(Prologue)
She stood on her tippy toes for the kiss when something caught her gaze, pausing in mid-kiss to look. A ruler slipped through the air making a sharp whistle then a deafening “crack!” as it made contact with the soft skin of the boy’s cheek.

“Hey watch yourself man!” the blonde jock yelled to the plump man waddling down the hallway as he rubbed his face.
“I’ll see you in class…” the man said, trailing off into the busy hallway, whistling to himself although he cannot hear over the ruckus.
The red swell in Jesse’s cheek called to everyone as a lighthouse beacons to a ship, telling everyone he had been punished.

The classroom rage with emotion, arguments and heated conversation gives the room a rainbow assortment of feelings. Everyone is up and moving, except for one being. Sulking in the corner like a small child scared of a threat. The blonde boy is not scared, but thinking. How could he create the worst environment for this new teacher? He is supposed to be a stickler, a real menace. But he is a good teacher nonetheless. These thoughts swirled and swished in his head a he absentmindedly patted his prickling cheek.


Angus Blank
An irritable quick-tempered plump man wobbled down the street, perfectionism showing out against all suppressing strengths. He is deviously energetic in the classroom but out in the world the children don’t recognize him, nor do they care.

His red hair and dark eyes seem to compliment his angry and strict personality, although he is nice at first glance. Angus Blank is powerful man to all those who don’t have a strong willpower. That is why he became a teacher. The despicable man likes to control these kids and see what he gets away with.

Day after long day he insists on wearing a purple suit, with a pink bow tie. Despite all the things I say to him, he consistently wears this ugly attire.

Now on top of it all, he shows utter disrespect for the modern law and returns to an old Christian school mindset and hits the children with rulers. Angus Blank is a terrible, ornery middle-aged man that needs a makeover and an attitude check. He needs someone to straiten him out.

Jesse Johnson
Two large men with large hats and great brown overcoats walk down a crowded sidewalk towards a local supermarket. And suddenly, BAM!! A running boy looking about fifteen slams and squeezes through the middle of them. He is obviously in a hurry but he runs away without saying sorry, rude. But the blonde-haired blue-eyed soccer player is not in a hurry. He is covering his tracks. He turns down an alley and counts the money in the two newly acquired brown leather wallets he slipped out of the oversized brutes’ pockets.
The blue eyed boy, nicknamed many different things consisting of names from first grade all the way to ninth, where he is now. His real name is Jesse. And his reputation is a mile long. He is invincible in is school, and town.


This boy is built, rugged. But he is sly and mischievous. He is a troublemaker in school and a popular kid at the parties. A good-looking lady-killer, he is the king. And he is planning to have a ball with the new fat teacher named Mr. Blank.

The Dilemma
(Part one)
“Man this new teacher is really killin’ me.” Jesse complained to his best friend, John.
“You’re letting an old fat English teacher freak you out? Just relax, Mr. Blank will get over himself and you can come back on top. That’s what you have done in the past right?” he consoled as they walked down the quickly darkening road.
“Yeah I guess. I just feel so goddamn nervous around him you know?”
“He is a teacher. That’s what they do. It’ll work out, trust me.”
“Alright. But say it doesn’t. Say I don’t get used to him. What would happen?” Jesse pondered aloud
“Well then you will have to go into hiding like a monster.” John joked and a sudden smile broke out on Jesse’s face
“Ha ha man shut up before I beat you” Jesse laughed as he playfully pushed his large friend.
The silence overwhelmed them and the sunset cast the two friends into a haze. Thoughts twirling around their heads like fish in a bowl, unable to think only one thought as their bodies did the only necessary work, only which is needed to survive. Breathe. And subconscious leg movements kept them from staying still.
Hopeful Resolution
(Part Two)
The next few months passing a quarter and a half went by in a blur. The same routine of waking early, and going to school, soccer games, and various parties throughout the weekends. Mr. Blank’s class was as hard as ever with pressure from the teacher for Jesse to fail. And Jesse kept up his defenses and held Mr. Blank at bay.
In the recent classes Mr. Blank seemed to be less present, less angry. He was also less sharp. He often missed passing notes, texting and such in class, or normally very strict rules seemed more like guidelines. And everyone noticed it, and used it to their advantage save Jesse J.
The bell rang and the adolescents filed out of the classroom. Jesse stood up and peeked at Mr. Blank. The teacher stared at him and lowered his hand like he was pushing some invisible force to the ground, signaling for Jesse to sit, and he did. After everyone had left the class Mr. Blank started grading the homework from the previous night.
“Sir?” Jesse inquired.
“Be still!” Mr. Blank stated firmly.
“Sir its lunch break.”
“Fine if you are so eager to leave, come see me after school.”
Jesse took leave of the classroom thinking to himself what a weird person. Does he keep everyone after? Or am I special? Did I do something wrong enough to get in trouble? After class he is as mean as ever. I’m scared. He concluded that he would need to investigate deeper to answer his questions.


