Chapter 2:
5 years later.
The time had come to see if he was fit to be a superhero. Syx was now 13 and going to high school. Although he tried his best to stay out of trouble, Syx was expelled from his old school. The warden told him that it was nothing he did. Metro boy had taken the place far away. The warden then hired a tutor for Syx until the boy was ready to enter high school. Syx did not speak to anybody except Minion and the warden, of course, about his dreams.
Syx moved to a new cell-room and he painted it full of rainbows, deer and colourfull pictures. He thought that it cheered the place up. Syx felt that the moment he was ready, he would then go and fight for the good of Metrocity. But right now it was first school. The warden this time made sure to find him a proper school uniform that fitted and not one of those horrible orange prison suits. Those prison clothes were also one of the few reasons why Syx did not fit in the first place. The school uniform consisted of a dark brown jacket, a white button-up long sleeved shirt, brown slacks and black shoes. With it also came a red and grey striped tie. Things were not much different from what it was before. The other people gave him one cold look and then turned their backs on him as if he had some kind of disease.
When Syx went to get his timetable, the man behind the counter gave him a strange look. Mr. Jonathan was not one to judge a person by his appearance, and did not tell Syx off. But that did not mean that he was not surprised to see an alien. He could only stare for a second but when Syx spoke to him, he quickly gave Syx the piece of paper.
"Here you go ,Syx."
"Thank you, sir!"
"Wait just a second there kid."
Jonathan tried to be as polite so he would not upset the blue kid.
"Yes. I'm sorry but pets are not allowed in this school."
"But Minion is just as clever as I am.'
' Yea, that's right and besides I always follow sir everywhere.."
Mr Jonathan staggered back when he heard the fish talk. he had seen many strange things in his life, but a blue alien and a talking fish was not one of them. He quickly pulled himself together.
"And you name is?"
"It's Minion."
" I am terrible sorry, Minion, but that is the rules in this school. Animals aren't allowed here. Whether they can speak or not. That is just how it is. So, Syx ,if you leave your fish here, then I can call the warden to come and pick him up or I can keep an eye on him so no one would steal him."
Syx hung his head. This was the first time he and Minion would be separated.
"Don't worry, sir. You can come and see me during break-time and when school comes out."
"You're right, Minion."
"Well, Syx, you don't want to be late for you first class?"
"Right!"
Mr. Jonathan watched as the boy ran off to his first class, before he turned to the fish.
"So, where did you two come from anyway?"
His first class was biology. Syx managed to find himself a seat at the back of the class again. Usually whenever he wanted to sit beside someone, that person would push him away. The teacher doesn't give Syx a second look before he started yelling at everyone.
"Quiet, be quiet, or all of you will get detention!"
Mr. Oliver was a very strict man, not just towards Syx, but to everyone. He was also very serious about his teaching.
"Now before we begin I think I ought to warn you first. I would not tolerate bad behavior. So I'll tell you first, in this class there are several rules which I expect to be obeyed! Rule number one: do not speak in class. Rule number two: as a teacher I expect to be respected. Rule number three: I expect hard work and no slacking off!" rule number four. Pay attention in class. Rule number five…"
As the teacher named all the things that he wanted them to do and not to do, Syx listened carefully. He did not want to get into trouble like all those other times. Not slacking off? Now that won't be much of a problem! He took out his book and pens. Although he knew all the stuff that the teacher was telling them, Syx loved biology and listened with interest as Mr. Oliver continued with the lesson. When the teacher stopped talking, he then began to ask questions. Syx found the questions quite easy and could answer each one.
"Well done, Syx, it looks like someone's been paying attention!" said the teacher after the alien answered his fifth question correctly. For the rest of the lesson Mr. Oliver either asked questions or let them write stuff down. No one seemed to know the answers to the questions the teacher was asking them beside Syx and two other students. At the end of the lesson Mr. Oliver's altitude towards Syx seemed to have changed completely. He actually smiled at the blue boy!
"This is pathetic," said the teacher in a stern voice to a red-haired boy.
"It looks like none of you have learned anything last year! The only ones who actually know their work are Bernard, Syx and Roxanne. In two weeks time we are writing a test. You had better learn hard if you don't want to miss out on your break time and use that time to learn. You may go!"
The next lesson was French. There were very few seats in the class this time. Syx found himself sharing a seat with a boy that looked like he was going to fall asleep.
When the teacher began the lesson, Syx had to repress a yawn. "This is so boring," he thought. "I already know all this stuff."
Syx was desperate to get out of this very boring project. He wondered if this time he would be able to befriend some of these kids. Probably not.
He dared to glance at the kid next to him.
The boy looked like he was his age. He wore big round glasses and had a mass of brownish-blond hair. The boy looked very bored. So far he has not done as much as glance at Syx.
"Hey, you two! Pay attention or you will go the corner!" The teacher bellowed at both Syx and the boy next to him.
