The Oddball Chronicles Vol. 2: The Oddball Chronicles, #2

By Michael CerealSensei Williams

Omar Odd transferred to Ridgewood High School as a quiet and unassuming loner among his peers. Now that he has a found a crew of social misfit friends who embrace him, he must deal with the issues that come with stepping out of his personal bubble and interacting with the world at large. Relationship woes, family friction, unspoken secrets boiling to the surface, questionable decisions, and unhealthy doses of physical altercations are just some of the challenges he's facing in this drama called high school. For Omar, the path of growth and maturity is paved with potholes and unexpected detour signs—but he will attempt to navigate through and face each problem in all of his awkward glory—hoping that his present decisions don't further complicate his future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael CerealSensei Williams
• Release date: Dec 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9798985298215

Book preview

Episode One - Peanut Chew

The sun decided to hide behind the clouds today, not providing us with the warming array of shine that gave you a glimmer of hope that today would be a good one. The birds didn't even have their morning chirp meeting outside of my window as I prepped myself for school this morning. Mother nature’s creatures fled from the gray skies as the clouds pushed themselves forward. Dreary didn't just describe the weather, but rather the entire mood of today.

Kaz and I sat in the back of the classroom taking turns fading in and out of consciousness from boredom. The young faces making up the rest of the classroom suggested they were also in a similar struggle. The only thing keeping my head from falling below my shoulders was the victorious tune of Return of the Mack which I quietly played through one of my earbuds that slid up from underneath my shirt.

I tried to keep my yawns discreet unlike Kaz who made zero attempts to mask his weariness. I don't think he gave a damn; if he found your class boring, he'd throw his expressions blatantly in your face. In typical Kaz fashion, his head was leaned back with his eyes bolted shut facing the ceiling lights. Periodically his right hand would move to scratch his face before returning his arms into a folded state. Every now and again he would jolt back to life but would inevitably return to his slumber. This fatigue of dull education was the culmination of a long ass day that needed to end and this was the final frontier.

Mr. Brooks paced back and forth at the front of the classroom instructing us on the do's and don’ts of the English language in relation to professional settings. This had potential to be an engaging discussion, seeing as many people of my skin tone are bilingual when it comes to workplace vernacular. But when the instructor has a sandpaper dry delivery it's difficult to find reasons to listen. With that tone of voice I can't fathom the idea that he has a ring on his finger. Who in the hell would listen to that all day? Literally the only part about Mr. Brooks that wasn't dull was the gleaming middle portion of his head that was trapped with fragments of hair surrounding its perimeter.

To close things out Mr. Brooks ended every class session with his evening confessional ritual that we were all forced to participate in. This ritual came in the form of having five victims read an intimate thought or passage from their journals that we were supposed to log entries for every night. More often than not the entries fell short of having any meat of substance. The adolescent journal entries in this classroom included recaps of their favorite Instagram videos, how much they enjoy the newest song from their favorite dumpster juice rapper and how clueless they are that the trash relationship they're in is on course to crash and derail completely off of the tracks.

By God's magnificent graces he never called on my awkward ass to read aloud. Sometimes, I was sure he forgot I existed in his classroom, which honestly is my ideal situation for any classroom I'm in.

Mr. Yamamoto. Are we boring you? Please read your journal since apparently I'm not keeping you entertained. The dryness of Mr. Brooks's delivery gave off the impression that he was talking down to you any time he was displeased.

Ever so slowly Kaz leaned his head forward and wiped the cold from his eyes. Sizing up Mr. Brooks he looked directly to the vexed mug that stood before him and let out an overexaggerated yawn. Since the beginning of the school year Kaz and Mr. Brooks never saw eye to eye, leaving Kaz to irk his soul at any chance he got.

You sure you wanna hear this, Mr. Brooks? I don't know man. You might not like it, said Kaz.

Mr. Ya-ma-mo-to, said Mr. Brooks, whose patience was thinning like the hairline he was holding onto.

Aight, Mr. Brooks, you're the head honcho. Don't say I didn't warn you though. The entire class turned their heads to the back of the classroom toward Kaz. Of course he wasn't one to back down from the spotlight, in fact, he reveled in it. With his journal tucked underneath his arm Kaz walked to the front of the room. A sinister smile crossed his face, the expressions of the onlookers matched his. We were all awaiting for the performance of a lifetime.

Kaz gave an obnoxious clearing of his throat before cracking open his journal.

"Damn, I waited til the last minute to write this shit again. It's all good though, I'm a clutch performer. So, I guess I'm supposed to talk about something personal or whatever. How am I feeling today actually? Ya know, I'm a little stressed out if we're being all the way real. My mom and pops work really hard, but they don't think I'm doing shit. But I'm bustin my ass out here man, or at least I feel I am. I probably don't know what the hell I'm doing, but dammit I'm tryin. I think they expect me to be some kind of doctor, or neurosurgeon or some boring shit like that, but that's not me. I hate school. And I mean that with no disrespect Mr. Brooks, it's not your fault, not all the way.

