Jericho sat at his desk waiting for the teacher to arrive so he could find out which school he was accepted into and just leave this shit hole.
Students milled about chatting and gossiping about every little thing, from the schools and their details, to old gossip like what Jericho had done last month, and mundane things like who was dating who.
All chatter came to a holt when the teacher entered the room. He looked very disheveled and tired with a partially untucked dress shirt and a crooked tie. His eyes scanned the room waiting for the last few students to take their seats.
"Alright," he said sighing heavily," now that you've all settled down and taken your seats I'll be taking attendance. Jeremy-"
As the teacher began taking roll Jericho tuned him out absently looking out of the window. The sun was making its slow climb over the little corner of Vesta Jericho was on, back on Earth at this time cicadas might be chirping but here on vesta it was dead quiet. The only noise being the teacher calling students names at a steady pace.
Jericho looked over the students in the class seeing their multitude of expressions and inflections as they conversed quietly. He felt like a solitary emotionless piece of wood cast adrift in a sea of emotions he had no possible way of grasping.
He felt oddly sad at this thought. Not being able to understand another person had been something he always struggled with and his ability to understand others hadn't ever improved.
The only time he had ever fully felt another connection with another person, was in that glorious moment between when he had looked into the eyes of the boy he was hitting and when his head had made contact with the concrete and knocked him unconscious.
Obviously, Jericho knew this was a fucked up thought and he wasn't normal for thinking it. It was just how he had always been, while advancements in transport, ability study, and military application had been great in the past few decades psychological treatments haven't progressed past what they were in 2030.
So while a psychiatrist could diagnose Jericho easily enough with conduct disorder, he didn't exactly know any sure methods of helping him past it. Well, other than smothering Jericho in a mountain of pills.
"-Reynolds?"
"Jericho Reynolds," said the voice of the teacher now looking over at Jericho irritably.
Jericho looked around with a blank expression seeing a few students snickering at him and a few others avoiding eye contact with him," here."
Nodding the teacher continued his roll call which only lasted for about four more names.
"Alright, now that we know whose here and who isn't I will be announcing each students top result for their military school they applied for if they did apply for one, and those who didn't will be announced after the military school portion. Understood?"
When no one had any questions he nodded and went back down the list walking to each student he named giving them a packet of each school that had accepted them including their best option. If they hadn't been accepted they would either have to go to one of the public military schools that wasn't already at full capacity, or they would just have to give up on the military if they weren't an orphan like Jericho.
"Now, Jericho Reynolds the hard of hearing student," a few of his classmates chuckled at that," Oh, it looks like you were accepted into your first choice good job."
"Oh what, did the little abilitieless idiot get into one of the low end military schools," a girl from the back mocked in a voice that said she was acting like she was being quiet.
"Here's your packet for Vesta's Military School for the Gifted, you'll be needing it with how strict I've heard the faculty is. And I must say I'm very proud of you Jericho," the teacher said with a voice that Jericho could only assume was pride.
This statement had shut up the entirety of the class as they stared at Jericho in utter astonishment. He couldn't really blame them after all Vesta's School for the Gifted was the best military school on the planet and the best of any of the U.S. owned planets military schools.
As far as Jericho knew this was the first time in the schools history since it had been opened that a student without an ability had been admitted. Honestly he had applied hoping his above average athletic ability and outstanding grades would earn him a spot, but if he was being honest he never expected to get in.
As he stared down at the packet his teacher had given him his heart beat faster and his palms began to sweat.
'Why do I feel so weird,' he thought furiously as his eyes darted back and forth taking in the smallest details on the surface of his packet.
System Start Progression
35%
'What,' Jericho's eyes widened as he scanned the surface of his desk beside the packet. He furiously rubbed his eyes.
System Start Progression
36%
He nearly jumped out of his seat. The number had jumped forward a digit in real time. These were normal desks as far as he knew and no other desk had done this before.
"What the heck is that weirdo doing?"
"I don't know he's just staring like a moron at his packet. I guess he didn't expect to get in either."
" I bet the idiots craping his pants."
"Now class leave Jericho alone, it's understandable he would be shocked. You would be as well if your first choice was as prestigious as his and you were accepted," the teacher said calming down the students.
The murmuring didn't stop but it was at a much lower level that the teacher and Jericho couldn't hear properly. As the teacher moved on from Jericho's desk with just one more concerned look, he continued passing out packets and announcing each students results.
"Hey dipshit," a boy said from behind Jericho slapping him on the back of the head.
"What," Jericho said turning to the boy who had hit him.
"Don't you fucking talk to me like that you little fucking runt."
Looking him over Jericho didn't find much interesting about him other than the vivid shade of purple his hair was. He couldn't quite tell, as they were both sitting, but he did look slightly taller than Jericho. All in all he was thoroughly under whelmed.
"If you're not a pussy you'll go behind the school after all our classes and fight me like a man. You pissed me the fuck off having the nerve to apply for Vesta's but you've thoroughly fucking annoyed me getting in."
Jericho stared at the boy. If he remembered right his name was something like Leonard or maybe Larry. It didn't matter either way. Normally, Jericho would turn something like this down but...
"Fine," he said curtly turning back around not acknowledging the boy further.
"You better show or everyone will know you're a giant pussy."
Jericho stared forward looking at the dry erase board at the front of the class. A deadly edge to his eye and a small evil smile on his face that no one could see.