Song Listened To - One Of The Family, Big Hero 6 soundtrack

*Chapter 71*

With a nervous sigh and eyes that scanned her surroundings like a hawk, Tessa patiently waited outside the tall, looming, closed door of one of the office assistant's office. She twiddled her thumbs and, though it was a distraction she didn't really want to delve into, she let her eyes finally lure her to look over her shoulder. All along the hallway, she was sat in, one side was lined with office doors, while the other was lined with floor to ceiling windows. On the third story of Academy, where most of Academy's staff and representatives remained, they had a beautiful view of Academy's courtyard. The 'U' shaped building, which hugged the massive, sprawling courtyard, shadowed a good half of it from the morning sun. Green grass, billowy trees, and crisp, cold cobbles pricked the courtyard with still, gentle life. A good handful of students hung around, studying, chatting, and waiting for the first bell of the day, which was likely to ring in a half an hour, along with the Arcade opening.

Tessa sighed and let her eyes finally scan the other side of the old, beautiful stone building of Academy, across the way. She knew the main building was massive, though she also knew Academy had other buildings in the game. She hoped, with her new coding class, she would get a better, in-depth look at everything Academy life. How the game worked, how the buildings were set up, and if even there was a core. She knew it wasn't plugged into Litwak's, though with simply being a part of Game Central Station, she had to wonder just what made this place tick. As she got lost in thought, her eyes scanned the clean, blue sky and massive, white fluffy clouds which illuminated gentle pastels from the creeping, summer morning sun. She felt her heart suddenly dip back to the planet as she heard an office door creak open. She widened her eyes and softly turned back around, to face the long wall lined with office doors, all of which were quietly closed. The stillness of the hall was almost comforting.

"Well, well," crackled a familiar voice as he lightly stepped out of his office and graced Tessa's gentle presence, "Ms. Queen-to-be."

Tessa fixated her eyes on the figure before her. She furrowed her eyebrows in sudden, whirring confusion as her presence came face to face with none other than Mr. Kuramu, of Starkrem. She lightly gaped and, in stunned stillness, she shook her head and exhaled a small scoff of disbelief. She wrinkled her fingers in dewy confusion, which caused Zed's hoodie to lightly tuck farther over her knuckles.

"... Mr. Kuramu," Tessa exhaled with a widening smile; he gestured his fragile, old arms out a little and shook his head in mild disbelief, though he looked down for a second with a grin of his own.

"Y'caught me," He chuckled as Tessa eagerly stood and took a few steps closer to him.

"What in Arcade are you doing here?" Tessa beamed and let her shoulders relax, as if seeing a familiar face, in this sticky situation, was enough of a relief, "...What happened to your coffee shop, Mr. K?"

"Ah, Tess," Mr. Kuramu sighed as he smiled into her warm eyes. He wrinkled his sharp, crusted exterior and glanced to the ground in mild disappointment, "I-I hate to say this, but... I had to close'er down."

"What?" Tessa hissed with a hard frown, "Why? I-I... Mom loved that coffee shop."

"I know," He sighed as his gentle green eyes finally pierced hers, "I was given an offer too good t'pass up... I've always wanted to do good, here at Game Central Academy."

"Really? But... I thought you loved that coffee shop," Tessa worried as she tucked her arms and hands lightly to her chest, as if she wanted to bombard his comfortable presence with hers, though she knew she should respect the space.

"Ah, I'did," Mr. Kuramu smiled through a grumbling sigh and a hopeful gaze, "I'll get'er back one day. I'm just happy I can finally relax and do the technical stuff my brain has been itchin'fer. Any dummy can make coffee, y'know."

"As long as your happy, Mr. K," Tessa said gently. She opened her mouth to continue, though he lightly nudged her arm.

"I got your schedule request," Mr. Kuramu said with a gentle wink, though he lightly motioned for Tessa to join him in his office, "I'dunno why they had you in such a juvenile class, to begin with. You're the next Queen o'Suger'Rush."

"Yeah," Tessa smiled as she lightly sat down on the opposite side of his large desk; it was much more sophisticated than his small coffee shop, in which he dwelled prior, "I had a straight A in the class since day one."

