Alessandro had just been about to enter the school, when his phone had started vibrating profusely. It had turned out to be his younger sister, Fernanda, who was begging him to come get her. Fernanda wasn’t that much younger than him, there was only about one and a half years between them. In the Fenderson-family, they were very much the voices of reason amid all the chaos, and always each other’s confidants. Alessandro smirked at her messages, detailing the horrid wedding dress aunt Sylvia had picked out, how much her future husband resembled Mr. Potato-head and how annoying their younger siblings were being. Fernanda had a much worse temper than Alessandro, who rarely flew off the handle. She could have full-on screaming matches with their parents about the most unimportant things, like what they were having for dinner, or if her favorite purple top hadn’t been washed. She always said that she wished she had been the sperm to win the race first, so she could’ve been the oldest and Alessandro the second-oldest. She thought that would mean that she would be the favorite child and get away with anything, like Alessandro did now. Whenever her argued that he in no way was the favorite, she’d always just tell him to shut up, and then that’d usually be the end of it. She truly was a firecracker.
“Hey”
Alessandro looked up from his phone and met Niko Pierson’s gentle eyes. He was smiling. Niko always reminded Alessandro of his twelve-year-old brother David whenever he smiled. They both had the type of face you could tell would never change or age. Alessandro was convinced David would always look twelve, even when he was fifty. The two kind of acted similarly, too. They were both very gentle. The type of people who got a long with anyone. Alessandro had always seen Niko as a younger brother, though he couldn’t exactly say that they were close enough for him to call Niko a brother. He just had that same juvenile energy. That’s why it had confused Alessandro so much when Niko admitted to having feelings for him last summer. Alessandro honestly hadn’t known what to say. He hoped he had let him down easy enough. He imagined it had to have been hard for Niko to get rejected by someone like him. But since then, they’d still spoken every now and then. So he hoped that Niko hadn’t gotten that heart-broken.
Alessandro pulled Niko in for a quick hug, before letting go again just as quickly.
“Looking good”
Alessandro chuckled.
“Thanks, man”
He noticed Fernanda had sent him another message. It turned out to be a truly disturbing picture of aunt Sylvia in her wedding dress. It was somehow more yellow than white, and was barely covering her saggy breasts. Her hair was put up in some type of bun and the caked on make-up tried its best to cover up what thirty years of smoking had done to her face.
“I’ll tell you what’s not looking good, though” he then told Niko, showing him the picture, “that’s my aunt Sylvia. She’s getting married for the fifth time today … can you see the striking family resemblance?”
@elixr - Nicholas Pierson
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“Hey Jacob”
He awoke from his own thoughts and noticed Jade Martinez sitting on a bench close to his. He hadn’t noticed her until now. More and more people were starting to arrive, he supposed. His lips formed a soft smile while he waved at her. Jacob never really knew how to act in situations like this. Jade and him had spoken a few times, and he appreciated her company whenever they did, but they really didn’t know each other very well. He knew what he was like around people he considered close friends, and he knew what he was like around people he considered strangers. But he had a tough time knowing how to act around the people who were somewhere in the middle. Did she want him to come over and sit next to her? No, that felt too forward. Maybe she’d think he was initiating something? He didn’t want to come off as weird. He quickly decided against it.
“How are you? And how was the vacation for you?”
“I’m good!” he replied, “it was pretty uneventful, to be honest. I did manage to get a whole lot of reading done, though. How about you?”
@OhSumana - Jade Martinez
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Ciara didn’t seem to believe in dreams having meanings. Haoran was okay with that, he knew that he couldn’t always have the same opinion as his friend. They were quite different, after all. “Maybe next time you can try and write down your dreams?” he suggested. “If you want to, that is. I think dreams can be very interesting.”
Haoran nodded at Ciara’s rant about teachers. She was right, the teachers who take their anger out on students were truly the worst. It made him wonder how they even got a job in education, especially among teenagers. “I agree.” he replied. Although he never had it happen to him personally, he knew that Ciara had a few encounters with bad teachers. “They’re really awful. I think they should go to therapy, genuinely. It might help them work out some issues.”
As they talked in the hallways, Haoran started getting a bit nervous about missing class. “Do you think we should get to class now?” he asked. Taking the schedule he had written down the day before, he showed it to Ciara. “Do we have any classes in common? What’s your first class?”
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“Weeell when you put it like that…” Kira laughed. “I really don’t think it’ll get that bad, I’m good at studying, but depends on the subject.” she explained. “I was kinda just planning on saying I have a headache or whatever, but I don’t think my parents are gonna believe it.” Struan seemed to know a lot about the consequences, it made Kira wonder if that had happened to him. Though, she found it hard to believe he was a thief. “Good advice, Smith. Do you speak from experience?” she asked, curious.
