The next day, the three individuals sat at the table, Rachel was anything if not bewildered.
Yesterday she passed by the room and saw the two of them laying together, playing her granddaughter's VR, they seemed to be going along well, now... all of a sudden the two of them are sitting each in their respective places, in complete silence.
Only the sound of the spoons resonated as they ate their cereal, yes, it seems there is only cereal in this house.
Morpheus looks as relaxed as ever, but Sarah is shivering slightly as if she broke a million pound's worth jar.
"Is everything okay?" She had to ask, otherwise, what's going to happen with her gossiping? with her grandma senses.
"Yes" the two said simultaneously.
"I'm going to help you take the stall Rachel but then, I'll be on my way, I have some things to do.
"Oh..." Her mood immediately soured, she loves the most when they attend the stall together, it's easier for her and also, peaceful and fun.
Unlike her granddaughter who burns everything but well... one has to start somewhere.
Today she burns the food, tomorrow... she might burn the whole street.
Jokes.
'She might actually be a good cooker', she thought, after all, that's something that should be in the blood.
"..." Sarah heard that and didn't say anything, as long as he came back she doesn't care where he goes.
'...'
Scratch that, as long as he comes back and doesn't get a woman, she doesn't care where he goes.
"I'll be off granny, Morpheus, have a good day." After finishing her cereal, she cleaned her bowl, gave her grandma a kiss on the cheek, making the granny blush slightly before patting Morpheus shoulder, then left for school.
Obviously, she didn't forget to put on her shiny red teeth.
...
"Oh my... such a big change... when was the last time that girl actually said 'have a good day'?... you beat her up good, sweetheart." The granny giggled and took the plates of the two of them.
She couldn't be any happier with this change.
"..." He deadpanned, but indeed, he beat her up good.
"It's all thanks to you, how can I repay you for this?" The granny felt conflicted, they had been helped so much that she felt indebted... he's an eccentric young man, has a lot of money yet doesn't have a home, is powerful but kind and likes to serve others with his heart upfront.
She had never met someone so odd in her life.
"You don't need to, Rachel... I was just passing by." He said and moved to the stall."
He cleaned the stall and the entire house while he was at that.
Rachel seemed to be oblivious of the small watery dust that covered the entire house, she only felt that the place suddenly turned slightly colder and refreshing before the entire house was suddenly shining.
The change was so subtle that she couldn't notice.
"You always say that, it troubles me you know?"
"I know, but I won't allow you to repay me, let's go... I will leave you in your place."
"Are you going to be in danger?" She suddenly asked, catching him off-guard.
"Why would I be in danger?"
"I don't know sweetheart, I'm just asking..." She curled up her lips and finished tidying up the dishes before moving back and hooking up her arms with him.
"Let's go~"
**
**
"Sarah, I heard that Ashton got a beating last week, is it right!?"
"Yes..."
"And is it right that he was discharged yesterday!? he's coming today!"
"Anything you have heard is likely right, Mary."
Sarah walked through the campus of Regent High School, one of the most prestigious high schools in London, she had paid for her tuition herself as the one her grandmother could pay had been a place full of disgusting pricks, even then she was grateful with her grandma for that, if she hadn't gone there, she wouldn't have met the people that helped her reach her current stage.
But now, those same people are standing in her way.
The vicious world she belonged to, she doesn't pretend to be there anymore.
But once you step in, it's difficult to leave and she knows that.
Mary Milborough is her best friend and perhaps an only friend, a cute teenager with auburn hair who rather than wearing jaws, wears a pair of big shiny glasses.
The two of them go along well and Mary is obviously involved in all the mess that she's involved too, she has a boyfriend named Brice that's a wannabe gang lord, not much different from Ashton.
The problem is, that boyfriend of hers is usually busy.
...
To Sarah, compared to 'him' they're all pussies.
Perhaps even the actual ganglords.
"Mary, I have something to tell you, I want to discuss this with you after we fini-" Just as the two entered the campus the first thing they saw was the figure of a beautiful white-haired teenager with curvaceous skin.
