Room Guests

Hothead:

I couldn't help myself. I tried and tried but I couldn't keep them back anymore. The tears burst out of my eyes as I cry and scream while wrapping my hands around my head.

"This is too much," I cry, "It's too much! We can't do it. We can't do it!"

"Sulien," Alodia says. Sniffling, I rub the tears from my eyes and look at her. "Will you please calm down? We haven't even started yet."

My head shoots up and I point at the mountain of homework.

"Started," I repeat. "Started? Where exactly are we supposed to start?"

"Where everyone start," Renee answers. He reaches forward and pulls a pull of paper out from underneath the pile. "Let me see. Oh, man. This is a rough start."

"Why," Jump asks. Renee hands the paper to Jump and she reads it out loud.

"Please read all of chapters 25 through 27. Then answer the question sheet on your holo-display."

A little curious, I pull out my holo-display and look for the question sheet. It doesn't take me long to find it.

"My point exactly," I yell. Looking up at everyone's face, I turn my holo-display and show everyone the question sheet.

"There are 100 questions on this question sheet," I growl. "A 100 question! 100! This is insane! How are we supposed to do this, and all of this, in one week?"

I slam my holo-display down and point at "Mt. Never-Ending".

"By doing it," Renee answers. "One-by-one, chapter-by-chapter, and assignment-by-assignment. Now wipe your tears, and your nose, and start reading."

Grabbing a different assignment, Renee brings up his own holo-display and starts reading the chapter. Jump and Alodia copying Renee, grab their own assignments and bring up their own holo-display.

Sighing, I sniffle, wipe my eyes, and start reading the chapter.

"I wonder how Shocker and his team are doing."

Shocker:

Not wasting a second, I move fast and get up. Grabbing the doorknob, I swing the door open. When someone falls through it, I jump back.

"Uhh," Honey starts, "Do we know you?"

Honey, Chadd, and Clementine push themselves up and onto their feet. They gather around me and look at the person.

The girl who fell had very long red hair with shining skin. She is also wearing expensive light armor. It takes me a second to recognize the girl. Dropping to one of my knees, I offer Alice my hand.

"Hey Shocker," Alice says, smiling and taking my hand. Helping Alice up, Alice and I turn to look at my team.

"Uhhh," Honey says, starting over. "Shocker. Do you know her?"

I nod my head and bring up my holo-display. About to type, Alice raises her hand and stops me.

"How about you let me explain," Alice says. She turns away from me and looks at my team.

"Hello," Alice starts, waving her hand. "My name is Alice Astrid. Your team leader, Shocker, and I are old friends. We met on the hover traincraft."

Chadd, Honey, and Clementine turn to look at me. I turn to look at Alice, before turning back and nodding my head.

"Anyway, I couldn't help but overhear some students talking during classes. Apparently, all of you and another team went outside to help the professors and even the Headmaster during the emergency shutdown yesterday. Is that true?"

"Does that answer your question," Honey asks. She steps to the side and shows Alice our pile of homework.

"Ouch," Alice says. "Okay. I have to know. Since none of the other students know and the professors refuse to talk about it, what happened?"

"Uhhhh," Chadd starts. He turns to look at Honey, Honey turns to look at Clementine, and Clementine turns to look at Chadd. The three then turn to look at me.

"Should we tell Alice," I ask myself. "I do want to tell Alice about what happened but if the professors aren't telling the students, maybe there's a reason why."

Letting out a sigh, I shake my head.

"I'm guessing he's saying we shouldn't tell you," Clementine says. "I'm sorry, Alice."

"Oh," Alice moans. She drops her shoulders and sighs. "Well, I guess whatever happened, it can't be that bad. I mean, all of the professors look okay and classes continue the next day. Still."

Alice turns to walk away but stops.

"Hey," she says, turning around. "Do you guys need any help?"

Again, everyone turns to me and, this time, I nod my head. Still holding my holo-display, I write the word yes in all caps.

Alice smiles and turns around. Joining us, Alice takes the empty spots next to me. She lets out a long whisper as she stares at the pile.

"Maybe it's better that I don't know what happened. After all, this is...a lot."

"Oh yeah," Chadd says.

Even I have to nod.

Grabbing an assignment, Alice starts reading it. The night goes by very slowly as we read the necessary chapters and answer the question sheets.

While typing an essay about mariclover, and its many uses for healing and bone strengthening, we hear multiple voices coming from behind the hallway.

"Alice," someone yells. "Alice! Where are you? Come on!"

I hear someone loudly knocking on a door. The knocking stops a few seconds later. I guess it was because someone opened the door for the knocker.

"Excuse me! Have you seen Alice? She had long red hair and golden armor. No? Are you sure? Fine. Thanks!"

"Alice! Alice! Where are you?"

"Oh no," Alice says. She sighs, covers her eyes, and lowers her head.

It doesn't take long before the voices reach our door.

"Hello," someone yells while knocking very loudly. "Hello! I know someone in there! Open the door! Hello? Hello!"

"I'm sorry," Alice says. She starts pushing herself up but I grab her hand and stop her. "What?"

I get up in her place and walk over to the door. Holding my holo-display, I open the door, and the first thing I see is an iron chest plate with a golden symbol on it. Looking up, I see a very tall, built boy with short brown hair and a smile.

"Hey," the tall boy says. "Have you seen--"

Before the boy can finish, he looks past me and must have seen Alice.

"Alice," he yells. "Hey guys! I found her!"

After calling his friends over, the boy raises his hand and pushes me. He tries to push me to the side but I stand my ground.

"Move," the boy yells. I shake my head.

"Move," the boy repeats. Again, I shake my head.

"Move," the boy repeats. He tries to push me again but I slap his hand again.

"Hey," another young boy, this one with slightly longer red hair, shouts. "Don't do that! Not unless you want to mess with Team MGDA (mega)."

I watch as, along with the red-haired boy, another student appears behind the tall boy, no doubt their team leader.

It takes me a minute or two to remember where I heard Team Mega. Team Mega is the team that got into a fight with Hothead and his team. Hothead was going on and on about them the whole time we had to clean up.

"That Maximus Beor," Hothead said. "Sheesh! What a jerk! Oh, my team is made of strong fighters. We are strong. We are tough. We are invincible."

Hothead then blew a raspberry.

"You're a bunch of idiots, is what you all are! Even the girl."

I realize something and turn my head to look at Alice. Alice is shaking her lower head. Her eyes are still hiding behind her hand.

"Maximus," Alice starts, getting up. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here," Maximus repeats. "I'm here for you. As the team leader, I have to make sure I know where all my teammates are. That includes you."

Maximus then looks around the room. He pulls his head back and covers his nose when he sees the four of us.

"Ahh," Maximus cries. "Who are these?"

"We're Team SCCH (shock)," I answer, writing down the team's name and showing.

"Team SCCH," Maximus reads. "Wait a minute."

Maximus stops pinching his nose and looks at me.

"You're not that guy Alice keeps talking about, are you?"

I turn to Alice and see her face becoming slightly red.

"Maximus," Alice says but Maximus must not have heard.

"Yeah, yeah," Maximus goes on. "Some guy on the hover traincraft who never talks. It's you!"

Maximus points at me.

"Oh man," Maximus yells, his voice running out of our room and echoing throughout the hallway. "I can't believe you're the guy Alice had a crush on."