3. Things are Ruff

“Do you understand?” My father asked. I didn’t reply. We were in a car headed to my new school. I could already see it over the hill. We lived inside a cozy suburb, not too different from home. My dad went to work in the city, but I hadn’t really explored it beyond the first day. For the last few days I’d sat at home playing video games, or skyping with my sister, she was still upset. The school got larger and larger as it came into view. I’d never seen such an expansive campus. I could have sworn it was at least a community college by the size.

“I know it’s rough, Elias.”

“Right…”

“Just make sure you do what your instructors tell you to do. I had to pull a lot of strings to get you into this school,” My father restated.

“I get it,” I replied sharply.

“Glad you do.”

“Why couldn’t mom and sis come?”

“I’m not going over this again.”

I sighed. “What else is new?”

My father looked over at me with a stern face, “I don’t want to hear it. You should be happy, given the amazing opportunity.”

“Sorry, guess I’m just homesick,” I responded.

My father was a thin man. Not bony, or lacking meat, but held a natural slenderness to his frame. His face followed that same structure. It was thin and narrow, except for his chin that was quite chiseled and defined. Despite that, most people might have seen him as a handsome man; if it wasn’t for his eyes that seemed so cold, and distant. He had no flame to him, no passion. It was as if you were speaking to a robot, and that robot hated humans, and you were human. His hair had grown moderately long, almost to his shoulders. He kept it brushed, but didn’t care much for his appearance. He still wore wire rimmed glasses as opposed to contacts. In comparison, I didn’t look much like him at all. The only thing genetics gave me from my father was his chiseled jawline and prominent chin. Otherwise, I took after my mother, my face was a bit more rounded and boyish, my eyes were green as opposed to my father’s deep brown. Sometimes I wondered if I was really his kid. I felt bad to think that way, about him or my mother, but I did wonder.

As my father pulled over outside of the front gate of the school, he looked at me one last time with his robotic face.

“You’ll get over it, just go and learn something. Make the most out of it.”

I got out of the car without replying. As I walked away he called out, “just head straight to the enrollment office.”

I turned around. “Should I cook dinner?”

“Worry about yourself tonight, I’ll be busy,” after that my dad drove off.

I was completely at a loss. I had never been in a school so massive. What was more impressive was that there were several large buildings inside the complex. Each was spaced out evenly in a nice symmetrical square and connected by courtyards and hallways. There was the Math Center, Language Arts Department, Science Center, Utilities Building. I didn’t understand how everything worked. The buildings were about three stories tall. Except the utilities building which seemed to be five stories. I followed the signs that led to the enrollment office. I managed to find it somehow. I got everything situated and they handed me a map of the school.

Afterwards, I wandered about and tried to track down my homeroom class. The map was anything but simple. One would think at such a prestigious school they would at least know how to design a proper map.

I passed along the hallway that connected the main office to the math building and noticed a couple of girls headed my way. I involuntarily made a double take because they were gorgeous, but did my best to relax and called out to them.

“Excuse me?”

The two girls stopped walking and although one smiled at me, the second girl was not so warm and welcoming in appearance. That girl was a bit shorter than the first and had long, dark, raven hair. It matched her eyes well, but there was something peculiar about her. She glanced at me with a cold indifference. It wasn't even annoyance rather, it seemed as if she saw straight through me. It was almost as if I was a thin stretch of spider web, that was in her way. She couldn't quite fully ignore me or she'd run into me, but it was obvious she'd rather not have to deal with it. Her eyes were so striking that it hit me with lots of feelings at once. My only hope was that she didn’t decide to take a blowtorch to me. I got that impression immediately.

It was the taller, smiling girl that finally answered me just before the silence got too awkward.

“Yes?” She asked, her voice soft and caring.