To be honest, I don't know what I wanna do with my life after school is over and that shit has been bothering me. Me sitting in front of a desk or slaving in a cubicle just isn't my style. I need something more suitable for my talents, I can't be caged in out here, I need somethin that can let me be free ya know? School is the last place that'll let me be me, that's why I sleep all the damn time. No disrespect Mr. Brooks, you didn't create the system. I don't know man, this shit doesn't move me, I just need to graduate and get my ass out of here. Well, that's all you're getting out of me today, I can't be getting all emotional and shit while I write. So, peace Mr. Brooks, and whoever else is reading this. You better not let anybody else read this Mr. Brooks or I'll bust your....."

Ok, Mr. Yamamoto, I think we get the point. An annoyed Mr. Brooks ran his hand through his dusting of hair.

The more Mr. Brooks's skin tone transitioned from white to panic red the louder the laughter became in the classroom. I for one thought Kaz's journal entry was pretty solid. But, I think his message got lost in his colorful usage of the English language.

Kaz sat back in his seat next to me radiating a new energy that awakened him. The surrounding laughter began to simmer but Mr. Brooks's eyes never left Kaz's direction.

Ah shit.....he's not looking at Kaz.

Mr. Odd, I don't think you've ever read your journal to the class. How about you close out the show for us? asked Mr. Brooks.

See.....this is that nonsense.....just let me be.....why dammit why?

The side chatter and snickers simmered down and the spotlight shifted onto me. I looked over to Kaz, hoping he would give me an encouraging send off.

You gotta go rep for the crew. Make us proud man. No pressure. You've got classics under your belt already, said Kaz.

Not exactly the kind of motivation I was looking for. I didn't feel like reppin for the crew. I just want to go home dammit. But, if it's a speech they want, then I guess it's a speech they'll get. These journal entries were one of the rare homework assignments that I had actually been doing lately. They were an odd form of therapy, but I never intended on them leaving this paper.

WITH A LIFELESS STRUT and my patented blank expression I dragged my feet to the front of the classroom. The audience didn't seem as interested in my speech as they we’re for Kaz's. The energy from just five minutes ago had dissipated. No worries though, my audience was of no concern. They were just a consequence of the situation. Alright, let's get this damn show over with.

Inhale.....exhale.....let's do this.....

I probably stared at this page for nearly twenty minutes before I actually wrote anything. And even when I would jot the beginning of a sentence, I would stop, erase, write, stop, and repeat. It kind of makes sense why it took me so long to write this down, it's a reflection of how my life is at the current moment. It's never an easy feeling to admit or to face, but it's never been so clear that I am lost. This isn't necessarily new territory. I've spent most of my life wandering about. Normally, be it by luck, or the grace of the J man upstairs, I find my way home. But this time, I think I wandered too far from the path. Each footstep fades a second after I walk, so I can't retrace to see how I even got here. The worst part is, somehow I knew I'd end up here. I think everyone saw it but me. I know that I'm drowning, I just want to find closure before I swim back to shore. I don't think that's too much to ask, or maybe it is. I guess I'll just have to find out.

The crickets from outside applauded my speech but no one else budged from their facial expression. Kaz was the lone person who acknowledged my speech with a slow clap. I mean I know I didn't care about the crowd but damn. Complete silence stings a little more than I thought it would. I could feel my body shrinking in front of the room with every second.

Why didn't I just write a bunch of bullshit like everybody else probably did?

You can shut me down if I'm wrong, Mr. Odd. Sounds to me like you're having some women issues, said Mr. Brooks.

Damn you, Mr. Brooks, damn you straight to hell. You and your hairline.....

Ay man, that ain't none of your business what his issues are, blurted out Kaz.

Mr. Yamamoto, don't you leave..... Mr. Brooks's rant was cut short being buried underneath the glorious bell that signaled the end of the school day and the beginning of our freedom.

Before Mr. Brooks could gather himself to speak again Kaz channeled his inner Flash and vanished out of the doorway. Being guilty by association Mr. Brooks's face burned a fuming, hot Cheeto red and he shot me a scrunched face of disapproval. I'm not sure why he was so irate with me, I hadn't even ran.....yet. Like Kaz, I wanted to avoid making detention part of my near future so I hurried along out of the back door of the classroom before another word could be spoken. Bumping into every shoulder, I held my nose to avoid the adolescent stench as we all crammed in the hallway heading toward the exit.

Outside of the school building sat the entire crew loitering curbside while the school buses were slowly making their way into the school.

Omar, let your voice be heard. It's time to cast a vote. Zuri and I say go to the movies. Russ and Thiago say video games and chill. What say you? asked Kaz.

I don't think my vote really matters; I won't be able to do either. I'll be a little busy.

Every eye cut towards me and a few sets of lips pushed themselves to the side. My excuse of being busy was universally shunned. In their defense I had been flaky as of late, sometimes a man just wants to sleep. But for once I legitimately had something on my plate. Where's the benefit of the doubt? Let me live.....please.....

