Checkmate

After a little bit more than a month, we finish our book just like Mr. Gaskarth wanted us to. I had never seen the movie or musical, so the ending really hit me. Raven told me that he didn’t die in the musical, which I can see why they changed that. It left off on a slight cliffhanger. Alex had told me that the musical has a sequel, but he also told me that it sucked and that I shouldn’t even look it up. Considering that it’s him, I took his advice.
I walk into my class and find that Raven actually beat me in there for once. It seems that she didn’t forget anything this time. You know that saying, “if you’re head wasn’t attached to your body, you’d lose it”? Well, that pretty much sums up her memory when it comes to things that aren’t related to me. I don’t know why, but she remembers a lot of stuff if I had something to do with it. It’s weird, but I am her only friend. I guess that that could be a reason.
I sit down in my seat and look over at her. She doesn’t even glance at me. Raven keeps reading the book in her hands. I look at the cover, but I don’t recognise it at all. The cover looks weird, and I can’t even tell what it could be about. I try to get her attention by poking her shoulder, but she doesn’t do anything. Then out of nowhere she “awws” out loud before putting the book down.
“Wow. That must have been some book,” I say.
Raven finally looks over at me. “Huh? Oh, it was. It was way better than the movie. The movie didn’t have the last chapter in it which made me ‘aww’ out loud. Alex, our humble narrator, has finally grown up. It was just too cute.”
“What book was it? I couldn’t even tell what it was about.”
“I’m not sure that you would like it. It’s all told from Alex’s point of view, and he talks with this teenage slang that has a bunch of Russian words in it. It’s called A Clockwork Orange, and it’s by Anthony Burgess. It’s about Alex and how him and his droogs do all of these terrible things. Horrorshow. Then they betray him, and he gets caught. After a couple of years in prison, he agrees to undergo this experiment because he’ll get out sooner and it’s suppose to make you be good. What it does is it makes it so he can’t even think of doing anything bad. It kind of brings in the question of which is better. Is it better to be a criminal with free-will, or is it better to be a good citizen with no free-will? It’s pretty dark, but I loved it so much. A friend of the family, D.C., recommended it for me.”
“That does sound good, but you make it seem like it’s hard to read.”
“You have to get use to the writing.”
Mr. Gaskarth finally walks in and looks down at the book that she has. “Oh, A Clockwork Orange. That’s a great book, much better than the movie. If it wasn’t for all the things that Alex does in the first part, I’d have us read it. Did you finish it?”
“I just did.”
“Did you like it?”
“I loved it.”
“Well, I’m glad that she told you to read a book that’s good. I’d have questioned it, but I’ve already read it and loved it.”
I don’t understand that. Did Alex know the girl that recommended the book? I almost want to question it, but I just let it go. I might have just misheard one of them or something. Besides, it wouldn’t be that weird if I did hear them right, right? He can have friends that also have friends. It’s not that important anyway. Mr. Gaskarth walks up to the board and starts to write down something.
Group Project
A group project? That’s probably what he was talking about when he said that he had something planned for after we read the book instead of us taking a test. I now have a friend in this class, so I’m fine with it. Well, that is if we get to pick our own partners, but knowing Mr. Gaskarth, I’d say that we do.
“Instead of having a test,” he says, “we will be having a project instead. I’m letting you all choose the partner that you want, and the project is just to write something that is based on or inspired by the book. Since it wasn’t apart of the actual reading list, I figured that I’d go easy on all of you. Plus, this is also your first group project and first book. I’m going to give you the time in class today to get started, but today will be the only day to work on it inclass. We’re going to be watching the 1925 version of the movie. Before I let you go off, I need to tell you when it’s due. I’m going to have it due on Halloween, and you’ll all share. It will make it a bit more of an easy day, and it also brings the spirit of Halloween to the classroom. Now, you may go off.”
Raven and I move our desks together. She grabs out a notebook, and I do the same thing. Hopefully, we can come up with a solid idea before we leave the room. I’d hate for us to pretty much just waste the time that Mr. Gaskarth gave us.
“I already have an idea,” Raven says. Thank God. “I was thinking that we can write a song together that is inspired by the book. You can play guitar, I can play bass, and we can both sing. It will be perfect.”
I gulp. “Um, Raven?”
“Yeah?”
“You do remember what happened last month, right?”
“Yeah. I think that you’ll do fine though. You have me with you.”
“That does make it a bit better, but what if I freeze.”
“You won’t freeze. Just trust me on this.”
“Alright. So, do you have any ideas for the song?”
“I want it to be based around Erik. He’s such a tragic character. Maybe we can do something about how he longs for something beautiful, or we can do something about how he feels that the outside world has treated him, or we can do a song about his love for Christine and how Raoul ruins it, or-”
“Why don’t we just go ahead and write these down?”
“That works too.”
When class finally ends, we have a couple of lyrics down. We aren’t really sure which ones we will use, but they all sound good. It makes sense that Raven’s sound good though. She does love to write. We grab all of our things and start to head out with everyone, but I go back in once everyone is gone. Raven notices and waits for me outside.
“I just realized that I might as well tell you what we’re going to be doing,” I tell Mr. Gaskarth, no, Alex.
“And what do you plan on doing?”
“Raven had this idea that we do a song together.”
He gets this worried look on his face. “What about-”
“It should be fine. I have Raven with me this time, so that should help. It looks like you’re going to get what you wanted though. We’re going to show these bullies who’s boss.”
“Well, I can’t wait to hear what you two put together. I already know that you write some pretty good songs, and it will be nice to hear what Raven puts together. I assume that I’ll be bringing in one of the guitars.”
“Yeah, that would really help.”
“I’ll do that then. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“Well, bye.”
“Bye, Jack.”
I walk out of the classroom, and I find that Raven is playfully shaking her head. I know what she’s thinking, and it’s true. I’ve come to really like Alex over this past month. It isn’t just an attraction to him. I actually like him. He’s kind, smart, funny... Why wouldn’t I like him? I’m just happy that Raven has finally warmed up to him. I don’t know how it happened, but one day, she just liked him all of a sudden. It was weird, but Raven has always been weird. I start walking with Raven. Yeah, I’m really glad that she likes him now because I like him. I like my teacher. I like Alex.

Notes

Note later.
Putting another chapter up.