I looked her over briefly. Both the girls were exceptionally beautiful, though I guess it would be misguided to expect any less from a school filled with such affluent students. Where the dark girl had soft features that seemed harsh despite the contradiction, the smiling girl had sharp features that she toned down with a happy demeanor. It was difficult to explain the dark girl’s appearance. If her look of sure boredom and uncaring had faded she’d be a high priority to any guy that wanted to take home a decent girl to meet his parents. She had gentle cheeks, with prominent eyes, and a button nose. Her chin only had a slightly refined tilt to it which only accentuated her features. It was just so damn impossible to look her in the eyes, it felt as if you were bothering her just by looking. Melodramatics aside, the smiling girl was much simpler to behold. Her hair was a light, pale, blonde. Her skin was tanned and sun-kissed, her cheeks soft, and her eyes a gleaming hazel. Her best feature was her smile though, which she wore professionally.

“I…” was trying to come up with words, when the raven-haired girl switched to a gentle frown, nearly imperceptible. 

“Next time, at least come up with a pick-up line before you waste our time gawking,” Raven advised.

“It’s not like that, I just...I’m kind of lost,” I replied embarrassed.

“You’re holding a map,” Raven said unamused.

I smiled awkwardly. “I know, I just don’t really get it. Is this the atrium?”

“Does this look like an atrium?”

“Miya, be nice,” The blonde girl interrupted.

“I’m just looking for room 2-A.”

“This is the foyer, but...that’s actually where we’re headed,” Blonde explained.

“Really? That’s awesome, could I just follow you?”

“No, she was lying, fun prank to do to new kids,” Raven answered sarcastically.

The blonde girl playfully tapped the dark-haired girl on the shoulder, “Meee-Yaaaa…” she sang. I guessed that that was the dark haired girl’s name.

Miya sighed, defeated and began walking. “Fine.”

I followed them in silence for a minute or so before the blonde girl started the conversation, “I’m Juliet by the way, my lovely friend here is Miya. So, what brings you to this school?”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Elias. Nothing special, just...my dad transferred me here,” I rubbed the back of my head before adding, “did I do something to upset you?” I was referring to the Miya's inability to look at me. 

“I'm rather uninterested in entertaining you," she responded simply with equally zero interest. As if she was answering a math problem rather than saying something pretty mean.

“Don’t mind Miya. She’s just... shy around new people and hides it by being rough...hm, sarcastic,” Juliet then paused subtly before seeming to force a nervous laugh. It was more confusing than anything else. It sounded as if maybe Juliet was worried, or trying to be cautious about something.

“Right, I’m absolutely trembling in my shoes from social anxiety,” Miya retorted. She then glanced over at Juliet for a split second, nearly discreetly, there was something strange about the look she gave. Maybe she didn’t like Juliet talking about her?

“I see…” I pulled out my phone and checked the time. It was going to be a long day. “Well, my dad transferred because he works for Dahl tech. The R&D department.”

“That’s interesting, must be some pretty cool stuff there!” Juliet stated excitedly.

I paused. Then stared at the floor. If he ever bothered to even tell me what he did, I might know that. “I really wouldn’t know,” I responded honestly.

“I’m sorry,” Juliet sounded upset, as if she felt she did something wrong. She was staring at me in earnest and fumbling for words. “I didn’t mean…”

“Juliet, don't apologize,” Miya chastised.

“It’s really okay, nothing bad. My dad just works a lot so we don’t talk much.”

“Oh, still I didn’t mean to bring it up if it’s upsetting,” Juliet apologized again. It was sweet that she was so considerate, even if she didn’t have to be. I should be more careful around her she seems pretty sensitive to other people, she's sort of balancing Miya and I here. 

My father may have worked for one of the biggest technological advancement companies in the world, but that just meant that everything was one hundred percent top secret. It also meant he worked twenty-four seven and could never tell us a single thing about what he was doing. Makes for a very exciting, interactive, and loving family environment. Yeah, something like that.

The hallway seemed to stretch on and on, but I felt like we were getting close because we were passing classrooms and Miya seemed to pick up the pace. She was still relatively quiet when she wasn’t sarcastically insulting me. Honestly, as long as she was quiet, she was really pretty. Too bad that thought seemed like a dangerous one to entertain.

“My dad is an aide at the UN,” Juliet continued the conversation.

