A young boy stood in front of the classrom. He wears a orange vest over his school uniform also an orange dinosaur hat on his head. He nervously tugging the end of his vest while looking down to the ground.
"Okay, class." The boy flinched when the teacher said that. "Today we'll have a new friend joining with us today. Please introduce yourself."
"My..." he nervously introduce himself, still looking at the floor. "...my name is Boboiboy. Eh..." he raised his head a little but the others can see some red color on his cheeks. "I...I hope we can be friends."
"Boboiboy just came out from the hospital because of his heart disease," said the teacher. Boboiboy once again looked at the floor. "Due to that, it's been a long time since he went to school, he'll need all the help he can get from all of you. Can you do that?"
"Yes, teacher," answered the whole class in their usual high spirit.
"Now, Boboiboy." Boboiboy turned to the teacher. "You can seat in front of Fang." The teacher turned toward a raven haired boy who seat at the corner of the classrom. "Fang, raised your hand!"
The raven haired boy raised his hand. Boboiboy followed the teacher's instruction and walked toward the seat in front of the raven hearied boy. He sat there without a word.
"Okay, class, now open your English textbook at page 47. Today we're going to learn about..."
-/-
During recess, almost half of the class surrounded Boboiboy's desk.
"Where do you live, Boboiboy?"
"Do you ever join a extracurricular activity? Sport? Or art?"
"That's a cute hat. Where did you buy that?"
Boboiboy doesn't know how to answer all those questions all at once. It's been a long time since he actually talk to other people other than the doctors or his family.
"Boboiboy." Boboiboy turned toward the source of the voice. A girl wearing a pink hijab stood beside his desk. "You have to come to the infirmary right?" she asked. "Do you know the place?"
Boboiboy shook his head. The girl smiled. "Don't worry, I'll come with you," she said. "I'm the class president." She turned toward their other classmates. "Sorry, guys. Boboiboy have to go to the infirmary every recess for his medical treatment."
"Oh, really?"
"So, we're in your way? Sorry about that."
"Then, see you later, Boboiboy."
Boboiboy just nodded in respond. He stood up from his seat and followed the class president. He could feel lots of eyes looking at him.
"There's no need to be afraid," said the girl again. "We just not used to have a new transfer student." She looked at the transfer studenr walking behind her. "My name is Yaya."
"O-Okay," said Boboiboy, blushing. "Th-Thanks about that."
"No problem, Boboiboy," she said. "By the way, I like your name."
"You do?"
"Yeah. It sounds like you're a superhero."
Boboiboy looked down to the floor. "I... I don't think the name suit me."
Yaya stopped her tracks, making Boboiboy bumped at her. She turned around and grabbed his hands, making him blush a bit. "Don't say that," she said with a warm smile. "Everybody is a superhero. You just have to find out what you're good at and believe in yourself."
Boboiboy blushed harder. "You think so?
Yaya nodded. "I know so."
-/-
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" shouted Mr. Papa, the mathematics teacher, making Boboiboy dropped the marker he was holding.
After recess, it's mathematics with Mr. Papa. For whatever reason, Mr. Papa picked Boboiboy to answer the question of the white board. Unfortunately for the boy, he missed school for several months, he forget almost every he had learn in his old school. Now, he can't even answer this:
64 + 8 x 6 - 9 : 3 = ?
"HOW COME YOU CANNOT ANSWER A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION?!" shoutes Mr. Papa again. Really, Boboiboy wishes he stays at the hospital right now...
"Haiya, teacher, don't be hard on him." Both Mr. Papa and Boboiboy turned toward a Chinese girl sitting on the front row beside Yaya.
"And why is that?" asked the teacher. Boboiboy starting to think Mr. Papa doesn't have an indoor voice.
"He's new here," said the girl, glancing to Boboiboy. She turned her attention to the teacher again. "He still has trouble keeping up."
"Oh, really?" asked the teacher. He leaned toward Boboiboy's face, until Boboiboy took a step back. Mr. Papa stood up straight again. "No wonder you look unfamiliar!" He patted Boboiboy on the shoulder. "Forgive me, my new student. You can borrow one of your friend notebook."
Boboiboy nodded as Mr. Papa said to the Chinese girl, "Now, Ying answer the question."
