This story is a work of fiction which contains strong elements of great humiliation, racism, non-consent and abuse. Please do not read any further if any of these elements bother you. Such acts should never be done in real life.
*****
I smile a wide smile, one that I rarely ever smile as I race out of the classroom. I was right and the teacher wrong! I know I'm an adult as I am 18, (turned 18, 3 months ago!) but it still gives me a little pick me up when I'm able to show I was right when a teacher was wrong. On the test I got back in Math, she had marked two test answers as wrong and I was able to show her I was right. She even said she believed me without checking, as I'm one of the smartest people in the school.
Having to talk to her did cost me though. Now I might be late to class to my next class, and I'm never late! With this in mind, I walk very fast, almost running down the hallway. I probably have under a minute to get there.
As I move down the hallway, I keep my head down as I pass by the other people and crowds. It's silly, but I hate standing out. You know? I just don't like people looking at me. It's not that I'm disliked or anything, just...I'm shy. And do my best to make sure I stay in the background. I like being where I am, the smart girl that no one really knows. Which is easy to do since there's nothing that makes me stand out physically. I'm just another black girl in a very diverse school.
Then time seems to slow down as I see it happen. Like some magic spell was cast, I watch it all happen, powerless to stop it. HE turns the corner from a joining hallway. HIM. The crazy janitor. And I'm feet from him, practically running. With all my might I try to stop or change course but I can't. I'm going to run into him.
WHAM.
I run straight into him...and the coffee he has holding. He barely moves as he is so much bigger than I, but I stumble backward as if running into a brick wall. But the coffee...the coffee spills all over the front of his shirt. All of it spills and from the looks of it, it was very hot.
Oh what have I done? HIM. He's the one everyone talks about. The one that's been to jail most of his life. The one that has murdered before! Oh, how many stories have I heard about him? They say that he has kidnapped students before. That when someone goes missing, he got them. That's why you never go in the halls during class or after school unless you are with someone. Some even says he likes to eat the flesh of the family members of those he kills!
In shock and horror, I stand there like a deep caught in the headlights. Oh. What have I done?!
----
"Hey Jim, needed a coffee break?" One of the teachers calls out and I wave back with a smile. As the custodian/maintenance man here at this school, I know all of the teachers and am friends with a lot of them. When I walk down any hallway most wave and give greetings. The kids of course rush out of my way as if I was the star monster in a horror movie.
I know they talk about me and make up who knows what sort of rumors about me. This is surely payback for when I was a kid and did the same thing. Many, many years ago I had an IED blow up next to me, leaving my face with a good number of scars. This combined with my uniform does make me look a bit, well, menacing, but anyone that's ever talked to me for more than 10 seconds know nothing could be further from the truth. I do admit, it does get tiresome to see so many people scared of you day after day for no reason. Especially when I see the looks of terror on their faces. Sometimes it makes me down right angry.
I sigh over this as I turn the corner of this hallway, thinking that I'll head to the lounge to enjoy my fresh cup of coffee.
WHAM!
Great. Just Great. Some kid ran right into me, right into my coffee. It splashes all over my shirt, drenching it. Thank goodness it wasn't hot coffee but mildly warm otherwise I would be in trouble. But I was looking forward to drinking it.
I look to the kid about to say 'excuse me' as I really wasn't looking. It's a girl. An older girl, most likely a senior here. She stands there like a statue, staring at me as if I have gun aimed at her face. For a moment I think the blow must have knocked her silly. But then I see her eyes. She's scared. She's scared because it's me. The crazy, weirdo, murdering janitor that eats cats or whatever.
Something about the way she looks at me really bothers me. He's not just scared, she's terrified. She really thinks that I'm about to murder her or something. How dare she be so scared? She doesn't even know me! I never seen her before yet she's so scared she could probably pee her pants.
"You!" I say, making my voice deep and grave. I don't know what I'm doing, but it sort of feels right. "I outta pour the loot and coffee over your doggie's grave!" I tell her, making it sound as crazy as possible. Hey, if she wants me to act crazy, I'll be crazy! I'll show her something to be scared of! Especially since there's no teachers or other students around right now, and even if there were, they would probably get a good laugh at this.
"This be my baptism cloth and you flattened it!" I tell her as I point to my coffee filled shirt. "For that, you best be at my house of dirt, prepared for the education of the sun! Now go!" I say, starting to shake comically as I make my voice sound like broken glass. I shake my fist as she runs down the hall, having to serious control myself or else fall to the ground laughing.
Oh god. That was hilarious. She really believed I was that crazy! Once she turns the corner of the last hallway, I start to laugh. I laugh and laugh, having to hold to the wall to keep myself upright. Oh, I needed that. I really did. Oh, what a nice piece of revenge.
----
"Girl, you alright?" The girl sitting next to me in class asks. I barely notice this is the 3rd or fourth time she's asked this.
"Oh, yeah," I answer, forgetting that I'm even in class at the moment. All I can do is play and replay what just happened. Oh, what mess have I gotten myself into? The janitor's words keep sounding in my head, damn near blocking everything else out, even the teacher. And this is my fav class too! All I seem to concentrate on is what he said.
"I outta pour the loot and coffee over your doggie's grave. This be my baptism cloth and you flattened it. For that, you best be at my house of dirt, prepared for the education of the sun! Now go." That's what he said. That's what he told me. I remember every word because that's what I'm good at. And my gosh, he is just as crazy as they all said he was. And now I have to figure out what he means. What does he want?
I know what he wants, but I can't bring myself to believe it. He wants me to go to his office. Right? "Best be at my house of dirt." He cleans all day right? That's the dirt part. And his office is where he spends most of his day, so it would be his home. But what is he planning to educate me with? Not anything good for sure.
I know I should tell a teacher. Heck, I should tell the police or SWAT! But if I do, what will happen if they don't believe me? Or worse, if they investigate but find no proof? Then the crazy janitor is going to be beyond mad! And they say that if you really make him mad, he not only goes after you, but your entire family. I know I messed up, but I can't get my family hurt. They didn't do anything wrong...I did.
The entire class period I take no notes and barely listen. All I do is try to convince myself of what I need to do. And that's to go to his office. If I don't, he'll come after me. He'll probably do it at night when I'm home, and my family will pay the price. I'm going to have to do this. He wouldn't do anything that bad right? Not at school at least. Right? Right?
The next thing I know...I'm in the empty last hallway of the school in front of his office door during the next class change. I stand there, staring at the door, trying to will courage to come inside me. Then the bell rings for class to begin, knocking sense into me. I have to do this! I have to! What choice to I have?
With a trembling hand, I knock on the door.
--
I'm inside my custodian's closet, or what everyone else calls 'an office' even though it's small and has shelves filled with paper towels, rags, and various cleaners. I'm currently rewiring the floor buffer's ignition switch as it keeps turning off, when I hear a knock on the door. I don't get up as it's probably some kid playing a prank, you know, knock on the crazy man's door then run like hell before he answers it. Then another knock sounds about 20 seconds later.
"Yeah?" I ask opening the door. I see a very scared black girl there and she looks vaguely familiar. It takes my brain a few seconds to catch up but I realize it's the girl from the hallway, the one that spilled my coffee. Stunned doesn't begin to cover how I feel. The look of terror on her face...the way she's shaking...it's just all too much.
"What?" I ask very rudely as I feel anger building in me. How dare she be so scared of me? How dare she be so naΓ―ve and stupid! And why is she even here?!