Hana.
Within this school, the girl is always stoic and minds her own business, everyone knows she's an idol but she doesn't like to be approached with those intentions, overall she's a very polite girl.
And also, she's the school belle.
As if sensing her gaze, Hana turned around, the girl had been walking probably towards her own classroom when she spotted the girl with jaws.
"Sarah..." Hana said and approached Sarah but her gaze seemed to be looking for someone.
"..." And that made Sarah grit her teeth.
"It's good to see you, Hana."
"Oh..." It was Mary's time to tilt her head in bewilderment since when do these two know one another.
"You too... where is Morpheus?" No matter how much she looked everywhere, she couldn't find him.
!!!
The raven-haired beauty's eyebrows twitched!
"H-He doesn't study here... Hana." The girl's eyebrows twitched!
"Oh, true... and where does he study?" The girl tilted her head cutely and asked with interest as if she was just going to move schools the moment she hears the answer!
"He doesn't study at all! Hmph! Let's go, Mary... I'll see you later, Hana." Sarah abruptly took the bewildered Mary's bionic hand and started to move away, leaving Hana to her own designs.
Even when by herself like this, no one approached Hana, she had rejected so many people that no one bothered trying.
And what if they wanted to get forceful? let's say that's not a convenient thing to do...
'He doesn't study anywhere, Hana... you should know this much.'
'...'
**
**
"How did you two meet each other?"
"Grandma's store... she bought food from grandma." Sarah summarized, not wanting to speak about the silver-haired girl.
'If you have a crush, at least conceal it better will you!?'
Says the girl that shamelessly fondled her crush's butt last night when they haven't even known for a week, while also happening to have a boyfriend.
...
Once inside the classroom, the tension got immediately palpable.
Ashton was there, completely healed, of course, as long as he got his enhancements up and his torso in order, he'd be okay.
"Sarah, you're here..." He stood up, leaving his bunch of friends
"Good Morning, Ashton..." Sarah took a seat at the furthest corner of the classroom, near the window and only greet the boy briefly.
"Sarah, you and I are going to talk later!" Seeing his girlfriend cutting him off so swiftly once again, he was about to explode, yesterday it was the same, he was left alone while she moved on to play with some other man!
The man that beat the shit out of him, no less!
"We will definitely talk..." She glared at him, perhaps more anxious about this conversation than even him.
[Classroom, assemble.]
The AI's voice resonated, indicating the beginning of the class, the boy could only sit down begrudgingly.
"Place your chips in the terminal, it's time to load this week's package..." As always the students did as requested, they introduced their chips in a terminal that's on their tables and the information for the week's classes was transferred in it.
Then the chip got released and they introduced it in their brains once again.
"Excellent, students... before we begin, there is an important announcement, as of the next period, Regent High School will join the ever-expanding list of institutes that shall start imparting classes and packages through the VRworld. This initiative has been long considered and postponed, but the directive considers now is the best time to go ahead with it." The AI summarized and the students had a mixture of reactions at that moment
!!!
Within the ever-adapting curriculum of the UK's schools, most of the signatures are more related to the world within Virtual Reality than reality itself.
Entertainment, business, entrepreneurship, innovation... everything... within the VRworld.
Hence, it is no longer necessary to even consider having impersonate classes in a campus
And this is precisely the reason as to why there are a mixture of reactions... some of them already spent so much time in it, that the impact was minimal, some of the others were fifty-fifty... even if they were to receive their knowledge within the Virtual World, it wouldn't change much.
Sarah, for one, doesn't like it... especially now.
She had been a drug dealer, selling drugs in the street and living a life outside the VRworld, indeed, she does play in there, but it is not most of the time.
Now, there is also her grandma's business that she's looking forward to assisting her with.
But eventually, the thought that everything would be alright and that it is just a few hours a day in the VRworld, filled her mind and soothed whatever worries she might have.
It's not that bad, is it?
She can meet Mary there anyway.
Having explained the new directives to the students, the usual classes started.