Lap 4

TODAY WAS KAIRO'S FIRST DAY IN RACEWORTH ACADEMY. The regular academic class would start at eight in the morning, so he woke up two hours earlier. Excitement wouldn't leave his system as he glanced at himself wearing the trainee black and white suit with the logo of the academy on its bag. It hugged Kairo physique perfectly. He had never thought he would wear such a suit sooner.

"Here it goes," he whispered. He wore his necklace and hid it under his suit to keep it safe. That was how he knew that his family was within him.

He had his breakfast at the dorm's dining hall. There were men in the same racing suit as him, eating their breakfast before they proceeded to their own training. He took his meal and silently ate it at a vacant table.

At a distant table, eyes were looking at him.

"That must be him, right?"

The other one nodded while sipping his hot black coffee. "Definitely him. I heard a coach brought him here."

They ate silently while observing the new trainee, Kairo, at the corner.

Kairo finished his breakfast and made his way to his first class. AA-9 brought him his class schedule and room designation. The academic hall is in the north of the building. I must hurry.

He belonged to a class named "Gearshift." Each class had only five members. According to what AA-9 sent him, his class was on the fifth floor of the hall, room 503. It took him a while before he reached his room. He looked at his watch, he was 30 minutes earlier. I must be the first comer.

He entered the automatic glass door. The room was silent sunlight peaking through the slightly opened windows, and the cold breeze from the just opened air-conditioner welcomed Kairo. The room was wider than he had expected. It had five chairs, probably meant for each member of the class. In front was a digital interface for visual presentation.

"And I'm the first to come here," he said. Fortunately, the suit he was wearing was thick enough for him not to get cold from the air-conditioner. Where should I sit?

Instinctively, he sat on the chair right next to the window. It was his usual spot in a classroom. The open window was his escapade during old boring classes.

Regular classes, he frowned. Why not just focus on training, right? If he could just ditch the class without any of the patrolling androids would notice.

As his mind traveled through deep thoughts about how his training would go, a woman appeared on the door.

It was Samantha San Jose. Her raven hair was effortlessly flowing on her back. Her eyes were immediately locked into her chair which was currently occupied by Kairo.

Is he the new member of the class?

She walked toward her chair. Kairo was staring at the window, watching the still yawning sun. Samantha hesitatingly tapped the man's shoulder that pulled him out of his reverie.

Their eyes met. Samantha suddenly felt a strange uneasiness when she gazed into Kairo's eyes. She immediately composed herself.

"Excuse me, I'm the one who sits on that chair," she pointed to the chair. "Do you mind if-?"

"No," Kairo answered, eyes averted back to the open window.

Huh?

"Oh no, no!" Samantha was laughing awkwardly. The new member's response wasn't as expected. "You don't understand, each member of the class has their specified seat. I understand that you're new here, but I think your chair is there," her finger pointed the vacant chair at the back.

Kairo frowned. "I'd like to be seated here. I don't think that seating elsewhere in this class would make any significance." His words were cold, arrogant, and irritating! It boiled the sleeping blood of the woman in front of him.

"Who do you think you are?" She snapped out. She truly hated this morning now. "Get out of my chair, or else-"

"What?" The arrogant man asked. It made Samantha's entire skin itch. The question made her stutter to answer.

"Or else... or else!" She couldn't think of something! Hurry, Sam! Think!

Before she could say something, the automatic glass door opened. Paul, the guy with dark chocolate hair, entered the room.

"Good morning, Sam!" Paul greeted. He halted when he noticed a new presence in the room. "Oh!" His head slightly tilted.

Slowly, his grin reached his ears. "Oh! You must be Kairo! Our new member!" He excitedly jogged toward the direction of Kairo.

What the...? Before Kairo could react, a hand shook his other hand. Paul's grin never left his face ever since.

"Hi, I'm Paul! I'm happy to have you in this class!"

Another trainee entered the room. His loud yawn thundered across the area as he stretched his lousy arms. It was Cooper, like the compact vehicle from a certain car brand.

"Good morning-" His eyes immediately spotted the new member. In a flash, he was already there in front of Kairo.

Kairo couldn't hide his visible annoyance. As both of these men shook his hands as if he was a celebrity or something.

Samantha was in the corner, still darting death glare to the new member. If she could only just drag him out of her chair.

"Sup, sis!" Olivia wrapped her arm around Samantha's shoulder that startled her. "Good morning!" she greeted. "What's with the frowning face?"

Samantha pointed at her occupied seat. "That new guy took my throne," she sulked.

"Huh," Olvia uttered. "Your throne? You mean your favorite seat?"

"Shut up, Liv!" Samantha hissed. "He can't just sit on my chair!"

Liv laughed. "You're hilarious, girl. We are free to sit elsewhere!"

