Morning Bells: A ruler and the Hummingbird

    I have an ordinary life. I have an ordinary life. I have a- boring, ordinary life! Why  in the world did Heather have to keep repeating these words to herself? How could having to tell yourself that possibly be ordinary? By all definitions her life was quite ordinary and, well, boring but she couldn’t shake this odd feeling. This feeling that she got every time she got a moment of peace to her, it wasn’t exactly paranoia but like a strange sixth sense that something was off. She just couldn’t shake this nagging feeling that not all was right in Wilterfield.

    It wasn’t overwhelming to the point where she questioned her sanity, but just enough to make her wonder. She wondered a lot in fact. Especially on Friday afternoons after Ms. Lexington’s infamous weekly quizzes. She always had a lot of spare time after them, despite the fact that she was sure the bitter, old teacher had a personal vendetta against her. So what if she had stolen one apple out of that pathetic bundle of brush she calls an orchid? It was when she was seven for crying out loud! The woman just didn’t know how to let go of her grudges.

    Well in any case, she was yet again spending another glorious, cloudy Friday absentmindedly staring blankly at the poorly washed  white board. In the mean while, a rather impressive amount of paper balls was mounding up  in her short blond locks. The source of this master piece? No other than her annoying faithful sidekick, Billy Dorsten.

    Billy had his full focus on one patch of hair that he had yet to hit when a ruler came down hard on his desk, causing him and half the stuffy classroom room to jump. This half included Heather, ultimately ruining his high score goals. He silently cursed as he, ever slowly, looked up at Ms. Lexington.

    “Well, Mr. Dorsten, you appear to be on your second sheet of paper being wasted on Ms. Patterson’s hair. You also appear to have a lot of time to waste.  Now, you know I don’t like things being wasted, right, Mr. Dorsten?” Billy gave a small movement of his head  to signify yes. “Hmmmm? I can’t seem to hear you.”

    He swallowed hard and grumbled quietly, “Yes, Ms. Lexington.” It was almost painful for Heather to hold back the giggle fits that were racking at her chest and diaphragm.

    “Then you also know that I will have to punish you.” His knuckles were turning white from him clenching his pants with his sweating palms.

    “Y-yes Mamm…”

    “Good. I presume, then, that you know  that  cleaning the classroom Tuesday and Thursday afternoons  for two weeks, as well as a three page report on how your wasting affects the environment, that will be due on Monday, is a sufficient punishment. You do know this, right Mr. Dorsten?” Oh yeah, Ms. Lexington was a total tree hugger as well.

    Billy just stared at her for moment, a bit dumb struck, which managed to squeeze a few snickers out of the staring class. Heather was one of them but as soon as they were out, she frowned. The punishment was a bit harsh, so she knew the teacher must have been in a bad mood. Billy just happened to be the one to suffer her wrath. In a way she felt bad for annoying overachiever who had just, almost inaudibly, muttered, “Yes, Mamm.”

    The bell rang and everyone took off as if it were the gun at the Olympic track event. Well, Heather always held back a bit so she wouldn’t get caught up in the shoving match that always happened when the class of fifteen tried to fit through one, narrow door. Usually Billy stayed with her but today he was at the front of the pack.

    When the two joined up back outside in the back parking lot of the school Heather gave his arm a good punch. “It looked like you were ready to piss your pants back there!” She laughed, imitating his face. He scowled but there was a hint of a smile on his face.

    “Well she didn’t have to act like I was five and embarrass me in front of the whole class.” He grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Plus she ruined my record.”

    Heather rolled her eyes and hooked her arm around his, pulling him clear of a door that was about to smack him in the face. “How do you always do that?”

    She just shrugged and guided him toward his car since he still didn’t have enough sense to look where he was going and was staring at her. “Instinct I guess, and you were acting immature.” He stuck out his tongue and she giggled, bumping her hip against his to make him go around.

    The two teenagers plopped into the the old, rickety car and threw there books into the back seat. Teh entire thing seemed to groan as it bobbed. “So are we going to your house to study tonight or do I have to go to the library to start that report?”

    “Sorry B, looks like the library tonight. I’m staying at my Dad’s over the weekend and you know his rule about boys being over.”

