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Bart woke up by his alarm. He rubbed his dry eyes and smacked his Krusty-alarm so it will stop making this annoying high pitched Krusty laugh.
As the room went silent, Bart noticed his racing heart, the empty and lose feeling in his chest and the eye bags sinking deeper, as if he’d hadn’t sleep at all.
He swallowed clumped up spit and felt how sore and dry his throat was. As if he swallowed shards of glass.
He coughed, hard, and somehow that felt even worse. Like lava settle in deep cuts and his lungs trying to escape his body. Tears burning in his eyes.
His hands automatically reached up to his neck, but when it touched it’s skin, throbbing and even a bit swollen. He winced so hard his head started to hurt. With slow and measured movements Bart stood up.
This was probably the result of Homer choking him yesterday for playing him a prank. It was a funny prank to admit and Bart would laugh again from the memory if this wouldn’t hurt his throat even worse.
Timidly he stepped to the bathroom and locked eyes with his image in the mirror. His eyes were lightly swollen and a bit red his face stringy and plumb, from him crying himself to sleep. Nothing he can’t fix with a bit cold water. Much worse was his neck. It was bright red, a few spots even started to go dark blue and green, twice as thick as usually and visibly insured.
Bart swallowed again. This is worse than usually. He never tried cover up bruises that bad and intimidating. His normal shirts will not hide them at all and it was way too warm for a turtleneck or hoodie. He sighed – Great!
Today’s Breakfast was cold and silent and still it was a loud mess. Maybe it was just Bart who was cold and silent. He tried not to flinch to much whenever Homer abruptly moved or spoke to loud.
He couldn’t find something to cover up his neck and besides from a slight worried look from his Mom and Lisa, nothing happened. So he just hopes that nobody at school will ask him about it. At least he could say he was stuck in a gang-fight or something like this. Then the people will think of him as a cool badass – what he totally is. Still he would rather not go out like this.
Before he grabbed his lunch Lisa stepped to him handing him silently a light blue scarf. Nothing he would wear, but now? It was probably better than nothing he is nodding thankful to his sister and places the scarf carefully around his neck. Looking in the mirror in the floor, he can’t see his bruises. So it’s fits its purpose, even tho he looks like a weird hipster nerd.
Then he took his lunch, got a hug from Mom – he acted like he don’t like them, but he loves Moms hugs, even when he’d rather die than say it out loud. Then both kids ran to the school bus.
Lisa rushed to the back rows, Bart walked calmy to Milhouse – nodding to Oscar, who greeted him and then pushed down the accelerator.
A bit shaky – by the sudden speeding – he arrived by Milhouse and sat down.
“Hi Bart. Whoa, where you got that scarf? Why you wear it?”
Bart rolls his eyes and shrugged. “I felt like wearing it, man.” His voice was rusty and hurting from using it – which was the first time he realized that he hadn’t said anything before.
Milhouse vibrated from excitement. “We can come tomorrow together with scarfs. I can take one from my Mom. She has one that’s pink and glittery but I’m sure when I wear it, it will look cool-“ Bart leaned back and blocked Milhouse out.
He even ignored Nelsons comments on his ‘girl-scarf’ and instead closed his eyes for a Moment. He still was tired and felt like shit. And today he would have English, Geography and Math’s. He was already bored. But at least his teachers don’t expect anything from him, so he can probably zone out the entire Class and do nothing. As if his life would ever be that easy.
First period was just half way done, when Ms. Krabappel asked him something. He narrowed to the board and tried to find out what she just talked about.
“Now Bart.” She said with short temper.
“uhm-“ he stammers.
“I just explained it! You haven’t listen, have you? And what is it with that stupid scarf?! Take it off! I don’t want a prank from you today!”
“I just wanted to wear it, I won’t take it off!” his voice sounded hoarse and quiet. But Ms. Krabappel doesn’t seem to notice this.
She looked at him with anger and disappointment. “That’s it Bart! Go to the Principals office. I don’t want to see you in this class until it’s finished!”
This wasn’t to bad. Bart just wished he came to Skinners office because of something he actually did and not because he managed to insult his teacher when she had a bad day. So he just stood up and walked to Skinners office. He tried to look as confident and cheeky as always, placed his hands in his pockets and grin back when he leaves the class.
He can go this way in his sleep, which he actually is proud of and for a moment his mood lighted up and he grinned for real.
At least at school there is no Homer who yells at him, choke him till he feels his eyes try to pop out of their sockets. Here he is in power. They can’t do anything to him he’s afraid of. Not that he is afraid of Homer – of course not… he is always fighting back. A person who is afraid wouldn’t do this, right?
He arrived at Skinners door. He hesitated a moment. Just for once he felt like he is wrong here. He shook his head – ignored the pierced pain in his temple getting worse – and finally knocked on Skinners door.
Exact door was torn open by the man, who looked ten times angrier, when he saw Bart standing there. Bart started to smiling bashfully and awkward.
With a sight and a firmly – not hurtful – grip, Skinner took his arm and pulled Bart in his office. Bart was used to that. Besides Homer would do that more threateningly and make it hurt.
Skinner sighed again, tired as nobody should ever be. Bart sat down on his usual chair.
“What was it this time, Bart?” Bart shrugged. But Skinner just looked at him without saying anything.
“Eat. My. Shorts.” Bart said. It’s actually always funny to provoke Skinner – or really anyone at this matter – when he is already tired and angry. Bart likes to provoke, even if it makes things worse. “Bart, I’m tired of your behavior. You are loud, ignorant, stubborn and unteachable. I don’t know what it was, why Edna sent you here, but I don’t need to. Detention! For 2 Weeks after school.”
Bart looked shocked to Skinner. “Are you serious? I didn’t do anything wrong!” Bart shouted croaky.
