Sky A Novel in 3 Sets and an Encore

Chapter One Every school has them. The invisibles. Not liked, not disliked. How can you dislike what isn't there? It's a clue when you're standing in the lunch line trying to decide about a tuna sandwich and a girl runs right into you, spilling a glob of chocolate pudding on your shirt. This actually happened."What were you doing there?" she yelled, like he'd jumped out at her from behind a bush."Um..."The place busted up laughing. You'd think they'd be laughing at her, but he was such an easy target. From the jocks' table came whistles and applause. Sky's face reddened, and you could see the beads of sweat at the base of his dirty blond crew cut.You wouldn't think life could get worse than that. Except Alec Schuyler had another problem, as bad as being invisible. He was inaudible.Hard to say how it started. He just started talking less and less. His grandmother had always accused him of mumbling, but it was well known that she was hard of hearing. In the past couple of years, though, teachers were saying it too, and then school friends. In Truscott's class he didn't speak at all.Truscott was teaching Shakespeare this semester. Alec Schuyler hated Shakespeare. Who could blame him? You'd hate anything Truscott taught you. Lucky his best friends in the world -- all right, his only friends, just about -- Max and Suze, were in the same English section."Well, class, who can tell me the significance of Hamlet's last words?" Mark Truscott, handsome and erect, clasped his hands behind his back and rose onto his toes and down again, his brown wing tips gleaming."Uh-uh!" he said, holding up a warning finger. "No peeking!"Half the students, including Sky, immediately stopped riffling through the play."Well, what are Hamlet's last words? Let's start with that. Mr. Schuyler, will you help us out?"Sky's stomach churned."Do we need a hint? It starts, 'The rest is...'" He opened his blue eyes wide, ready to receive. "'The rest is...'?"Max's hand shot up. "History?""The rest is history? Nice try, Mr. Rosen, but no, the rest is not history. And please refrain from answering until you're called on." He turned back to Sky. "The rest, Mr. Schuyler?"Sky looked like he was choking."Darkness?" Suze called out without even raising her hand.Truscott turned his undeceivable blue eyes on her, like a lighthouse catching a small boat in its beam. He smiled."Darkness. Very interesting, Miss Matheson. Not your answer, but the fact that you felt compelled to rescue your classmate. But you see, he doesn't need rescuing. The answer is on the tip of his tongue, is it not, Mr. Schuyler?""Ah...""I see it there, about to take flight."Gertrude Somerville tittered nervously, then blushed pink when Truscott looked at her. Steve Glass gave a snuffling smirk."The rest, Mr. Schuyler?" persisted Truscott.Sky opened his mouth, but no sound came out."Exactly!" Truscott exclaimed.The students looked confused."Silence!" crowed Truscott. "'The rest is silence.' Thank you, Mr. Schuyler! I was sure we could depend on you for silence."General laughter erupted. Sky grabbed his books and bolted from class."'See, it stalks away!'" cried Truscott. "'Stay! Speak, speak! I charge thee, speak!'" He chuckled at the boy's retreating form. "And which character said that? Class?"Max Rosen didn't even take his books. He just hurried after his friend."I wouldn't leave, Mr. Rosen, if you care about your grade.""Screw my grade, Mr. Truscott," declared Max in a loud voice. A girl near the back let out a gasp as Max banged the door behind him.Mr. Truscott seemed unperturbed. "You know the way to the principal's office," he called after him almost gaily. He shook his head. "This play certainly arouses strong emotions. Shall we go on? Miss Matheson, I'd like to see you after class."Quite a morning.Max found Sky in the courtyard outsideTownley, Roderick is the author of 'Sky A Novel in 3 Sets and an Encore', published 2004 under ISBN 9780689857126 and ISBN 0689857128.