Boot Camp at TAC
(Book 9 in the Mob from TAC series)
Copyright 2017 Richard Pinkerton
CHAPTER 1:
Mr Harris takes charge
‘Come on, Mav, don’t be a wuss, you wanna see the game, don’t you?’ Will Ullman walked alongside Rick Maverick and Pete Cook as they headed towards the school hall for morning assembly. He had been looking forward to the big game for some time, but sadly it had fallen on a school week. It had seemed unlikely he’d get to go, until he had come up with his scheme earlier that morning.
Rick Maverick or Mav as he was better known, was a tall guy, perhaps a little bit of a nerd, at least from Wal’s perspective, but an all-around great guy. ‘Wal, Wal, Wal, you do realise that we’ve got no way of getting over to New Plymouth to see it. The bus drivers around here know us. They’ll never let us aboard, because they’ll work out we’re skipping school. I guess we could spend the entire day tramping over there. Or who knows, maybe you could utter up to God a short prayer for us, begging him to send one of his angels there to fly us over?’
‘Bugger that!’ Wal shoved past a fellow student as they neared the main entrance, nearly causing the guy to collide with one of the walkway poles. ‘Anyway, God’s got better things to do... like helping starving kids in Africa.’
‘Doubt it,’ Pete said. ‘From what I hear God prefers to help people with trivial matters rather than helping people who really need it. Like blessing the food of people who actually have it.'
'Or helping some person understand some obscure verse in the bible,' Mav added.
'Or healing someone's snuffly nose,' Pete added.
'Or helping someone win at sports.'
'Or helping some person overcome their nose picking habit.’
'Or providing sunny weather for a church picnic.'
'Yeah, I get it!' Wal snorted and forced back a smile.
Pete smirked. ‘Anyway, Wal, can’t you borrow your brother’s car?’
Wal came to a halt before one of the entrances to the hall and turned towards his comical classmate, pricking up his eyebrow. He was hoping that they wouldn’t suggest that. ‘He’ll never agree to it. I’ll have to borrow it without him knowing.’
‘Yeah well you’re always borrowing his dirty magazines without him knowing.’
‘This is different!’ He glared at his short companion’s playful green eyes. ‘I’ll be in the shit if he catches me.’
‘Yeah, Wal’s right,’ Mav said with a sigh. ‘Looks like we can’t go then, huh? Better forget about it.’
‘Nah, nah, wait up,’ Wal said as his tall friend took another step to the entrance. ‘What if I do get it? Will you guys come to the game?’
‘For sure!’ Pete declared sticking out his thumb.
Mav’s face looked pained. ‘But what if someone sees us there?’
‘Why would they?’ Pete asked. ‘They’ll all be here, right? No one will be watching TV here.’
‘They’ll never let us into the game,’ Mav said, running his fingers through his short dark hair. ‘They’ll know we shouldn’t be there.’
‘We’re sixteen,’ Wal said, determined to get him to agree. ‘For all they know we could be some school leavers who either have a job or are studying at Tech or someplace like that. They won’t care as long as they’re selling tickets.’
‘The teachers are gonna know we skipped, all three of us being out of school like that.’
Wal pushed the growing frustration to the back of his mind. ‘Seems to me you’re just making a lot of excuses, Mav. What’s the matter? You too chicken to skip school one day in your miserable life?’
‘So, what, then? I take it we’ll just whip up a forged note from each of our parents explaining how we’re all suffering bouts of 24-hour leprosy and that we’ll be back at school again tomorrow? It just so happens that the day we get leprosy is the day there happens to be a rugby game on in town. Yeah, I think they’ll buy it.’
Wal snickered. One thing he really liked about Mav was his zany sense of humour, even though it was often hard to combat. Wal considered him a bit of a geek sometime, but he had a definite way with words. ‘I tell ya what, Mav, I’ll even break off one of your fingers and send it to the school as proof. How would you like that?’
‘Make it your own finger and we have a deal.’
Wal smirked. ‘We turn up here for school in the morning. We come in for the first two classes then head off at lunchtime. No one will even care that we’re gone.’
