S.O.S. Perk (S.O.S. #6)

CHAPTER SEVEN

Perk remembered high school well; the popular factions, the stoners, the picked-on nerds, the cocky, over-the-top assholes. He wondered which group or groups he’d have to become part of for this go-round, and how badly it would end up getting on his nerves.

He assumed that the people responsible for the money-grabs and the disappearance of Kaelyn would be the asshole faction, but one could never be too sure. It might be the nerds who were into crypto, flexing their mental muscles against the masses who denigrated them; stealing enough money to pad their nests and become high-rolling CEOs later in life.

Nothing surprised Perk these days.

He grabbed his backpack as he left the car of the still non-communicative Agent Smalley, pulled his hoodie up to hide his head, and joined other people arriving at school. Slumping his shoulders to hopefully appear smaller, he shuffled into the line of kids headed in through the front doors. He’d memorized the layout of the school, and knew exactly where he should be going to meet with Melissa Phillipoff, or Ms. P, as the kids called her. It was going to be strange, conversing with the woman who was Sloane’s best friend; the one who had been going to vet him for Sloane, and who, for now, would now be someone he couldn’t even remotely consider a peer.

He hoped he could pull off his new role without the woman becoming suspicious.

But, first things first. He had to get by security.

“ID please.” The security cop sitting behind a plastic folding table held out his hand and wiggled his fingers.

Just as Perk figured, the officer who’d watched him walk up had tagged him as an unknown entity and required identification that Perk did not yet possess.

“I’m new,” Perk mumbled. “I’m supposed to see a Ms. P.”

The man unclipped a walkie-talkie from his belt and notified someone. “Darlene, we have a new student at the door. His name is…” The officer raised a brow at him.

“Thomas. Thomas Perdudan.”

It was all Perk could do not to snort. The name the Bureau had blessed him with was funny as hell.

The guard repeated the name, scowling when the answer came back loud and clear that the school wasn’t expecting any Thomas Perdudan.

“Jones. Can you cover my station?” the cop called sideways to a cohort who was standing against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest. “I’m taking this kid down to the office.” He switched his long-suffering gaze to Perk and arose. “Come with me.”

Perk gave what he hoped was an appropriately long sigh.

As he followed, several different factions of youngsters eyeballed him curiously. He supposed that as entrances went, this wasn’t a bad one. There’d be talk about him being escorted onto the premises, which would raise his cred and hopefully serve the bad-boy persona he’d soon adopt.

Scuffling along after the officer, Perk tried to appear as blasé about the whole being shepherded thing as possible; making it seem like he had everything in hand and wasn’t the least bit intimidated by his circumstances.

He’d never been that kind of kid at school; completely confident and in charge. Rocking a face that always looked years younger than everyone else’s had left him attempting, most times, to simply blend in. But he’d had one advantage back then, which he still retained. His size. Because he’d been big, he’d played football, and that had given him some street cred back in the day. He wondered if his bulk would gain him anything this time around, and what more he’d have to do to earn a trusted place amongst this student body. Sports were out this time. With his superior age and strength, he’d likely kill anybody he engaged with on the field, so he had to come up with another way in.

They entered the front office, with Perk quietly trailing the officer.

“Madge, this kid says he’s new today, but Darlene can’t find anything on him. Can you see what you can do?” The cop hitched a thumb over his shoulder at Perk.

“I’ll call Melissa. She’ll sort things out. Thanks.”

The officer gave Perk one warning glare, as if to say “don’t give the ladies a hard time or I’ll be back”, before striding from the office.

Perk, of course, was going to be very agreeable with the administration for now. Just for a few days until he was really settled. Then he’d be on the staff’s radar, for sure. He wouldn’t, however, back off from making waves with his current peers. He needed to immediately probe into the disappearance of Kaelyn Jefferson who still hadn’t shown up, which meant he’d adopt a high profile while keeping his ears open for any mention of her name while trying to make inroads into the various student factions.

