Monday Morning - Chuck

I was roused out of a sound sleep in which I was having a dream. The dream was about Julia Roberts and me. We had just reached the point where I was undressing her when the loudest ringing I ever heard pulled me out of it. I woke to find it was my alarm clock. I slapped it and turned over to try and return to my dream. But then I remembered. It was Monday. The first day of school. Shit!

I hate school. I especially hate the first day of school. And worst of all that I hate is the first day at a new school. I would be a sophomore this year. It was the first day at my new High School. Nathaniel Hawthorne High School. I dreaded it. As I got out of bed to get ready, I thought about what was ahead of me.

I would be the "new kid". This was my fifth school in the last 8 years. It seemed that every time I got settled in a new school Mom would move us to another town. The last place had been a big city. But now we lived in a small town. Norburgh. Geeze, was that ever the right name for this burgh. It was a small enough town to only have one high school and it was a four year school. That meant that most of the other kids would know each other. I would stand out as a stranger.

One of the reasons I hate school is the teasing and bullying I always got from the other kids. Why? Let me count the reasons. New kid. Glasses. Buck teeth. And my name, Chuck.

My mother is a fan of Chuck Mangione. She loves him and his horn. The year I was born his album "Save Tonight For Me" was big and she loved it. Her most favorite song in the whole world is "Give Your Heart A Chance" from that album. I have heard it so many times I go crazy if I hear the first two notes. Any way, she named me after him. Chuck. Doesn't sound bad does it? But there is always some asshole who will say it. You know. "What's up Chuck?" And there is always a partner to answer. "That's another name for vomit." And so I would be called vomit for the whole year. Lovely huh?

So there I am with a name that is perfect for jokes, the new kid, glasses, buck teeth and oh yes, acne. Well I'm only fifteen after all. So I was the perfect target.

Over the years as I moved from school to school I had learned to disappear. I called it my invisible man routine. I did nothing, absolutely nothing that would attract attention. I never raised my hand in class. I made sure my grades were passing but not high enough to be labelled a "brain" or "nerd". I didn't go out for anything. No sports. No clubs. Nothing. I went to school and put in my time and went home as soon as the last bell rang.

All this was going through my mind as I dressed and went down for breakfast. Mom worked nights as a psychiatric nurse. She took care of nuts. So I didn't see much of her during the school year. Only on weekends and holidays. I grabbed a bowl of cereal and wolfed it down. I was ready as I ever would be for the ordeal.

Part of my invisible man bit was my schedule. I made it a point to arrive at school with just enough time to get to class before the late bell. Even on the first day I knew the schedule and timed my arrival. I had received an orientation folder when we first went to the school after we moved here. It was three weeks before the end of my freshman year and they decided that it was stupid to make me attend new classes for just three weeks, so they gave me final grades based on my averages at my last school. It meant I passed them all, but just barely. We had signed me up for the required courses and I had memorized my schedule and the location of my classes. I knew when and where I was to be and I knew how to get there.

I checked my watch as I neared the school. Just about right. Five minutes to final bell and I had just enough time to drop my stuff in the locker they had assigned me. I pushed the door open and rushed down the hall to my locker. I opened it and threw in my junk and closed and locked it using the combination lock I had with me. Still a few minutes and I would be in my seat right on time. My first class was Algebra 2 in room 101. That is on the main floor right past the office. I almost made it.

I was at the door to the classroom when I heard the scariest thing a student ever hears at school. The voice of doom came over the loudspeakers. "Chuck Nagel report to the Principal's office. I repeat. Chuck Nagel report to the Principal's office." Shit! What now. I hadn't been there long enough to be in trouble yet. I turned and walked into the office.

When I got in the office I stood at the counter waiting for someone to notice me. Then I saw her. You remember the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz? She worked in the office and according to the name on her desk she was known here as Mrs. Risley. I was told it sounds like grizzly.

So I stood and waited. Finally T W W looked up at me with a raised eyebrow and croaked, "Yes?"

"I'm Chuck Nagel" I managed to get out.

She motioned to a door at the end of the counter. "Go right in. Mr. White is waiting for you." Mr. White is Tip White, the principal. He had seemed like a fairly nice guy, for a principal, when we met with him at the end of last school year. I headed to his door, opened it and walked in. He was sitting behind a big desk with two hard chairs in front of the desk facing him. There was a little kid sitting on one so I sat on the other. I wonder what she's here for?

