The last couple of days were characteristically tranquil and lonesome for Richard. He didn't mind loneliness and, on the contrary, he would often seek it when things when south in social endeavors or something was bothering him. Sometimes, Richard caught himself wondering whether he was too introverted for his own good and, if yes, why. He did spent a significant amount of his early childhood playing with other children, but there also were occasions he had to spend a lot of time alone, increasing in magnitude as he grew older. Perhaps such circumstances were the cause for him being shaped into a pseudo-introverted being; for there were times he craved for social interactions, regardless of the fact that he refrained from acting on the need. Sometimes he wished he could handle social situations more comfortably, and bitterly speculated that if he hadn't spent so much time alone when growing up, he would be in a better position in that regard at the present.

With such thoughts occupying his mind, he repeatedly made sure he had locked the door to his uncle's house properly and proceeded to put the keys in his left pocket, praying to gods known and unknown he wouldn't lose them no matter what. He began daydreaming what school would be like. Would he make any friends? How are the professors going to be? Austere? Lax? Would they inspire him, or push him further away from the particular subject? He decided that, no matter what, he'd have to make an honest effort on both fronts. In the past, his parents never bothered him about his grades or anything, a fact he enjoyed and disliked almost equally, and which sometimes even avoided acknowledging even to himself. Richard assumed that partly was because his grades had always been good enough, although he never bothered to brainstorm the other reasons. That's how he had grown up and that's what he considered to be normal. He didn't like being asked stuff; it was better and easier that way.

He breathed in heavily, appreciating the fresh air of this pleasant morning as he descended a narrow streetway to come into view with a breathtaking avenue, characterized by a magnificent bridge for pedestrians that expanded over its busy roads. He scaled the stairs in a slow pace, much like a tourist, and stood at the center of the enormous bridge to take in the view. The sun soon started rising, blinding him and giving him an incentive to cross the bridge fully and reach other side. Once there, he began ascending yet another narrow streetway that led to a slightly more underpopulated and forested region of the city. After 10 minutes of hiking, he started hearing birds chirp and, not far too far ahead, people around his age with backpacks going up the hill in comparably in pace slower than his own.

Richard had been instructed in detail by uncle Leonard how to reach Jack London High School. The celebrated institution was somewhere within the enormous John Muir park, hidden by vast vegetation. In turn, the park itself was adjacent to a long, circular road that enveloped the park's periphery and that connected it to the prestigious high-class suburbs located nearby. Richard wasn't sure if he liked the idea of enrolling in an institute where over half of the students could afford everything he ever owned with their pocket money. His uncle however, had assured him that this wouldn't be the case; plenty of students from all social classes attended the school. As Richard processed all these thoughts, the scenery in front of him started changing, so that almost no buildings could be seen in the horizon. He had reached what should have been John Muir park, its entrance filled with parked cars and amounts of people Richard assumed were students. He crossed the road in a stroll, approaching two girls that appeared to be engaged in a casual conversation with each other. Although he stood before them with the intent to interrupt their conversation and receive directions, he was reluctant to do so; the exchange of sentences was very rapid and gave Richard no room to butt in unobstructed.

"I'm totally gonna try it when it begins raining again! said the girl on Richard's right.

"It overall sounds very lame, actually…" countered the girl on his left.

"Aren't you interested to find out who your soulmate is?" at this point Richard had started wondering what those two were even referring to.

"Not really. I can have almost anyone I want."

Richard figured that, if he didn't interrupt soon, he was probably going to be sick.

"Is this the John Muir park?" he finally asked as politely as possible.

Catching their attention, both girls turned to face the inquiring boy. As that happened, Richard took a better look of the girl on his left. She had long, black hair that flattered her energetic eyes, both features placed on a beautifully symmetrical face that looked like it almost belonged to a strong-willed, mature woman. Her body, dressed in purple was by all means eye-catching and well-proportioned, with Richard's gaze travelling along its curves in a discreet-as-possible fashion.

"Come again?"

She addressed Richard with palpable nerve, right eyebrow raised. It took Richard a couple of seconds to focus at the task at hand.

"I'm looking for the John Mu-", was all Richard could say before he was rudely interrupted:

"Yeah, this is it." She huffed in boredom, making Richard wish he was somewhere else at the moment. Still, he had come here for a very specific goal in mind and gathered the courage to put a stop at the awkward silence.

"S-so is the Jack London High School here or…?" said Richard.

She turned her head towards a large path deeper in the park, and gestured to it, her hair following through like velvet.

"Just follow the main path," she said with disinterest, "now if you'll excuse us…"

Richard watched solemnly as the girl grabbed her friend and walked a few meters away, her hair swaying intoxicatingly with every step. If most people here were anything like this girl, no matter how attractive, Richard was sure he'd have no reason to be particularly optimistic about getting along with people here. He took the paved path that led deeper within John Muir park, his feet kicking up dirt as he speculated all sorts of things about what sort of people he'd meet. Richard was enchanted as he got deeper into the park; the gigantic trees proliferated greatly, obscuring the majority of the morning sky and creating an atmosphere akin to a mystical fairy-tale. The ensemble was spoiled only by the occasional jogger. How these people were able to wake up when they had no obligation to and, to top it off, start exercising was well beyond him.