For now, Perk stood slumping in what he hoped was a bored teenager way while Madge called Ms. P.

“Yeah, Melissa. Thomas Perdudan. Darlene looked, but couldn’t find anything on him. I’m not sure why, but…” There were a few seconds of silence. “Oh. Okay.”

Whatever Ms. P replied, it must have been satisfactory, because Madge looked a little nicer when she next addressed him. “Thomas,” she called over from behind the large counter. “Take a chair. Our admin will be with you in a couple minutes to go over your paperwork and issue you an ID.”

Perk grunted. Not politely answering went against his grain, but he had to keep reminding himself that the cool kids never spoke to an adult directly unless they were asked a specific question.

While he sat, he watched the student body walk by outside the large office windows. It had been more than ten years since Perk had graduated from high school, but it might just as well have been yesterday. These kids looked exactly—with the exception of a few fashion choices—like those in the hallowed halls he’d long ago left behind. Snickering, posturing, vying for elbow room, and telling secrets.

“Mr. Perdudan?” a female voice called from behind the massive counter as she buzzed a gate open and briskly let herself through.

Perk almost forgot to answer, looking up and seeing the dervish who was Sloane’s bestie. He could totally see Vessers hanging out with this no-nonsense woman.

He snapped out of his trance quickly, though, because the name she shouted was such a giggle, it triggered him into remembering it was supposed to be his.

“Uh, yeah?” He stood up and looked at the dark-haired, petite fireball who was swiftly bearing down on him.

She eyed him speculatively—at least what she could see of him as he took refuge under his hoodie. She came to a halt in front of him and gazed upward, her head barely clearing his collarbone. “I’ve found your paperwork. I don’t know how it got misplaced, but it’s all good now. Follow me to my office and we’ll get you everything you need before I give you a tour of the school and take you around to your classroom to introduce you to your teachers.”

Again, Perk grunted, hefting his mostly empty backpack, and looping it over his shoulder as he followed her through the security gate. They walked down a hallway and she gestured into a room whose door stood open.

“Welcome to Waterston High,” she said, following him in. “Have a seat.”

Perk tossed his backpack onto the floor, and took what he knew was a less-than-vertical teenage posture on the chair indicated.

“And lose the hood,” she said without malice as she rounded her desk and also sat down. “Once on school property, we don’t allow heads to be covered unless it’s a religious choice, which I’m assuming your hoodie is not.”

Not fighting her on it, Perk nodded and pushed the material down before affecting a bored look.

“Excellent,” Ms. P told him, but he didn’t miss the way her eyes widened as his face was revealed.

Yeah. He was a pretty boy. So sue him.

Perk waited for her to get back to business.

“Uh, your transcripts are all here. You’re…eighteen?” she asked in a voice that held some skepticism. Right. Ms. P probably thought he was sixteen, posing as legal.

“Yeah.” Perk rattled off his fake birthdate, having memorized it so it would come off sounding natural.

“Right,” she chuckled. “Sorry. You just look a bit older than that.”

Really ? That was a first. Maybe Perk was finally coming into his own, or maybe the woman was just trying to be polite.

Still, he needed to ramp up his sullenness. “It sucks not looking your age.”

Those words should have her backing off.

“I, uh, imagine.” She cleared her throat and as expected, she got down to business. “Anyway, it says here you’ve just moved to town because your father was transferred from Cincinnati, and that you’re finishing your senior year.” She looked up from her computer screen, almost apologetically. “It’s got to be tough leaving all your old friends behind with only eight months left of your education, but we’ll try to make your transition as positive and seamless as possible.”

Perk didn’t think that would be the case if someone really did transfer this close to graduation, but as he figured his fake character would do, he shrugged it off.

“I’ll deal,” he said.

“I’m sure you will.” Ms. P turned back to her computer and typed in a bunch of stuff, then picked up her phone and snapped his picture without asking him to smile.

