Griff Carver, Hallway Patrol by Jim Krieg

Author:Jim Krieg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin USA, Inc.
Published: 2010-03-29T04:00:00+00:00

The funny thing is that it sounds just like a jet engine. I know that because my Camp Scout troop visited Metro Airport and were given an up-close and personal look at a Learjet 45, and I can say with some confidence that its rear-mounted engine sounds exactly like the flush of Toilet #3 in the Main Hall boys’ lavatory.

But only if you are listening from inside the toilet.

Which I was, thanks to Big Ben and Morgan Boca, who clearly have considerable experience administering a regulation swirly. It’s a common enough crime. In the United Kingdom, it’s known as bogwashing. If you were to experience this in Australia, where flushed water swirls counterclockwise, you would have received a dunnyflushing .

I struggled, of course, but it was mostly reflex. From my training, I know there’s no escape from this maneuver when it is being properly executed. And, from where I was sitting, it clearly was.

But I’ll tell you, Delane, much more than the physical discomfort, the pain I felt was from embarrassment. No, not from the humiliation of the prank, but from my own blindness. That gushing torrent of toilet water splashing me in the face was a wake-up call.

I had no idea this kind of activity was occurring. On my beat. Mine! But if this was happening to me (and, believe me, it was), it was happening to other kids too. Right under my nose.

In that moment it became quite obvious to me that the Rampart Middle I thought I knew so well was nothing more than an illusion. In all my time here, I’d been looking only at the surface. The nice, shiny, multiple Certificate of Excellence in State Education award-winning exterior. But there’s another side. A Dark Side.

It exists in the same place as the school we know and love at the same time. But, unless you know what to look for, it’s invisible.

You know that look Griff gets in his eyes? Like he’s squinting? And how he doesn’t look right at you while you’re talking to him? I think maybe it’s because he’s searching for the Dark Side.

And from now on, now that I know it’s there, I’ll be looking for it too.

At least, that’s what I was thinking in those few seconds (it felt like hours) that Volger’s buddies held my head down in the toilet bowl.

The next thing I knew, I was alone and drying my hair with the wall-mounted air blower. I only used a few paper towels. Why should the environment suffer just because I was the victim of aggravated mischief?

Of course, duty dictated my next move, and, before my hair was even dry, I was marching to your office to make my report. Reams and Montelongo were instantly on their feet when they saw me heading toward your door unannounced.

“He’s busy,” Montelongo quickly piped in as I brushed by him. A lot of the hall cops talk about how big Roy Montelongo is, but you won’t be surprised that he doesn’t intimidate me in the least.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.