more. Just when the initial shock ended and the students began eying the newcomer with annoyance, the stranger got up and addressed the classroom:
“Sup dudes? Today I’m gonna teach you something cool.”
“The hell is this clown talking about?” Thought Matt. He looked at Bruno but his expression was just like his: they were both confused.
“I’m gonna teach you to be awesome, dudes.” He said with a white smile. “By the way, I’m Dennis. No Mr. or crap like that.”
“Did Mr. Edgar say anything about this?” Matt asked Neil.
“No, nothing. He’s probably just carving for attention” Replied Neil who kept shaking his head disapprovingly at every single sentence Dennis said.
“Haven’t you asked yourself what is the point of being good, of being great especially when it means you can’t be yourself?” Dennis asked.
That surprized Matt. He expected a dimwit moron but the guy actually could say something not entirely stupid if only a bit cliché. Still he held onto his mental strength not to listen to the guy. He was probably playing a prank on the entire class.
Neil seemed to have relaxed as he heard those words, for the first time he actually nodded slightly.
“It’s all in you. Seriously how many of you think school is boring?” No one answered Dennis question right away but many gave away their thoughts with their body language. It was clear at this point that Dennis had captivated the entire class with his words.
Frank lifted his arm, being the first student to do so. The guy was a loner by most people’s eyes. He wasn’t particularly the smartest or dumbest, the nerdiest or the most athletic. He merely just existed, Matt thought.
Dennis smiled broadly at the boy and some other students followed his example and over here and over there their arms were raised.
Neil seemed uncomfortable for some reason. He looked anxious. He seemed to struggle for a few seconds but then he too raised his hand, which led to both Matt and Bruno stare and him with their eyes wide open, just like their mouths. Neil now seemed relaxed, with a confident pose that wasn’t like him at all. Matt was about to talk to his friend but Dennis started talking again and for some reason he wanted to hear his every word.
“Good, many of you already realize just what a cage this place actually is. See your friend here?” He asked pointing at Frank. “He sees how it really is, isn’t that right? What’s your name?”
“I’m Frank” He replied with a nervous tone.
“See Frank, I don’t really know you but I can see who you are. You have always been a rebel. You could never care about orders or following anyone’s authority. Isn’t that right?”
Frank stuttered for a moment, visibly confused but then it was like a fire spread in his eyes and he answered “You know it my man. No one gets to fuck with me.”
Matt was feeling trapped. None of this made sense at all. This wasn’t a prank; whoever that guy Dennis was he was somehow hypnotizing Frank and probably the entire class as well! After all what the heck did he meant with all the things he said to Frank? The guy was nothing like that at all! The guy barely said a word, how could he be a rebel or anything else? Matt shook his head. This was all wrong. But then he took another look at Frank.
Matt realized that in Frank’s seat was now some punk guy, with a fiery Mohawk and nose piercing. Matt couldn’t remember seeing that boy before but something was happening to the boy. Tattoos were appearing out of the blue on his forearms. Tattoos that Matt was recognizing as they were finishing. Of course he recognized the guy. He was Frank. Sometimes it was difficult to recognize him as he made sure to keep changing his hair and piercings often. The guy couldn’t pass unnoticed. Teachers called him a bad influence and he’d had been suspended for his behaviour. Nothing that mattered to him at all.
Matt couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
“No one will ever tell you what to do now. You belong only to yourselves. Fuck what others want!” Dennis shouted.
Matt felt the words sinking deep into his head. “This isn’t right, none of this can be right!” Matt thought as he put his hands over his temples. A foreign feeling was coming over; a rebellious part of him that he didn’t even know. Matt looked around: everyone had a weird look in their eyes, drinking every single word coming from Dennis. It was with sadness that he saw both Neil and Bruno starring at Dennis with a dumb look in their eyes. They were both hypnotized. He could feel a voice in his head telling him that everything was alright and he didn’t need to worry. Fighting against those thoughts he got up and attempted to run away from the classroom, from Dennis and from the gigantic mess around him but in his rush he tripped and fell on the floor. Still his mind didn’t slow down; all he wanted was to run away from it all. However, before he could get up on his own, someone gave him a hand which Matt grabbed without looking at whose hand it belonged.
“Sup man, you alright?” Asked Dennis, the one who helped Matt get on his feet.
Being so close to Dennis made Matt lose his focus for a few seconds. “Do you really want to leave? It’s up to you, dude” Dennis said and pat Matt on the shoulder.
What does Matt do?