School Story - 003

And so, thanks to Massimo and Tayla, that's how I ended up making a beleaguered return to life as a high school-

"What's the other thing?"

"Huh?"

"The other thing," Tayla repeated, "when I said it seemed like you'd been thinking about something important, you replied 'one or two things'."

"Did I?"

"Yes. One or two, which therefore means at least two maybe even three things, you'd just rather not tell me about one of them."

"It's not that I'd rather not tell you, it's just embarrassing to talk about."

"That's the same thing."

"The nuance in those two statements is entirely different."

…

…

"Don't try to distract me," Tayla returns after making me squirm for a few seconds, "you suck at it."

I sigh.

I guess there's no point in not saying it. In not just coming out with it.

"The other thing is… well… the other thing…"

I sigh again. It is still hard to say after all.

"I was wondering what this is… what we are doing here."

"You mean…"

"I mean our relationship. What is this? Like, is this serious?"

"Of course, I've been serious about this from the start," Tayla responded, "though not really right from the start. But, you know, I am serious about this. I want to be your girlfriend; I want us to go on dates. I want you to hold me and tell me I'm special. Is that what you mean?"

Sometimes I really dislike how upfront and to the point Tayla is. Like, imagine if I wanted to say no at this point? It'd be impossible.

Luckily, I'm glad about her upfront and to the point nature this time around. She's a lot better at saying the words she needs to say than I am. And this time, at least, that saved me, and made this all a lot easier.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Like that?"

"Exactly that. That's exactly what I mean, Tayla."

And so, thanks to Massimo and Tayla, that's how I ended up making a beleaguered return to life as a high school student.

And also, how me and Tayla ended up belatedly ended up becoming a couple. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Lovers. However, you want to put it. Sorry, it still makes me smile every time I think about it.

But, anyway. School. Thanks to Massimo's connections, which got me into high school under a false identity as Massimo's grandson, and Tayla's insistence that I go back to school, I'm now here.

Though I'm still not too happy about it.

My first three periods were History followed by English and then Woodwork, none of which are subjects I particularly enjoy. There was one kid who was in my first two classes, who helped me find my way from first period to second.

He introduced himself as Arthur Davies. There was nothing particularly noticeable about his appearance. If anything, he was taller than average, definitely over six feet, and he had shaggy curly black hair. What I did find odd, however, was that he asked to sit next to me in second period. It surprised me. As the new kid, it wouldn't be weird for me to ask to sit next to him and his friends, but the other way around… well, I guess it isn't that strange for someone to happen to not have anyone they know in a class. That kind of thing must happen from time to time, in a school with fifteen hundred pupils.

In any case, I made it through the first half of my first day of school without any trouble. It's draining however, being back in this kind of environment. And I still have half a day to go.

My timetable, printed at the start of the day, already starting to crumple at the corners, tells me that for my remaining two periods, I have PE and Maths. PE at least will be fun. Assuming we are indeed doing physical exertion, and not bookwork. Previous experience leaves me less than optimistic.

I'm still learning how to orientate myself around the school. It isn't so big that I feel like I need a tour to understand where everything is, but I also feel like it'll take me a good week or so to remember where all of my classes. I've already found the gym, so I at least know where my next class is.

The centre of the school is a large complex, including staff offices, classrooms, and the school canteen. Other classrooms and buildings, such as the gym and hall are found further away.

It was around the school canteen that I ran into Arthur Davies again. Or, less like I ran into him, and more like I saw him. It didn't really cross my mind to go talk to him, not immediately, anyway. He hadn't been very talkative in class this morning. I just watched him from a distance. More because he was the only person I'd happened to talk to today, rather than out of curiosity.

Although, I did notice something rather curious. It was… his body language. He was talking with someone. No, multiple people. There was a group of them. About five or six that I could see, but there must've been at least one more. I couldn't see them properly from the distance I was viewing from, but I could tell from the way they were standing, in a semi-circle around Arthur, that there was at least one or two more.

What exactly was happening over there, I couldn't tell. Arthur didn't look all that comfortable from what I could see, however. Eventually the group left, laughing. Arthur, however, I could tell wasn't laughing.

It was strange.

I wasn't sure what exactly I'd just witnessed, but there was something disconcerting about it. I could tell that Arthur wasn't exactly happy, but what had happened was so hard to tell. It seemed clear at least, that Arthur probably wasn't friends with that group. That's the impression I got.

But what exactly was going on there?

I continued to watch him, as he sat down on an empty bench not far from where the meeting, or whatever it was, took place, and put his hands in his head.

Yeah. Definitely unhappy.

What about, however, I had absolutely no idea.