Samantha could only glare at the manchild sitting on her chair before forfeiting into a vacant chair near Olivia. She would definitely get that back.

Meanwhile, Kairo couldn't find his way to dodge the two freaks in front of him. The freaks introduced themselves as Paul and Cooper. Together, they unknowingly-or probably knowingly-brought a storm in Kairo's once peaceful morning.

"I heard you're a street racer!" Paul exclaimed. "How was it?!"

Before Kairo could answer, another question by Cooper was thrown at him. "Is it true that Coach Winston took you out of jail?"

Out of what?

Olivia's whistle caught the two boys' attention. "Hey, you two cavemen, stop disrupting our new member's peace, alright?"

"We just want to know him!" Cooper pointed his lips. The bell rang before the boys could throw another set of hot questions-much to Kairo's relief.

"Don't worry, man!" Paul whispered. "We'll get back to you later," he winked before he sat on his chair.

Kairo grimaced. He just wanted to experience what silence felt like when they weren't here yet.

Their instructor entered the room to begin their discussion in history. Of course, history... fun. The instructor introduced himself as Mr. Tacadena, a bald man with thick spectacles.

"Welcome to the Gearfall crew, Kairo Rosales," Mr. Tacadena told him. "I hope you get to blend in with them easily. Right, Gearfall?"

"Yes, sir!" Paul and Cooper cheered, excited about their new crew member. Olivia raised her right thumb. Whereas, Samantha surreptitiously rolled her eyes. She was still bitter over her favorite seat. Now, how can I spend my next hours?

Academic classes took their entire morning, and it was the longest morning Kairo had ever had. He felt like the time was frozen, so as the way their instructors discussed their lessons. It was excruciatingly, butt achingly, mentally draining, long!

History... Earth Science... Probability!

"Finally," he whispered in relief when the last instructor uttered the magic phrase to end the class. When the instructor left, the entire crew stretched their arms and let out big, loud yawns.

"Lunch time!" Olivia shouted, it was their most awaited time of the day. "Come on, guys! Let's eat!"

Cooper tapped Kairo's shoulder. "Eat with us, bro! I don't want you to feel lonely on your first day!" he said as he grinned ear-to-ear.

"Don't mind me, I'm not yet hungry, " Kairo said. He just didn't want to eat with them, but Cooper was persistent.

"Come on, brother! Don't be a pussy!" The latter dragged him out of the chair. Kairo could only let himself be dragged like a thin paper being blown by the wind.

IT WAS KAIRO'S TIME TO WANDER HIS EYES AROUND HIS NEW ENVIRONMENT AS THEY WALK TOWARD THE CAMPUS CAFETERIA. As he expected, it was wide enough to cater everyone in this place. The design was truly modernized and somehow technologically advanced with the digital interface in the walls and androids roaming around. He was mesmerized at the sight; he couldn't believe that he was here to get his dream.

"I don't want to eat with that... rascal," Samantha contemplated with her crossed her arms as she watch the new guy being escorted by her idiotic crew members. Kairo was evidently annoyed, but couldn't do anything as Paul and Cooper became his tour guide around the academy.

"Should we help him, Sam?" Olivia asked.

Samantha scoffed, "Let them be. That's what he gets for claiming my seat."

"Petty, little witch," Oliva laughingly joked. "Kairo didn't know you own the seat!"

"Still!" Sam cried. "It's my chair!"

They finally reached the cafeteria bombarded by trainees having their lunch break. Luckily, Cooper found a vacant table for five persons.

"Sit here, Kairo!" Paul tapped the vacant space beside him. Kairo, having no choice, chose to sit right beside Paul. They were facing the two ladies, Sam and Olivia; Cooper-who volunteered to get their meals- sat on the other side of Paul.

"It's nice to be complete again, huh," Paul said, he faced Kairo. "Don't worry, Kairo. You'll always sit with us during lunch breaks, after all, we are a team!"

Yey, Kairo uttered to himself with a grimaced face.

"You know, Kairo, we were once a complete crew, but then-" his narrative was disrupted by Samantha. She gave him glare that felt like a dart thrown at his face. "O-Oh, nevermind. It's nothing serious."

Kairo suddenly became curioused. Once a complete crew? They had a member before me?

"Don't mind him, Mr. New Guy, " Olivia said as she smacked her lips. "Paul and Cooper are sometimes pesky."

"No, we're not!" Paul denied.

"Okay, here's your meal!" Cooper entered while holding a tray with their orders. "For our new member, Kairo, here's your lunch meal-my treat, of course!" He gave Kairo a sandwich and soda.

"Thank you," He uttered shyly. He didn't really know how to properly respond. He just forced himself to give gratitude.

The crew with their new member were having their meal, when suddenly two trainees appeared by their sides. Their eyes were darted into Kairo Rosales who was silently munching his meal.