Pete chuckled. ‘Well maybe nobody will care about you Wal, but the girls will miss me something chronic.’
Wal peered at Pete with contempt. It was the sort of comment he would have said himself, if he had thought about it and it annoyed him that Pete came up with it first.
Before he could speak though, Mav piped up. ‘Yeah, chronic pain is often followed by vomiting up your last meal. And that’s what will happen when they think of you, Pete.’
Wal burst out laughing. ‘Yeah, that’s for sure. One thought of your ugly mug, Cooks is enough to make anyone hurl!’
Pete’s eyes twinkled merrily. ‘Vanessa likes me.’
‘Whatever!’
‘It’s true. She’s always tweaking my cheek and telling me how sweet I am.’
Mav replied, ‘Pete, Pete, Pete, that’s her nice way of telling you, you’re an idiot.’
‘Exactly!’ Wal snorted. ‘You better listen to your Uncle Wal, Cooks, she’s out of your league. The only guys who have the ability to charm her are Rex and me.’
‘You’re a dreamer, Wal!’
For a brief second indignation welled up inside him, but then he realised he was joking. Nevertheless, he wasn’t about to let on just yet. Make him sweat first, that was Wal’s philosophy, especially considering many found his stocky frame and demeanour intimidating. He was able to put on a mean expression that could chill a person to the bone. ‘What did you say, Cook?’ He grabbed him by the shirt and cast him an evil glare.
‘You’re in her dreams, Wal.’
‘That’s what I thought you said!’ Wal released him, but made sure to keep the scowl on his face a few seconds longer.
‘You boys, get in the hall.’ Mr Reaper the man in charge of discipline stepped over to them and ushered them towards the door with his hands. ‘Come on, come on!’ His dark crooked eyebrows hung low over his narrow eyes. Wal saw him as the type of guy you could never do or say anything right around. He was always growling at someone about something. Wal wanted to tell him to rack off, but even he didn’t have the guts to mess with the Reaper.
The hall was already filling fast and Wal made for one of the rows he and his fellow year twelves normally sat at near the back of the hall. He was surprised to see a junior boy sitting on the end of it. ‘Hey, you! Hop it! This is a year twelve row!’
The junior rose quickly to his feet and shuddered, his eyes wide. He was about to move away when Wal grabbed him roughly by the arm. ‘Hold on a minute! I know you! I used to know you from Te Arawa Primary, didn’t I? Yeah, I recognise those Dumbo ears of yours. What was your name again?’
‘Trent Nord.’
‘Ah yeah, that’s right. You used to drool over Jacqui Donaldson every chance you got. The amount you drooled over her was enough to fill a bath tub!’
‘You’re... you’re Will Ullman.’
‘You think I don’t know my name?’ Wal felt a tingle at the fact the kid knew his name and most likely already feared him. He stood over the young junior, loving the feeling of being able to instil such fear and respect. His sheer size was normally enough to do it, but a few scowls and harsh words always added to the effect.
Trent Nord whimpered and he barely squeaked from his pimply mouth, ‘Sorry, I...’
‘What
are you doing here anyway? I thought you’d left Te Arawa.’
‘Yes, but we moved back here.’
‘Well that’s obvious! You’d hardly be here in this school if you hadn’t, would you?’
‘No.’
‘Well forget about Jacqui Donaldson, twerp. She’s way out of your league.’
At that moment, much to Wal’s annoyance, Pete intervened. ‘You'll have to excuse Wal. He thinks he's God's gift to women.’
‘I am God's gift!’ Wal smirked. ‘Most girls consider me a prize.’
Pete snorted. ‘Yeah, a booby prize.’
Wal made a lunge for him but Pete fled to the other end of the row where he sat down with Mav.
Wal turned back to Trent who seemed hesitant to leave. In fact, he stared at some of the girls who sat behind Pete and Mav.
‘Well, what are you hanging around here for?’ Wal turned his head to see who he was gazing at and noticed Vanessa Dante there. He paused too, to admire her. She was indeed the type of girl you could gaze at all day long. Her long black hair spiralled down over her shoulders. Her big innocent sapphire blue eyes sparkled as she chatted cheerfully with some of her friends. She was the sort of girl that made even a school uniform look sexy and her full red lips and slender neck just begged to be kissed. He finally came to his senses though and growled, ‘And you can forget about drooling over her!’
