Busybody

RING RING RING

Asher woke up because of his annoying alarm. He felt tired from what happened earlier but forced himself get up around 8:30 am.

School started at 8:00 am, so he was already late and had to hurry through his morning stuff.

He stumbled to the bathroom, still half-asleep. The room was kind of dark with only a bit of morning light coming through the curtains. The floor was cold, and that woke him up a bit more.

He splashed water on his face to try and feel less sleepy. Looking in the mirror, he saw his hair was messy, and his eyes looked tired.

"I look like shit," he sighed to himself. Dark circles under his eyes were still there, a clear sign of staying up way too late—or too early.

He rinse his mouth with water, not really caring about doing it perfectly. Then, he picked out some white shirt real quick .

For breakfast, he had fried chicken, a sunny-side-up egg, and rice. He tossed everything into his old oven, a steal deal he got from a market vendor for only 150 credits instead of the usual 2000 credits.

As the food sizzled, the small kitchen filled with the comforting aroma of his makeshift morning food.

He began munching on the chicken, savoring each bite, and ate the entire set. Asher wasn't the type to waste food; he relished every flavor, ensuring not a single morsel went to waste.

Afterward, he headed to the bathroom, brushed his teeth , and then wore his worn-out school uniform.

The uniform consisted of a familiar white T-shirt with long sleeves. Over the T-shirt, there was a tailored blue blazer adorned with the school's logo.

For the bottom half, he sported a pair of black pants, completing the look with well-worn black shoes. 

'I will be late for the second class,' 

He snatched his backpack from the floor and rushed out, slamming the door behind him.

"A new neighbor?" He paused, noticing some boxes in the room next to his.

It had been ages since he a neighbor, so it caught him off guard. However, he didn't have time to dwell on such trivial matters.

The fresh air hit his face as he ran to his school, hoping that that he would get there before the second period.

As Asher hurried along, he noticed the street was super quiet. There weren't many people around, which made sense because most were either at work or school by now. For Asher, though, this was great because he could move faster without dodging crowds.

He picked up his pace, feeling a bit free in the almost empty streets. His footsteps echoed more than usual. Occasionally, a car would pass by, breaking the quiet with its distant rumble.

Seeing the school wall, Asher got more confident about getting there on time.

But going through the main entrance was a no-go. So, he ran faster and, like a nimble animal, jumped on a garbage box. Then, using it like a step, he smoothly hopped over the school wall.

He landed on the school yard just like that. 

'5 minutes more,' Asher glanced at his watch, wasting no time as he weaved through the school hallways.

When he reached his classroom, he saw the teacher was still there. Not wanting to be caught, he decided to wait for the bell before entering.

RING RING RING

Finally, the school bell rang, and it was Asher's cue to slid into the classroom. Some of his classmates saw him, but no one said anything. It was kind of his usual thing, and by now, nobody really cared.

Plus, talking behind the back of one of the toughest guys in school was just asking for trouble. So, they all kept quiet, letting Asher quietly join the class like it was no big deal.

However — 

"You're late again!," Elaine walked over to Asher, and slapped something onto the table.

"What are you doing?" Asher raised his eyebrows in confusion. Why was this popular girl coming to him so early in the morning?

"This is the note from our first class. You can borrow it," she replied, then turned away and went back to her own seat.

'What's her deal?' Asher wondered to himself. He had never paid much attention to understanding women, so her actions left him feeling puzzled and a bit bewildered.