The Bizarre Events at Hellman Elementary: Temper Tantrums Aren't For Fifth Graders

By Richard M. Born

Hellman Elementary has strange teachers and creatures that roam the halls. This is well known to the students, but in elementary school, making friends is what it's all about. Where else can you be friends with a kid who was attacked by a giant squid in the pool? Friends always help each other, but what happens when your friends begin to change? For instance, if your friend is allergic to tomatoes one day, why isn't she allergic to them the next day? Furthermore, why would fifth graders start acting like kindergarteners? Payton's birthday is just a couple of weeks away, and he is excited about having his cousin Gabe come to live with his family. However, when Gabe arrives, things take a bizarre turn. Payton doesn't recognize Gabe as the friend he was last year. Also, Payton's friends are hanging out with Gabe and now throwing temper tantrums. Is Payton going crazy? Is Gabe trying to steal his place in fifth grade? Or worse, steal his friends and family? Is something more sinister spreading through the hallways? Hellman Elementary has a dark and strange past. Payton will have to get to the root of the problem if he wants to make it to sixth grade, or he may be the next bizarre event at Hellman Elementary!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644248874

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The Bizarre Events at Hellman Elementary

Temper Tantrums Aren't For Fifth Graders

Richard M. Born

Copyright © 2019 Richard M. Born

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc. 2019

ISBN 978-1-64424-886-7 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64424-887-4 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

XIII

XIV

XV

XVI

XVII

XVIII

XIX

XX

XXI

XXII

XXIII

XXIV

XXV

XXVI

For Christian: No matter the tantrum, we will weather it together. Dad will always be there for you.

I

Payton dug his toes deep into the sand as he sat watching the ocean waves. The sand was hot on his feet but felt good between his long toes. It was a perfect day; the sun was shining, and a nice breeze carried the smell of the ocean. He saw his mother and little brother making a sandcastle near the ocean.

There was hardly anyone else on the beach. This was the best vacation of his life, even better than last year’s trip to Walt Disney World. Yet he felt that it was time to put away all his childish things. He would be turning twelve years old in just two weeks.

He was excited for his birthday party as his parents were letting him invite girls to the party for the first time. He had a huge crush on a girl in his class named Amy Bogen. He was going to impress her. He was not sure how yet, but he was going to get her to fall in love with him.

His little brother waved at him from the sand fort that he had made. He was playing with the little red fire truck that Payton had given him three Christmases ago. It had become his favorite toy, and he always played with it. Payton waved back at him. He enjoyed seeing his brother’s face light up with a smile.

In the distance, Payton saw a girl running on the beach. As she got closer, he realized it was Amy Bogen. He stared stupidly at her. It became as if time slowed down. Like the old show his dad would watch with lifeguards running down the beach in slow motion.

She was beautiful, he thought, as he watched her get closer. She was wearing a blue swim suit that matched her eyes. Her feet were bare except for a toe ring that she always wore on her pinky toe. The wind caught her long, blond hair, and it waved behind her as she ran. She was almost right in front of him.

Hey, Amy, do you need anything? Payton asked, trying to sound cool and confident. She stopped and turned to face him.

Well, I could use some help putting on my sun tan lotion. Would you rub some on my back? Amy asked, smiling.

Payton grabbed the lotion next to his beach chair. I would love to help you out, he said with an excited voice.

Amy pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She sat on the sand. Please make sure you get the back of my neck.

Payton squeezed the lotion into his hands and began rubbing them together. I will protect you from the evil sun, he said with a laugh.

You’re so funny and cute, giggled Amy.

He began to rub the lotion on her neck. Her skin was already tan. He noticed then that his mom and brother had left the sand fort. Yet he was too busy with Amy to go looking for them.

You’re so strong, Payton. I bet you can bench-press at least five hundred pounds, Amy said, still smiling.

Payton smiled, showing his perfectly straight and white teeth. I can actually do nine hundred pounds. He finished rubbing on the lotion.

Amy stood up and turned to him. Thanks, Payton. You’re such a great guy. She began running toward the water. Payton watched her go into the ocean and start swimming. He could feel the sun burning his six-pack. He squeezed some lotion onto his stomach and rubbed it in. He looked around for his family, but he could not see them.

Standing up, he stretched his muscles. It was hard being over six feet tall. He looked around; the beach was empty. Where had his family gone? Surely, they hadn’t left and forgotten about him. Panic was starting to creep up on him. How was he going to get home?

Suddenly, he heard a scream from the water and looked out into the ocean. Amy was waving her arms around as if in need of help. Payton looked around but did not see anyone. He could handle this, he thought, as he jumped in to the ocean.

The water was warm as he swam as fast as he could. The waves were slamming against him. Another scream came from behind him. He looked to find his little brother yelling on the beach. He was sinking into sand that was up to his knees.

Payton looked back at Amy. There was something swimming around her. He swam closer and could see there were dolphins swimming around her. He finally caught up to her. I’m here to help you. What do I need to do?

Amy kicked her legs, trying to stay above the water. You’re my hero! She kissed his cheek. Stay here and distract them so I can get back to the beach.

Payton nodded as she swam back to the shore. He looked at the dolphins and realized with horror that they were not dolphins at all but sharks. Three hungry sharks were circling him! He looked back at the beach and saw Amy waving goodbye to him. She began running as if she were just continuing her run from earlier.

He heard his brother screaming. Payton tried to swim back to the beach. He watched as his brother’s head sank beneath the sand. The waves, once again, were slamming into his body. He could feel the sharks closing in on him. A wave pulled him back; he had to save his brother! He was so close. Suddenly, he felt teeth sinking into his leg. The blood turned the ocean around him red.