‘That’s Vanessa,’ muttered Trent.
‘Err gee, Nord, you really have an irritating habit of telling people things that they already know! Yes, that’s Vanessa, so eyes off!’ Even as he said it, he couldn’t help but gaze in her direction again.
‘You’re her friend, right?’
Wal switched his eyes back at the year-niner. ‘Of course! In fact, we’re really good friends and I don’t like it when little shrimps like you ogle her. Now piss off to your own row before I slap you one.’
Trent came to his senses and hurried away.
Wal, gazed back at Vanessa, strode along the row, sat down next to Pete and turned around to deliver her a smile. ‘Hey, Nessa. We’re going to the rugby game tomorrow. Wanna come too?’
Vanessa smiled and what a knock out that smile was. ‘Ooh la la! Wal, you have just targeted one of my true passions, watching sweaty dirty men rolling around in the mud with a ball. How did you become so perceptive?’
For a brief second Wal’s heart leapt, thinking that he was onto a winner here, but then it occurred to him that it might be sarcasm in her tone. Vanessa had a way of being sarcastic that sounded agreeable. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of the others around them though so figured he’d better be sure she wasn’t teasing. ‘Really?’
‘Err... no. Wal, you forget. I don’t go for that sort of thing. In fact, I’m surprised that you are so eager. I would have thought watching girls in short skirts playing netball would be more your scene.’
Some chuckles came from those around and the insinuation was not lost on Wal. ‘Hey whoa, wait a minute, I don’t swing that way, you know that, Ness.’
‘What you don’t like seeing girls in short skirts?’
‘No, I don’t get into seeing guys getting muddy and sweaty.’
‘So why go to a rugby game then? Why not a netball game? In fact, I’m playing one tomorrow at lunch time and you’ll get to see me in a short skirt if you stay around.’
‘I...’ Suddenly Wal had mixed emotions about going to the rugby match. The thought of seeing Vanessa slender legs and curvy behind in a short skirt flashed through his mind and it was so pleasant it was almost impossible to shake. ‘You’re really playing a netball match tomorrow?’
‘Nuh uh. I was just kidding. I just wanted to see how much you preferred to see guys in shorts to girls in skirts. It’s just that whenever guys start going on about rugby it makes me wonder. But I’m sure you’re all male Wal, nothing to worry about there.’
Wal slowly turned back around, not knowing how to react. He noticed Mav smirking at him. Wal shot him back an evil glare. ‘What?’
‘I think you just got turned down, mate.’
Wal frowned, but then sighed and nodded slowly, ‘Yeah. I think you’re right.’
‘At least she left you with a nice mental image.’
‘True. Nicest way I’ve ever been turned down for a date.’
Pete snickered. ‘I guess you must be used to getting turned down by now.’
Wal glared at his short companion. ‘Shut up, Cook, or I’ll slap you across the ears!’
The hall suddenly became quiet as the teachers made their way up onto the stage. Wal expected to see the school principal, Mr Ropata, take the podium, but he was nowhere to be seen and instead Mr Harris, the head of the physical education department stepped up. He wasn’t dressed in his normal khaki pants and green t-shirt though. Instead he was decked out in military uniform, with stripes and medals.
‘Someone must have died,’ whispered Pete.
‘Either that or war has just been declared against Te Arawa College,’ Mav said.
A complete hush fell across the hall and Mr Harris spoke, ‘I would like us to all rise and sing the English... I mean New Zealand national anthem.’
Wal exchanged blank stares with his friends and noticed the quizzical looks on the faces of the other students around him. They never sang the national anthem except on special occasions.
The words of the national anthem came up on a screen over the stage and one of the teachers sat at the piano and began to play. The teachers rose, so the students did the same. Wal found himself standing and muttering the words to the song as those around him began to sing. He glanced over to the muscular frame of Rex Cassidy who stood a few bodies along from Vanessa and their eyes met. Rex’s left eyebrow lifted as if in acknowledgement that this was an unusual event. Wal knew that Rex and Mr Harris were good friends, but it seemed even Rex was mystified by what was going on.
