June, 2020: Warning: Unedited. Low quality.
COUNTING STARS
Chapter 3: Student
Monday, October 9
"Link," Impa calls from her desk, "is everything alright?"
No. Nothing's alright. I'm freaking out.
"Yes, Miss Impa," I murmur. The teacher returns her attention to the papers she's grading, and I return to freaking out.
We're supposed to be taking notes from the novel Of Mice and Men at the moment. While everyone is somewhere between pages fourteen and thirty, I'm stuck at page one.
I gingerly wrap my fingers around the pencil, pressing the graphite tip to the paper as lightly as humanly possible.
Snap!
Why the hell is my hand hurting so Din-damned bad!? And why am I feeling so much stronger today more than ever before? So, if I had the ability to lift a human tank off of his feet and slam him into the wall, something must be up. But what?
My hand seems to be the problem. It's the source of my pain, but, as I've realized, is also the source of my newfound strength. Look at the facts: before I've had the pain and sporadic phosphorescence, I was normal.
Sheik turns to look back at me from the seat in front of mine, his gaze mixed with confusion and worry. After all, he'd experienced my breakdown in the limousine earlier today. He silently mouths, "You okay?"
I nod in reply, then return my attention to the assignment. Taking notes is clearly a problem since I snapped my last pencil and don't have a way to sharpen it without destroying something, so I decide to do it later. With visible frustration, I gently-- very gently, that is-- turn the page after reading the first two.
A tear manifests at the bottom of the page, but thankfully it isn't too noticeable, nor does the nearly-inaudible sound draw attention from my classmates. I release a relieved breath, which I haven't realized I've been holding in, and read on about Lennie's habit of petting dead mice.
After an eternity of reading and turning the pages at a snail's pace, the bell rings, signaling the end of first period. I shove the book into my binder with too much force, then stand up from my seat.
As people begin to file out of the room, Groose shoots me a furious glare before heading off after his idiot friends. Zelda offers me a dazzling smile after rising to her feet, leaving me baffled at her beauty. I match her smile with one of my own, and she turns to leave the classroom with the other students.
I look back at Sheik, who stands in front of Mikau, Darmani, Mido, Fledge, and Pipit; all of whom have smirks on their faces.
"Oh, shut up," I groan, even though they aren't saying anything, and start walking to the door.
They follow me out into the hall, and Mikau says, "C'mon, Link. It's nothin' to be ashamed of! She's hot."
"Alright," I say, taking out my schedule while ignoring their banter, "who's going to show me the way to history?"
"No one," Pipit chimes, throwing an arm around my shoulder, "until you admit you have a thing for Zelda." The gesture is a little forward, considering I barely know the guy.
"I just met her!" I protest. "Just lay off, 'kay? My day is stressful enough already." It's true: being a new kid isn't a picnic. And neither is dealing with uncontrollable strength. The latter surely wasn't known to Sheik and his posse, though.
Fledge smiles. "We know it's hard to be new to a school, Link. We're just trying to relieve your stress."
Darmani, who is typically reserved, chimes, "We treat our friends this way." He offers me a toothy grin.
Friends, huh? I guess that makes me their friend.
I sigh. "Okay, fine. I'll just find Mr. Lux's room myself."
"Hold on, there, Speed Racer," blurts Sheik. "I've got that class with you, and so do Mikau and Mido."
Well, it's about time they stopped badgering me about my so-called crush on Zelda.
"Well, we're gonna take off," Pipit announces, saluting to us casually-- that reminds me of Talo. Pipit turns to leave as we bid him farewell, followed by Darmani and Fledge.
"So. History?" I raise my eyebrows expectantly at the three boys.
They motion for me to follow them down the hall, Sheik in the lead. "It's on the end, near the staircase."
"Ugh," Mido groans, "Mr. Lux is so boring. I've fallen asleep seven times in his class."
Mikau snorts, humored. "You're lucky enough to be sitting in the back; I'm in the front, so I can't fall asleep without being caught."
"Well, I hope I sit in the back," I murmur.
"You probably will," Mido says. "There's an empty seat next to me, so maybe ol' Rauru will put you there."
There they go again, calling teachers by their first names. Is that normal here? Granted, I never went to school before; but I've heard that you're supposed to say "Mister" or "Missus" or "Miss" before stating their last names. Guess everyone here is just that cool, even the adults.
Mido, a short, runt-like boy, saunters down the hall like he owns the place-- something I find cool. From what Sheik told me, Mido never backs down from confrontation, despite a height difference. Mikau, meanwhile, is calm and collected, allowing him to have many friends and admirers.
"So, Link," Mikau says, flipping his jet-black hair when he turns to look at me, "Sheik tells me you're a baller."
Rolling my eyes, I chuckle. "Nah, it's just something I like to do in my free time."
Mikau nods. "I'm the same way, dude. I like the sport, but playing the guitar is my priority."
"You play guitar?"
"Yep." He nods, pride presenting itself on his tanned face. "Bass. Lulu-- she's my girlfriend, by the way-- and I are in a band together."
Damn, that's cool. "What's it called?"
"Morpha."
