He hurried upstairs to change, the urgency propelling his steps until he collided with someone unexpectedly. Startled, Travis quickly raised his head, only to find himself frozen under the penetrating gaze of his sister, Katelyn, who peered at him through her glasses. His hand had inadvertently come to rest on her chest in the midst of the collision.
"Um, I'm sorry, sis. Can you let this slide, please?" he pleaded, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment as he realized the awkwardness of the situation. But the damage was already done, and Katelyn's expression remained cool and unforgiving.
A second later, a sharp pang of pain shot through Travis's head, causing him to wince and clutch his temple as he watched his sister turn and walk away without a word.
"Why did I have to run into her?" he thought bitterly, a mix of frustration and regret swirling within him. He knew Katelyn could be unforgiving when crossed.
That was Katelyn Blackthorn, his elder step sister at 20 years old, was currently attending college. With her long black hair framing a face adorned by piercing blue eyes, she embodied the beauty that seemed inherent to every woman in their household. Her presence commanded respect, even though Travis often found himself on the receiving end of her stern looks and occasional reprimands.
He entered his room and quickly changed into his school uniform: black pants, a crisp white shirt neatly ironed, and a bright red tie. Normally, he had the option of wearing a school jersey, but today he opted for a black pullover to keep warm.
"Looking good," he complimented himself with a slight smile as he glanced at his reflection in the mirror. He grabbed his phone and slipped it into his pocket before leaving the room, ready to face the day ahead.
Luckily, Samantha was just about to leave as well.
"Wow, you're on time this time. I'm impressed, let's go," she said.
Travis nodded, and they both headed downstairs. Standing in front of the door was their mother, who greeted them with a warm smile.
"Here's some money, okay? Spend it well now. Also, Samantha, don't leave Travis alone. At least show him around the school before that," Jane instructed.
"Mom, I can't. I have things to do," Samantha hurriedly complained. But Jane simply stared at her for a second, making Samantha sigh and nod. She knew her mom wasn't someone she could argue with. Samantha walked out, leaving Travis behind.
"Have fun, okay," Jane said to Travis. He nodded and walked past her.
"Thanks, Mom," he said before rushing towards Samantha, who was waiting at the gate.
Jane was surprised that he had called her Mom, but more than that, she was happy. A tear dropped from her eyes. "I can't believe he finally called me Mom. I should have recorded it. Wait, I need to get a picture of them."
She grabbed her phone and hurried after the two. Jane managed to snap a photo of them before they walked off again. Staring at the slightly awkward photo, Jane smiled to herself. "It was a good decision adding Travis to our family."
.....
Travis and Samantha were now on their way to school. It wasn't very far, just a five-minute walk. As they strolled along, they engaged in a brief conversation.
"By the way, since you're Mr. Good-looking and all, I advise you not to get into any sports, alright?" Samantha said.
"Oh, why is that?" Travis replied curiously.
"Just trust me on this. Those aren't clubs you'd want to join, especially since you're packed," Samantha whispered the last part.
"What was that?" Travis asked, leaning in closer since he didn't catch her whisper. But Samantha simply quickened her pace, leaving Travis behind as he tried to decipher what she had said.
He hurried to catch up with her. "So, do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.
"No, I'm not interested in that at the moment," she replied.
"Oh, what are you interested in then?" Travis inquired further.
"School, of course. What else should I be interested in? I'm thinking of running for class president this year, and then next year, aiming for the Student Council," she explained.
"Okay. Are there any perks to that?" Travis questioned, genuinely curious.
"Well, firstly, it looks good on your university applications and attracts attention from scouts. Secondly, I get authority over all the other students," Samantha said with a wide smirk on her face, chuckling slightly.
"I should have known," Travis replied.
Before they knew it they had arrived at school. The name of this education institution was Brightened High School. UT was a private school, made for rich kids originally but due to the lack of learners attending they reduced the fee allowing almost everyone to afford to send their kids here. Through that the school gained a profit, since who doesn't want to send their kids to an affordable private school.
They arrived at the gates.
' Pretty nice school. ' he thought.
" Come on Travis, mom said I should give you a tour" Samantha said as she walked in.
" Nah you don't. I'll do that myself. You can go" He said.
Samantha stared at Travis, she sighed then nodded. " Alright. See you later. Don't bother me when school starts"
She left Travis, who walked into the building. Right inside the building there was map of the whole school. ' Okay, where should I go first?' He thought.
After thinking he decided to go to auditorium. Which was a minute away. So he began walking towards it. He saw many students heading in that direction, which made him wonder what was happening there.
He arrived there and saw a sign
[ First Year's ]
' Oh what luck. I guess things are going to work well for me here' he thought.
TO BE CONTINUED