Kira rolled her eyes at him calling her mundane, smiling after. “Gee, thanks!” she nudged. “I haven’t really seen you either, just heard rumors. You don’t look nearly as cool as those rumors made you sound, Susan.”
She looked over at his phone, checking the schedule. Kira had completely forgotten to check what classes she had. “Uh, just a sec.” she replied, as she took her phone out to find the schedule, wherever it was. After she managed to find it and download it into her files, she brought her phone closer to Struan’s. “Look at that, we have the first class together! Pretty cool if ya ask me.” she replied, gesturing to him to follow her into the hallway. “Don’t wanna be late.”
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Forager - School Courtyard - Kira
“Come on Adam, let’s hurry, the professor that hates me is staring at me, see from just there.” Struan pointed. “He saw me and now he hopes I’m going to be at least a minute late so he can claim he saw me hanging out with you outside the school.” He grabbed her hand so it would be easier for both of them to rush, and he didn’t want her phlegmatic self to take her minutes before she starts moving, but instead of moving from the spot, he stopped in his tracks, watching the spot where he said he saw a teacher, mouth agape. He moved his eye to a different room seen through windows and he it too. “Adam … my mind is playing tricks with me.”
@idiot.exe
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“Oh the crime, Eve! To be seen hanging out with me? The audacity.” she laughed, as Struan dragged her off to the classroom. The teacher was there, standing in the doorway, awaiting both of them. But then, he disappeared within moments. Kira thought she was seeing things, but hearing that Struan saw the teacher too reassured her.
“No…” she replied, in shock. “I saw him too… Did we see a student that looks like him?” she asked. Kira had never seen the professor before, so it was possible that Struan mistook a student for him. Though, she saw him standing in the hallway as well, and couldn’t find anyone who looks similar. “I think you need your eyes checked or something, Fiona.” she laughed, shrugging it off, as she walked inside the classroom. “Teacher’s probably late.”
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“No, no Adam, I meant he would use anything and exaggerate it as an excuse why I’m late. I once excused myself for being late because my tire popped. Everybody could see I have been running, but that teacher told my teacher that he had seen me eat a candy bar outside and whoever has time to eat a candybar outside shouldn’t be excused for being late and should’ve gone straight to class. And it’s true, I was eating a candybar but I wasn’t standing outside eating it you see. I was running to class and while I was running I felt sick. I hadn’t eaten anything that whole day and I took a candybar from my backpack and I attempted to eat it while taking a break form running by walking for a few seconds before running again. I was just finishing it when I fled through those doors, but the teacher exaggerated it anyways. I don’t know why he dislikes me, he probably doesn’t think I deserve to be called smart and bright but lazy instead. Which is odd because I know a lot of smart but lazy people.” He said. “Now that’s cleared let’s get back to the subject. Did you see that man just dissapear and did you just call me Fiona? God just pick a nickname and stick with it, okay Adam?” He said, a bit annoyed.
@idiot.exe
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“Oohhh, yiiikesss…” she responded after hearing his story. “He has issues.” Kira had met a few bad teachers throughout her life, and there definitely were teachers annoyed at her mischief. Though, no teacher was bad enough to ignore the truth in their favor, but in their defense, Kira wasn’t exactly secretive about causing trouble during school hours. “That liar, imagine just making up your own truth.” she laughed. “And there definitely can be smart and lazy people. I’m not lazy but I do badly at school, doesn’t mean I’m stupid, right Oliver?–”
Kira paused, taking a deep breath. “–Okay, right, subject at hand. Disappearing teacher. I’m glad he’s gone, because I didn’t wanna deal with him hearing me trash talk about his issues…” she paused. “Wait, do you think he just disappeared into thin air, Adam?” she laughed. “People don’t do that, you know.” she continued, teasing him. Adam seemed like a perfect nickname to call him. Now, Kira can use this to her advantage and confuse people about who Adam is. A dream come true.
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“He can’t have just dissapeared out thin air beause … that’s impossible.” Struan was puzzled. “Come on Adam … let’s get to class. He probably sent his ghost clone to frighten students with his stern brows and scary facial expression.” Struan joked. “Come on Adam, no time to lose.” Struan liked how she nicknamed him Adam just like she did to her. To him she looked like an Adam so he kept calling her that because she refused to call him by his name, and people would find it lazy and not very creative of her to go with the same nickname her gave to her, but he thought it was clever because now if they keep acquintance or even if they become friends they would be confused when he should call for an Adam and a girl would come to him and also call him Adam. It would be like an inside joke and he missed having inside jokes with friends ever since he moved here. But now it’s a piece of home that he can still have the joy of feeling so far from it. “You’re fun, Kira … are you perhaps struggling with the pronounciaton of my name?” He asked “Many plain people can’t. People who don’t read much, who haven’t visited lot or people who can’t say anything withouth an accent can’t pronounce my name, but otherwise it’s a very simple one. Are you like that? Or can you pronounce it?” He pruposley made her feel like she had to pronounce his name otherwise she’d be labeled as a plain person who hasn’t visited much, doesn’t read much and cannot say anything withouth an American accent, so she is obliged to attempt, otherwise he will ridicule her for it.