"Lulu's and Mikau's grandparents were in a band together too," Mido adds. Mikau looks down at the floor and grows quiet. "He doesn't like to talk about it, but Mikau's family is famous for their band, the Indigo-Go's."
"Really?" I've heard of them; they were a popular 80's band from Lakeside. "That's so cool."
Mikau shrugs. "I guess it could seem that way. But I don't want my grandpa's fame; Lulu doesn't want to get her grandma's fame. We want to earn it, y'know? That's why we made up our own band name."
By the time Mikau finished his explanation, we arrived at Mr. Lux's classroom at the end of the hall. Now that I think about it, the hallways aren't all that crowded; I guess I'm thankful for the school not having any lockers. They would just add to the congestion-- it'd be like trying to drive through LA during rush hour.
As we step into the classroom, I see a man standing in the front. He looks a little like Gaepora, with similar orange robes and a balding head, but just a lot more… plump. And according to Sheik, underneath that stern gaze and wrinkly skin, Mr. Lux is a good guy.
His brown eyes fall upon me as he turns to view the small sea of students entering the classroom, and his puffy eyebrows perk up in interest. "Oho," Rauru exclaims, "a new student! Please, introduce yourself."
Everyone's eyes turn to me-- everyone that's in the classroom, that is; the bell still hasn't yet rung, so thankfully not many more people can notice me.
Sheik and Mido nod at me with smirks set on their faces, and I hesitantly speak to the history teacher: "…I'm Link."
Rauru just stands there… looking at me. What's up with this old-timer? Will he just… say something?
Sheik nudges me with his elbow. "Manners, kid. Last name." Mr. Lux nods approvingly at Sheik, but I can tell that his words were used in a mocking tone.
I swallow hard. This man will probably know exactly who I am; like all others of his age, the only thing he does on his free time would probably be to read the newspaper, which is filled with info about my uncle's murder.
But I don't want him to find out! I don't want anyone to find out! The main reason I moved here to Castle Town is that I want a fresh start. I want to let go of the past.
But wherever I go, whatever I do, whoever I meet… Nothing's going to change my past. It's always going to catch up with me.
And I may have to accept that.
"Link Gaiden." The words are barely audible, yet I know that everyone heard them. Recognition flashes over their glazed-over faces, followed up with sorrow and grief.
Rauru, meanwhile, notices the tension in the air, then intentionally lightens the mood by clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Well, Link, I look forward to seeing you every day. There seems to be an empty seat next to Mido's, so why don't you take that one."
Mido grins triumphantly at Sheik.
"Okay," I say to Rauru with a nod.
Once I part from my history teacher, I make my way toward Sheik, Mikau, and Mido, who stand huddled next to a front desk-- Sheik's, I presume.
"What's that?" I ask, looking down to a sheet of paper that Sheik scribbles furiously on with a pencil.
Still writing down barely-readable words, Sheik murmurs, "Homework due today. I didn't get to it 'cause Mr. Harkinian was sending me on a mission to fetch you."
"Well, I'm sure you've got a good reason--"
"Nuh-uh," Mido says. Then, he lowers his voice to a whisper. "Rauru's strict as hell."
My eyebrows arch. It's a little hard to believe, considering how incredibly laid-back every staff member so far has been. Plus, he seems like a rather personable teacher. "That guy? No way."
"Way," Mikau replied with a nod. "He's not mean about it; he's just got a few more rules than the average teacher. Like, get your homework done on time."
The bell rings, Sheik somehow manages to scribble meaningless words onto his sheet of paper, and I take my seat next to Mido in the back.
History passes by in a blur; Rauru introduces me to the class and proceeds with a boring lecture. I don't pay much attention, since history isn't really my thing, and instead focus on taming my uncontrollable strength. Luckily for me, Rauru doesn't tell us to take notes; I went through all of my pencils in first period.
When the bell rings, we all stand up. I lightly tap my knee on my desk, and sure enough, I end up knocking the entire thing over.
Dammit.
The room grows silent, and everyone turns their heads in my direction. Offering me a sheepish grin, Mido sets the desk back upright. "Sorry for knocking over your desk, Link."
"You didn't--" I cut myself off when I realize what he's doing. "Oh."
He smirks, then lowers his voice so only I can hear. "I know that something's a little off about you, but for your sake I'm not gonna ask about it. 'Kay?"
Abashed, I nod with a small smile. "Okay."
"Remember, I've got your back," Mido says, clapping a hand on my shoulder.
My smile widens. "Thanks, man." When I turn, I realize that most of the students have already filed out of the classroom, and Mikau and Sheik are standing by the door waiting for us. Mido and I make our way over to the door.
"Did you piss Mido off or something, Link?" Mikau asks with a teasing smirk.
"Nah," Mido says, "he didn't. I just bumped it on my way up."
"So Link, what's your next class?" asks Sheik.
"Algebra 2 with…" I pull out my schedule, searching for the teacher's name. "…Ms. Spirit."
"I've got her, too," Mikau announces with a smirk. "Her class is on the second floor. I'll lead you there."
"Alright. Who else has that class?"
"Um, no guys from our group," he says, "but a couple girls who are good friends with us. Let's see, there's Lulu, Ruto, and your girl."
