Chapter 7

The tall boy the name of Santana walks into classroom. He has wavy brown hair with on side of it tucked behind his right ear. His eyes are pale blue with a dash of brownish green. He walks into classroom with something reminiscent of a small robot. 

“I just wanted to ask your advice on my prop assignment. I have been having trouble adjusting size of its legs. I can’t make it stand and move with the motor I have installed.” asks Santana. 

“Yes. I can help you I was just chatting with my other students. If you just hang tight for a minute I can help you.” says Pepperidge. 

“Sure no problem. I’m on a free period so I have some time.” says Santana in response. 

“Oh by the way have you met Rin and Mari? They are some of other star pupils. Rin is actually helping with the Arts Festival this coming month.” Pepperidge introduces him to the two girls. 

“Hi! Nice to meet you! Says Rin. 

“H-H-Hello!” croaks Mari in reluctance. 

Santana walk over to the desk and places the robot down on the table and takes a seat. 

“What was that about? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” questions Rin. 

Well— you remember what I said about Emma and Brad? Well he’s the person that Emma cheated with on Brad.” said Mari in a timid tone. 

“What!” shrieked Rin. 

“Well ladies you can stay here for the next period as I’m down with classes until the last period.” instructs Pepperidge. 

“Go take a seat next to Santana while I get out of these clothes.” Pepperidge gestures the two to go sit while he goes to a sliding door in the back of the room to go change. 

They both sit at the table where Santana is tinkering with his robot. 

“SO; I haven’t seen you guys around before. What grade are you guys?” Santana asks inquisitively.

“Ummmm; well we are both 4th years. So we’re pretty much out of here” says Mari haphazardly. 

“Wow! Who would’ve thought you guys look younger. I’m sure I thought you guys were 1st years.” said Santana glancing over for a second while tinkering with his robot. 

“Well it may be hard to notice girls like us when you have so many around. I-I mean you are one of our star basketball player’s.” Mari says in quick recession. 

“Well; I personally never thought of it that way. I knew being on the basketball team was a huge deal but I just thought of it as a fun way to get some notoriety. I mean in a world where everyone is pretty much surrounded by technology; it’s hard to stand out. But you guys know tha—.” Santana stops his tinkering and looks at Rin. 

“Hey! Don’t I know you from somewhere?” questions Santana. 

“Uhm—no! This is the first time we ever saw each other.” Rin says in a smug tone of voice. 

“Wait!” says Santana. 

“You were the one that made that Cowgirl outfit for the play last year. Right?” questions Santana. 

“Uhmm. Yeah that was me.” Rin responds abashedly. 

Wow! You are really talented. You know it’s really hard to find a human fashion design with an interesting perspective of the human body. Everyone is always clamoring to stick to trends or has to consult AI for the same old composition.” says Santana in compliment. 

“Thanks. I try to go for more obscure shapes and colors.” says Rin. 

Right as they start to continue the conversation there’s knock at the door. 

“Hey! Can one of you open the door for me?” says Mr.Pepperidge in the back room. 

“Ok. I’ll get it.” Santana replied. 

He gets up from the table to go open the door. As he does this both girls look at each other with the most ghastly looks imaginable. 

“It can’t be who I think it is. I mean there’s no way they will find us here.” Rin thought to herself before she heard Santana’s voice call out. 

“Hey just the guy I was looking for! It’s Brad!” Santana said cheerfully. 

The girls stood still as a doe does when it coming face to face with a mountain lion. Faces slowly glancing over to Santana’s hand reaching for the open button. 

Everything in the groom goes slow and the movement of Santana’s hand reaching starts to getter intensely quicker as he gets closer and closer to the button. 

He finally pushes the open button to the sliding door of the classroom. No sooner as it opens Brad lunges at Santana grabbing his shirt and pushes him to the ground. 

“Are you trying to steal my girl?” questions Brad with a fierce look on his face. 

“What? I’m not following; where is all this coming from?” Santana responded confusingly. 

“You and Emma. Remember when you cheated with her and made me look like a fool believing that we were friends?” said Brad with tears streaming down his face. 

Suddenly Santana looks over to Emma with a face of shame and embarrassment. 

The crowd of kids have now flooded the corridor to the classroom. Watching on as Brad raises his fist as if he’s about to strike. 

Just as he is about to swing Mr. Pepperidge arrives from the back room. 

“THAT’S ENOUGH” shouted Pepperidge to the tall boy. 

“You better unhand him and leave. That is if you want to enjoy what’s left of your last year. Don’t forget as one of the organizers of the Art Fest I can make sure students can be excluded from the festivities.” said Pepperidge trying reason with the angry youth. 

Brad then lets go of Santana’s shirt gets up and leaves the room. As he leaves from the room he gives Santana a mean glance and Santana looks away in shame. The door closes and the crowd of students disperses. 

“Are you alright lad?” asked the concerned Pepperidge. 

“Yeah, I’m alright just a little roughed up” said Santana as he dusts off his pants. 

The girls rush over to help him stand up. 

“Come take a seat here! Are you ok?” said Rin with a sense of vigor. 

“No. I’m alright! I promise I just got a few scratches; nothing major.” said Santana assuringly. 

“Ok. That’s great.” said Rin. 

“Do you know what that was all about Lad?” asked Pepperidge. 

Upon being asked the question Santana sits quietly. Sulking in the seat with his head hanging low to his knees. 

“I’ve made a big mistake that I can never take back.” said Santana solemnly. 

Back at the Label board room; the gentleman who judged the contest with the platinum EV-Specs sits in silence with little holographic stars in his background creating a a cascade of light in the dimly lit room. 

He looks at his tablet and slides his finger to from look through documents. 

However, this comes to a screeching halt when he gets a message from the man with the golden EV-Specs who pushed Rin on stage. He appears in a hologram the emanates from an opening in the table. 

“We found the girl you asked for sir.” said the little man in the holograph. 

Then suddenly a picture of Rin pops with some general information on the side. He reads until he stops at the school. 

“Hmmph. That’s rather interesting.” the man says as he looks to a picture on the side of the wall. The picture consists of him and a young boy with shaggy hair and smiling. 

“Looks like we found our way in. Great job!” the man remarked in a congratulatory tone. 

“Thank you sir!” the short man retorts.

The man sits in silence with filled with glare from the hologram in his EV-Specs.