Keeping a conscious eye on the exit Jesse held a steady gait toward the door to the classroom that imprisoned his free will. Over the past month he had fought, and constantly berated the cynical teacher and he thought he won, but over time Mr. Blank had become quite contemptuous toward Jesse. Becoming angrier Jesse got scared. His career, his life depended on passing school. And Jesse had decided to make peace with Mr. Blank.

It was after hours and there was nobody left in school but the janitors, and hopefully Mr. Blank. Jesse had walked back to school to get his math book but the thought of waiting to talk to him filled Jesse with alarm. So he turned the corner into the dark classroom. He saw MR. Blank lounging back in his red recliner behind his desk. His double chin bounced as he swallowed, and disgust overwhelmed Jesse. He fought himself in order to stay in the room, and he cleared his throat, to subtly announce his presence. Mr. Blank shot strait up in the air surprise painted on his face like a Picasso.

A resonant crash filled the empty school and beer bottle fell and spewed its foam through the cracks in the now grounded bottle.
“Mr. Blank is that alcohol??” demanded Jesse with a sense of urgency
“Yes. It is.” The fear fell off his face.
“You could be fired for this. If anyone were to find out.”
“I’m leaving anyway. I have already been let go.”
“Oh that’s horrible.” Jesse’s feelings turned from fear to relief, thinking he could get away with not saying anything about his attitude.
“Please. Never mind me, why are you here?”
“Well I was just thinking…. Wait why are you being fired?” He slid the conversation toward a different topic.
“The school thinks I have a lack of control over my students.”
“But the only person you have trouble with is…”
“Yes boy. You.”
An agonizing wave of guilt shot through Jesse’s head and immobilized him.
“I… But… I was just… oh my…”
“Spit it out boy!”
“I was just on my way to apologize to you, for my disobeying.”
“W… what?”
“I’m sorry I took so long, but I was determined.”
“I am calling my boss right now.”
Mr. Blank produced his cell phone and dialed a number, and Jesse fell into a blank waking dream. The next half of an hour blurred into a few minutes of aimlessly walking around the school then outside into the night and the ten-minute walk home.
The morning that followed was uneventful, containing a shower, the consumption of a smoothie and a walk through the cold morning air, clouds of breath exploding from behind the tongue and past the pearly teeth. As the sidewalk widens to the entrance of the school a firm grip attached to his left arm pulling him into the office, past the front desk into the principals office where the principal and Mr. Blank sat as the vice principal pulled Jesse in.
“What is this all about Angus?” The dark Haired principal inquired.
“I… Uh… The boy has to tell you something,” he paused “regarding my being fired.”
“Well? Lets hear it… Jesse is it? Yes well. Out with it. “
Jesse opened his mouth, and closed it. Once, twice he did this before uttering, “It’s my fault.”
“What is your fault Jesse?”
“I am the only one in class that doesn’t listen to the professor. Everyone else does whatever he wants, I was just pig headed. I wanted to break him. But I submitted to his rule the same time he gave in to mine, which left us at a cliff-hanger.”
“Well…” the vice principal started only to drop off.
“I have made a decision. Jesse, Angus, wait outside.”
The two walked outside, and sat on a bench in the main office without words until the meeting adjourned, and through the window Jesse watched the administrative positions, the principal and the vice principal, get up and walk through the hall to the office where Jesse and Mr. Blank sat.
“It was the vice principal who spoke, “Angus Blank you are fired. Our decision stands that you should have kept order. Jesse, you are suspended for the constant disobeying of your teacher. Goodbye.”
The two walked out to the hall and watched the last children get to class, and the principal and vice principal went back to their respective offices.
“Well shoot. I thought that would work.”
“I would have used a much more colorful language but yes. Shoot.” Jesse consoled.
“You were my downfall boy. My perfect teaching career is ruined. I always held order in my room.”
“Well sir I’m sorry, but I do have a reputation to hold up.”
A small smile crawled up on Mr. Blanks face, and he walked to his classroom, and Jesse to his locker for his backpack, to leave school grounds. The two parted ways peacefully and Angus Blank never saw the boy again. He moved to Hawaii and Jesse regained control of his life.