Egyptian gods

Before they could enter the class, their teacher, Mr. Nelson, arrived and positioned himself between them. "This is a classroom, not a love nest. Get inside, both of you."

Eve blushed furiously. "No, Mr. Nelson, it's not like that."

Mr. Nelson challenged her, asking, "And what should it be like?"

Alex stepped in, introducing himself. "Excuse me, I'm the new student, and Eve is—"

"Yeah, I know the rest. Now get in; we don't have all day," Mr. Nelson interrupted, ushering them inside.

Alex and Eve exchanged smiles and then entered the classroom. Mr. Nelson pointed Alex to an available seat, but Eve tugged on his hand and guided him to an empty desk next to hers.

"Sit here; I saved it for you," Eve said with a grin.

As Alex settled into his seat, a paper suddenly smacked him on the back of the head. He turned to see a muscular student behind him, who gave him a thumbs-up. Alex picked up the paper and found a message scrawled in messy handwriting: "Nice game back there."

He nodded in acknowledgment to the student.

Eve caught his attention. "Alex, pay attention."

Mr. Nelson began the class with a philosophical question. "Where do we come from?"

A cheeky student raised his hand and answered with a smirk, "From our mother's womb," eliciting laughter from the class. In response, Mr. Nelson pointed to the door, and the student packed his belongings and left the room.

"We come from the stars," Mr. Nelson continued.

"So, are we aliens?" another student quipped.

"No, we're created from the same material that NASA scientists call 'stardust,'" Mr. Nelson explained.

Alex couldn't help but recall his adventures in the dream world, where he had visited a strange galaxy.

"The Pharaohs believed this truth millennia ago and thought of themselves as gods," Mr. Nelson added.

Eve leaned toward Alex and whispered, "And so it begins."

Mr. Nelson, catching Alex smiling, called him out. "Alex, tell me three names of gods worshipped in ancient times."

Alex was caught off guard by the unexpected question but took a deep breath and answered, "Osiris, Anubis, and Seth."

Mr. Nelson smirked. "All the dark gods. Nice choice." He then continued with the lesson, but the topic intrigued Alex. He'd always felt there was something more to life than met the eye.

The class passed quickly, in stark contrast to the math class with John, a testament to Alex's interest in the subject.

Eve complimented him, "Nice answer; you're a fan after all."

"I didn't know them; the names just popped into my head," Alex admitted.

"That's strange," Eve mused.

"Anyway, I've got to go. It's time for English," Alex said, gathering his things.

Eve's tone turned somewhat melancholic. "Yes, English with Ashe."

"Is something wrong?" Alex asked, concern in his voice.

Eve shook her head with a faint smile. "No, nothing. Everything's perfect."

Alex packed his belongings and headed outside the classroom. However, Ashe wasn't there, waiting as Eve had been.

"She won't be coming," Eve informed Alex from behind.

"Who won't?" Alex inquired.

"Ashe. She doesn't really care about anyone, especially not you, at least for now."

Alex was left pondering the mysterious dynamics between Ashe, Eve, and their shared history as he made his way to the English class alone.

Alex's disappointment simmered within him as he thought that maybe Ashe would have become a bit more cordial to him after their conversation in the showers, but it appeared that nothing had changed. He walked alone to the English class and entered the room, only to find that Ashe was nowhere to be seen.

The teacher noticed Alex standing alone near the door and inquired, "Are you waiting for someone?"

Alex replied, "Ah, no, no one," as he handed the introductory paper to her.

"Ah, Alex, please have a seat there. Your guide seems to be missing the class today, again," the teacher remarked.

Just as the teacher closed the door behind her, it opened again, and Ashe entered the class. She calmly said to the teacher, "Sorry, the lab was crowded."

"Guide Alex to his seat, please," the teacher instructed Ashe.

Ashe gave Alex her infamous disdainful look, as though he was a burden she had to bear, which, in fact, he was, although not by choice.

"So, did any one of you pick what we will be reading this time?" the teacher inquired. The classroom, which had been chaotic, instantly fell into silence, with only the sound of students' breathing audible.

"Ashe, any ideas?" the entire class turned their attention toward Ashe.

"No, Mrs. Rees, nothing on my mind," Ashe replied coolly, and the class relaxed.

"Okay then, how about the new student? I recall your name was Alex, wasn't it?" the teacher asked, directing her gaze at Alex.

Alex looked at the teacher, who appeared to be in her fifties, well-dressed with white hair. Mrs. Rees walked over to Alex's desk and said, "Empty your bag and pick the first English book you might find if you find any."

Ashe didn't even spare Alex a glance throughout this ordeal; instead, she focused on her notebook. Alex emptied his bag onto the desk, revealing two notebooks, the mysterious book, and his iPad.

The mysterious book instantly caught Mrs. Rees's attention. She remarked, "What do we have here? You have a peculiar taste." Mrs. Rees took the book and walked back to the board, writing its title on the whiteboard in bold, large letters, declaring it as the book they would be studying for the rest of the semester.

Ashe's eyes widened considerably as she stared at the board. She then turned to Alex, her gaze piercing. "Wait for me after class," she instructed with an angry tone.

The class continued in silence, with everyone observing the unspoken rule: no one spoke unless absolutely necessary. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the class, the students swarmed Alex's desk, eager to meet the new captain.

Ashe, however, packed her things without a word and left the classroom. When she opened the door, she found Eve holding onto the handle, as if she was about to enter. The two girls locked eyes for a moment before they walked side by side, avoiding each other's gaze. Inside the classroom, Eve searched for Alex but couldn't locate him among the throng of students.

"Everyone, leave the class immediately," Mrs. Rees shouted, dispersing the students.

Eve, with a smile on her face, remarked, "See, you're already a celebrity." But this time, Alex was feeling more irritated than amused. Eve noticed and assured him that he would get used to it with time.

"It's lunchtime," Eve said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood. She was a graceful and elegant girl, always smiling and exuding happiness. Alex and Eve made their way to the cafeteria, where the orderly line of hungry students seemed endless.

"I don't think we'll eat today," Alex commented when he saw the long line.

"Don't worry, we always get to eat," Eve reassured him. She pointed to a table with three students sitting at it, one of whom was John. They joined the table, and John handed lunchboxes to Eve and Alex, explaining, "We always have each other's backs." He gave a thumbs-up to Andrew, the muscle man who had thrown a paper at Alex during history class.