Upon hearing the sound of the alarm coming from his cellphone, Gendred finally woke up after several attempts to sleep on that uncomfortable couch. As he looked out the window, he realized that the street was still somewhat dark.
'How I wish I could keep sleeping…' - He thought, with what seemed to be an expression of regret.
Normally, there would be rays of sunlight coming through the living room window, but all that was outside were endless drops of water falling constantly. This is one of the characteristics of the city during winter, with few moments where the rain stops and the sun takes its place.
Door opening.
As he looked towards the sound, he saw his semi-awake father coming out of the bedroom. This is the time when the two usually wake up to ensure that they have slept enough and not be late for their respective obligations.
— So, did you manage to sleep? — asked Jack.
— What do you think?
— Judging by the state of your face, I'm pretty sure you didn't.
He then went to wash his face, while his father went straight to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. After finishing, he went to check on the condition of the child he had brought home the day before. He prayed from the bottom of his heart that her condition wouldn't worsen.
The door was already open, so he just needed to go in. The child was still sleeping peacefully, perhaps due to the sleepless nights or the fact that they had woken up early. In any case, Gendred returned to the living room and put on his glasses.
— She was very lucky that you found her early in the winter. Given her condition, I'm almost certain she wouldn't have lasted long in the rain — He said, as he gathered the ingredients.
There were no walls to divide the kitchen and living room, so the two could talk normally between the two rooms.
— Sometimes I wonder if we'll regret moving to the so-called 'Rain City' someday. I've never seen a place with so many selfish people per square meter — said Gendred.
— Don't be so pessimistic. The rent here is cheap, I got a salary increase because of the transfer, and besides, we don't have to pay for water consumption.
— The rent is cheap because it's an area where rain accumulates the most. In addition, the public security system is precarious, and there's a high incidence of crime, which means more work for you. And as if that weren't enough, once in a while some damn intruder may appear in the middle of the city! — Gendred.
— Aren't you just seeing the negative side?
— One of the only positive points around here is the fact that rainwater is reused, and we don't have to pay to use it. Other than that, it's all just entertainment. — Gendred.
— But what about your school? They say the educational system in this city is one of the best! — Replied Jack, feeling like he was losing the argument.
— Are you sure they weren't talking about the WAP school branch? Because other than that one, the others aren't that different when compared to those in Hilgard. — Gendred.
— Sigh. Let's just eat. I'll take her to the hospital as soon as she wakes up. You better get ready quickly too, or you might be late or have a heart attack trying to run there. — Jack joked.
Ignoring his father's jokes, he quickly ate his morning meal. When he finished, he went to his room to get his school uniform. As soon as he entered, he noticed that the child had already woken up.
— Good morning! Did you sleep well? — Gendred asked as he approached the bed.
— Y-yes — she replied with an extremely low and slightly hoarse voice.
'She still has a little difficulty speaking, but seems to be a little better than yesterday. Her appearance has improved a bit and she was even able to sit up on her own in bed, which indicates that her condition may have also improved a bit' — thought Gendred.
— Can I take you to the couch, okay?
The child nodded slightly and the young man promptly picked her up, placing her on the couch. He then went to his room to get dressed in his uniform while his father served a smoothie he had just made for their new guest.
After finishing his preparations, he put on his backpack and headed to the couch. Seeing that she had already finished her smoothie, he crouched down to her level and formed a big smile on his face.
— I don't think we've introduced ourselves yet, right? My name is Gendred Dixon and that bald old man over there is my father, Jack Dixon. We'll take care of you until we can find your parents, okay?
— G-Gend? Jac? — She replied, not quite sure how to pronounce their names correctly.
— Yes! Those are our names. Do you remember what your name is?
— Ju-Julie... I think?
— Julie? That's a beautiful name. — He responded, while reaching out his hand and gently stroking her head.
Jack watched the scene with a satisfied expression on his face. It was rare to see his son smile since they moved to Cindre.
'He really has a way with children...' — Jack thought.
— So, Julie, we're going to have to take a little trip to the hospital to make sure you don't get worse, okay? — Gendred asked.
Julie nodded slightly
— I have to go to school now, so I won't be able to go with you, but that old crossfitter over there will take you there. But I promise I'll visit you when I'm released!
— What did you call me?!
Ignoring his father's indignant voice, Gendred stood up again and, with trembling legs and knees, picked up a small flower that was planted in a decorative vase in the corner of the room.