"Yes mam" they both said. Syx shuddered. This teacher reminded him of Miss Franklin. The moment the teacher turned her back, the boy beside him began to speak.
"You don't like this lesson either, do you?"
Yea, I already know all this stuff" Syx said.
"You're right. Oh, I'm Bernard, by the way."
"I'm Syx."
" Syx! You're the new kid!" A girl's voice suddenly interrupted them.
"Boring or not, you two should pay attention. Miss Minsion would have your heads when she finds out you are not paying attention."
"And what is your name?" asked Syx.
The girl smiled. "I'm Roxanne Richi."
The girl glare at her french book" This is not good. I'm no good with French."
If you don't want to learn French, then why are you here?" asked Syx. The girl made a face.
"My mother wants me to take French classes. And to be honest, I don't think that I'll ever get the hang of it, and, Syx, do you see that kid there?" Roxanne pointed to a muscular boy speaking to a few others that looks like they have just had an enormous workout.
"That's Wayne Scott. You should stay away from him. He is a jerk and he is always so full of himself! "
" And to think that the whole school thinks that you two are dating!" said Bernard. For the rest of the period, the 3 of them chatted with each other. When the bell rang everyone headed for their next classes. Syx, Bernard and Roxanne had agreed to meet each other at break time. Syx could not believe that two people would actually be his friends! Unlike everyone else, Bernard and Roxanne were very kind to him, and not just that, but one of the teachers also liked him.
After French, Syx and Roxanne went to musical arts class while Bernard went to fetch something at the library. While they were going to their next class, they began to talk.
"So, Roxanne, what did Bernard mean that you and this Wayne dude are dating?"
"We're not, Syx, everyone just thinks that we are. Wayne is not really my type. All the other girls swoon over him".
"But why do they like him so much?"
"Wayne is the most popular guy in this school and I'm the most popular girl, so people see it only fitting that Wayne and I are dating."
"Why don't you tell them the truth?"
Roxanne laughed.
"Do you really think that they will listen? " The two friends arrived at the Musical Arts class just for the teacher to chase Syx out of the room with a broomstick and shut the door in his face! Syx sighed as he waited outside the classroom for Roxanne. Another teacher that does not like him. It would be another 20 minutes until the bell would ring again. Syx decided to go and visit Minion. He found his fish and the receptionist happily speaking to each other.
"Look, sir is back!"
"Ah Syx, but why are you not in the class?" ask the receptionist.
"The teacher chased me out, and besides, Music isn't really my thing, so I decided to come and see how Minion is."
The man sadly shook his head. He knew perfectly well that some of the teachers won't take well to an alien boy.
"Your fish can be a really a good friend. I see why you didn't want to leave him behind."
" So, sir, did you make any new friends yet?"
But then minion fall silent. "Probably not…" he thought, but he was very surprised by Syx's answer.
"Yes, there is this one girl and this other guy who are really very kind. Their names are Roxanne and Bernard."
" Ah! Bernard!" said the receptionist.
"Why, Syx, how did you manage to befriend Bernard is a miracle."
Bernard was the smartest kid in this school. Sadly not many of the other people liked him very much due to his indifference. They also teased him about his glasses.
"It is good that you and Bernard get along. He could use a friend."
Syx smiled. That was really nice. Just at that moment the school bell rang, indicating that it was break time. Syx grabbed Minion.
"I'll see you soon, sir. I promised to meet my friends at the stairs and besides, I want to introduce Minion".
Mr Johnson watched the boy run off. That kid and his fish may fit in here after all, he thought with a smile on his face.
Syx settled beside his two new friends and the 3 began to chat noisily. Bernard and Roxanne were very surprised that Syx had a talking fish with him, but they quickly saw that Minion was very friendly. Roxanne also introduced Syx to Kelly, another one of her friends.
"You won't believe what our music teacher has done. She chased Syx out of the room with a broomstick! And as if that wasn't bad enough, Hal had been bothering me again. Why can't he just take the hint that I don't like him?"
" Guys like him never learn, Roxanne. Deal with it." said Bernard.
Roxane just sighed. She was glad that Wayne was not in any of her classes. She remembered he and his cronies used to bully Bernard. Wayne bullied everyone that was different. He caused trouble and his parents managed to get him out of whatever trouble his got himself into. She was sure that the second he saw Syx he would start bullying him too.
The rest of the school day luckily passed without a problem. As long as Syx stayed with Bernard and Roxanne, no one bothered him. All three of them had the same subjects together. After break time the three went to history together, where Syx received the same cold stares from the teacher. Again, Syx found himself not paying attention. So far everything he learned that day, he already knew. Instead he and Roxanne spent the period passing notes to each other. The next period was algebra, the one subject that Syx had been looking forward to the whole time. The teacher, who taught algebra, was a kind man. He was not as strict at Mr Smith. He scolded the kids for not doing their homework, however, praised those who worked hard. He was Mr Benjamin Brown.