Finally, the song came to an end and they sat.
Mr Harris glanced around the rows, a smug expression on his face. The side of his mouth curled up under his goatee into a smirk and there was a twinkle in his green eyes. ‘I guess you’re all wondering why we started with the singing of the national anthem. And I guess you’re all wondering why I am standing up here instead of Mr Ropata. That is because for the next month, I will be acting principal of this school!’
Murmurs sounded from all around Wal and he exchanged mystified glances with Pete and Mav.
The 40-year old, head of the PE department continued, ‘Mr Ropata has an overseas conference to attend as well as other business, which means he will not be with us for the rest of the term. Mr Day, the deputy principal is not well, so I have been chosen to take this role while Mr Ropata is away.’ His smirk turned to what looked like an evil smile to Wal. ‘And needn’t think that just because I’m doing Mr Ropata’s duties means I won’t be in charge of physical education classes, because I still will be filling those roles for some classes!’ His eyes narrowed as he stared at one obese student in particular. ‘Yes, Tucker Pyles, your classes included! Don’t think that you’re going to get it easy just because I have other priorities!’
A few students around the overweight Tucker laughed at the forlorn look on his tubby face. Even Wal couldn’t help but feel amused even though they were in the same PE classes.
‘Things will be quite different while Mr Ropata is away! You can be sure of that. Discipline must be maintained and it will be on my watch. In fact, as far as I’m concerned you have all had it too good for too long and as long as I am in charge, that will change!’
Murmurs echoed around the hall once more.
‘One thing that will change as of next Monday is that school will be starting at 7am in the morning!’
There were gasps all around and then cries of disbelief. Wal exchanged horrified glances with his pals. ‘He has got to be joshing!’
‘This is no joke!’ boomed Mr Harris at the top of his voice. ‘Those who do not turn up at sc
hool at 7am sharp will find themselves in serious trouble! They will be on work or exercise duties for the rest of the day and that will not be pleasant! Do I make myself clear?’
Wal couldn’t help but notice the sour looks on the faces of the other teachers up on stage. No doubt they had already been made aware of the changes, because there were no looks of shock on any of their faces.
‘7am sharp, you will all be here for morning assemblies, each morning! And just like this afternoon we will be singing the national anthem to start each one. And I warn you now, you better all make a lot better bloody effort than the piss poor excuse for singing you did just now! This is the national anthem people! We should be proud to sing it! We are patriots! Yes, we are, patriots. Anyone who does not wish to be a patriot will find themselves on detention in the detention room for the entire day. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?’
There were murmurs from across the hall.
‘WHAT?’
‘Yes!’ A lot more students called out this time.
‘Yes sir!’ Mr Harris growled.
‘Yes sir!’ came the replies, of which Wal was not one.
‘You will refer to all your teachers as sir, including female teachers. Is that clear?’
‘Yes sir!’
‘You will each come in clean pressed uniforms each day. If they are not clean, if shirts are hanging out, if hair is messy, you will be put on detention or duties. Is that clear?’
‘Yes sir!’
‘Good! Things are definitely going to be different and I can assure you that you will all learn to be patriotic, you will learn to be disciplined and you will learn to take pride in this school!’ He stopped talking for a few seconds, peering around the school as if to ensure that his messages had sunk in. ‘There will be many changes taking place over the next few days and you will learn about them when the time is necessary. One thing is you will have physical activities every day and because of that you will all be required to bring your PE gear to school each day. Is that understood?’
‘Yes sir!’
‘Excellent. Keep to my regime and there will be no problems. Mess with my rules and there will be problems. And you know that I do not make idle threats. Do I, Tucker Pyles?’
‘No sir!’ called out Wal’s severely overweight classmate.
‘You all thought this was just a school? Well you are wrong. This is more than just a school at least for the next month. I don’t want you to call this Te Arawa College. I want you to call this, Te Arawa Boot Camp!’
CHAPTER 2:
Returning Anxieties