“You see him?” I asked in a whisper. Her gaze flickered cautiously behind me to where I knew Leif stood and then they darted over to where the soul stood.
Once her eyes came back to mine she nodded slowly.
“Um, yes, but what ‘him’ are we talking about?” she asked in a hushed whisper. I glanced quickly over to where the soul was still talking to students and signing things. Miranda leaned close to my ear. “That is Dank Walker, everyone sees him. Did you take some serious pain meds this morning?
Because you’re acting strange.”
Dank Walker. The soul, my soul, was Dank Walker the rocker? A hand rested on my shoulder and I turned slowly around to face Leif. His concerned frown was identical to Miranda’s. I shook my head to clear it and forced a smile.
“Mom made me take some of my pain pills this morning and I think they’re messing with my head,” I lied, grasping at the excuse Miranda had just given me. Leif smiled and slipped his arm protectively around my shoulders.
“Ah, well, I’ll take care of you. Come on, let’s get you to your first class. I’ve already got your books.” I walked beside Leif, relieved, yet disappointed we wouldn’t be walking past the soul. I kept waiting to see if I would wake up from this strange dream and hear the soul playing softly in my room.
I arrived at English Literature before I realized Leif had been guiding me to it. He turned me around to face him. “If you need me, text me and I will be here in a second, okay?” I nodded and he gave me a quick kiss before turning and leaving me at the door of my classroom. I walked inside, fighting the urge to glance back and see the crowd of people around the soul, whom they called Dank Walker. I sat down at the first desk I came to and started to open my book when a warm tingling ran through my body. Startled, I glanced up.
Dank was making his way toward me. I chanced a peek over at the other kids in the class. Everyone’s eyes were on him.
Girls were giggling and whispering. This had to be some sort of insane dream. He took the seat behind me and I fought the urge to shiver at the warming sensation his nearness seemed to be causing. This hadn’t happened before.
“I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Dank Walker.” His familiar, smooth drawl sure didn’t sound like I was dreaming.
I turned around to look at him. If I’d taken pain pills this morning I would be convinced I was tripping. There was no excuse for this hallucination. “I don’t understand,” I said simply.
An apologetic smile tugged at his full lips. Were his lips fuller now that he was flesh and blood?
“I know, and I’m sorry.”
Was it too much to ask for him to elaborate? If this was real then it would be awfully nice if he could explain to me how all of a sudden he could be seen by the rest of the living world. Better yet, why did they all believe him to be a rock star? He didn’t say anything else but his eyes never left mine.
Someone walked by and asked him for an autograph and he shook his head without taking his eyes off me. Everyone in the room seemed to be watching us. Talking to him here wouldn’t get me any answers. I tore my eyes from his warm gaze and turned back around in my seat. If I didn’t wake up soon then I’d worry about a better explanation than ‘I’m sorry’.
“Settle down, settle down.” Mr. Brown’s voice carried over the excited whispering and occasional giggles. “It’s very exciting, I realize, to have a,” Mr. Brown waved a hand in Dank’s direction, “young man among us, whose talents many of you enjoy. However, this is a time to learn the beauty that English Literature holds for us. We can moon and swoon over Mr. Walker during our lunchtime.
“Now, today we’re going to move on from our study of Shakespeare. We have briefly touched upon him this year because this was not your first exposure to Shakespeare and I feel it is important to focus on some other famous playwrights. The ancient Greek playwright, Aeschylus, was just as influential in his works. In fact, various ancient sources attribute between seventy and ninety plays to him. I believe on Friday I asked you all to read the chapter in your book concerning Aeschylus, and since it was the weekend I know this was a huge request. However, can anyone in here tell me something you learned from your reading?” Mr.
Brown clasped his hands together across his chest to rest just above his round stomach. The room remained quiet. I’d spent my weekend trying to catch up on all my missed schoolwork and reading about Aeschylus hadn’t been very important. Besides, focusing right now would be difficult.
“Only six of his tragedies have survived intact: The Persians, Seven against Thebes, The Suppliants, and the trilogy known as The Oresteia, consisting of the three tragedies Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers and The Eumenides. ” Dank’s smooth voice carried over the room and Mr. Brown stared back at him surprised.
“Seven, Mr. Walker. You forgot Prometheus Bound.”
“Prometheus Bound’s authorship is disputed. It’s widely thought to be the work of a later author.” Dank’s voice held a tone of boredom.
Mr. Brown straightened his short, wide frame and stared down at Dank with a slow smile coming over his face. “Why, yes it is, but that information was not within your textbook.” He looked at the rest of the class grinning like someone had brought him a dozen doughnuts. “It appears that our musical friend is well educated.”
I heard a quiet chuckle from behind me and I glanced over my shoulder to see Dank’s eyes on me. Did he read minds? Did he have super powers? I turned away from him and closed my eyes, trying to get the questions lodging themselves in my head about Dank Walker pushed aside long enough to pay attention in class.
“Very good, very good indeed. Now, as stated on your syllabus for the year, you’re all to have purchased copies of The Oresteia: Agamemnon; The Libation Bearers; The Eumenides. We are going to begin our study on Aeschylus by reading his work, Agamemnon. Who brought their book to class as requested on Friday?” I stared down at my textbook and notebook. Leif hadn’t known to get the paperback from my locker. “Ah, and our new student surprises me yet again.” I glanced up to see Mr. Brown nodding toward Dank’s desk.
“That is the book on your desk is it not Mr. Walker?”
“Yes sir,” Dank answered and I involuntarily shivered. I thought I heard another soft chuckle come from behind me.
“Well, then would you please begin reading for me? Since it appears that the rest of the students in this room, who were in fact here on Friday, seem to be suffering from memory loss.”
Dank cleared his throat and began reading. “Dear gods, set me free from all the pain, the long watch I keep, one whole year awake...propped on my arms, crouched on the roofs of Atreus like a dog. I know the stars by heart, the armies of the night, and there in the lead the ones that bring us snow or the crops of summer, bring us all we have - our great kings of the sky, I know them, when they rise and when they fall...and now I watch for the light, the signal-fire breaking out of Troy, shouting Troy is taken. So, she commands, full of her high hopes.”
The class went by so quickly with Dank’s hypnotic voice commanding the room. The ring of the bell caused me to jump. I shook my head trying to get out of the trance his reading had put me in. I stood up and reached for my books, knowing Leif would be at the door waiting for me, ready to take my books to my next class. It took supreme effort not to glance back at Dank.