Finals: The Dolbin School Book 4--Chapter 18--Ice Cream
Finals: The Dolbin School Book 4
I am serializing my next book here first before it is available anywhere else. It is still in the formatting stage at the moment. I have serialized the other three books here on Steemit in the past year. Here are the first chapters from where I serialized each book.
Dolbin School for the Extraordinary
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Hope you follow along! Click here for Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17
Summary: Jake and friends take a break from studying and begin an argument with Brad.
Chapter 18 Ice Cream
The school was quiet with campus wide mandatory study time came with the oncoming finals. Craven Hall was still and quiet with students studying. Finals hung over the school like a thick fog of concern and worry. Televisions were silent, the foosball table was off, and the game table was empty. Study hours were not written in stone, but it was highly encouraged that the campus was to be silent from 6pm to 8pm.
Jake and Mark sat in their room looking over books and notes. They had never studied this hard for the state mandated tests at their old school, but studying came with the environment at Dolbin. The boys didn’t need to be told to study, they just did it. It was an unwritten rule, they followed.
But they were still human, and they were ten years old. “I need a break,” Mark stood up and stretched. Jake stayed still looking over his books. “I wonder if we’re allowed to go out to Dolbin and get something to ear. Or I wonder if Kevin will bite my head off if I decide to leave.”
Jake closed his book and stood up, “Let’s go find out.”
The boys walked into the hallway and headed to the Common Room. Cal opened his door. “Psst! Where are you going?” Cal asked.
“Taking a break and going to get a snack in the Dolbin building,” Mark replied.
Cal turned his head and whispered to Henry, who was still in their room, “They’re going to go get something to eat, do you want to go?”
Jake and Mark waited. Jake looked down the hall to see if Kevin was already watching.
Three seconds later Cal and Henry joined them in the hallway. “Good idea guys. I need a break,” said Henry. The boys walked quickly down the hall.
Cal looked back at Brad’s room. “I wonder where Brad is studying? Should we check with him?”
Jake just shrugged his shoulders. Mark replied, “I don’t know either.”
“I don’t want to talk to him anyway,” Jake said softly. And the boys kept walking.
They entered the Common Room, and Kevin, the RA, was studying.
Kevin looked up from his work “Where are you four going?” he asked.
Jake spoke for the group, “Are we allowed to go out and get something to eat in the Dolbin building? I don’t think we can sit much longer without a break.”
Kevin looked at his watch. “Yeah, that should be fine. Just don’t make any noise as you leave.”
“Thanks,” Jake replied.
Mark saluted Kevin as they walked past. The four walked down the stairs and out into the late evening sun.
“Oh, look, grass,” said Mark pointing to the ground. “I didn’t think I would remember what the outside would look like.”
The outside campus was calm. There were few students outside. And the few that were out were coming back from the library with their arms full of books or projects of various sorts and sizes.
The four boys walked down the grassy hill outside of their dorm and down to the Quad. The lamps surrounding the Quad had not yet come on. With the light gray-blue sky there was still enough light for the boys to see.
The walked past the Quad into the Dolbin building. The thick glass door slid slight open for them. They skipped the elevator, “I feel like walking. I’ve been sitting too long,” said Jake.
Cal replied, “I agree.”
They bounded up the stairwell and opened the door to the second floor. They walked past classrooms, until they reached the area where the VR rooms and restaurants were located.
“Ice cream!” Jake pointed at the snow cone that hung on the wall. “That’s what I want.”
“I’m with you,” Mark replied. The boys walked up to the counter.
A bot walked up from behind the counter. It’s silver face smiled at the boys. “Good evening Gentlemen. How are you? Taking a break from studying for finals?”
“Yup,” all four boys replied.
“What is it that I can get you?” replied the robot
“The works,” said Mark.
“What do you mean by the works, Mr. Cooper?” the bot replied.
“A scoop of chocolate, a scoop of vanilla, a scoop of chocolate and peanut butter, covered with whip cream and chocolate sprinkles,” Mark spoke quickly and with authority.
“It seems you’ve had this before,” the bot replied as it scooped the ice cream for Mark’s snack.
A second bot came to the counter. “Mr. Cooper, Mr. Jacobs, Mr. Cho do you know what you would like to have this evening?”
“A large chocolate cone please,” said Jake.
