Chapter Three
AFTERNOON CAME THE same way it always did for Kenneth. The day drew to a close while he sat at his homeroom desk, waiting to hear his bus announced as being ready for departure.
He was only one of two students in his class who rode the number seventy-four bus, along with Savannah. The thought of sharing a bus with her made Kenneth remember everything she'd said during gym class.
They hadn't spoken to each other all day, even during lunch when they stood next to each other in line to get french fries. He decided that when his bus number was called, he'd be the first one to board so he could sit as far back as he wanted. Savannah always sat in the front seat next to the door.
Kenneth found himself doodling on a piece of scrap paper when bus number fourteen was called over the PA system.
Fourteen had always been called after seventy-four. He probably missed hearing his number, but if he had, Savannah, sitting on the other side of the room, also missed it as well. Kenneth had never known her to be absent-minded about anything, particularly when it came to leaving school for the day. She never hesitated to leave, unlike Sue, who sniffled every time it was time to go home.
Kenneth glanced over at his homeroom teacher to see if anything might be amiss.
Mr. Dunkelson sat behind his desk, grading papers as he always did at the end of the day. If he had observed anything unusual, he hadn't thought it significant enough to look up from the motion of his red pen upon white paper. By this time of day, stubble had started growing on his face so that his normally open, smiling mug looked older than usual.
He reached with an index finger to push his glasses further up his nose. He seemed not in the least perturbed, not from where Kenneth sat.
Bus number thirty-three was called.
Kenneth's foot tapped against the floor.
He resisted the urge to bite his fingernails, a habit which had drawn the ire of his mother one too many times for his liking.
Only two more buses to go.
Seventy-four might be late, but surely not this late.
Eighty-three and forty-one were called.
Kenneth found himself sitting alone in the classroom with Mr. Dunkelson and Savannah.
To Kenneth's surprise, his teacher appeared drowsy.
Dunkelson's head drooped while his eyes, half-closed, failed to observe that he had scribbled red marks on the surface of his desk instead of on a test. Shortly thereafter, he fell asleep.
That was when everything changed.
Journey Through Time (A Time Travel Adventure Collection Part 1) Page 3