Smart lady.

She sent the picture to her computer and jabbed a few more keys before walking over to her printer. Grabbing what emerged, she quickly cut it down to size before running the resulting rectangle through a laminator, handing him his new credentials. “Here you are. Make sure you have it on you at all times when you’re on school grounds.”

He reached out and almost said thank you, but caught himself in time. There was no need to let any of his adult personality out. He took the ID and grunted instead.

“Right,” Ms. P acknowledged again, clearly used to the ways of teenagers. She went over to her computer once more, hit a button, and her printer spit out another item which she retrieved. “This is your schedule. If you follow me, I’ll make sure you know where your classes are.”

The next fifteen minutes were…interesting, to say the least. The halls were a piece of cake to navigate since Perk had already committed the school layout to memory, but the speculative looks he got from his new, fellow students ranged from appreciative—a number of female groups—to downright hostile from cliques of alpha-wannabes who instantly perceived him as a threat. To the former, he flashed his dimples, to the latter, he swelled his chest and lifted his chin, letting them know he wasn’t intimidated.

Ms. P, if she were aware of the posturing going on, ignored it and kept to business as she introduced him to his teachers. Once they were finished with the rounds, she brought him back to his first class which was Algebra II, dropping him off with a smile and a “if you need anything, you know where to find me” before leaving.

Perk slipped behind the first vacant desk.

The teacher approached with a book. “We’re starting chapter twelve today. Try to keep up. If there’s anything in the material you haven’t covered at your old school, make an appointment to see me this afternoon and I’ll bring you up to speed.”

Again, Perk grunted, opening the book.

He’d been a decent math student back in the day, but it was going to take him a little time to wrap his mind once again around polynomial operations and the like. He sighed, and bent to it while the teacher scribbled rapidly on the board.

By the end of his fourth period class, Perk’s head was spinning. What kind of joke was Agent Baskins pulling on him, setting him up with such a packed and stacked schedule? After Algebra, he’d had AP Biology, followed by AP Literature, then World History. Not a light load, for sure.

At least his afternoon would be easier. He had study periods on either side of lunch on the days he didn’t have gym. And after that he had art alternating with a robotics course, then finally, auto shop.

He guessed the FBI had wanted him to mingle with all types of kids; those who were the best and brightest, those who were main-stream students, and those less motivated who filled their schedules with electives they’d be able to pass; or easy-A’s as the kids would say.

As luck would have it, today was a gym day, and Perk was glad he’d packed some work-out duds. He entered the boys’ locker room and headed to one of the curtained stalls. The changing/showering areas were separated by sex, but the classes were coed, which was good. The more diverse, the better. Perk hoped he’d be able to make inroads into the student body, here. So far, his interaction with his fellow classmates had been largely focused on lessons. But the gym, Perk remembered, was often where lines were drawn between those who arrogantly flexed their power-muscles, and those who stood back and followed orders.

He needed to be part of the former group, and would certainly have to prove himself so that after today, he wouldn’t be bunched with the latter.

As he pulled his clothes on, he sighed. The muscles in his legs couldn’t be disguised with the shorts he’d need to wear, but hopefully his arm and chest girth wouldn’t be too apparent with the loose, long-sleeved T he’d chosen.

The gym teacher was an unknown for Perk, the instructor having been busy when Ms. P had brought Perk around, but he was surprised to see a very fit, but obviously gay male—if the flamboyantly colored outfit was any indication—with a whistle around his neck. That was a far more progressive situation than he’d ever witnessed in high school. for sure.

“Hello,” the man said, coming over to Perk and sticking his hand out for a shake. “I’m Coach Cashman, and you’re the new kid, Thomas, am I right?”

Ms. P must have sent him a memo.

“Yeah,” Perk allowed, and took the shake, but only perfunctorily because he was an aloof teen, after all.