@idiot.exe
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school
. “Maybe next time you can try and write down your dreams?” Ciara shrugged, “Ok then I’ll try too” She promised him, “If you want to, that is. I think dreams can be very interesting.” Ciara smiled, “It’s ok I will do it” She said.
“They’re really awful. I think they should go to therapy, genuinely. It might help them work out some issues.” Ciara nodded, “Exactly! Like all of us suffer under the system taking it out on us is only making matters what, they should really just get therapy/”
“Do you think we should get to class now?” Ciara nodded, they walked the halls when Haoran brought out his schedule, “Do we have any classes in common? What’s your first class?” Ciara looked at it, “We have 1st class, third class and 5th class in common.”
@idiot.exe Haoran
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//Forager //Junior Year //
Gladly Jade managed to be slightly sociable by initiating a conversation with someone who, fortunately, was Jacob. What were the consequences of being lost thoughts in solitude in a corner? An occasional unwanted attention and probably, probably Alessandro noticing her if she had been wandering in the hallways, and the meaningless flirting that came along with it. So fortunately it was Jacob.
She cracked a polite smile from her stoic face. She gave an affirmative nod , as Jacob brought up the topic of study and syllabus, already impressed at least someone was keen on being productive during the break.
“That’s clever,”, she commented, “Yeah I have taken a look at the syllabus and topics covered in this year. Should be easy.”, she added, “So yeah, I tried to make a study routine and cover the introductory chapters. Do you have physics though?”, she asked out of curiosity, or she could be needing help from a possible studymate, her intentions were not really clear on her expressions.
There was a bit of pause when she waited for him to reply not long before she recalled something. “Shoot, I haven’t collected the schedule yet”, she mumbled to herself in realization.
@cuteswede - Jacob
Alessandro - mentioned
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“Psh, ghost clone?” Kira laughed. “And first you said he can’t disappear out of thin air.” she joked, following him to class. After looking around the room, she found an empty desk with two seats in the back row. Walking over to the desk, she threw her black backpack on the table and took a seat, gesturing for Struan to sit next to her. Kira always picked the back seat, the teacher was less likely to notice them talking. She especially liked the seats by the window, since she could always look outside when bored.
Struan asked Kira if she can pronounce his name. She did hear him say his name earlier, so she was sure it was accurate. “Of course I can pronounce your name, Struan…?” she spoke, clearly with an american accent. Although her family wasn’t American, she grew up here, getting used to pronouncing things that way. “Struan doesn’t really fit you, honestly. I liked calling you Susan, but Adam causes more confusion.” she laughed.
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“Good luck!” he smiled, encouraging her. Haoran was happy that she took his advice on writing down her dreams. Sometimes, Haoran did the same, though only with the weirder dreams. He found it fun to try and decipher their meaning. “Maybe I can help with the meanings?” he suggested.
Haoran nodded, listening to her rant. “I wish more teachers cared about our health. School is truly messed up, and so is the system.” he sighed. “And I hate having to wake up so early.” he added. It was a bit random, but that was his least favorite part about school, considering he could barely fall asleep at night.
Hearing about their shared classes, Haoran smiled. “That’s awesome!” he exclaimed. Now, he could spend more time with his friend.
They were talking while going down the hallway, when they arrived to their first class. Haoran knocked to be polite, opening the door to the classroom. He looked back, making sure Ciara was following. “Where do we sit?” he asked her.
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“Maybe I can help with the meanings?” Her lips curved into a smile and she closed her eyes, “Sure” She told her friend.
“I wish more teachers cared about our health. School is truly messed up, and so is the system.” Ciara nodded, “True, the school system needs to be changed.” She vocalized her thoughts. . “And I hate having to wake up so early.” Ciara gave a bitter chuckle, “Funny how scientist and doctors say teens need 8-10 hours of sleep, yet the system forces us to wake up way too early. And the excuse ‘maybe just sleep earlier’ doesn’t really work, because we are bombarded with assignments that take us hours.” Ciara hated the school system, it was no wonder so many students hated school. Kids from middle school to high school rarely get enough sleep, and on top of that, teachers love taking out their anger on kids. Not really caring for the mental health of teens. Ciara hated teachers like that.
