Chapter 2 Confusion
It took a while to get through the forest, having to go over hills of rocks and around tons of trees, getting dirty in the process, but I had finally made it to the school. Future Tech, it read on the sign outside the gates. There were a lot of other students in uniforms walking into the school grounds either alone or with friends, chatting up about their weekends. This uneasy feeling came over me. Since I was mostly homeschooled, I didn't really know how to act around so many people.
I was so excited to be in an actual school finally I didn't think how nervous I might be, I thought to myself.
Suddenly, there was a rumble of students that gathered in one area. I turned to see what the ruckus was about, but there were so many people I couldn't figure out what they were grouped up for. I eventually got to a spot where I could see, and to my surprise, noticed the students who killed the carnivores.
Oh no, they actually go to this school, I thought to myself. I thought the uniforms the other students were wearing meant I was going to a completely different school.
All the other students were wearing black uniforms while the so-called "knights" wore different colored uniforms. They really wanted to "show" they were different than other people. Everyone was watching them walk by as if they were some god or something. To me, they were just another pair of students. While, of course, they were able to defeat the carnivores without any backup, that didn't mean they were any better than anyone else who could do the same. So why did they get special treatment? I had just gotten to school, and I was already lost with things.
"Hey, who are you, and why are you in this school?" someone next to me asked, looking at me with slight disgust.
"I-I'm sorry?" I rebuked, shocked at their question.
"Well, you don't have a uniform, so you obviously don't go here".
More people started to look my way and whisper amongst themselves.
"I do go to this school. I-I didn't know that uniforms were a thing until I got here. Could you t-tell me where to get one?" I stuttered since all the looks were making me extremely anxious.
Some people were snickering, and others were taking pictures, pointing, driving attention towards me. All the stares and looks made me feel like I was being crushed by a weight I couldn't bear; I just wanted to get this day over with. Tears started to well in my eyes.
"Oh, look! Is she going to cry?"
"What a child! Is she seriously going to cry?"
Taunts like that were being said by the students who were now surrounding me.
This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come here, I screamed in my mind, unable to handle the attention from everyone.
I looked around for anything that would save me, anyone who could get me out of this situation, and I found them walking by. One of them even spotted me past the crowd, but as soon as they had recognized me, their face shifted into something that looked like they pitied me, even though I was just minding my own business.
I mouthed the words, "Help me," as if somehow it would save me from the situation I was in. Instead, they just continued with their walk, as if they didn't have a care in the world.
And then the thought hit me so hard tears started to roll down my face uncontrollably.
"Ew, she's actually crying."
"We didn't do anything but stand around her, so it's not our fault."
"Come on, it's almost time for class. Let's get out of here before anything else happens to that poor girl," the students were saying as the bell rang, and they all started to disperse.
This was what that man felt when he saw me... asking for help when someone could have done something, anything, but they just stood back and watched the events unfold, I thought to myself. Understanding what that man had gone through, I was sure I would not have a pleasant first day of actual school.
I continued just to stand there, tears on my face until there was no one around. Maybe I should just go home, I thought to myself. I'm sure Gramps would understand.
I started to walk back to the entrance to return home, but it was closed.
Wh-why is it closed, I thought to myself. How do I get out? I tried to open the gate, but it wouldn't budge. I looked around to see if anyone could help me, but the only thing that was there was a podium with something on the screen.
Place badge here, it read.
Uniforms and now badges, I thought to myself. How much stuff did Gramps leave out of telling me? I knew he was getting too old. He kept on forgetting stuff.
I was now stuck here, completely clueless on what to do. I didn't want to go inside and suffer more humiliation, but at the same time, I couldn't exit without a badge. Now that I brought that up, how was I able to get inside without a badge in the first place?
I sat by the gate, not knowing what to do. It felt like hours had passed until something opened the gate, causing me to fall back since I was leaning on.
"Oh, hey there, little computer. Why are you over here? Shouldn't you be in school?" the familiar voice asked. I looked up to see my Grandpa in his janitor uniform standing above me with a warm smile.
"Y-Yeah, it's just.. something came up, and I couldn't go in," I said, remembering the embarrassment I faced. I didn't want to tell him because I felt like if I did, he would look at me differently, as if I were a weak person. I really wanted to go to school for the longest time but, if I had to experience something like that again, I didn't know if I'd make it through the first week.
"Oh, you also forgot to tell me that there is a uniform rule and that I need a badge to exit the building and who knows what else," I told him curtly.
He chuckled. "Oh, I didn't tell you that? I guess this means I'm getting to that age where I start forgettin' things", he said with a laugh.
How did my day get to this, I thought to myself, facepalming.
"I'm sure we can get you situated with the school's regulations and get you a uniform. Just come with me," my Grandpa told me, gesturing me to follow.
I followed him through the halls. The walls, floors, and ceiling were all amazingly decorated. I had not really been around anything "fancy" or "pristine" before, so I didn't know how to feel or act.