“Excellent. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. But in the meantime, you can line up with the rest of the students for some calisthenics.”

Perk took a spot between two nasty-looking brutes who had each given him evil grins as he’d entered. He head-dipped, and they didn’t return the gesture.

Now he was getting somewhere.

Everyone before this had been almost painfully nice to him, and Perk had started wondering if the entire school was rainbows and unicorns. His two current companions put an end to that speculation as one of them turned and farted loudly in Perk’s direction.

Nice.

“Mr. Higgins,” the coach chastised with a clicking of his tongue. “That was entirely inappropriate. This is your only warning. Any more of those shenanigans and you’ll be doing laps after school, you understand?”

“Yeah, Coach,” Higgins answered with a sneer, but he fell back into line. Clearly Coach Cashman wasn’t a pushover.

The class spent the next ten minutes with warm-ups that didn’t have Perk shedding a drop of sweat. The two to either side of him seem to be on par with that, while a few of the smaller participants grunted and groaned like it was the hardest physical thing they’d ever accomplished.

“When do we get to something interesting?” Perk dared ask Higgins out of the side of his mouth. He got sent a nasty, full-toothed sneer back; one that was disgustingly fuzzy. Did the guy not know what toothpaste was?

“Dodgeball today,” Higgins continued to grin malevolently. He looked around Perk toward goon number two. “What do you think, Thorpe? Can the new guy keep up?”

“We’ll find out,” Thorpe growled with a dark kind of pleasure.

Phht. If the idiots were trying to intimidate him, they’d have to come up with more than dodgeball taunts.

“Try me,” Perk dared with a raised brow and a vicious smile in return.

The pair looked pumped.

Game on .

Being the new guy, he was picked last by the team that was filled with nerds. Which was fine with Perk. Little did they know he was about to help them—the unsuspectingly-downtrodden—win the day.

As he figured would happen, once the ball-throwing began, a small group of assholes obviously led by Higgins and Thorpe, targeted him.

But Perk was in his element.

He spun, he danced, he collected balls two at a time and sent them back toward his adversaries, whipping them with such speed and precision that his aggressors began dropping, one by one. His success spurred Perk’s team on to whoop it up, actually daring to become proactive instead of cowering in the shadows.

Purposely, Perk picked off everyone in Higgins and Thorpe’s little group but them, letting the weaker players on Perk’s team take care of the lesser threats until the only ones left on the opposing side were the pair who now looked…pissed? Worried? It was hard to tell, since their faces were set in ugly grimaces.

“What do you say?” Perk taunted the duo. “You ready to give up?” He’d almost said, “concede”, but he wasn’t sure the two had braincells enough to know what that meant.

“Hell, no,” Thorpe glowered, bouncing the ball twice before whipping it at Perk, not knowing that the dribbling was his tell. Every time Thorpe got the ball, it was two bounces, then a throw. Higgins also unwittingly showed his hand; stamping his left foot down in each instance before he let fly.

Perk easily avoided the twin projectiles and snagged both balls instead, one in each hand. He stalked forward. He knew the pair wouldn’t give up because they’d lose face with their buddies. But Perk also wanted to become… gag …friends with them, so he needed to pull his punches, so to speak. At least with Higgins, who was the top dog.

Perk hurled one ball toward Thorpe, hitting him in the hip. The guy went spinning backward, grunting and out of the game. Facing Higgins, Perk cocked his arm, took a few steps forward, and pretended to trip, so his throw glanced off Higgins’ sneaker, not hurting the guy, but also sending him to the loser side. Higgins stared at him an extra second or two before taking himself off to whisper secretly among his cohorts.

Perk’s teammates celebrated with high-fives, punching his arms, and gleefully cavorting about before the coach congratulated them all and told everyone to head to the showers.

Perk caught Higgins eye, and the teen gave him a slit-lidded look. But it was accompanied by a better-late-than-never chin lift.

Good.

That’s all Perk needed.

He was in.