I know he's talking about Zelda, but I decide to play dumb. "My girl?"
"You know who," he murmurs with a grin.
"Whatever," I say with an exasperated roll of the eyes. I turn to Sheik and Mido. "Where are you two headed?"
"Biology," they respond in unison.
Sheik nods at Mido, explaining to me, "Mr. Masca's class."
"Mr. Masca?" I ask, eyebrows raising. "He's like the only teacher who you didn't call by his first name."
"I'd call him 'Rupin' if I liked him. We only call teachers we like by their first names," he explains.
Ooh, I muse, I get it now.
"Alright," Mikau says, "let's head to math, Link."
Ugh. Math.
"Okay." I shrug.
Mido and Sheik part ways with me and Mikau, and we head to the end of the hall where the staircase is located. We ascend the stairs, and Mikau says, "Nabooru's cool, by the way. She's probably my favorite teacher."
"Really?"
"Yeah." He nods as we break off from the staircase and enter the second floor hallway. "She isn't like most teachers. She lets us use our phones in class, and we get to sit wherever we want."
We walk for a little while longer, entering the second door on the right. Ms. Spirit, as I can see, is of Gerudo descent, with tanned skin, fiery red hair tied back in a long ponytail, and bright yellow eyes. She wears dark brown slacks and a short trenchcoat ending just below the hips.
"Mikau!" someone calls from the back of the class.
I turn to Mikau, seeing him wave to the person. He then turns to me and says, "C'mon."
We make our way to the back right corner of the room, where three girls sit in a row of five desks. Two look almost identical; twins, I assume. They both have tanned skin, shiny midnight-blue hair, and bright green eyes. I can only see two differences: one of them wears purple and the other wears blue, and the purple-wearing girl has her hair straight while her sister has her hair tied up into a ponytail. Mikau grins, kisses the purple-wearing girl on the cheek, and takes a seat next to her on the end. I assume that's Lulu, Mikau's girlfriend.
The third girl, meanwhile, sits next to the end seat, the last one in the row. When I turn to ask if I can sit next to her, my heart stops. It's Zelda. "…Uh, hey."
"Hi," she says with a small smile. "You can sit here if you want." Zelda taps the desk next to her.
I return the smile. "Okay. Thanks."
After I've seated myself next to Zelda, Mikau sends me a suggestive smirk. "Link, this is Lulu," he points to the girl wearing purple, "and this is her sister Ruto," he says while pointing to the girl in blue.
"You're Link?" Ruto and Lulu exclaim incredulously and simultaneously.
I nod.
I think I hear Ruto whisper in Zelda's ear, "He's cute." I check Zelda's expression for a reaction, like a blush or a grin, but she acts like she doesn't hear Ruto.
What could that mean?
…Whatever, I don't really care.
I think.
"Wait, so you're Link?" Lulu asks again, squinting.
"Like, the Link from the news?" adds Ruto.
I try to quell the pain emerging from within my heart as I'm reminded of why I'm on the news. "Yep. That's me."
Zelda gazes at me with a saddened expression, then turns to the twins. "Guys, stop pestering him," she says quietly, but I still hear her. They both nod, apparently understanding her reasoning.
The bell rings, ending our conversation. "Morning, guys and gals," says Nabooru, winking at the sea of students in front of her. Then her eyes shift to me, and I'm filled with dread. "Ooh, it seems you're here, Link! Everyone, say hello to Link Gaiden."
No. Don't say hello to me.
"Hi, Link…" groan the monotonous voices of juniors and sophomores in our class.
Nabooru smiles. "So, Link, why don't you stand up and introduce yourself so they can get to know--"
Mikau suddenly stands up. "Sorry, Nabooru, but I think anyone who cares enough to get to know Link will do it on their own time. It's not worth torturing the kid, is it?" He gestures toward me, and I'm sagging into my chair, hoping I'm not coming off as some wimp to Zelda.
I bite my bottom lip, expecting Mikau to get an earful.
"Good point, Mikau," she says. "Okay. You all should meet Link sometime. I've heard he's single."
My eyes, squinting in confusion, snap up to meet Nabooru's. "What?"
She snickers mischievously. "Oh, Link, I'm just messing with you."
"I couldn't tell," I mutter sarcastically.
For the rest of the period, I try to remain silent as to not embarrass myself in front of anyone-- namely Zelda. From what I've seen, Nabooru is a cool teacher. She's quite entertaining; perhaps math won't be too bad.
"Dirk and Drake, do you have last week's homework in yet?" Nabooru asks.
Two boys who sit in the other back row simply grunt in reply. One of them has a cheesy faux-hawk and a purple tank, revealing tanned arm muscles. The other boy has a dark brown buzz cut, and he wears a simple white tee covered by an open black jacket.
Nabooru rolls her eyes. "I swear, you two should be kicked out of this academy."
Mikau leans forward to explain to me, "That's Dirk Knowles," he says while pointing to faux-hawk guy, "and Drake Knight," he points to buzz cut guy. "They're Groose's buddies. Try to stay away from them."