“Now, that sounds exciting,” I said.

“Sure is, I want to do that as well. Working internationally is amazing according to my parents. I’ve visited the office a few times, you can meet lots of interesting ambassadors,” Juliet carried on.

“So, your mom works for the UN as well?”

“Not anymore, now she stays at home and takes care of everyone.”

“That’s nice, my mom does the same, except,” I felt a bit upset realizing that my mother and sister were clear across the country now, “she’s still in Seattle with my sister. They didn’t come with us.”

“Ah, I’m sorry about that,” Juliet frowned. “Do you, uhm, like New York so far?”

“Only been here a couple days, haven’t gotten to see the city, but my house is alright.” I smiled.

“Shit food, noisy people, and equally crowded, what’s not to love?” Miya ended the conversation as we entered the classroom.

As soon as we entered, everyone in the class stopped talking for a second. It was one of those eerily quiet moments. I thought maybe they were looking at me but they seemed to watch Miya more as she passed by. Until she sat and everything went back to normal. Juliet waved at me as she sat down. I turned my attention to the teacher standing at the front of the class. He looked me up and down before glancing at his podium.

“Sit, now.”

The professor began tapping on his desk. He seemed exceptionally irritated. I went to look for an empty seat but he stopped me, “Not you.”

“Elias Mason, I presume?” He pushed his glasses up with his index finger. He didn’t seem old, maybe mid-thirties at most. He had short curly, brown hair, and a thin nose, with high cheekbones. He wasn’t what most would call friendly.

“That’s me, sir.”

“Professor Ackerman, please.”

“Professor?” I was a bit confused by that. I was under the assumption that professors were only at college, but it was a private academy, so maybe the rules were different. I was only sixteen though, so saying professor felt odd.

“Yes, professor,” he tapped his podium, impatiently, “well, we don’t have all day. Introduce yourself. They have manners where you’re from, no?”

“Sorry. Uh, I’m Elias Mason, and…”

“Right, that’s quite good enough, head to the empty seat, please, I have some important announcements to make.”

I did what he told me to do and took a seat towards the left hand side which was the only one available. At least the desks were a nice solid oak, and it even had the tops that opened. I’d never actually seen one in person. The seats were also cushioned. Got to hand it to the rich folks, they learn in style. While I was busy being fascinated by the strangely comfortable desk, Professor Ackerman carried on with something or another.

The guy next to me whispered, “Hey, new kid!”

I glanced over at him and he smiled almost as wide as Juliet, though he seemed more the troublemaker type. He was also not as pretty to look at, naturally. Lacked my personal gender-preference.

“Yeah?”

“I’m Taika Taylor, don’t forget it, I’ll be famous or something one day. Don’t worry, I’ll totally sign your yearbook, who are you?” He spoke in rapid succession and I was trying to understand him. He was Australian, and I was unfamiliar with the accent. I assumed he wasn’t born here, but that probably wasn’t an assumption I should make.

“Elias Mason, I introduced myself up there,” I replied quizzically.

“Right, right...so that is your real name.”

“You think I used a fake name?” I responded incredulously.

“Never can be too careful,” he shook his head. “Unless you’re still using a fake name. But I’ll worry about that later. Anyway, don’t worry about professor Yacker-man, he’s got a degree up his bum.”

“Mr. Taylor, I’m glad to see you getting along with your new classmate, but I’d rather you not speak over my lecture!” Ackerman let out angrily.

“Right, won’t happen again,” Taika Snickered.

Ackerman went on to talk about the school year and various other random activities we were supposed to do. I was here on the first day, but I guess at the academy you stayed in the same class starting from freshman year. It ran by its own standards, and had a majority of Korean, Chinese, and Japanese students, so it took from those countries' education systems. To be honest the school's demographic must have been sixty percent Asian, twenty percent White, and twenty percent everything else. I felt extremely out of my element. It was a very different school system from what I was used to. I was more familiar with uncomfortable tables and low-income students that could not afford to have Dolce & Gabbana backpacks.