He kicked with his good leg and felt his foot make contact with a shark’s head. He had almost made it when a second sharp pain went through his stomach. Another shark had dealt a devastating blow. He turned just in time to see a third shark, seemingly ten times bigger than the other two, open his mouth. Payton knew that there was no help. He opened his mouth and screamed.

II

P ayton…Payton…Payton.

Payton felt someone shaking his shoulder. Payton, wake up. The voice was familiar. Payton opened his eyes and lifted his head off his desk. He was not at the beach, and there were no sharks. He was in his fifth-grade classroom at Hellman Elementary in Golfing Blue, Kentucky.

The entire class was laughing. He looked at the hands of the person who woke him. They belonged to his best friend, Benny. Dude, you were shouting about sharks in your sleep.

Payton and Benny had been friends since the first day of kindergarten. They always had each other’s back. Payton could not believe that he had fallen asleep in class and was horrified that he talked in his sleep.

Mr. Hunt, shark week is months away. Now I know that history can be a boring subject, but if you don’t stay awake for my lecture, then you might want to learn about history in summer school, said Mr. Heme, Payton’s teacher.

Payton hastily wiped drool from his chin. He did not want to get on Mr. Heme’s bad side. They were only at the end of September, and Payton was stuck in the class for the rest of the school year—that is, if he made it to the end of the school year. This was the strangest school that has ever existed!

Mr. Heme was definitely one of the odd things about the school. He was a tall and slender man. His hair was jet black and always combed perfectly. It almost had a waxy gleam; it must be from all the hairspray he uses. According to Payton’s mom, he had been her fifth-grade teacher. That was at least thirty years ago, but he didn’t look a day over twenty-five. If a student asked him how old he was, he would get a mad, twisted look on his face and scream into the mirror on his desk that he was only twenty-three years old.

So far, Payton had been lucky; no extremely bizarre things had happened to him. He had heard stories from his friends and family, but most of them seemed farfetched. Still, some things just cannot be overlooked such as all the strange teachers and the unusually large spiders behind the cafeteria trash cans. Not to mention the principal was a very scary woman!

Most of his classmates had turned their attention back to Mr. Heme’s lecture, but Amy Bogen was still staring at him. Payton thought back to his dream; she was just as beautiful as always. She may not have been wearing a swimsuit, but she definitely went the extra mile to make herself look good.

Sadly, Payton looked nothing like his dream. He was only four feet five inches, and he definitely did not have a six-pack. He was not fat but had a few jelly rolls. However, he was doing a workout routine every morning to help him shape it up.

He had built up some impressive arm muscles. His arms were long, and he took a lot of teasing about them. People would ask if he had caught them in a taffy puller. Therefore, he decided to take a stand and make his arms more powerful. He tried to focus on Mr. Heme, but it was increasingly difficult. He could hear the ticking of the clock on the wall above the door. Just ten more minutes until lunch, but the clock’s hands seemed to be moving extremely slowly.

Payton turned to look at Mr. Heme. History was a very boring subject. In fact, it was his least favorite subject in school. Who needs history, he thought. Nobody wants to revisit the past. In his opinion, he made history by making it to the fifth grade and was happy this was his last year in elementary school.

He looked at the clock again, but only a few minutes had passed. His eyes were getting heavy. He shifted in his seat, hoping to stay awake. He glanced over at Amy again; she probably thought that he was crazy. He so wanted to impress her but talking in his sleep and drooling was not the way to go about it.

He looked back at the clock. Five minutes until lunch; he had to stay awake. Mr. Heme was droning on and on about some tea party in Boston. Four minutes to lunch. I wonder what they ate at this tea party, Payton thought, his eyes glossing over. Three minutes to go. Having a tea party on a boat would have made him nauseous. Why would anyone want to eat or drink while a boat rocks back and forth, he thought, his eyes shutting. Two minutes to go.

Payton never heard the bell to dismiss for lunch and didn’t realize that the rest of his classmates had left the room. A slamming noise on his desk woke him, but this time, Benny didn’t make it. He stared down at a pair of old, wrinkled, and hairy hands.

Rubbing his eyes, he looked up to see who was there. A chill ran down his spine. He was looking at Mr. Heme, but he did not look young and handsome anymore. His hair was disheveled, and his neat appearance gone. His eyes were red and sunk back into his head.

Payton could tell that he was in trouble. He could smell Mr. Heme’s horrible breath; it smelled like rotten eggs. His white teeth were now rotten and blackened as he spoke. Stay awake in my class or deal with me! Now, get to lunch!

III

Payton had not wasted time hanging around the classroom. He ran all the way to the cafeteria and found Benny sitting with their friend Mallory. He sat down next to Benny who gave him a worried look. You okay? You’re as pale as a ghost.

Mallory playfully hit Payton’s arm. He is always as pale as a ghost. The boy is whiter than glue.

Payton rubbed his arm where she had hit him. Mallory had been his friend since the third grade. She was the kind of girl that would tell you the truth even if it hurt. She had crinkly brown hair that came down to the middle of her back, which she normally kept in a ponytail. She also had a large family; she was the second oldest of six children. She also had a never-give-up attitude.

So how do you like it? Mallory asked, pointing to her nose.

Payton looked closer and saw that she had a new nose ring. Wow, cool. What did your mom say? Payton was trying to keep his mind off what happened up in the classroom.

Tossing her ponytail back behind her shoulder, Mallory replied, I don’t even think that she noticed. She has so much going on with the younger siblings, and my older sister is dating a boy that my dad hates. It will be a while before I need to worry about it. I hear that you think sharks are attacking you in class? She smiled and hit Payton on the arm again.

Great. I guess the whole school will know the entire incident by the end of lunch, Payton said, his face growing hot from embarrassment. Thanks a lot, Benny.