The dead boyfriend

Alex followed John in silence as they made their way to Mr. Thomas's office. He tried to process the whirlwind of events that had unfolded throughout the day, but there were still too many missing pieces to make sense of it all.

When they arrived at the office, John barged in without knocking, causing Eve to scold him for his lack of manners. Alex continued into Mr. Thomas's office, knocking politely before entering.

Inside, he found Eve and John engaged in a heated argument about knocking on doors, while Ashe, with her half-wet hair, couldn't bring herself to meet Alex's gaze, clearly embarrassed about their encounter in the shower room.

"Quiet, you two. You're giving me a headache," Mr. Thomas scolded his children.

"Excuse me," Alex interjected, drawing everyone's attention except for Ashe, who continued to avert her eyes.

"Oh, Alex, please come in," Mr. Thomas said warmly, in stark contrast to his earlier tone with Eve and John.

"Congratulations on your win," Eve offered with a smile.

"Thanks," Alex replied calmly, but Ashe remained silent and distant.

"Have you signed the contract?" John eagerly inquired.

Alex hesitated. "Not yet."

"What? Not yet?" John exclaimed.

"Give him some time to read it," Eve chimed in, trying to mediate.

"Enough, you two," Ashe snapped irritably. "You're giving me a headache."

"Okay, let's all calm down," Mr. Thomas interjected. "I will do the talking, and you do the listening."

Ashe continued to avoid eye contact with Alex, seemingly lost in her thoughts, as Mr. Thomas addressed Alex. "As we told you before, since you're a new student here, I will assign you three students to help you integrate faster and navigate the school program."

Ashe couldn't hide her skepticism. "You're kidding, right?"

Mr. Thomas ignored her question and her attitude, pressing on. "Alex, you and Eve will be joining together for History and Science."

Eve smiled warmly at Alex. "We're going to have a great time."

"John, you and Alex will be together for Computer Science and Math," Mr. Thomas continued.

John couldn't hide his dismay. "Math? Are you serious? You want him to fail this year?"

"I'm quite serious," Mr. Thomas affirmed.

John turned to Alex with a gloomy expression. "I hope you're good at math because if you're not, we're in for a rough year."

Ashe, finally breaking her silence, burst into laughter at John's comment.

John looked at her, surprised. "This can't be true. The Iron Woman remembers how to laugh after all."

Eve playfully punched John on the shoulder and smiled at Ashe.

"Anyway," Mr. Thomas continued, "let's finish this. Ashe and Alex will be together for English and Sports."

While Alex's presence was acknowledged by the others, Ashe remained indifferent, not reacting to the courses they had been paired up for.

"And, of course," Mr. Thomas concluded, "all of you will be together for Training once Alex signs the contract."

Alex found himself in a situation that mirrored his life's lack of control. He remained silent throughout the entire exchange, not given a choice in selecting his class or schedule, echoing the pervasive theme of his existence - everything predetermined, every choice made for him.

Mr. Thomas, jolting him from his despondent reverie, handed Alex a class list and copies to his companions. With Ashe leading the charge, exiting the office without uttering a single word, Eve hurriedly followed, struggling to keep pace. Meanwhile, John, always playful, leaped onto Alex's back with an air of nonchalance, as though it were a common routine, and quipped, "Let's swap that for a horror movie, shall we? It's math time."

While John led Alex toward their classes, he chattered away, a continuous stream of words pouring from his mouth. But Alex's thoughts were far removed, fixated on Ashe and the impenetrable emotional fortress she maintained.

"Let it go," John commented, unaware of Alex's inner turmoil.

"What?" Alex replied, slightly startled.

"You're probably wondering how to help Ashe, aren't you?" John observed.

"Is it that obvious?" Alex inquired.

"We all want to help her, but it seems like there's nothing we can do," John admitted.

"I feel that there is something missing, she isn't like this always, is she?" Alex pressed.

"Come with me; I'll show you," John urged, leading Alex toward the school's memorial hall. The hall housed numerous trophies and accolades, but their attention was drawn to a massive wall adorned with vibrant stickers, red flower petals blanketing the floor, and an array of photographs pinned to the wall. Every image paid homage to a single person.

John gestured toward a photograph in the center, focusing on a student's image. "Who is that?" Alex asked.

"That is Gabriel, and he passed away two years ago," John solemnly revealed.