I shrug, murmuring, "I won't make any promises." Zelda catches my eye briefly, then averts her gaze again.
"Dirk, Drake, you have detention. I'm sorry-- wait, no. I'm not."
Fourth period: gym. This'll probably take my mind off of my uncontrollable strength. Probably.
I don't have a P.E. uniform, since Mr. Harkinian only gave me school supplies. So here I am, the odd one out, standing in my school clothes in the locker room. The room consists of innumerable square lockers on all walls, including some islands of lockers in the middle of the room.
I stand next to Sheik, Pipit, Mido, and Darmani, who all congregate in the northwestern corner of the room, changing into their gym gear.
"It's fine that you don't have a uniform, Link," says Sheik. "I'm sure Darunia will make an exception."
"True," agrees Darmani. "Dad is kind to newcomers."
"Dad?" I repeat.
Darmani grins. "My full name is Darmani Megaton."
"Darmani is Darunia's son," explains Mido.
I nod, mouth forming a small 'o' shape. "So what're we doing today?"
"Hm," Darmani replies, "we are doing a football unit. You can probably join a team."
"Alright."
Darmani leads the way out the locker room, with me, Mido, and Sheik in tow, and we enter the gymnasium. I stick out like a sore thumb-- I don't have on a white shirt and black shorts like everyone else-- and I immediately catch the attention of Coach Darunia Megaton.
"Oh!" he bellows, giving me a toothy grin similar to his son's. "New kid!"
As if I haven't heard that label enough.
"Yeah," I call back, making my way closer to the imposing figure. Darunia wears a pair of sweatpants and a white tank that reveals the lean, dark muscles of his arms. His milky-brown skin contrasts with the sandy-blonde spiked hair atop his head, with some hair traveling down to his chin in a short goatee. I look up at the six-three giant and gulp hard, murmuring, "I'm Link."
"Darunia," he responds. "You may call me by my first name. I don't mind it."
"You're not the only teacher like that," I comment, cracking a small smile.
"That's correct, Link. It's a little weird bein' here, huh? Everything we do's different." He grins again, clapping a meaty hand on my back and nearly knocking the wind out of me. "Don't worry, though; you'll get the hang of it!"
"Th-thanks," I wheeze, still startled from the impact.
Darunia's calm demeanor leaves in an instant. "ALRIGHT, YOU WORTHLESS KIDS! GET IN YOUR ASSIGNED GROUPS AND DO YOUR WARM UP!"
Eyes wide, I meekly stammer, "Uh, whose group am I in?"
As if someone flipped a switch, he's calm again. "You can be with my son, Darmani. Your fellow group members will be Mido McCormick, Sheik Stryker, Pipit Westbrook, and Malon Lon."
"Okay. Thanks." I turn to locate my group members, and I immediately spot the fiery red hair of Malon. As I make my way over toward them, someone sticks out their leg and my foot catches on it.
I don't fall.
Instead, the leg will have a mighty big bruise.
"Agh! …What the fuck is up with you, kid?" demands the familiar idiot through a pained grimace.
"Don't pick fights with stronger guys," I reply to Groose with a shrug.
I catch the eye of a auburn-haired girl in Groose's group, who stifles her giggling. With a smirk, I turn to head back to my own group.
"Hey," they greet.
"Looks like I'm in your group, guys," I announce, grabbing the attention of Darmani.
"Great," he grunts while stretching a few leg muscles. "Just… follow my routine."
"You good at football, Link?" Sheik asks.
"A little."
"We aren't allowed to play tackle, though," Mido adds. "Against school rules."
"Plus it would give Darmani an advantage," Pipit says. Darmani grins devilishly.
"Hey, Link," Malon says, "have you met Zelda yet?"
"He sure has!" Sheik shouts before I can speak. "First thing he does when he walks on the campus, goes up and kicks Groose's ass when he was hittin' on Zel."
"You beat him up?" Malon asks incredulously, eyebrows shooting up.
"Not exactly…" I reply hesitantly. "I threw him against the wall. No big deal."
"Really?" everyone but Sheik and Darmani ask incredulously.
I nod simply.
"Link… I'd be careful 'round Groose," Mido cautions. "He's buddies with a few gang members… He has connections."
"He's in a gang?" The face of the gang lord resurfaces within my mind-- the sharp jawline, olive skin, red hair, golden eyes… Could Groose be connected with my uncle's murderer?
"No, but some of his friends are."
"What're their names?"
"One's named Ghirahim… and another starts with a 'V'," says Pipit. Normally chipper, Pipit is unusually dark at the moment.
"Vaati," Darmani corrects, clenching his fist. "I wanna pound that little punk into the dirt so bad… But he always threatens to have me killed if I lay a finger on him. It just ain't worth it, bro."
They all nod. "Just try to stay away from them all, 'kay, Link?" Mido says carefully.
"Yeah, sure," I murmur, but my mind is elsewhere.
If these gang members go here, to this school… that means I'm in danger. The tall man-- 'Drag'-something-- claimed he would find me again; he did not seem like he was joking. These gang members may be affiliated with him.
"OKAY, YOU HEAPS OF GARBAGE," bellows Darunia, tearing me out of my thoughts, "TIME TO HEAD UP TO THE FIELD!"