    “Oh right, ex-nay on ze boys-nay.” He sighed as he put on his seat belt. “Too bad, I was hoping to use a computer that didn’t move at the speed of dirt.” Heather flashed another apologetic smile and fastened her own seatbelt. Billy proceeded to turn on the car and pull out of his parking spot, into the loud, crowded school parking lot. She could hear several cars stereos blaring in the background as well as a few couples fighting. Ah, the sounds of high school.

    Eventually the slightly rusted car pulled away from the school and they began to pass through the expanding town. The expansion began with some theme park gooney who came up with the brilliant idea to build here in the middle of nowhere. From there the tourism grew and people seemed to become fascinated with the small town life all over again. Needless to say, the number of neighbors had increased and none of the old residents in Wilterfield was sure how they felt about it yet. This included Heather as her eyes tracked the skeleton of the latest rollercoaster being built.

    She watched as the small urban area turned into woods and tree after tree passed by her window and breathed in deeply. This place was peaceful and she wasn’t sure if she’d want to live anywhere else but here. Sure the place was pretty boring but the community was tight knit and they had little crime to worry about. Plus, she was pretty sure she was the only one keeping her parents civil at this point. What would happen when she left- she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know. She was about to turn to talk to Billy when something caught her eye outside the window.

    An abnormally large, golden humming bird flying right next to the window. Not only was that odd but it was staring right at her with bright yellow and green eyes and carrying something in it‘s thin beak that she couldn‘t quite make out. Heather stared at it in disbelief, gripping the paneling of the door as tightly as possible. She had never in her life seen a humming bird like that and it fascinated her to no end.

    Sucking in a shallow breath she pressed her fingers against the chilled glass. The hummingbird tapped it, sending Goosebumps running up her arms and a strange tingle run down her spine. It wasn’t until a moment later that she realized her heart had sped up as well, it sent a rush of adrenaline through her blood and she found herself shifting in her seat, itching to get out of the car and chase after the creature.

    Her hand slowly slid towards the release button of her seat belt, but she didn’t realize what she was doing until she heard the click of the devise and the strap pressed against her side, making her jump. Reality suddenly slammed down on her, knocking the trans she had been in away. She shook her head a few times and blinked then turned to look back at the hummingbird. The creature was gone though.

    Okay, maybe I am crazy… Heather thought looking around at the scenery, puzzled. She looked back over Billy, only to find him continually glancing at her with an odd look.

    “You okay there Heather?” He asked gently, as if she were about to totally loose it and start thinking she were the little chu-chu train who could.

    “Yeah. I’m just trying to consider whether I should make a break for it before I have to deal with Dad-zilla.”  Her response seemed to give him a little ease. Just a little.

    “Well you could postpone your doom and come to the library with me.” He offered, a bit hopelessly. They both knew that Heather’s Dad wanted her to come straight home so she didn’t even have to answer, just do the same pathetic “thank you” smile she always did.

    Then the two were silent the rest of the way to her house which seemed all too short. She hated Friday nights at her dads. They were always dull and lonesome since he worked those nights and she wasn’t permitted to go out when he wasn’t there and he always knew when she had broken the golden rule. So while teenagers who had social lives went out to the mall and movies with their friends, she was stuck at home studying or watching rerun after rerun of long forgotten sitcoms. She had the murmuring fake audience laugh down to a science.

    As Billy’s car came to a stop near the driveway it let out one last shudder and then the air was completely silent. Instead of getting up right away though, Heather lingered a bit getting an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach about getting out. It was the same feeling she got when she had to remind herself that she was a normal teenage girl. It was a feeling of foreboding.

    She felt the need to say something so she started a bit hesitantly, “Um Billy…” He looked over at her curiously and her mind went completely blank. “Uh, thanks for the- mm- ride…” A mental slap racked her brain for sounding so awkward. Since when was she that way around him? She had known him nearly her entire life and it was Billy for crying out loud. Get a grip girl.

    “You’re welcome?” He replied questioningly. “Listen Heather, if you want I can sneak in later and keep you company tonight. You seem a little… off today.”

    She thought about the feeling in her gut and nodded quickly. Her dad would be out at work all night anyways. With a huff of air she grabbed her bag and got out. Then she watched Billy drive away, leaving her alone with her impeding sense of doom.