Chapter 40 - Other Ways To Solve Your Problems

The doors to the recently opened East Side Express open as the Miracle Clinic members and Aken Amnestor enter. The store is filled with several aisles of used clothes and metal wire shelving units filled with antique artifacts. One of them that catches Ronnie's attention is a collection of old custom drink glasses with custom prints of classic movies on them. However, Ronnie decides to leave them behind as they continue to scan the store.

"Doesn't look like anyone's here," Elizabeth remarks as she picks up a pair of some old aviators and tries them on.

The group scans the whole area but alas, there's nobody there. But just when they're about to give up…

"You are the dancing queen!~"

The group all looks to see the employee-only doors burst open as Blanko Deck, rocking a blue apron over his white-n-black striped hoodie, slides into the main area of the store wielding a mop and a bucket. He has some large wired headphones that are connected to an ipod which is blaring a 'Best of Disco' playlist.

"Young and sweet, only seventeen!" Blanko sings along to the lyrics as he mops around the floor.

Blanko then, using the mop handle as a microphone, does a disco pelvic point dance as he continues to see, "Dancing queen! Feel the beat from the tambou-"

Blanko finally spots that there are customers in the store causing him to quickly die of embarrassment as he stops his playlist.

"I'm so sorry, how can I help yo-" Blanko begins to say before recognizing some of the faces that are in the store.

The club looks at Blanko.

Blanko looks at the club.

The club looks at Blanko.

Blanko quickly makes a dash for the Employee's Only Door as Ronnie, Alex, & Elizabeth all chase after him. Blanko reaches the door and enters the other room, however before he can slam it shut, Elizabeth kicks the door down.

"I'd like to make a purchase," Elizabeth exclaims as she is still wearing the aviators.

"Just keep them, we're closed!" Blanko says as he continues to run away.

Alex looks to see that Blanko is running down the stairs in the employee's only room to a metal door. Alex runs after him and Blanko goes to grab the door, he manages to open it before Alex tackles him into the room.

As Alex & Blanko fall to the ground, the rest of the club & Amnestor enter the room.

"Get! Off of me!" Blanko yells as he kicks Alex in the face causing him to let go and back up.

Ronnie notices that they're in a huge underground storage room with another door at the back.

"It looks like the others are gonna be behind that door," Ronnie says.

"Alright then, let me handle this guy," Alex begins to say, however Amnestor starts to walk forward.

"I'm very displeased with you all," Amnestor begins to say as he makes his way forward, "Here I thought you were trying to further your education. But it looks to me what you were really trying to do was get into a fight."

"Whaaat? We would never," Ronnie tries to say.

"Didn't know how you guys found us," Blanko remarks, "But I'll beat all you chumps so badly that you'll wish you never did!"

"I don't quite get the full picture as to what's going on here," Amnestor remarks as he steps closer towards Blanko, "But it seems like you need to receive some proper education. So let me teach you all that there's other ways to solve your problems besides fighting."

"Pfft, okay old man," Blanko chuckles, "What are you gonna do, have me fill out some times tables?"

"I-is Amnestor gonna fight him?!" Alex remarks in shock.

"If you think that then you clearly don't recall who Amnestor is," Elizabeth remarks as she stands with a bit of worry, unsure of what Amnestor is going to pull out of the plastic bag he got.

"Well Mister Deck, I've just recently had a talk with your principal, and he's told me many interesting things," Amnestor begins.

"Wh-what? Y-yeah right, you're just bluffing!" Blanko yells.

"Algebra, D." Amnestor begins.

A look of realization and fear slowly emerges on Blanko's face as he continues to go down the list.

"Chemistry, D+. Word History, F. Literature. D-. Gym, C. Would you like me to go on Mister Deck?"

"Y-you can't just yell out my grades to the whole world! That's unfair!" Blanko yells.

"Unfair? I believe I'm being quite generous with you," Amnestor remarks, "After all, alongside your grades I managed to stumble across this confiscated paper you wrote on in your Literature class."

As Amnestor reveals what that paper is, Blanko begins to feel something. Not a punch, but a wave of pure embarrassment. Because what Amnestor has managed to uncover is….Blanko's recent letter to Santa.

"Let's see here," Amnestor says as he puts on his reading glasses and he starts to read aloud the letter, "'Dear Santa, I've been a very good boy this year and have even eaten all of my vegetables too. So it would be really cool if you gave me some T and a binder. Since-"

"STOP READING!" Blanko yells in pure desperation as he blushes due to the embarrassment. He manages to grab the paper and rip it into tiny pieces.