— Here, now you'll look a little prettier — said Gendred, placing the violet flower in the girl's hair.
— See you later, Julie! — Gendred went to the entrance and stopped a few steps from the door.
— Make sure you take good care of her, old man!
— And don't fall into a mud puddle and start rolling around like a pig! — replied Jack, still irritated at being called a crossfitter.
— What's with his hate for crossfit? — thought Gendred, grabbing an umbrella and leaving the house.
What the young man didn't notice, or even realize, was that he had left the girl completely shocked and almost crying with joy. She had never imagined that a completely unknown person would be so kind, at least not in this town. A few tears streamed down her face as a long-forgotten memory resurfaced in her mind, and with it, only one word echoed.
— Da-daddy... — She said, reaching out her hand in the direction where Gendred had just left.
— Huh? — Jack wondered.
'What did she just say… Nah, I must have misheard. Yeah! I'm just hearing things!' — he thought.
Realizing it was also time to leave, Jack hurried to get things ready. He put on his casual clothes, consisting of jeans, a long-sleeved brown shirt, and a pair of shoes. He also prepared more vitamins to put in two large plastic bottles, grabbed his wallet from his pocket, as well as his badge on his waist, and took the car keys.
— Alright, Julie, let's go to the hospital with grandpa Jack!" he said, holding the girl and putting her in his arms.
'I bet today will be a busy day…' — he thought, as he started the car and drove out of the garage.
Moments later...
Amid a path full of puddles, Gendred walked slowly towards school. The rain continued to fall without any sign of stopping, and the people wandering the streets didn't seem at all excited. The weather reflected the mood of the people that morning. The wind didn't help either, as it constantly threatened to take the umbrella away in a single moment of hesitation.
Unlike the gentle expression he showed a few minutes ago, he was really serious. He seemed to be marching towards an extremely deadly battlefield. It was clear that he had minimal desire to go to that place.
— My only wish is not to have to meet them today...
The young man walked in hesitant steps, slowing down more and more as he approached his goal. Little did he know that everything he had imagined for that day would come true.
After a few more long minutes of walking, he stopped in front of a large school building with classic architecture and a red color. It was Sunny school, where Gendred would study until the end of his high school days.
Taking one last deep breath and gathering all the courage he had, he moved forward towards his classroom. And only a few minutes later, the suffering he had been expecting began.
The students, whether freshmen or seniors, looked at him with contempt and disgust. Some even felt sorry for him, while others just ignored him, but most laughed at his appearance and made mean comments behind his back. Gendred felt more and more humiliated with each step he took down the hallways. He just wanted to disappear from there, but he knew he would have to face this reality every day until the end of the school year.
— It's him, that boy from the rumors!
— Wow, how can someone have such an awful face?
— Look at that swollen, ruined, pimply face! Does he have some kind of disease?
— Don't those glasses hurt him?
They whispered to each other 'silently', not caring if they would be heard or not. After all, what would he do? Try to respond and end up getting beaten in front of everyone? Or even have other people intervene to insult him or torture him even more?
Gendred preferred to endure this silently. Not by choice, but by necessity for survival. At least 90% of the students in the school are children of important or wealthy people. Among these, there are even those who have become powerful on their own through their own abilities.
Gendred is part of the other 10%, those whose parents have little influence, or even have no power to guarantee their own safety. To put it more clearly, we can say that Gendred is one of the plebeians of this place.
So tell me, what can a plebeian with no money or power do against a noble with enough influence and wealth to expel him from school with just a few words? Or even against a knight? Who has enough strength to make sure no one dares to bother him?
This is Gendred's current situation at Sunny school. He has considered changing schools, but he knows that it wouldn't change much, after all, this city is also known as the "city of wealth," where many rich and influential people rule everything. In other words, no matter which school you decide to study in Cindre, at least 50% of the students will have someone influential supporting them.
Gendred just ignored them and kept walking. He took several shorter routes, just to avoid trouble early in the morning. After a few minutes of walking, he finally arrived at the classroom. He sat in his usual chair, in the corner of the room and near the window.
Everything was going well until then. Nobody bothered to notice his presence or just looked at him with disgust. In Gendred's view, that was good enough.
But nothing good lasts forever...
Suddenly, a big, rough hand fell on his right shoulder. A big chill ran through the boy's body. He knew to whom that strong and brutal grip belonged, and he didn't want to feel it today.
— What's up, little Blastoise ~
'Shit!'