"Mr. Wilczek, where have you been?" Mr. Walter Pink's voice carried a sigh as I hurried towards my class. "Class is about to begin. Everyone else has been patiently waiting inside the classroom."
"I'm sorry about that, Mr. Pink.." I said with a sheepish chuckle, running a hand through my hair. "I was just at the Principal's office."
"Oh, did you get into any trouble?" Mr. Pink inquired, a hint of concern in his tone. "Did he accuse you of stealing something? Something like the chemistry lab equipment?"
"Oh, no, no, Mr. Pink." I shook my head, offering a reassuring smile. "Nothing like that. The Principal just wanted to have a chat with me, that's all."
"Oh, okay." Mr. Pink nodded, a relieved expression appearing on his face.
Wow, I can't believe he's this concerned about me. Mr. Pink is truly a wonderful teacher. It's just unfortunate that he's been diagnosed with cancer.
"Oh, and by the way, did you see Jesse Whitman, by any chance?" Mr. Pink inquired, prompting me to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Jesse Whitman.. you mean the security guard? No, I haven't. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing." Mr. Pink said as he waved his hand. "He used to be an old student of mine, and I've been helping him out, uh, financially. That's it."
And he also helps out his former students. Truly a remarkable person.
"Well, I haven't come across him, but I'll definitely let you know if I do." I responded, and Mr. Pink offered a smile. "Good, good… Now, why don't you take a seat, and I'll bring the new transfer student so they can introduce themselves."
"Transfer student?" I raised an eyebrow, and Mr. Pink nodded. "Yes. We have a new classmate joining us. An international transfer from Europe."
"Ah, yes. I've heard about it.." I replied in a monotone voice. Mr. Pink gestured towards the classroom as he jogged through the hallway. "Wait inside the classroom, would you? I'll bring the transfer student right now."
I watched as Mr. Pink hurried down the corridor, releasing a long and heavy sigh before entering the classroom. In an instant, everyone's attention shifted to me.
Oh boy. I guess they're all still a bit nervous when they see me.
Taking deliberate steps, I made my way toward my seat situated at the back of the row, and as I was passing by my classmates' desks, I caught the sound of a hesitant voice. "Uh, um.."
Coming to an abrupt halt, I turned to my left, locking eyes with Frederick, a chubby young boy sporting glasses and a face covered with freckles. His gaze was a mix of nerves and admiration. "Yeah?" I asked, giving him my attention. In a soft voice, filled with stutters, Frederick spoke, "Um, I-I, uh, thought you— you were great with how you dealt with Gavin.."
"Yeah? You liked it?" I inquired with a faint smile spreading across my face. Frederick nodded his head, his expression now holding a hint of relaxation. "Yeah! An-And I also liked how you beat up Rafael and his goons as well! They definitely deserved it."
"Fuck yeah, they did!" My vigorous nod affirmed the sentiment, a surge of satisfaction coursing through me as I felt validated. "They thought they could mess with my friends? Of course they were going to get their asses beaten!"
"Absolutely, dude. You were totally badass!" Frederick exclaimed loudly, his tone oozing newfound confidence. "Where'd you pick up those fighting skills, anyway?"
I let out a short chuckle before responding, "That's my secret Cap.. I'm always angry!"
"Aha, ha.. ha.. what's a cap?" Frederick asked, his expression genuinely puzzled.
"No, uh, it's a dialogue from the Aven- you know what, nevermind.." I dismissed it with a shake of my head, deciding it wasn't worth explaining. "Yeah, um, glad you enjoyed the showdown, dude."
I extended my fist for a fist bump, and Frederick accepted it with a smile on his face.
As I continued walking towards my desk, more and more of my classmates began talking to me, stretching out their hands to get either a fist bump or a high five.
"Nice job, Felix! You showed 'em.."
"That was epic, man! Gavin totally had it coming!"
"You're a legend, dude! Seriously, that was wild!"
"You put those jerks in their place, Felix! Respect!"
The classroom buzzed with congratulatory comments as I headed to my seat. I nodded and smiled, exchanging fist bumps and high fives along the way. Taking my place, Darren leaned in and remarked, "Seems like they're warming up to you, huh?"
"I guess so," I responded nonchalantly, giving a slight shrug.
"All right, class," Mr. Pink's voice echoed from outside the door, and the room fell into a hush as he swung the door open.
He stepped inside, and accompanying him was a young girl with an almost angelic appearance. Her silver hair flowed down gracefully, and her crimson red eyes were striking to look at, seemingly capturing everyone's attention.
"Wow..." The entire class, including the girls, appeared captivated by the presence of the mysterious girl standing beside Mr. Pink.
"Say hello to your new transfer student," Mr. Pink announced with enthusiasm, gesturing towards the girl. "Why don't you introduce yourself to the class?"
"Of course," the girl responded with a nod, even her voice carrying a certain angelic quality. A gentle smile formed on her lips as she initiated her introduction. "Hi, everyone. I'm Irina Cristea, and I come from Transylvania. It's a pleasure to meet all of you, and I'm really looking forward to..."
In an instant, time seemed to slow down, and my eyes widened in both surprise and confusion. I turned my attention towards Irina, who had her gaze locked onto me, and I raised an eyebrow in response.
Wink!
Much to my shock and surprise, Irina then winked at me, accompanied by a faint smile on her face. And right after she did that, time began moving in its regular pace, and Irina continued her sentence.
"... experience this new journey alongside all of you."