"C'mon," Sheik says to me with a grin. "You're with us."
At last, lunch is here. I sit next to Sheik and Mikau at one of the middle tables, and we're soon joined by Darmani, Fledge, Mido, and Pipit.
After taking a few sips of pumpkin soup, the main entrée, I notice Malon plop down in an end seat next to Sheik. "Hey," she greets us with a warm smile.
Honestly, it's a wonder why Malon and Sheik aren't together yet; it's blatantly obvious they like each other.
"Hey, Malon," all of us respond in unison.
"So, Link," she says; I turn my attention toward her, "you got a girlfriend back home?"
I shrug nonchalantly. "Nah," I say. "Why?"
Malon smirks and looks back at her table of friends, earning a chorus of giggles from the girls, then turns back to me. "No reason."
I squint at her skeptically, but decide to play it cool and offer her a half smile. "Okay."
"Well, let's just hope you find someone soon," she teases. "You don't want to end up alone and miserable like ol' Pipit."
"Hey, now," chimes the brunette boy, "I happen to enjoy the single life."
Mido cocks his head at Pipit. "You're not dating Amber anymore?"
Malon and Pipit both shake their heads. "Pshh," he says, "no way."
"Why'd you break up with her?" I ask. "I mean, I don't know her, but still."
Pipit merely shrugs. "She kept blabbering on and on about… I don't even know what. It was just so annoying."
Everyone chuckles lightly. "Pipit," I say with a small smirk, "I thought relationships are about listening, understanding, and all that Dr. Phil crap." That earns another chorus of laughter from our group.
"I dunno," says Mido, "I'm gonna have to agree with Pip, here. Being single is awesome."
"Well that's a load of B.S.!" announces Mikau. "You're totally obsessed with Saria!"
Malon giggles at Mikau's outburst, then nods in agreement at a wide-eyed Mido.
"No, I'm not!" he retorts. "Dude, that chick is crazy! She once told me that she met the actual Hero of Time!"
Pipit groans. "Those chicks are the worst-- the ones who make up stories for attention. I dated one of those girls for three weeks; her dad died twice."
"Well, let me just enlighten you boys," Malon says, leaning forward on her elbows and raising her eyebrows. "Being single is like a post-apocalyptic wasteland where it's every man for himself. You're in denial; you all want--" she motions to her table, "--one of us."
We all squint at the redhead, confused beyond belief. I'm not exactly sure how to interpret that; maybe she was flirting, or maybe she was trying to insult us.
Sheik finally breaks the silence. "Yeah."
We all turn, including Malon, to raise our eyebrows at the blonde boy.
"What's that, Sheik?" Malon asks with a flirtatious smirk.
His eyes widen. "Er, I-- Nothing. I didn't-- Just nothing."
"Smooth, bro," Mikau comments with a sharp chin lift.
Rolling his eyes, Sheik begins slurping on his bowl of pumpkin soup.
"Well, I gotta get back to the girls," Malon says, standing up and leaving with a wave.
She sits down next to a small, green-haired girl on the end. Across from greenie is a goth-looking girl with fiery orange hair, dark makeup around the eyes, and an expression that gives off a whatever-I-don't-give-a-rat's-ass vibe. And sitting next to the goth girl is none other than Zelda Harkinian.
"Link," Mikau says, "you're staring."
I turn to look at him, noticing everyone's eyebrows raised in my direction. "Oh, c'mon. Malon asked if I had a girlfriend, so--"
"--You wanna know if any of them are interested in you now that they know you're single?" Mido finishes with obvious amusement.
"…Well, yeah."
The table breaks out into a chorus of snickers.
I scoff. "Well wouldn't you?"
Darmani shrugs, then offers me a wide grin. "Good point."
I resume my observation, noticing a few short words being uttered from Malon. The girls giggle for some reason, and for a brief moment, Zelda shifts her gaze to me. Just as quickly as she meets my gaze, she averts her eyes, looking back toward a pigtailed redhead who's currently talking.
I should really learn their names. Otherwise, I'll just refer to them as "Greenie," "Goth Chick," and "Pigtails." I can't see the other few people sitting with Zelda and Malon, but I assume that they're Lulu and Ruto.
"Y'know," Pipit says, "what if Malon's right?"
"Hm?" Mido asks.
He sighs heavily. "Right now… I just feel like there's something missing in my life. I'm not sure if that's a person, a new pet… or just a burrito." He flashes us a teasing smile, then gets up to retrieve his Mexican food.
"Wooow," Darmani remarks.
Fledge grins. "Just when we thought Pipit was getting tired of the single life."
"Pshhh," Mikau interjects, "Pipit will never get tired of being single. He hasn't had a girlfriend for longer than three weeks."
"How many girlfriends has he had?" I ask.
"At least twenty-five."
"So he's a player?"
They all nod.
"Then wouldn't it be weird for them--" I point to the table of girls next to us, "--to still be friends with Pipit?"
"I think it's weird we're all still friends with Pipit," Mido replies.
I laugh. When Pipit returns, plopping down casually in the seat across from me with a simmering burrito on his plate, I say, "Hey, Pipit."