"I can see that," He grumbled with a smile as he slowly sat down, with tired muscles, and situated himself, "Lots'o students beg and beg to be traded out of the class, you had. Guess the teacher's no good, 'er somethin'."

"She humiliated me in front of the whole class," Tessa muttered as she looked down and furrowed her eyebrows, "I didn't do anything to deserve it, really."

"Nah, she's a bag o'piss," Mr. Kuramu spat with a cackle and a satisfied beam of a toothy smile, "Unhappy lady, she'is. With your smarts on th'code room, I would say you'd be much happier placed'n AP Circuit Structure, hmm? Pretty fancy, a first year in a fifth year class. I think you'll do well, there."

"Fifth year?" Tessa's eyes bulged lightly, "I-I... Are you sure?"

"If you're anythin'like yer mother, dear," Mr. Kuramu lightly let his papers slump to his desk, he peered over them with a hard, knowing twinkle, of the utmost kindness, in his eye. He heaved a small laugh and shook his head, "Y'could run circles round'them fifth years. It's exactly where you should be."

"If you think so," Tessa said bashfully as she tucked some hair behind her ear.

"I normally dun'do this kind of thing for first years, o-or any students fer'that matter, but," Mr. Kuramu lightly smiled at Tessa, before he began to write few things down on a new schedule for Tessa, "I know you. Y'go in there and knock the pants off of 'em. I know you'll do great."

"Thanks, Mr. K," Tessa smiled as she tenderly took the brand new schedule from her long time friend. She beamed a soft smile into his eyes and squinted, as if to express endearing affection, "... Mom doesn't know your coffee shop got bought out, does she."

"She knows... She's helped me quite a bit," He heaved through a crusty sigh as he looked down to his desk, "m'sure she's busy... I closed my coffee shop a few weeks ago."

"W-We've been busy... Sort of have added another head to the castle," Tessa said bashfully, though Mr. Kuramu side eyed her with a wide smile.

"Ah, sees you gotchyer self a Prince, I see?" He beamed with joy, his demeanor was ageless.

"Zed, from Dead Zed," Tessa nodded softly and bashfully looked down, though he gave her a look of surprise.

"Musta taken some true force to pry that there hermit from his cave, there!" He exclaimed softly, "What'dyah do, bribe the poor boy?"

"No, Mr. Kuramu," Tessa heaved a soft giggle and shook her head, "We were good friends, for awhile. Sort of just grew into something more."

"As long as yer happy, m'dear... That's all that matters to me," Mr. Kuramu chuckled and gave Tessa an honest, kind smile.

Tessa tucked her hair behind her ear again, in a bashful manner and smiled down to her schedule. She opened her mouth, to express the utmost of gratitude, though she squinted and aimlessly peered down to her schedule. She lightly put her palm over it and looked back into Mr. Kuramu's eyes, in question.

"... I'll get your coffee shop back for you, Mr. K," Tessa said softly; he lightly looked at her curiously, though she pressed on, "I know you loved that ol' hole in the wall."

"Ahh Tess, my'girl," He chuckled and gave her the sweetest look of appreciation, "I did, I did... But, it's okay... It was rough, to let go of it, but... Sometimes, you have to let go o'whatcha think is good for yer. I was at that coffee shop for as'long as Suger'Rush's been plugged in. It was difficult, but m'happy for this change."

"You sure?" Tessa worried, "I know, once mom catches wind, she will be up in arms."

"I view you guys as my second family," He smiled and looked down to the paperwork on his desk, "Dun'worry about lil ol me. I'll be just fine. Stop by my office, from time teh time. That will put a smile on my'face."

"... Thanks for everything, Mr. K," Tessa said with a humble smile and a small nod as she gently stood and hugged her schedule close to her, "I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"Y'show 'em what for," Mr. Kuramu waved his clawed hand lightly and motioned for her to claim Academy, "Y'know I'm always a'rootin' for yahs."

