The piercing sound of the alarm clock abruptly shattered his slumber, yanking him from the depths of his dreams. As he stumbled toward the clock, silencing its persistent clamor, Alex's bleary eyes caught sight of the time. It was already 4 a.m., leaving him with little time to complete his household chores and prepare for school. The school day began promptly at 6 a.m., demanding an early start to his mornings. He sighed, knowing that his arduous routine awaited him.
Rain City High School bustled with activity as Alex traversed the campus, his footsteps echoing against the concrete. Amidst the clamor, he overheard snippets of conversation.
"Isn't that Alex? How dare he show up at school after losing his inheritance? He's nothing more than a poor orphan," one student remarked, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Hey, keep your voice down! He might hear you," another student cautioned, a concerned undertone in his voice.
"What does it matter if he hears? I, Arnold, am not afraid of a loser like him. Sure, he may have a good-looking face and a fit body, but he's just an average student and an orphan. What can he possibly achieve?" Arnold's voice seethed with contempt, his resentment toward Alex evident.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," another voice chimed in. "Alex has to endure Arnold's wrath simply because he's close to Athena. Little does Arnold know that Athena is oblivious to his affection, as she always seems friendly toward Alex. I've even heard rumors that she visits his house to bring him food."
"Then why doesn't Arnold use his family's influence to intimidate her?" the friend questioned, his curiosity piqued.
"Are you daft?" the voice retorted. "Haven't you heard? Athena has a mysterious background. They say her parents reside in Sun Country, a nation over 500 years more advanced than ours. Do you really think Arnold would dare make a move on her?"
The weight of their conversation settled heavily on Alex's heart. He had always been aware of Athena's enigmatic origins, which deterred him from pursuing any deeper connection. He considered himself unworthy of her, and thus, he chose to overlook her kindness, igniting Arnold's fury in the process.
Lost in his thoughts, Alex entered his classroom, his face etched with pain and sorrow. The room buzzed with the chatter of students, their youthful energy contrasting with his desolation. Athena, ever perceptive, noticed his somber demeanor and approached him.
"Alex, what's wrong? Why do you seem so sad?" she inquired, her concern genuine.
"Oh, it's nothing," Alex deflected, unwilling to burden her with his troubles. He took his seat next to Athena, their friendship silently existing in the space between them. Though he yearned to confide in her, he believed he had no right to involve her in his struggles.
As the class concluded, their homeroom teacher beckoned Alex, requesting a private conversation. Anxiety knotted in his stomach as he followed the teacher into a secluded corner of the room. The words that followed struck him like a blow.
"Alex, I'm afraid I must be frank with you. If you don't pass the upcoming entrance exams, I'll have no choice but to expel you from the school," the teacher conveyed, his voice laced with regret.
The gravity of the situation crashed down upon Alex, amplifying his despair. As an orphan, he had no safety net, no advocate to reserve another seat for him. The reality of his predicament threatened to crush his already fragile spirit. In simple words, since, he was an orphan no one cared about him even if he dies nothing would happen on the other hand if he fails the entrance exam he would have to appear for another year but doing so would require to pay tremendous fees which he couldn't, also the school didn't want to give up a seat of their school to an orphan with no talent.
After this Alex returned to his class Athena saw his more saddened state and enquired him about it though Alex wanted to share his worries with her but he didn't want to burden her and dismissed the sadnesd and told her nothing happened then sat on his chair next to her. Soon after the tracher entered the class so, Athena chose to stop talking and focus on what the teacher was teaching.
It was Maths class and their teacher was surprisingly someone from the Rain Cloud City her name was Yuhi, she always seemed to be worried about Alex's future as she also was an orphan that managed to achieve greater heights so. she knew the burden Alex had to face.
In class she often paid extra attention to Alex that was the reason that Alex's maths was stronger compared to other subjects after the class ended they rested a bit and then the other teacher appeared and started teaching.
after the end of the last class everyone packed their bags and went to their respective home except Alex he went to the near store and bought some alcohol to drink, after the death of his parents he always drank alcohol to escape the reality.
Numbly, Alex returned home, his steps heavy and burdened. Desolation engulfed him as he grappled with the harsh reality that his dreams were slipping further out of reach. Seeking solace in the numbing embrace of alcohol, he succumbed to tears that flowed as freely as the rain in his country. He started drinking he drank continously without care he decided he won't go school tomorrow so, he kept drinking till he was almost knocked out his face became red from the drunkness, he almost fell asleep but suddenly.
Knock, knock.
The sound penetrated the haze of his intoxicated despair. Though his heart yearned for solitude, the door swung open, revealing Athena standing before him, concern etched on her face. She gazed at the disheveled, tear-stained Alex with a mixture of worry and determination.
Her presence alone ignited a flicker of hope within Alex's desolate heart. Through his blurry vision, he managed to utter a broken whisper, "Athena... why are you here?"
To be continued...