“That’s awesome!” Ciara smirked, “Yeah, so you can help be my wingman if they are any cute people there, just joking.” She giggled.
“Where do we sit?” Ciara pointed at the seats in the middle, “Let’s go there” she told Haoran
@idiot.exe - Haoran
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Isolde was arranging her textbooks when something hit the lockers, rolling her eyes at whatever idiotic student was trying to damage school property. She closed her locker with a snap, gearing herself up to yell at said student.
However, she was shocked to find her Algebra teacher seemingly in intense pain. Immediately, she fell to her knees and tried speaking to him.
“Sir, can you hear me?” “Where does it hurt?” “Sir!”
She asked him repeatedly; however, no reply came. Just as she was about to grab him and take him to the infirmary, he disappeared.
Isolde stared at the spot her teacher was previously in, trying to comprehend his disappearance. It took exactly four minutes before Isolde let off a shrill cry and scrambled away from the spot.
Grabbing her bag from where she had set it on the floor, she reached into it and called the first number on her contact list, Melanie. “Please, pick up! Pick up!” she demanded frantically into the device as she speed-walked away from her locker. “Girl, pick up! Where the hell are you?”
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It was true that the school system was really messed up, and Haoran couldn’t agree more. He nodded in agreement with what Ciara was saying. “But, I do finish all my assignments right after school.” he added. “And even if I do, I still don’t get enough sleep because I have to study for the upcoming tests. Really not looking forward to that, by the way. We should cheat somehow.” he laughed. “Kidding. We’re hard working students.” Haoran added, just in case a teacher was nearby. He respected teachers and putting in effort for his future, but even he struggled sometimes.
Haoran followed Ciara, as the two sat down in the middle row, continuing their conversation. “Wingman? Are you sure I can do that?” he laughed. “I know you’re kidding, but I can definitely come up with a good plan to get them to like you.” he assured her.
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“… Do you have physics though?”
Jacob tilted his head back, trying to remember this year’s classes. He had managed to memorize them all, which was something he always did before each term, just for fun, but when the question was sprung on him like this, he had trouble remembering. Advanced math, biology, geography …
“Shoot, I haven’t collected the schedule yet”
Jade’s muttering interrupted his recounting, but he really didn’t mind. The topic hadn’t been important enough to stay on for much longer, anyway.
“Oh, we could go do that now, if you want? I don’t think classes for another couple of minutes” he offered, hoping this wasn’t some way for her to politely make an exit.
@OhSumana - Jade Martinez
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school
“But, I do finish all my assignments right after school." Ciara’s eyes widened, “Lucky!” She said, she always finished her assignment but it takes her way too long. Probably because she has to take care of her younger siblings, which don’t get her wrong she loves to do. “And even if I do, I still don’t get enough sleep because I have to study for the upcoming tests. Really not looking forward to that, by the way. We should cheat somehow.” Ciara chuckled, “Kidding. We’re hard working students.” Ciara nodded, “Yeah we are.”
“Wingman? Are you sure I can do that?” No that was why it was a joke, she thought in her mind. Though outside her face was plastered in a smile “I know you’re kidding, but I can definitely come up with a good plan to get them to like you.” Ciara coughed, “Look Haoran… you know you’re my friend and I love you” she bit her lips “But no.” He was really awkward when it came to stuff like that.
@idiot.exe - Haoran
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Melanie took a deep drag of her cigarette. She usually only smoked when she was drunk, but it was only a few minutes past eight in the morning and she was already in desperate need of some stress-relief. Getting Wendy to school had been a much harder job than she’d anticipated. The little girl had started talking about how Deborah said that Melanie was a burden and a disappointment. Innocently, of course. She was only six, so she barely even knew what those words meant and had only brought it up as small talk. That kind of topic was probably common enough between her mother and her, that she didn’t think twice about it. It had, however, put Melanie in a bad mood, which kind of surprised her, since she didn’t think Deborah affected her anymore. Clearly, she was weaker than she thought, which only annoyed her more.
She got out her phone from her pocket when it suddenly started violently vibrating. Isolde. Melanie quickly threw her cigarette on the ground, stepped on it, and then got out a piece of gum from her other pocket. Melanie wasn’t sure if Isolde knew that she smoked from time to time, but she didn’t want her to find out right now. Something told Melanie that her reaction wouldn’t be too great, and Melanie did not feel like dealing with it right now. She just hoped that the smoke hadn’t gotten too attached to her clothes.
“Hey, what’s up?” Melanie answered.
@Yomama - Isolde Candida
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