What do you mean she's gone? I thought she was going Christmas shopping. ...Dad? What's the matter?

"Lucas!"

I jerk my head up from the desk and blink rapidly to adjust my eyes to the light. What dimension was I in?

"Did you hear me?"

"Uhh..."

The teacher pushes her glasses up with narrowed eyes. Letting out a small tch, she slams her meter stick to the whiteboard.

"Answer this problem," her eyes scream a challenge that makes me inwardly flinch.

Shit. I scan over the board. Some kind of math problem. "Um...I think it's-"

"That's what I thought. Next time, pay attention." She automatically shifts gears and begins speaking again.

"Oh, and speaking of which, while you're at it right now mister Minch," the teacher hissed, pointing her meter stick at the chubby boy in the back as he jammed his supplies in his bag for the soon-to-ring lunchtime bell. "There will be no packing up until the bell rings. So please take out all of your supplies as we have a good solid-"

The bell rings. The chubby kid gets to his feet and sorta-hustles sorta-waddles out of the classroom; the rest of the class quickly accompanying him. I sigh and raise to my feet as soon as they're gone to calmly walk out into the hallway.

My name is Lucas. I'm sixteen years old and today is my first day of a brand new high school. I hate it here.

Keeping my bag close to my chest, I swerve in between the groups of chattering students, trying to remember the way to the lunchroom. Oh god, I hope I don't get lost.

I'm busy glancing at the numbers on the nearby classrooms, hoping to pass my next class when I slam face-first into someone's backpack. "Oof!" I grunt, stepping back and rubbing my nose. I look up and see the sweaty face of the chubby kid from before. His blonde, untrimmed bangs stick to the oils on his forehead, and his plump cheeks puff out even farther as he huffs in anger.

"Watch where you're going! You almost squished my lunch." He raises an eyebrow as he recognizes my face. "Oh, you're the new kid. Lucas, right? Well, Lucas...let me give you a piece of advice. You don't mess with me, or my twin brother. Ya'know. Looks like me, except not as good looking. If you do, my boys will give you the beating of your lifetime. Got it?" He gives me a shove for good measure and laughs hysterically as he scuttles off.

I blink. Was he serious?

"Jeez, what a jerk," A voice from behind me makes me jump. I whip around to see a kid in a ridiculously 90's-looking outfit smiling at me. "Don't mind him. He just has a warped sense of humor. You alright?"

"Fine," I grunt out as I turn and scurry away as quickly as I can. My face feels hot and my heart's beating really fast when I finally come across the lunchroom. My stomach was too disturbed to eat; so I went to go sit next to the wall where nobody was around to sit and calm myself down.

I hate this place. I want to go home.

And who was that guy anyway? He definitely didn't look like the type of guy to talk to someone like me. He had a positive vibe to him, but I couldn't help but think it was all fake; a lie, a way of gaining my trust.

Whatever. Not like I'll ever talk to him again.

With one last deep breath, I finally calm down enough to set my bags down and actually take in my surroundings. As usual, the lunchroom is full of loud chatter and is separated among friend groups. They all look like they fit in with one another, except for the mix that was the people-with-no friends-tables. I was always one to sit at those tables. Other than the odd, big nose creature that was the school's mascot being plastered everywhere, it was just like my old school. I sigh.

I set my bag down and dig through it to grab my GameBoy Advance. It's aged a lot; the screen is covered in scratches and the speakers suck, but it's the only video game related thing I've ever owned. I startup my Harvest Moon game and my mind is finally at ease in front of the familiar screen. The music, while terrible quality, was my favorite. It was always relaxing or exciting. I'm lost in the universe that is Harvest Moon for the rest of the period.

I wish Claus had this lunch with me.

The lunch bell rings too quickly for my liking as I begrudgingly put my GameBoy away. Time for my next class. I wait for the lunchroom to clean out a bit before starting the journey for my next classroom. Hopefully no chubby or 90's kids would interrupt me this time.