Oh, so you're too cool to hang out with us Mr. Big Shot? fired Zuri.

I was verbally boxed into a corner and the blows left me to cover up with my back against the ropes. Unsure of how to respond I exercised the worst possible option and allowed the awkward moment to consume me. We exchanged faces of discomfort while I stumbled trying to conjure an audible response. Breaking the tension was the sound of a honking horn that diverted all of our attention, allowing to me to breathe for a split second.

Omar! Heyyyy! called a familiar bubbly voice.

I turned around to a baby blue coupe with a wide smiling Sharice in the driver's seat. I never knew how to transition out of awkward moments so I waved to her in a childlike manner.

What am I doing? I'm looking like king dumb ass right now.

I took a few steps toward the car and leaned my head down to the passenger window.

Um, can you give me a few minutes, I gotta do something real quick, I said.

No rush, I'm gonna go get some gas and then I'll be right back. Don't leave me, K? replied Sharice.

I promise, I'll still be here.

Sharice sped off in her coupe leaving me once again surrounded by uneasy eyes.

Ah so that's why you not hangin with us? I don't blame you bro, honestly. You coulda just said it though. Don't gotta be so awkward about it, said Thiago.

I turned to look at Russ who instead looked to the ground and avoided eye contact. Of course I couldn't catch a break from Zuri who's face scolded me like a mother would to her young child.

God damn....where's the love around here?

Everybody calm down, I got this. Omar, come step into my office. Kaz put his hand around my shoulder and pulled me to the side, into his proverbial office.

Now if I'm wrong, then I'll take all this shit back. But I gotta be honest man. You've been a lil shaky and out of place lately. We ain't been hearing from you as much; no text message replies, no call backs. And then when I do see you, you're looking a little lost in the face, said Kaz.

You sound like my mom, I replied.

Ay man, don't take this the wrong way. I'm just trying to look out. You don't gotta go into details, but did something happen between you and Sharice? You good?

I wanted nothing more than to not talk about the situation. Unfortunately, my body let out a deep, automated sigh as a response. I couldn't bullshit Kaz even if I wanted to.

Between me and you, we were supposed to had went out on a date the other night.

Oh shit. My man, I didn't know that. How'd it go?

She stood me up, I replied with my head down.

Bruhhhhh, Kaz lifted his head to the heavens above with a sigh, as if to ask for prayers for my apparent sins.

I know, I know. We're gonna go talk about it. I guess we’ll see where we stand.

Man there ain't shit to talk about. Delete her number, replied Kaz.

Listen, I know this doesn't look good. But I'm gonna see it through. For better, but most likely worse.

Kaz shook his head with his hand covering his face. Through the space between his fingers he peaked and noticed I wasn't budging from my stance. He took a deep breath and placed his hand on my shoulder. Alright man. Do what you gotta do. If you need the crew, just flash the bat symbol in the sky. We'll be there for you.

The concrete started to vibrate with echoes of trap tunes rumbling against the window. Sharice had returned.

Looks like the show is about to start. Wish me luck, I said to Kaz.

We parted ways with a fist pound before I hopped into Sharice's car. Through the rear view mirror I could still see everyone's faces. Zuri's expression looked eerily reminiscent of the stare she gave me the night of the party, right before me and Sharice had ducked off upstairs.

The first time I was with Sharice I ended up getting my eye swollen. The second time we were supposed to hang out she ended up being a no-show.

Third times the charm, right?

Sharice kept the trap tunes booming while she lip-synced along with overexaggerated hand motions. Once we had gotten off of the school grounds she reached for the knob and turned the volume down to a respectable level.

I've got something for you, said Sharice.

She unlocked her middle compartment and handed me a small plastic black bag. Upon inspection I spotted an assortment of peanut chews that surrounded a canned green tea inside.

How'd you know I liked peanut chews? I asked.

Because you're literally the only one in school who buys them from the vending machine, Sharice replied.

That's true, very true.

I ripped open the first peanut chew and inhaled it in one bite. At some point Sharice and I were due for a serious conversation. A conversation to address the unspoken elephants that were taking up ample space in the room, squishing us both against the walls. A conversation that I felt terribly uncomfortable being the first to bring up. I always seem to shrink in the tense moments that mattered the most. Me chewing these peanut chews was my mental excuse to not talk at the moment. I needed to enjoy this brief period of bliss while I had it. After downing another peanut chew I cracked open my tea and picked it up from the cup holder.

Sharice  reached to the sound knob on the dashboard and turned down her music.

So, I guess we need to talk, don't we? said Sharice.

Noooo, we're doing this now? I really wanted to sip this tea first.....

Yeah, I guess we do, I replied.

My index finger lightly tapped against the tea can uncontrollably. I took glances over at Sharice but never for a long enough period to lock eyes.

"So, I went out to Clarksville earlier that day to see