"Yeah?"
I gesture to the same table as before. "Have you dated any of them?"
He shakes his head. "No. Why? You thinkin' about going after one of them?"
I shrug. "Maybe-- Wait, no. I guess I'm asking why they're still friends with you."
"Why wouldn't they be?"
"Well, I hear you're a player. Wouldn't most girls hate you?"
"Girls love me!" he protests, drawing attention from many other students. "Link, I'm gonna teach you something: I'm awesome. Without me, it's just 'aweso'."
I roll my eyes, grinning. "Alright, Pipit."
He points his forefinger at me. "I like you, Link. You're pretty cool, but I feel that we've met for a reason."
Barely audibly, Fledge murmurs, "Uh oh."
I shoot him a questioning look before turning my attention back to Pipit.
"The goddesses brought us together, Link. They said to me, 'Hey, Pip, here's this guy, Link Gaiden. He's pretty cool, but it's your job to make him awesome!'"
"No, Pip," Sheik protests.
The rest of the group also releases a chorus of groans, and my eyes widen.
Pipit grins. "Link, I am going to bestow upon you… the infinite wisdom of Pipit Westbrook." He leans toward me on his elbows, grin widening. "Link… I'm gonna teach you how to live."
"Don't do it, Link," grunts Darmani under his breath.
I snort. "Heh, no thanks. I believe I already know how to live."
Sheik leans over to whisper in my ear, "Like that will stop him."
My eyes widen.
Well, this should be interesting.
"Whoa," I murmur as I walk into my biology classroom.
"What?" Pipit, who stands next to Darmani, asks.
"I've met that guy before," I explain, pointing at the teacher, Rupin Masca. He's got neat, red hair and a huge smile that chills me to the bone. He wears a purple robe that drags on the floor, and he rubs his hands together as he chats with a familiar goth student. I recognize this teacher, yet I cannot remember why.
Mr. Masca turns his head to me, and his smile drops in a flash. "If it isn't Mr. Gaiden."
His voice reminds me who he is. This is the creepy guy who I thought was a drug dealer, the guy who called himself the "Happy Mask Salesman," the guy who wanted to sell me a mask the night my uncle was killed.
I squint. "You're a teacher?"
Rupin scoffs. "Last time I checked, yes, I am."
I already don't like this guy. "But I thought you were a drug--" I cut myself off, remembering that it wouldn't be too appropriate to accuse a teacher of selling drugs. "I thought you sold masks."
"That as well, boy."
When I start to wonder why he's treating me in this manner, I remember that our last meeting didn't go too great. I had yelled in his face for him to leave my presence; granted, he did scare the hell out of me.
"Sit down, Mr. Gaiden," he orders grumpily.
"Bell hasn't rung," I say with an innocent shrug, then return to my friends. I sense his fury-filled eyes on my back as we make our way to the back table, where I observe the students who walk in.
A petite girl taps me on the shoulder. "Hello? Are you the new boy that everyone happens to be talking about?"
I turn to face her. She looks to be nine years old, but apparently not, since she's in a high school. Maybe a freshman? In that case, I can't associate with her-- freshmen are to be avoided like the plague. At least, that's what I'm told. "Uh, yeah. I'm Link."
"Hello, Link," she says, nodding in greeting, blonde pigtails bobbing. "I am Agitha."
"Hey, Agitha. Guess I'll be setting you around, huh?"
Agitha giggles like a schoolgirl, then nods and takes her leave.
"Been dealing with that all day?"
I turn to Pipit. "Not really. Just from you guys."
"New kids have it easy," Darmani snickers. "All the girls drool over them just because they are from somewhere different."
That isn't the case for me, though.
"No," I say. "Everyone but you guys and that Agitha girl is avoiding me because they know I'm not of their social class."
"Naw," Darmani responds, "that's not it."
"How would they know that, anyway?" questions Pipit.
I raise my eyebrows at him; the answer to that question was rather tacit. I've been on the news, and they've stated where I'm from. I'm from Ordonia. The redneck town. The slums. The ghetto.
I'm poor. I'm not like these rich kids, and they know it. That's why people like Groose are after me-- aside from the fact that I beat him up, of course.
"Oh," he says, an invisible light bulb appearing over his head.
Two boys made their way over to our table. "Hey," says one. "You Link?"
Oh, great. Probably some of Groose's cronies looking for trouble. I study him, the one who spoke to me: he is tanned, muscular, and wears a purple "Baltimore Ravens" tee. His hair is dark, spiked up at the front, and his eyes are a stormy gray.
The next one looks to be Italian, with lightly-tanned skin and slick brown hair. He wears dark jeans and a white V-neck with a pair of sunglasses poking out of the collar.
"Yep."
Instead of giving me trouble, the first guy outstretches his hand, which I take. "I'm Arian. Arian Tate."
"Leo Grafanello," adds the Italian looking guy.
Arian notices the other guys at our table. "Oh, hey, Pip! Hey, Darmani!"
They turn around from Pipit's conversation with an attractive freshman (yeah, he's definitely a player), then break out into wide grins. "Arian! Leo!"
