CHAPTER 23: Togon Goes to School

"Now, in order to identify a linear relationship present in two experimental quantities, you should plot the linearised data points on your graph paper," Ms Lee picked up a marker, drawing an example on the whiteboard.

She continued, "Then, draw a best fit line to give a good estimate of the gradient and intercept of the trend in the observed data."

Gabe yawned, resting her chin on her hands. She had already learnt everything about the linear law two years ago in her previous schools. She wondered why Ms Lee was still talking about that. Her eyelids were growing heavy. She struggled to stay awake, but was failing miserably.

Just then, she received a hard jab to her abdomen. She jumped and managed to stop herself from squeaking out loud just in time.

"Why did you do that?" She turned to face Max, who was sitting at the desk to her left.

"It's an acupressure technique to give you a wakeful boost," Max replied innocently.

"Don't try to fool me. I know my stuff. Jabbing and giving me a scare isn't an acupressure technique." Gabe whispered.

"But it certainly woke you up, didn't it?" Max whispered back.

Ms Lee stopped her explanation in mid sentence. She could not teach with people talking among themselves in class. She turned to the direction of the whispers and opened her mouth, about to give the noisy students a telling off. But when she saw the ones who were talking, her mouth shut back with a snap.

She sighed. She would have to do something about this, sooner or later. Gabe was not exactly attentive in class, and she was worried Gabe and her bodyguards might be a distraction to her other students. But Gabe was unapproachable. If she wanted to talk to Gabe, she had to talk to her bodyguards as well. However, the idea of scolding those big grown men, who were sitting at desks too small for them, was just absurd.

Just then, there came a knock on the door, interrupting her from her thoughts. Another teacher was standing at the door, and she requested to speak to her.

"Alright, try the practice question by yourselves first," Ms Lee said to the class and went outside.

Gabe took this chance to lay her head on the table and shut her eyes.

"Gabe," Max was jabbing her again, "She said to do the practice question."

"Arghhh!! I know, I know! I've done it already, just let me sleep," Gabe grumbled.

Soon, Ms Lee returned to the classroom.

"Apparently, we are going to have another new addition to our class," Ms Lee said as she entered, "This is Togon Fvudreare Kushan, Gabe's cousin."

Gabe's ears perked up at the mention of her name. Her cousin? She had a cousin? She glanced up, and got the shock of her life when she saw Togon, dressed in the school uniform, standing nervously at the entrance of the classroom.

"Don't be shy, come on in," Ms Lee waved.

Togon, led by Ivan, entered and found a seat.

Immediately after class ended, Gabe went straight to them.

"What is the meaning of this? Just what on earth are you doing here?" She asked, flabbergasted. "How did you become a student in the school without identification papers and what not?"

"I have my ways," Togon replied smugly.

"It was Ivan, wasn't it? This was why he stayed behind just now. It wasn't to send you back, it was to arrange this, right?" She asked, looking from one bodyguard to another, waiting for an explanation.

Her five bodyguards remained silent, their mouths shut tight.

"I told you, I wanted to go to school. And I always get what I want. But you didn't want to listen to what I was saying. So I asked them to get me in," Togon explained.

Gabe was disappointed at how her bodyguards did things behind her back without telling her. And since when did Togon have the authority over her bodyguards? She had a reason for not wanting Togon to follow her to school. It was going to be so much trouble, not only for herself, but for Togon as well. How could a prince from hundreds of years back in the past go to school when he did not know anything about how her society works?

"Well, whatever. Just don't expect me to take care of you in school. I will go about my way, and you go about yours." Gabe said and stalked out of the classroom without another word. Her bodyguards rushed after her quickly.