The girl, Ying, nodded and stood from her seat while Boboiboy walked back to his seat. When they passed each other, Ying gave a small patted on Boboiboy's shoulder and smiled. Boboiboy couldn't help but smile back.
"Thank you," he whispered. As a respond, Ying nodded.
"Don't mention it," she whispered back.
-/-
"He collapsed when warming up, huh?"
"His anemia is really bad, isn't it?"
"Well, he spends most if his childhood on bed. What do you expect?"
The next day, physical education is the first lesson. After warming up, Mr. Papa ('Why is he the PE teacher too?' thought Boboiboy, still but afraid from his loud voice) allows the new kid to take a rest. Right now, Boboiboy is sitting under the shade of a tree with a towel on his head (he took off his hat), still panting.
"Hey, are you okay?" Boboiboy looked up and saw a chubby Indian boy in his green sport uniform and green gloves.
"I'm fine," said Boboiboy, still panting. "Just anemia."
The chubby boy sat beside him. "You can't really stay in the sun for too long, don't you?"
Boboiboy sighed. "Yeah."
"No need to be embarrassed about it," The other boy smiled. "I hope Mr. Papa can understand that." He held out his hand, waiting for Boboiboy to take it. "I'm Gopal. I can be your new best friend!"
Boboiboy, although still a bit confused, took Gopal's hand and shook it.
-/-
"Hey."
School is finally over, and Boboiboy was about to leave the school when somebody tapped his shoulder. He turned around and saw the Chinese boy who sat behind him.
Boboiboy, even though he's a bit tried, smiled. "Hey. You're Fang, right?"
Fang nodded. "Do you have some times?"
Boboiboy looks unsure, so Fang smiled a bit. "Don't worry I won't bite," he said. "I'll buy you ice cream."
Can't say 'no' to that, right?
Fang did what he said. He bought a vanila ice cream cone for Boboiboy and a chocolate popsicle for himself. The two boys enjoyed their ice cream while sitting on the swing in the park.
"How was your second day?" The Chinese boy suddenly asked.
Boboiboy was silent for a second. He then answered, "I felt like everyone is treating me different."
Fang raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain?"
Boboiboy sighed. "It's like everyone is pitying me."
"Pitying?"
"I can see it in their eyes." The hat wearing boy sighed again. "They felt sorry for me. And I don't like that."
"So, how do you want us to treat you?"
Boboiboy looked at his ice cream. It's staring to melt. "I know in still in my recovery phase so I'm still weak, but I don't want people to see me as a sick person. I want them to see me as your average elementary school student."
"Do you make friends so far?" Fang asked again before sucking his ice cream again.
"I can't call them friends just yet." Fang swore he could see a faint smile on the boy's face. "But Yaya and Gopal are nice. Also Ying stood up for me. Then, there's you."
"We can be friends." Fang saud, taking out the ice cream from his mouth. "You'll soon realize that your bonds with your friends and family is the most precious thing in the world." He looked up to the sky. "It can give you hope, but it can also bring you in despair."
Boboiboy was about to like his ice cream, but what Fang said really surprised him. He looked at the Chinese boy. "I understand the hope part...but despair?"
"When you lose someone very special to you," Boboiboy could swore there's a hint of sadness in the other boy's eyes. "you will fall in despair sooner of later." Fang shook his hat and gave Boboiboy a small smile. "I think we're getting off topic now. So, where is your home before you move here?"
The two boys spended their time talking about each other lives.
-/-
Yaya, the nice class president.
Ying, the smart Chinese girl.
Gopal, the fun Indian boy.
And Fang, the mysterious Chinese boy.
Boboiboy has a feeling that they'll be great friends.
-/-
"How is his condition?"
"So far, so good."
"Great. Carry on."
"Don't worry Boboiboy, we'll save you."
-/-
Hey, guys. Remember 'Boboiboy and the Manipulator of the Apocalypse Universe'? So, I'm going to rewrite it. Take this as a prequel.
This will be like a series of characters bonding and development, especially for Boboiboy.
Now, I want you guys to vote through the review section.
Which character should I write first? I already have the draft for each characters, but I don't know who I should write first. You guys can choose between Yaya, Ying, Gopal and Fang!
So vote now!