"You're in this class now?" Darmani questions.
"Yep," says Leo. "Talked to the counselor, got our schedules switched right up."
"Nice!"
"Now you can sit with us!"
I remain quiet, allowing the friends to reminisce. My eyes wander to the doorway, where I see the familiar bright red hair of Malon, chatting away with Zelda at her side.
Another class with Zelda. This could go well.
"Mr. Gaiden, please come here," calls Mr. Masca from the front of the room. I obey, making my way over to the insane teacher.
The bell rings, and the students in the classroom take their seats. I reach Mr. Masca, who stares blankly at me.
"What," I spit monotonously. The class is silent, observing us.
"You're late, Mr. Gaiden."
"Late?"
"You're not in your seat."
"Because you called me over here!"
"I did no such thing."
"Bull--!" I exclaim, intentionally cutting off the other end of the word. The class giggles at my outburst. "I'm in the classroom, anyway!"
"You must be in your seat. School rules. I'm marking you late, Mr. Gaiden."
"Din," I mutter as I turn to head back to my seat. "You're on drugs."
"Mr. Gaiden, I would shut your mouth if I were you." The class bursts out laughing. Mr. Masca barks, "Shut up, class!"
Silence.
"Now," he begins, "everyone find a partner for the assignment."
Agitha timidly raises her hand. "Um, Mr. Masca, what is the assignment?"
"I'll assign it later," he snaps. "For now, just do what I told you."
The class mumbles as everyone tries to figure out who to be paired with. The geniuses, such as Agitha (I'm assuming), partner with similar geniuses. Darmani and Pipit immediately join forces, as do Arian and Leo, and also Malon and the goth girl. I frantically search for a partner, but everyone I would even consider working with is taken.
"Hey," Darmani says, poking me on the shoulder. I turn to look at him, and he points behind me.
I look backward, seeing the goth girl and Malon pouring out multiple apologies to their friend, who, like me, was left out in the cold. "I'm sorry, Zelda," says Malon, "but I owe Midna one. She did my math homework for me last night."
Zelda scoffs. "Didn't you get a D on that assignment?"
"That doesn't matter," says the other girl, who is apparently named Midna. "D's are better than F's, aren't they?"
"Ugh," Zelda groans, "then who am I gonna be with?"
And to my complete joy-- or is it fear?-- her eyes meet mine. She offers me a small smile, and after a brief moment of shock I return the gesture. Gathering my courage, I hop up from the uncomfortable lab stool, making my way over to her. "Hey," I say.
"Hi," she responds, her smile widening a bit.
"Your friends left you out, too?" I tease, earning audible protests from Midna and Malon.
"That's not what happened!" exclaims Malon.
"I'm not sure I like you, kid," Midna comments.
"So, Zelda…"
She raises her eyebrows.
"…Would you like to be my partner?"
What a weak way to progress a relationship. But hey, I'll take what I can get.
"Sure," she says with a grin. "I'd love to."
"Hey! Link, who said you could stand up?" Mr. Masca barks.
"Who said you could teach?" I retort.
The class releases a chorus of chuckles, including those from Pipit, Darmani, Zelda, and Malon; Midna even offers me a slight smirk. "You know," she says, "I do like you, kid."
Comp. Skills is located in the computer lab on the first floor, and it is taught by Ezlo Minish. I hear he's kind of a cranky old geezer-- the type of teacher I probably won't get along with. As already established, I do not get along with Mr. Masca, so this next class should be interesting.
I walk with Pipit, since we have the class together. "So… Zelda," he states abruptly. "Is that gonna be a thing?"
"No," I say almost too quickly.
"Why? Something wrong with her?"
I sigh. "Nothing's wrong with her. It's just… I'm not sure I want a girlfriend."
His eyes brighten with excitement. "Great, my lessons are gettin' to ya! Long-term can wait; for now, be like me and--"
"No, that's not what I mean," I interrupt. Of course, I mean that I don't want to get attached to anyone. The goddesses are pretty much against me at the moment, ripping everything I hold dear away from me. It happened before; it'll happen again.
The whole incident has deprived me of my optimism.
"Oh," Pipit says, "okay." I don't think he knows why, but I assume he's just trying to drop the matter.
"So…" I change the subject. "Mr. Minish. He any good?"
"The absolute worse."
"Yeah? Just how bad is he?"
Pipit groans quietly. "I can't even describe it. It'd be like trying to describe a rainbow to a blind man."
"Great. Two awful teachers in a row."
"Get used to it, man. We've got another nine months or so before summer."
"Then… freedom."
"For less than three months."
"Dammit."
Mr. Minish's class is the fourth and final class I have with Zelda, I notice. She sits at a table of four computers with Malon, Midna, and the pigtailed girl.
I realize that I should probably know her name by now, so I tap Pipit's shoulder. "Who's the girl sitting next to Malon?"
"Karane," he responds almost immediately, eyes lingering on the group of four.
"Dude, don't go hit on them," I warn. "If you do, then they'll hate me for hanging out with you."
"Oh, Link. Always thinking about yourself." He grins. "Besides, I hit on them all the time. It's just who I am. They don't mind. They find it flattering."