“I wouldn’t know. But you probably get in trouble anyways so a week more isn’t that bad.” Skinner started to ramble.
“Krabappel said I have to take off my scarf. I said no. That’s it!” Bart responded angrily.
Skinner looked at him and at his scarf. “Why wouldn’t you take it off? Is there a snake under? Something hidden? A tattoo? Prank utensils?-“
On every other day Bart would have the time of his life and there would be definitely something hidden under the scarf. He has something hidden, technically. But it’s different. Normally he would have thought about a new prank by now and how to get new utensils here – It’s harder for him, they are watching him very carefully so he often has to smuggle new stuff in.
But yesterday it was… worse than usual and he feels – fragile is the wrong word, it makes him feel too weird – raw and bloody. His thoughts – the night and today – were all over the way and unfocused. So no, he doesn’t want to have this conversation with Skinner. But it’s so unfair to just give him Detention, for nothing! He did way worse and got less punishment than now.
“I have nothing hidden! There is no prank today! That’s so unfair!” Bart almost had to cough when he started to shout. He pushed it aside.
Skinner looked at him with this look reserved for troublemaker – so Bart – up and down, scanning if there is anything that could be used for a prank. “If you have nothing to hide then you can take off the scarf and show me there is nothing.”
Bart froze. Skinner caught it up. “When there is nothing you hide then you can go back to class, no detention and I’ll talk to Edna, that she even apologizes to you.”
Bart blinks. What a deal, probably the easiest he’d got out of trouble. He does feels uncomfortable to show his neck. But they are alone in Skinners office. Nobody would see it. He doesn’t have to prove anything to Skinner, besides it’s not like they wouldn’t know a bit or more about Homers parenting ways anyway.
He can’t remember a teacher ever apologizing to him. Just the thought of it gives him this satisfied, chaotic energy he feels after pulling a prank.
He can put the scarf back on after. Nobody else has to see it and it’s not like anyone ever had cared. So after a moment of deep thoughts he shrugged and agreed.
“I want a real apology from both of you for not trusting me and you have to take my word for real from now on.” He reached his hand out for a handshake. For a moment Skinner looked concerned because of Barts confidence but he catches himself – probably calculating the odds that Bart could be right – and shook his hand. “Deal.”
Bart nodded and then waited a second. With unsteady hands and a surprisingly gently pull he took off the scarf. His eyes followed the blue fabric as he hold it at one end and shook it so Skinner sees there is absolutely nothing hidden. “So, What’ya say, man?”
He looked up and glanced at Skinner – pale as if he saw a ghost. His eyes focusing beyond Barts face. He didn’t even looks at the scarf. His gaze was directly on Barts neck, which was still pulsing and felt hurt whenever he tilted his head a little.
The room was full of silence. It is not what Bart expected and he felt a little freaked out by Skinners frozen expression. “What? Aye, can I go back to class now? It’s boring here! And don’t forget my apology! And I probably need a note so Ms. Krabappel takes me back. Also this apology should be on your knees and I want you two to-“
Skinner interrupts him. “You will not go back to class…” He said with this empty cool tone. As if he is far away. Sometimes Barts Mom sounds like this, when his father did something stupid.
“What? No! Our deal was that if I have nothing to hide I can go and I had nothing hide!”
Skinner shook his head and started pouring some water in a glass Bart haven’t even noticed before. He shoves it to Barts side of the table. “This is not part of the deal. This is concerning and part of schools safety protocols. It’s not a punishment, I just have to ask you a few questions and call a bunch of people.”
Bart just stared at the waterglass for a Moment. Then he tooks it and threw it at the wall. But Skinner didn’t even flinch. He didn’t looked angry. Nothing. And Bart slightly felt Panic rising. People don’t look at him like that. With this knowing, concerned look that makes his skin crawl. As if he is weak and incapable of protecting himself.
As if he breaks apart with a slight draft. Not even his own Mother looks at him that way. Except if there was a parent meeting about his grades. Sometimes Lisa looking at him with pity for being dumb and stupid.
Everyone’s always telling or signalizing him, that this was the right way to treat him. Nothing else works for his behaving. His father – in fact anyone – has the right to punish him in any way.
He gazed up to Skinners face, full of pity and still empty. He just have to make him think the same. “Listen man, just a bunch of kids were unhappy with me stealing their pot or something and uh… they did this, ok? So no big deal.”
Skinner face didn’t change a bit. “Who was it?” Bart blinks. “That’s not relevant.”
“They beat you up and threatened your life. If your story is true then they would still have consequences for what they did. So who was it?”
Bart gulped. “I can’t remember the names.”
“How do they looked like?”
Bart felt his heart raising. “I don’t remember. Listen I don’t care so can we please get over it? It’s not like this doesn’t happen all the time and he always has a reason and everyone understands so if I can go now I would much rather have Math’s than be here-“ Bart had gone to the door, while still looking at Skinner and brabbling about Excuses.
Skinner stood up. “You will stay and you will tell me everything. Or I can call your parents and the police.”
Bart blinks again. “Call the Police! They are incapable of anything! I don’t have to listen to you. Actually I don’t have to be here anymore. Eat a wiener, Skinner!”
With shaky hands Bart opened the door and got out. He breathed deep in for a long moment then he sprints through the floors and outside. There is no way he will stay in school after that! He can never really concentrate but now there is actually no chance.
He is worrying about tomorrow and the next days. Skinner looked really intense and he will probably obsess over Bart right now. Bart has to think of a lie. Or show Skinner how annoying he is and let him understand what everyone else has already understood.
So he has to go to his treehouse and plan a prank. He could use the scarf…
And Skinner will drop his pity and leave him alone. It’s a perfect plan!