"You believe Santa is real?" Alex snickers.

"Yeah! And you don't?!" Blanko, still embarrassed, tries to defuse.

"Whether Santa is real or not isn't the matter here, what is that I have the very presents you begged for," Amnestor says.

"Wait you do?" Blanko asks shocked, "Holy shit I- uh- thank you so mu-"

Amnestor pulls out some tea packets and a 3-ring binder meant for papers.

"See it's exactly what you asked for, right?" Amnestor says. 

"That's…not exactly what I meant but sure- uh- thanks," Blanko says deflated.

"It isn't but what else could you mean?" Amnestor asks.

"We'll explain it to you later, Teach," Elizabeth says.

"Oh okay," Amnestor says, "Though I do have one final thing for you Blanko."

"What is it?" Blanko asks.

Amnestor pulls out his phone and shows an incoming call from a person named "Misses Deck". 

"I talked with your mom Blanko, it seems like she wants to have a few words with you," Amnestor remarks as he hands the phone to Blanko.

With sweaty palms, Blanko shakily lifts the phone to his ear and answers.

"H-h-hello?" Blanko snivels.

A long tirade erupts from the phone as Blanko pleads, "Yes, I'm sorry Mom! What? No! But I didn't skip every da- yes mom. I understand Mom. I'll make sure to ace all my upcoming tests. Thank you mom. Okay, bye love you."

"Dude remind me not to get on Amnestor's bad side," Elizabeth tells Ronnie which Ronnie nods in agreement with.

Blanko hangs up the phone and hands it to Amnestor.

"Y-you guys can go along now," Blanko sighs, utterly defeated despite no punches ever being thrown, "My life is over now anyways. I'm never gonna pass those tests."

"I'm not so sure about that," Amnestor remarks, "You still have time to turn things around, and since I got your gifts wrong, I'd be happy to either tutor or find someone qualified enough to tutor you."

"I see, thanks sir," Blanko sighs.

With the main obstacle out of the way, the group can finally go towards the door down the long hallway and find the answers they've been looking for-

"What do we have here?"

The group all look behind them to see a large figure enter the room, the light shines down on them revealing it to be Graham Dirt.

Graham looks and spots Blanko next to Aken Amnestor.

"Did you hurt him?" Graham questions as he approaches Aken Amnestor.

_________________________

The door to a store on the east side swings open as Andy exits the store carrying a candy bar he got. He stretches as he makes his way outside.

"Sorry that took so long," Andy Nibble remarks as he stretches his arm, "The stall I went to was out of toilet paper so I had to slither over to the next stall without getting cau-"

Andy stops talking as he sees Hunter standing over an unconscious Draco Maleby. Hunter's knuckles are bloodied but besides that, he's completely fine.

"Hey, next time you try to spread those baseless rumors, at least be able to back it up with some muscle," Hunter advises, "Otherwise you're gonna end up looking fuckin' pathetic when you get your ass beat again."

However Hunter's advice falls on deaf ears as Draco is unconscious. The other Seastar High kids have also all fled the scene.

"Impressive," Andy remarks as he walks over to Hunter, "I heard you were only good when you had a bat, but it looks like you could hold your own to some extent with just your hands."

"Thanks Andy," Hunter remarks as the trio begin to walk away.

"How close are we to The East Side Express?" Mesto grumbles.

"We're not too far away now," Andy remarks, "Although planning on fighting someone there it's not going to be a walk in the park."

"How come?" Hunter questions.

Mesto stays silent as he begins to ponder something while Andy remarks, "Because there's a man there. A man powerful enough to rival the strongest of opponents from the North."

____________________

Ronnie, Elizabeth, Alex, & Marcus are all shocked as they see Aken Amnestor, their history teacher, on the ground unconscious after getting a beating from Graham Dirt.

"Blanko, I thought you were told to lock up the storefront," Graham says.

"I-I'm sorry, I kinda forgot," Blanko says.

As Ronnie looks at the man's physique he notices just how muscular and tall the man is and he asks, "How the hell can you be a high schooler?!"

"A high schooler?" Graham says as he steps over Aken Amnestor and gets closer to the group, "What made you think I was? I graduated a few years ago."

As the words ring out, The Miracle Clinic realizes that they aren't going to be fighting someone around their age, but a full-grown adult.

"Well, this was harder than I thought it was going to be," Ronnie admits.

See You Next Chapter!~