"You're the best," Tessa said as she softly head towards the door of his office, she lightly stopped and peered back in with a kind smile and was delightfully surprised to see his eye contact held, "I'm glad you're here, Mr. K... Makes Academy less daunting."

"Y'know where my office is, my'girl," He smiled lovingly, "Anythin' you need. All y'have to do is ask."

With a gentle wave and a string of eye contact that was coated in tender understanding, Tessa softly pulled away from his office and let her eyes wander to her right, to the courtyard below her. She heaved a soft sigh and wondered just how that situation had to be real. She knew Mr. Kuramu relied on Vanellope to keep Sugar Rush going, though Tessa wrinkled her nose at the irony that now Mr. K was in charge of Sugar Rush's core-to-be, at school. She knew, somehow, the tables would turn eventually, though the camaraderie she was suddenly sat in made her heart sing. She furrowed her eyebrows in a gentle, daring prick that hit her skin and wondered just how many other classes she could squeeze her way into.

"C'mon, sweet girl, you're gunna dirty your coat," Zed grumbled as him and Lickity slowly moseyed towards Dead Zed's exit.

He knew Academy was likely letting out; he was eager to meet up with Tessa. He gently nudged his knuckles into Lickity's shoulder and beamed a curious smile, she eagerly sniffed at the ground and seemed as if she couldn't get enough of the sweet, humid scents Dead Zed's summer, jungle trees emit.

"We're supposed to impress Tessa, I just cleaned you!" Zed exhaled a hard laugh and lightly grappled Lickity's jaw as she began to lap at some loose dirt, in which spewed all over the top of her head. He groaned a loud noise and began to swipe the dirt off of her head. Zed heaved a hard sigh and took a handful of steps away from her, as she began to largely flap her head back and forth, to free herself of the sudden debris on her pelt, "Bahhh it's useless."

Lickity garbled an excited noise and lightly trot to keep up with Zed, her wings only lightly sprawled as she bound up to him, though in the midst of her shallow gallop, she straightened her playful posture and let her large, bat like ears perk atop her head. She chuffed a hard noise of inquisition as her bantering demeanor immediately switched to that of poised, sophisticated eagerness. As her and Zed lightly strolled up the path, in which lead to Dead Zed's exit, three Academy girls slowly made their way into the game. They hung on the other side of the wide path and kindly chattered with themselves. Zed briefly scanned them, from afar, and quickly realized it wasn't Penny, Tessa, Tammy or Emery. He lightly looked back to Lickity and motioned for her to stay close, so not to startle any other people, who could be caught unawares.

As the two groups gently passed, Zed only briefly glanced, though he kept his eyes and focus trained not only on Dead Zed's approaching exit, but on Lickity's behavior, in hopes of her remaining calm. As the two groups passed, from a dozen feet apart, he furrowed his eyebrows lightly and could hear their chatter go from girly banter to nervous whispering. Zed lightly looked back to Lickity, though he suddenly realized that a lot of the citizens in his game hardly ever saw Zed hanging around. He heaved a gentle sigh and figured coming out with his secret came with the opportunity to show just who he really was. Lickity lightly exhaled a small, purr of a garble, in a curious way, though Zed's skin nearly came unglued as a familiar voice popped his thought bubble.

"...Zane?" said the curious, nervous voice from across the way.

Zed furrowed his eyebrows harshly in a whir of massive confusion as he quickly looked over his shoulder. He felt his heart dip in an almost unwanted dread, as to just who was stopped a dozen or so feet away from him. He stopped dead in his tracks and could swear he could sense Lickity's protective demeanor begin to unfold. He raised his eyebrows from his near-permanent glare and gave the brunette, from across the way, the most curious look he could muster.

"Jeska," Zed eased nervously; he could swear his heart suddenly climbed up his throat and began to harshly throb, in a fit of needy, rushing desire to turn heel and run from this awkward situation.

He beamed a small, obliged smile and delicately waved, though his heart sank as he noticed Jeska wave her two friends off and begin to step over to him, as if she had eons of catching up she wanted to do with him. He swallowed nervously and prayed that somehow Lickity would keep her cool through this mess.