Bill thought the simplest way to "feel the blood" was to stand on his hands and sense the blood rushing to his head. He wasn't sure what to do next, but decided this was the best way to start.
This was his plan, and shaking his head, Bill decided that unlike the adults around him, if he were to succeed, he wouldn't keep this knowledge a secret.
After getting dressed, he smoothed the creases on his shirt before heading to the dining room.
There, his mother and nanny, as usual, waited for Bill to join them before starting the meal.
As they began breakfast, Miss Angie looked at him and said, "William, starting today, you'll have a new student in your class. I know you'll do it anyway, but I want you to help her settle in. She's not used to classes."
Pausing from his plate of eggs, Bill didn't think much of it and replied, "What's her name?"
After taking a sip of water, Miss Angie set down her glass and answered, "Her name is Fia. She just joined the Marines and has no family. She might not understand much in class, so make sure to help her and be kind to her."
Bill knew that children could join the ranks of the Marines, but this was the first time he'd encountered it himself. After all, Vallipo was a wealthy island, and because of its strategic importance, marine children weren't usually sent here.
Bill asked, "Will she be performing duties on the ship?"
Nodding, his mom replied, "She's already doing them; your father has already taken care of everything. In a few years, she'll be sent to serve on a ship, but for now, it's been decided that she needs stability and education."
Nodding in response, Bill thought that although losing her parents was sad, at least she wasn't completely alone. So, he simply said, "Yes, ma'am," finished his breakfast, and headed to class.
Over the years, the classroom had barely changed. The desks had grown bigger, but there were fewer of them, and Bill still sat next to Ricky by the windows overlooking the bay.
When Ricky walked in, Bill said to him, "Hey, we're getting a new classmate."
Sitting down at his desk, Ricky turned to Bill and replied, "Cool! Do you know who it is?"
Nodding, Bill answered, "It's a girl named Fia. She's the new 'junior assistant' on the ship. I don't know much else."
Hearing the words "junior assistant," Ricky made a slight sound, "Eh?" then sarcastically said, "So the 'junior assistant' will be studying with us? We're officers' kids! What's she going to clean up? Ha-ha-ha!"
Seeing that Bill wasn't laughing with him, Ricky, who was never the bravest, asked, "What?"
Looking at him seriously, Bill calmly replied, "I don't see what's funny. You and Sasha want to become sailors, and I see that this newcomer has already surpassed you."
Defensively, Ricky quickly said, "I don't really want to be a sailor, it's Sasha dragging me along. Besides, I was just joking. I wouldn't make the newbie clean up after me."
Rolling his eyes, Bill responded, "Of course."
Before Ricky could continue defending himself, Miss Angie entered the room.
Seeing the teacher, Bill and Ricky stood up and waited for her to sit down.
Miss Angie said, "Boys, starting today you'll have a new classmate. When I call her in, I want you to introduce yourselves. Then she'll do the same. After that, we'll begin the lesson."
Seeing the boys nod in agreement, Miss Angie called, "Fia, come in"
As soon as Miss Angie said this, a girl with a rather pretty face entered the room. She had coarse, sand-colored hair and dark, tanned skin.
Even though she was wearing the Marines' uniform, the moment Bill saw the "Fruit Ninja," he tensed up, ready to dodge at any second. Although he didn't feel fear from what had happened on the beach, he knew what this girl was capable of.
Behind the face of an eight- or nine-year-old girl hid literally explosive power.
While he understood he needed to be on guard, he noticed the fear in her eyes when she looked at him.
As Bill prepared for a possible attack, the girl stepped back, ready to run away.
Miss Angie also noticed this dynamic and quickly said, "Ricky, let's start with you."
Not understanding what was happening, Ricky pointed to himself and proudly said, "My name is Riccio Occhiali, but my friends call me Ricky! I'm nine years old, but I'll soon be ten! I love swimming, building, and recently I became the fastest runner!"
After Ricky introduced himself, Bill kept his gaze on the girl, who also couldn't take her eyes off him.
Noticing this, Miss Angie calmly said, "William, now it's your turn."
But Bill still remained silent. Seeing this girl was like seeing a giant counter admiral for the first time. Though the fear wasn't the same, the adrenaline wouldn't let him open his mouth.
Seeing the boy remain silent, Miss Angie sighed and turned to the girl, gently saying, "Fia, why don't you introduce yourself to your new classmates?Hearing this, the girl looked away from Bill and glanced at Miss Angie before weakly echoing Ricky: "My name is Fia Cannone. I don't have any friends, but you can call me Fia. I'm probably nine years old, and I like to eat when I'm hungry. My favorite food used to be oranges, but not anymore"