Alex Weller’s Reviews > Night Shift > Status Update

After fearing he will be deemed crazy for telling his story, Jim decides to get Chip to expose Robert and David for threatening a teacher, in order to get them kicked out. But when he goes to the office, he finds out Chip is absent. Even worse, when he calls Chip's house, his stepfather answers and reveals that Chip has run away from home. Looks like he was SUPER desperate to get away from those two. Damn.

One day in February, after school, Chip Osway goes to Jim and confesses about Robert and David. He had been hanging out with them, but after Chip said he would get Jim for that test, Robert and David revealed they knew Jim back when Chip was a baby and imply that they plan to kill him. Chip is now terrified of them. And it looks like these two ARE the same two bullies who killed Wayne. But how have they not aged?

Two weeks after Kathy's death, Jim is informed that another transfer student will be joining Living with Lit to replace Kathy. When he opens the folder, he doesn't recognize the face immediately. His name is David Garcia, and he comes from the same high school that Robert Lawson did. Interesting.

Jim opens the morning paper, only to discover Kathy has fallen to her death from the roof of her apartment house, presumably pushed by three boys who were spotted on the roof at the time of the incident. Holy shit! Jim's just lost another good student. That sucks!

Jim is teaching class but Robert and Chip act up and make lewd comments towards a female classmate, Kathy Slavin. Then the two of them chuck a grapefruit at Jim, drawing his ire and causing him to swear in class. Yeesh!

Jim has the dream again, but it's worse this time. After Robert(?) stabs Wayne, he calls after Young Jim and tells him he's next. Yeesh!

Sally notices Jim is troubled and asks what's wrong, but Jim won't answer, understandably. She tells him to go to bed early that night, but he doesn't.

Jim tries to convince himself that Robert Lawson is not the same kid who stabbed his brother sixteen years ago. But when he meets the kid while arriving at class, the resemblance is just uncanny. Is this really the same kid? Is he a ghost or a demon or something? Or is he the son of one of the original bullies? Something weird is going on.

Jim receives tragic news that one of the more well-behaved students in Living with Lit got killed in a hit-and-run during the holiday. A transfer student named Robert Lawson has just come in to take his place. Jim looks at Robert's file and is shocked to discover that Robert looks exactly like one of the bullies who killed his brother. What the hell?

During the month-long winter holiday, Jim has the dream again twice at the beginning, but not again afterwards. Jim and Sally spend the holiday at Sally's sister's house, and Jim returns to school feeling better.