Brown was instantly very impressed by Syx's talent. Out of the whole class he counted Syx and Bernard as his favourite students.
"You haven't done your homework again, Mr Scott."
Syx quickly finished his homework so he would not have any for the day when he heard Brown's angry voice.
"Do you call this work, Wayne?"
"But sir, it's too hard! I mean this stuff is far to advanced!"
"Nonsense! How can Syx, Roxanne and Bernard know this but you and your buddies can't? Now listen here, if you want to pass this grade, you had better start learning hard!"
"Yes sir!" said the super strong boy in a sulky voice. As the teacher left to check out the work of the kid two seats in front of him, Wayne wondered: "Teacher Benjamin Brown just spoke about someone named Syx. Why does that name sound so familiar? Syx, where had he heard it before?"
When the bell rang, Wayne and his friends talked about the teacher's unfairness.
"Hey, cheer up, Wayne! It's not so bad. You got power!"
" That's not it, Zax. Something that Mr Brown said in class said bothers me. He was speaking about some guy named Syx. The name sounds so familiar, but I can't remember where I've heard it before!"
"Who cares, man? The guy is probably not even important. Just forget about him".
The teen just sadly shook his head. Syx…. maybe if he can see the guy in person, then he may find out why the name sounds so familiar. But it is not going to be easy. The only subject they have together is algebra. He heard rumours during the day about an alien boy coming to this school and that the boy was blue, but that was all he could find out so far. Wayne's face then became serious. He did not know anything about a blue alien. He needed more information about Syx. If another alien was going to the same school as him, then maybe he could find out more.
The last subject of the day was economics. Again this was one of the subjects that Syx had no problem with. Sadly he could not sit next to Bernard or Roxanne this time because the teacher was the one to organise their seats. Syx found himself this time sitting beside a short teen with raid hair. Syx glanced at the boy beside him whom shrank away under his gaze.
Yep, just like all the other kids in school, this one seemed to think of him as a freak, except that this one looked like he thought that Syx is going to eat him up. Syx decided to try and talk to the boy just to let him know that he did not have to be so afraid of him.
"Hey, I'm Syx."
If possible, the boy only seemed to retreat even further away from him.
But then he squeaked in a small voice " H..-Hal Stewart…"
"Nice to meet you, Hal." Syx tried to start a conversation."
" Man this stuff is so easy don't you think?" Looking at Hal he saw him ducking away underneath his desk. Syx dicided that it was not worth getting to know this boy and instead occupied him with his economic book. When the bell rang, Syx asked his friends who that freaked out kid was.
"Oh, that was Hal Stewart, and he is somewhat of a wimp" said Roxanne. " I think he may have a crush on me. He always follows me everywhere. It gets kind of annoying."
"Well, I don't think you should worry about him anymore, Roxanne. If he sees us hang out with Syx, then I'm sure he'll leave us alone."
"I hope you're right, Bernard".
Syx happily hopped into the police car that came to pick him up. School was not as bad as he had thought it wouled b. Bernard and Roxanne turned out to be really good friends. There were still a lot of people who were whispering and glaring at him, but now he finally had some friends. Not just that, but two of the teachers actually liked him, Mr Oliver smith and Mr Benjamin Brown. In spite of his having new friends, there was one things that scared Syx. Roxanne mentioned Wayne Scott during break. It could be a coincidence, but if Scott was really in the same school as him, then he needed to keep a good look out. That guy hated him when they were children.
The warden was waiting for Syx. The second when the police car that went to fetch Syx, stopped at the prison,the boy hopped out. Warden James had not even opened his mouth to ask Syx how his day was when the teen began to talk.
"Today was so wonderful, warden! I made two friends. They did not even seem to mind what I looked like! No one bothered me, or Minion, today."
" I'm glad to hear that, Syx, now come inside. Do you have any home work?"
" No sir, I have already done it all! "
As two guards escorted the very happy teen back to his cell, James found himself smiling. It looked as if Syx finally had made friend outside the prison, friends who were willing to look past his appearance. James thought back to that day when Syx told him about his decision. The day when Syx told him that he wanted to be a super hero. When the boy told him about his destiny to become a villain, it scared the warden. There was no telling how Syx would have turned out had he decided to follow what he believed was his destiny. As much as the other kids in that darn school told him how bad he was, Syx had followed his heart and did what he deemed right.
Note: I am unfamiliar with what kind of subjects people will take in school because it was a long time since I have finished school. I also do not have a good memory, so I've made a few things up like French and Musical Arts. Those I came up with myself, but the rest of the stuff I have mentioned here are things that I have learned about in school myself.
Next up: Wayne Scott finds out that the new kid is actually his old enemy from middle school, and he tries to confront Syx about his destiny. Syx fights crime for the first time.