Caught
“I haven’t a particle of confidence in a man who has no redeeming petty vices whatever”—Mark Twain—
Aver Tellovii laughed with the rest of them when nine-year-old Cadet Zormna Clendar was caught sneaking from the pronuk hall during her History class. She hadn’t shown up, and Alea Her’nann stormed out of the classroom with the entire class following like a mob out to murder her. When the teacher noticed the students following him, he ordered them to wait as he marched down the athletic hall and retrieved the girl, just as they saw her cross to the showers. Alea Her’nann dragged her out by her ear all the way down to the Kevin’s office.
“Lemee go!” The little blond prankster screeched as the Alea yanked her over to the Kevin’s door. Cadet Zormna glared at Aver Tellovii, who was the teacher’s aide at the cadet training school, even as they dragged her to the office doors.
The Aver only smiled back. “You’re gonna get it now.”
Alea Her’nann pressed the com button. “Alea Her’nann reporting, Kevin. I have Cadet Zormna Clendar here to see you.”
The com buzzed. <<Which one, Alea Her’nann? You know there are hundreds of Zormna Clendars in the Patrol.>>
“Your Zormna, sir.” The Alea gave the small green-eyed girl a dirty look.
Zormna went bright red and turned her head to the floor—as much as she could anyway since the Alea still had a hold of her ear.
<<Enter.>>
Both the Alea and Zormna walked into the room. Aver Tellovii waited to see what the result was, standing patiently outside the door. It was mere minutes before both Zormna and the instructor came out of the room again. Cadet Zormna was hanging her head even lower, and the Alea was beaming. Alea Her’nann turned to Aver Tellovii immediately.
“Aver, I want you to take this cadet here to the showers. She is to scrub them by hand until dinner time.”
Aver Tellovii smirked with satisfaction and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
The teacher’s aide immediately led the way down the hall, and Cadet Zormna followed sulking as she dragged her feet. They passed the class of cadets that was still waiting in the hall, somewhat like a gauntlet as her classmates cast jeers at her. And why not? She got better marks than they did, and she hardly did the work. She deserved it.
“Hey, Zormna, wanna play a game of pronuk?” One boy made grotesque faces at her.
“Got caught?” Another boy brayed with a nasal snort to punctuate his mirth.
“Scrubba, scrubba!” A girl jeered, motioning like she was scrubbing the floor.
“Smarty pants, did a dance. She got caught in her underpants!” A group of girls chanted together, their faces in sneers. About three of them were also called Zormna; two were Clendars, though all were viciously jealous of the favoritism the Kevin showed that one Zormna.
The Kevin’s Zormna turned redder and redder as she walked through the gauntlet classmates. Only Salvar did not jeer. He stood against the wall watching the floor. The both of them had ditched class together, but he was the one that didn’t get caught. She Averted her eyes and continued on.
“Zormna Clendar didn’t get far. Ran around like a dizzy flight car. When she
Impressum
Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 23.02.2018
ISBN: 978-3-7554-7871-3
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