Is my Grandpa even sure I am allowed in here? It seems too much for me, I thought to myself, looking around.
It only took a couple of minutes, but we reached the main office. We both went inside. There sat a desk, some chairs, and a door to the right. A man in glasses was furiously typing at the computer as if he were trying to inflict pain on it.
"E-Excu—" my grandpa let out but was interrupted by the man.
"If this girl of yours is a user, we can talk business. But if she's a commoner like you, then take her to her designated homeroom in the back after you get her uniform in the other room," he said, pointing to the other room by him, continuing to type on his computer.
"Th-thank you, sir," my Grandpa said weakly after being lectured for no reason.
We made our way to the other room, where there was another desk and a man with glasses who looked exactly like the one we had just talked to.
"Hello, sir. Uhm, my daughter is going to be attending this school, and she requires a uniform", my grandpa told him.
He was also typing at a computer as hard as the other man. He looked up, and it turned out to be the man we had spoken to before. Or perhaps a brother? Someone who looked like him?
With a weak smile again, my Grandpa said, "M-my dau—" but was cut off.
"Yes, I understand your daughter requires a uniform. You don't have to explain it again. I already know the details," he said in a condescending tone, then tossed a uniform to my Grandpa, who almost dropped it as he went to catch it.
"B-but shouldn't we have someone measure her or at least pick a size?" he said after regaining himself.
The man froze. He looked up and sighed. "Sir, I understand that because of your age, you might not have kept up with technology, as well as societal advancements, but it's common, for most places that can afford it, to possess uniforms that will automatically form themselves into the perfect fit for the one who wears them. Sizes do not exist as clothes can be fitted without the need of a tailor."
"I-I see," my Grandpa said wearily.
"Will that be all?" the man at the computer asked.
"I believe so," Grandpa replied.
"Then do you have the required payment of 300 Ios?" the man asked, referring to the country's currency.
The thought exploded in my mind. I have never even seen 100, let alone 300 Ios. These were some crazy uniforms if they were that expensive.
"About that, kind sir, I... I don't have that much," Grandpa told him while looking down.
The man who was typing on the computer paused for a moment, then sighed again. "If you don't have the payment upfront, I cannot allow your daughter to attend this school. Now, if she were a user, we could look past this and move on, but that is not the case in this situation." After saying that, he continued to type on his computer.
"Oh... well, it's alright, honey," Grandpa told me. "We will figure something out. I'm sure that I'll raise enough money working here. Maybe I can ask for overtime or something."
We started to walk out of the office but were stopped by the office man. "Hold it... let me see what I can do." He continued to type on his computer for a couple of seconds, and then he stopped.
"Within our guidelines as employees, if there is something you cannot fully pay for upfront unless you are someone who's a user, you can pay it off in payments. But I will advise you, Mr...?" he started but trailed off.
"It's Aeternum, sir," my Grandpa informed the man.
He paused for a moment. "A-Aeternum.... Well, Mr. Aet, you will be charged a total of 450 Ios over six months, that being 75 Ios each month, do you understand?"
My Grandpa replied with a nod.
"Good, I will have you fill out some paperwork while I show her to her designated classroom." He continued typing, and then the printer next to him started to whir. A couple of papers were printed out.
The door opened to the first man we had talked to. "If you just follow me, we can get you to your class before it starts. We like to be on schedule. Otherwise, we cannot run a school properly."
I looked at Grandpa. He smiled and patted my head. "Go on. I'll see you later, ok?" He started to fill out the papers while I followed the other man.
The school was huge, and it felt bigger on the inside than it looked like on the outside.
I put on the uniform, and just as the man had explained earlier, it shifted its form to fit me perfectly, not too loose and not too tight. "Wow," I whispered to myself, amazed at everything I was experiencing.
A couple of minutes of walking went by, but to me, it felt like hours because of how awkward the silence between the two of us was. I kind of wanted to know this man's name so that I could at least learn a bit about him.
I took a shallow gulp and mustered up the courage to break the silence, "So, sir... was that other man in the office your brother or... because you two look alike so much."
The man continued to walk and didn't say anything. I started to feel like I had asked something I wasn't supposed to.
The man replied, "No, that is not my brother. It's my ability."
"Wow," I said again. This was the first person I had ever met who had an ability. I wanted to ask more about his ability, but we reached our destination as he stopped right outside a room.
"This is where you be reporting to every day at 8 am sharp. Make sure you are not late. Otherwise, you will be docked points on your overall report," he said and then started to walk away.
"Thank you..." I wanted to ask him his name, but I wasn't used to asking someone something they might not like to say. Still, I pushed through.
"Sir! What's your... name?" I said, and my voice lowered towards the end.
He stopped and turned his head to the side. "Conroy." Then, he walked away, back towards his office.
I looked at the door in front of me. This is a brand new chapter for me, I thought to myself. I opened the door, anxious about the next step in my life, not knowing where it would lead me.
Chapter 2 - End
Edited by: Katepopa (Fiverr)