“A mint-vanilla shake,” ordered Cal.
“A large sundae with caramel,” said Henry.
“Of course, just a moment,” replied the robot. The bot walked away and began working on the orders.
The first robot appeared at the counter with Mark’s larger order. “Here you are Mr. Daniels. You’re order of a chocolate, vanilla, and chocolate-peanut butter sundae.”
Mark licked his lips and stepped forward to get his order. He smiled as he took the food, “Thanks! It looks awesome.” Mark went and sat down at a table.
The other boys joined him. Mark was already deep into the chocolate part of his ice cream. They were the only ones at the shop.
A bell dinged, and the elevator doors slid open and Brad and Maggie walked out.
“Oh, I guess that’s where Brad has been studying,” Cal pointed.
Jake looked over his shoulder. He waved at Brad.
Brad looked back and acknowledge Jake and the boys, he headed to the counter and gave his order to the first robot.
“Do you think they’re going to eat with us?” Mark asked as he shoveled some more chocolate and peanut butter into his mouth.
Brad and Maggie walked over with double scoop chocolate cones. Maggie spoke first, “Hey fellas!” She licked her ice cream.
“Hey Maggie--Brad,” Mark replied, waving with his spoon, his mouth full of chocolate ice cream.
“You guys coming from the library?” Jake asked.
Brad nodded his head, “Yes.” He took a bite of his ice cream, “Well, see you guys later.” And he led Maggie off. They walked away and around the curve of the of hallway.
A few minutes passed as the boys finished their snacks. “That was great! I need to go back and finish up my paper,” said Cal. The boys stood up, threw away their trash and walked towards the movie theater, which wasn’t playing anything due to finals.
“I wonder what would happen if just stayed out? Would Kevin come and find us?” Mark wondered aloud.
The idea of making Kevin angry made Jake laugh. They turned the corner around the theater.
Ice cream was smeared all over Jake’s shirt.
Brad looked at his now empty cone. “Darn it!” he shouted.
Jake looked at Brad, “I’m sorry.” But it was Jake who stood with his arms open, staring at chocolate dripping down his shirt.
“Ugh, I hadn’t finished that cone.” Brad stated.
Jake’s face flushed. Sensing his anger, Mark ran a got some napkins from the ice cream store. He handed them to Jake. Standing next to Brad Maggie stood stiff, not sure how to respond.
Jake wiped himself off. He rubbed his shirt hard. He rubbed so hard a hold appeared. Jake stopped and took an exasperated breath. “Oh man, now look!”
“I’m sorry,” Brad rolled his eyes as he apologized.
Jake noticed the eye roll. He glared at Brad, and clenched his jaw. He dropped the napkins to the ground and his fists tightened.
“Come on, Jake, it was just an accident,” Cal said.
“But I certainly didn’t mean for you to be so put out by having your ICE CREAM CONE RUINED!” Jake was not shouting.
Mark picked up the napkins, ran to a trashcan and threw them away. He patted Jake on the back, “Cal’s right. It was just an accident.” Mark paused—waiting for Jake to respond.
Jake did a right-face and walked with the other boys away. His fist still clenched.
The four boys left quickly. They found the west stairs and walked swiftly down them. Jake’s face was still red. His jaw still clinched.
“Dude, you okay?” Mark asked.
Jake’s face was beet red. They reached the outside door and pushed them open.
They reach the outside and Jake shouted, “I am so tired of him!”
Mark, Cal, and Henry paused for a moment. They were a little taken aback at his anger. The anger was now clearly bursting through the surface.
Jake knelt down on the ground and pounded the earth. His right fist kept moving and punishing the earth. The other boys surrounded Jake, they were sure what to do. They just stood with their friend.
After what seemed like an eternity to Mark, Cal, and Henry, Jake finally stopped. Jake held up his fist. Green grass and brown dirt covered his knuckles and fingers. He wiped off his hand to reveal several cuts on his knuckles. He stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes and flexed his injured hand.
“You okay? You want to have that looked at?” Mark wondered aloud, his voice soft.
Jake shook his head, “No. If I do, then they will ask what I was doing and I don’t feel like coming up with a story. I’ll just get a few Band-Aids from our room.”
Mark nodded in agreement, “Okay.” He patted his friend on the back and the four boys walked together back to their dorm.