Skeptically, I raise my eyebrows, then repeat, "Flattering."
Pipit finally meets my eyes after staring at the group of four. "Yeah. Every girl likes to get hit on. It's a known fact. And even if I get shot down, it boosts their confidence."
"Wow," I say. "That's actually really nice of you--"
"But day-umn, ain't Karane hot?" He resumes his ogling toward the girl.
I roll my eyes. "Never mind."
Pipit motions for me to follow his lead, and he strides confidently over to the table next to the girls'. "Well, hel-lo," he greets seductively, stretching out the word. "Lookin' beautiful as always, ladies."
I notice his eyes lingering a little on Karane; perhaps she's the new object of his affection.
Karane rolls her eyes, but I can detect a playful smirk on her lips.
"Hey, Pipit," the girls respond.
"Karane," says Pipit, "you've met Link, right?"
Her eyes shift to me, and I notice them widen a bit. A faint blush creeps up to her cheeks, and she smiles. "N-no, I haven't. It's nice to meet you, Link. I'm Karane."
"The pleasure is mine," I respond respectfully, stealing a glance at Zelda. The blonde meets my gaze, intrigued, and also smiles.
Midna just leans back in her chair, arms crossed behind her head. "Enough with the formalities, guys," she groans. "I'm as bored as a fat kid with a plate of carrots."
"So Zel," Pipit begins, effectively ignoring the goth girl's comment, "most of the gang is coming to the lounge tonight. You wanna come, too?"
"Sure," she says. "What time?"
"'Bout seven or so." He then remembers me. "You can come along, too, Link. The lounge is built off the boys' dorm building. Sheik will show you the way."
"Alright, sounds good."
I'll be able to join them after unpacking my stuff in my new dorm--
"Oh," I say, "I forgot to thank you, Malon, for taking my bags up to my dorm."
She smiles widely. "Don't worry about it, Link."
The bell rings moments later, and Pipit and I take our seats next to Zelda's table of friends.
The teacher walks in; he's a stout, pent-up old geezer in a wrinkly green suit with a permanent frown set below a creased forehead. His gray, emotionless eyes dart back and forth between the students, twitching sporadically. In a high pitched, bird-like voice, he orders, "Quiet!"
The class reluctantly obeys.
"Now. My class list says we have a new student, but frankly I do not care, so let us continue with yesterday's lesson."
"I appreciate the warm welcome," I chime. Pipit snickers, but Mr. Minish doesn't seem very amused.
"Quiet, you!" he barks.
So you're gonna treat me like shit? Bad move, Mr. Minish. This means war.
"Everyone, open your code projects. Keep designing… whatever you want. Just be sure it's school appropriate."
I absently stare at the monitor in front of me, unable to get started. I already hate this teacher. He's everything people have described him to be.
Pipit leans over and whispers, "Hey. Click on the 'Macintosh HD' button."
"Why?"
"So you can start a project."
I squint. "On this?" I ask, motioning to the monitor.
"…Yeah," he replies with a slow nod of the head.
I stare blankly at the screen and the background photo of the spiraling purple galaxy. "Uh…"
"What's wrong, Link?"
I shrug. "…I've never used a computer before."
His eyes widen. "You kiddin'?"
I shake my head. "I own a smartphone, but not a computer."
"Dude, it's simple. Watch me." He places his hand on the mouse, drags it over across the table, while at the same time the cursor on the screen moves. Intrigued, I gaze at the screen as he clicks on the aforementioned button. "Now you try."
I mimic the action, opening up a window on the screen. It's actually pretty easy, I realize.
"Now, click on 'Coding Software'--"
"Pipit, stop talking." Mr. Minish glares at the boy.
He rolls his eyes. "I'm helping the new kid, aight?"
"I do not care," replies the teacher forcefully. "Shut your mouth and do the assignment. That goes for you too, new kid."
"Lay off of him," I pipe up. "Pipit is doing your job for you, anyway."
"Boy--"
"It's Link, for the record," I spit.
Mr. Minish stands up from his chair abruptly-- an act that likely caused his old, rickety bones to pop. "Look, Link. You cannot act all high and mighty just because you're the new kid in school. You do not belong here. You are poor, from the slums, and you do not deserve to be a part of this honored academy. I do not care if your uncle was killed."
Silence.
I stand up, clenching my fists and teeth, unwavering gaze fixated on the man before me. I remain standing there, fury threatening to overwhelm my judgement, for a brief moment. Then I turn and exit the classroom, everyone's eyes lingering on my back.
The door slams loudly behind me as I stomp through the hall. Suddenly power is surging to my right hand, craving release, and I throw a punch straight at the wall. It cracks and implodes, revealing a gaping hole.
I rest my head against the wall, sealing my eyes shut and refusing to let the tears fall.
"Link?"
I turn and fixate my eyes on the man standing near the main entrance, and I immediately recognize him as Officer Shad from CTPD.
He gazes at me, concerned, shocked. "…The headmaster said I'd find you in the computer lab."
Shad clears his throat. "I've, uh, been looking for you. There's more information about your uncle's murderer that we think you should know."