Chapter #3And then everything stopped by: Danny   "Five minutes,” Jasper repeats out loud.
I could use more than five minutes Jasper thought to himself. He closed his eyes and cursed himself for forgetting the lock to his bike. He knew that his bike was probably safe, and that most of the kids in his school could be trusted … most, but not all.
His thoughts ran to Michael Gibson the weirdest kid in school! Everyone knew Gib-stick, as they all called him because he was so skinny and weak from the time they were eight years old until today. He had always been different and most of the kids picked on him all the time, but in the past few months Gib-stick had become weirder still. He had started to put on weight, some muscle, and he had started fighting back against all those who had picked on him, and he always won. His fights were so strange. He seemed to never throw a punch or make a move, but he would win and hurt the other kid badly. Everyone now knew that you did not cross Gib-stick. Even to call him Gib-stick was enough to get yourself very, very hurt. Jasper did not even want to think the name Gib-stick because it seemed like Gib-stick, Michael, knew when people were talking about him. It was like he could read your thoughts.
Jasper had never referred to Michael as Gib-stick or joined in when other kids picked on him. Jasper always said hello to Michael, but they were never friends. However, a few days earlier Jasper was running down the hall because he was late for class. He turned a corner quickly and collided with Michael. Michael fell to the ground hard and all of his books and papers flew in every direction. Jasper had not seen him until it was too late, and did not feel the impact of their collision as Michael had. As Jasper stood still above Michael, who was struggling to get up, they made eye contact.
“I’m sorry, Michael, I am late for Anatomy. I didn’t mean to knock you over,” Jasper explained quickly as he offered a hand out to Michael to help him up.
Michael did not say a word. He only stared coolly into Jasper’s eyes. Jasper felt a strange sensation deep in his body. Like a warming sensation that was growing hotter and hotter. Jasper looked down to his midsection where the heat was coming from and then quickly back to Michael. Michael broke his stare and the sensation left Jasper’s body. Jasper did not know if in that moment he was feeling a new strange power beginning or if it was something else.
Michael did accept Jasper’s assistance. He slowly got to his feet and began retrieving his books and papers from the hallway floor. Jasper picked up a book and was reaching for another set of papers when Michael said, “Just leave them. Get on to class. I don’t want your help.”
Jasper knew it was best to leave Michael so to not anger him further. “I am really sorry, Michael,” Jasper said over his shoulder as he turned to leave. Just then Jasper realized that three of the prettiest girls in their grade were watching the whole thing. These girls had always picked on Michael. They are the three who had come up with the name Gib-stick. It was no secret that Michael had a crush on all three of the girls, and especially their leader Haley Stedt. Haley was a devious girl who liked to tease Michael. She would flirt with him all the time, but always called him Gib-stick while the other girls giggled.
Jasper knew this situation was about to get worse for Michael, and it did.
“Hey, Gib-stick, are you gonna let Jasper run all over you like that?” Haley was the first to call out. The other two were quick to join in with their jeering and continuous giggling. Jasper turned back to Michael and their eyes met again. Jasper knew that Michael would not be angry at the girls. He knew that Michael would blame their teasing on him this time, and he was right.
“You think this is funny?” Michael said in a low angry voice to Jasper.
“No, I didn’t mean to run into you, Michael,” Jasper replied emphasizing the name Michael in his reply. It was then that Jasper realized that all of the books and papers that had just been scattered throughout the hallway were neatly stacked in Michael’s arms.
Michael interrupted Jasper’s thoughts, “Don’t worry about it. Soon enough they will be laughing at you!” With that Michael walked past Jasper with a terse grin on his lips.
Jasper had forgotten about this encounter until now. For some reason Jasper knew that he should have locked his bike, but he also thought that it would not matter. If Michael Gibson wanted Jasper’s bike, no lock was going to protect it. It was then that Jasper realized that he had been standing in the hallway with his eyes closed reliving this encounter for several moments. Jasper opened his eyes.
Everything and everyone in school was frozen in place. Jasper turned around. A younger student had been carrying her books loosely and one had come loose and was falling to the ground. Jasper looked astonishingly at the book suspended in mid-fall. The book was opening. A neatly folded note had started to escape the book’s pages and was frozen on the edge of freedom. Jasper recognized this as the kind of notes his female classmates pass to one anther during boring lectures. The whole world seemed frozen in place. Jasper walked around the hallways and peeked inside of classrooms. Nothing moved. No fans were turning. No one breathed. Jasper thought nearly half an hour had passed, and still nothing had changed. He looked at his watch. No time had passed! It was still five minutes until the hour.
Jasper realized that he had done this. I just wanted more that five minutes to talk with Brandt and Ivan before going to history class. I wonder if the whole world is stopped, or just what is close to me. I wonder how I get it to start again. I wonder if they can all see me walking around them. These thoughts and more all ran through Jasper’s head.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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