Mr. White started what I expected was to be a lecture of some kind. "Mr. Nagel, have you read all the material we gave you when you registered last year?" I hadn't read all of it but didn't think it would be a good idea to tell him that. I hedged a little.

"I think so Mr. White."

"Good. Then you will understand when I tell you that you have been selected to participate in The Program this week."

I was stumped. It was something I had not read about. I remember seeing the pamphlet but I hadn't read it. Time to fess up I guessed. "Um, sorry sir but I must have missed that one."

He did not look happy at that answer. He reached down to his desk and picked up a copy of the pamphlet and handed it to me. "Here. Read this quickly."

I opened to the first page and glanced at what it said. I couldn't believe what I saw. It said that The Program required a student to be naked for one week of school. The student would be required to undress at the entrance designated on arrival each morning and would not be allowed to dress until leaving after school hours. That was as far as I got. "No way." I said.

"Yes, way. You have no choice in this matter Mr. Nagel. You will do as required and you will start by undressing right now."

I looked at him thinking he couldn't be serious. But he was. I said it again. "No way!" I mean come on. I wanted to be the invisible man right? How could I do that if I was naked? Everyone would notice me. I would be the laughing stock of the school.

"You will obey, Mr. Nagel. It is the law now and you have no choice, as I said."

I was scared and I was pissed. They couldn't make me do this. They couldn't.

I got up off the chair and headed out the door. "NO FUCKING WAY!" And I was out of there. I just barely remember the little girl that was sitting on the other chair, putting her head in her hands and starting to sob. I had no idea what that was all about and couldn't have cared less. I dashed out the door of the office and down the hall to the main entrance. There was a security guard there but he was watching for anyone trying to get in, not out. I was past him before he had any idea I was there.

I ran all the way home. I was mad as hell and there was just no way I was going to put up with any shit Program. The phone started to ring just as I got there and I picked it up so it wouldn't wake Mom. It was Mr. White. I didn't wait for him to say anything but his name and I hung up. I knew he would call back so I unplugged the phone from the wall. I sat down on the couch and tried to think. What could I do? If it was the law, Mom would have no choice but to send me back and make me take part in it. I needed time to think.

Monday morning - Simmie

I sat there and cried like a baby. Here I was, twelve years old, a genius (so they tell me) and crying like a baby. Mr. White was on the phone in no time. He looked down at his desk and got the number from Chuck's records folder. I heard him identify himself and then look shocked. He hung up and tried again. I guess there was no answer. "Wait here a minute please Miss. Carter. I'll be right back."

I continued to weep but was starting to get control. I thought about my being there. I had volunteered for The Program. They said I was too young but I convinced them that I had a right to participate since I was a sophomore and met all the requirements. I warned them that they had orders to treat me just like any other student. I guess maybe I should tell you about myself.

I'm Simmie Carter. I'm twelve years old as I told you and I am entering my sophomore year of high school. I have been averaging two years of classes each school year for a while now. They noticed my IQ when I was in the second grade and began to push me ahead to keep it challenging, they said. My mother is a professor of mathematics at the University and my father is a research scientist working on some kind of secret project for the government. I guess that explains my brains.

I was a freshman last year and didn't like the way I was treated by the other kids. They treated me like a baby. I guess they thought of me that way. I am only twelve so I understand it really. But I don't like it and I want it to change. There was a lot of arguing when I told my folks I wanted to be in The Program. That is until I told them the school didn't want to let me. That was all I needed to say. They went ballistic and very soon I was notified that I would be allowed to participate. See, I thought if I could be a part of the nude in school thing the other kids would have to treat me like a teenager at least. I wanted that more than anything.

Mr White came back and sat down behind his desk again. "I'm sorry Miss Carter but I can't allow you to be in the program without a buddy. It is too late now to get you a new one so you will have to wait until we get Mr. Nagel back. You go ahead to your class now and I'll page you when we find him."

I knew from the look on Chuck's face that he was not coming back on his own. I suspected he was running by now. They would have to catch him first and then force him to return. I thought he was angry about me and that hurt. Why do they do it? Why do they treat me like a child? I'm smarter than a whole class full of them. Damn!

It was still a few minutes before my first class would let out so I walked out of the office and into the room next door for my Algebra 2 class. Miss Rocker looked at me but didn't say anything. After the class let out she stopped me and asked what had happened. She knew I was supposed to be in The Program, and I had to explain what went wrong. She tried to assure me it would be all right soon. I just nodded and went to my next class.