When Richard arrived, he could easily tell. The esteemed institute was right after a sharp corner, surprising him with its massive size and amount of people going through the gate. As per Richard's expectations, the arc above it read: Jack London High School. All of his doubts subsided immediately. The institute truly looked like a cradle of ideas, knowledge and all things academic. He walked towards the gate with a carefree stride and renewed confidence, a central noticeboard catching his attention. The boy found a dozen of students gazing at the noticeboard while exchanging quick comments. Richard joined them eagerly and after looked thoughtfully at the noticeboard for a couple of seconds. A large notice at the center of the board was by far the most remarkable. After Richard gave it a short skim, he came to the conclusion that it concerned the categorization of students by class for just this week. Other less prevalent notices included a school map as well as club and event posters from last year.

"Weird they're so disorganized this school year…" commented a boy.

"I heard they had more applicants this year than they anticipated. Maybe that's why…?" added a tall student with long hair in front of Richard to the speculation.

Richard took a better look at the notice. It explained that students would be categorized in alphabetical order. Thus, Richard came to the conclusion he'd have to go to class D2. It was then when the school speakers howled with activity, taking Richard completely by surprise.

"Wha…!?" was all Richard could voice in irritation and confusion.

"Attention," said the voice via the speaker, "all students are requested to move towards their designated classrooms. For surnames beginning with A to D, visit classrooms 1. For sur…"

Richard saw activity in the school's yard suddenly peak. Students started removing themselves from whatever hang-out spot in the yard they occupied and began approaching the building. The students in front of the noticeboard had already left; Richard gave the school map a quick glance before joining them.

…

Richard was sitting at a school desk far in the back, a rather restrained boy with a red cap hiding its forehead sitting to his right. Richard paid no mind to the other boy and appreciated the fact that the boy was a quite polite fellow even if practically mute. Richard had attempted to strike a conversation a couple of times in order to calm himself in the sensory blur of the classroom, but eventually settled on just observing his classmates. When that was no longer interesting, he obtained his notebook from his backpack and began doodling whenever his boredom would peak. Things finally became interesting again when a middle-aged man with dark, olive skin entered the classroom, wearing a white shirt and brown pants. The chatter immediately ceased as the students shifted their attention onto their senior. The man stood proudly in front of the blackboard, hands behind his back, and looked briefly at each student, all the while wearing an undecipherable smile.

"Greetings, I am Mr. Light…" he announced in a strong, theatrical voice, "To those that know me from last year, welcome back. To all those that transferred this year, a warm welcome to you as well. I hope that the time you spend here will be productive, but admittedly that will largely depend on how you, as students, manage your time and resource allocation…" Mr. Light paused momentarily to shoot the entirety of his audience a stern, analytical look before continuing, "you can rest assured that, if you give the curriculum the priority it deserves, I'll be your best friend and partner in regards to your quest for knowledge."

Richard, having heard his fair share of horrible metaphors for knowledge, appreciated the fact that Mr. Light made a reasonable, thrift use. As for him and Mr. Light becoming partners and best friends, Richard would have make up his mind on whether he'd embark the quest for knowledge first.

"I'd also like to inform you I will be to your physics professor." continued Mr. Light, "My major was in optics but I'm sure my knowledge will be adequate for your needs in collisions, among other sectors of physics. However, before we begin, I'd like to give you a world of advice…"

Richard saw Mr. Light's expression change, if only briefly. From a typically condescending pout, it turned into a thoughtful grimace made the professor momentarily look far older.

"Attending this institution of learning is an amazing opportunity in of itself. I have been here for a lot of years and let me tell you something youngsters…! I've seen countless students step into this school with a careless attitude almost to the point where it is insulting. Of course, you are teenagers and are carefree by nature; that I understand. However, this doesn't negate the fact that indulging in your carefree nature you are very much likely to mistreat this wonderful opportunity you have been given. In here, but also nearly anywhere else you have to set goals if you want to succeed. If you have come this far without doing so that is fine, but I hope that by the time you leave this place you have learned the importance of setting goals and how to do so. I do not deny the existence of talent, and I'm sure that some of you have a noteworthy degree of it in academics, but that alone will not be enough, my friends. Not now, not in your future workplace where your employer will expect a minimum of work from you and not ever. Ok, now on with the lesson…"

As Mr. Light started writing on the blackboard, Richard was glad he had brought a notebook.

…

Richard picked up his backpack and followed the river of people to the cafeteria.

Richard entered the cafeteria absent-mindedly, his thoughts revolving around Mr. Light's speech. As he walked towards the stacked trays, the blur of voices and kitchenware being used drilled into his mind forcefully, dislocating any concerns about goals and collisions. When Richard was in the appropriate mood, he enjoyed crowds; their numbers served as props, part of the atmosphere or the background. He picked up his tray and as he was served, his eyes would travel all from table to table, browsing aimlessly. He quickly realized he'd have to find somewhere to sit soon, so he awkwardly carried his packed tray towards the center of the cafeteria, searching for unoccupied seats. Thankfully, his eyes fell onto a familiar face after a short stroll. It was the boy that was sitting next to him in class.

The boy was dining with three other students; two girls and another boy. Richard observed that the boy was, much like in the classroom, contributing next to nothing to the ongoing conversation at that table; he was mostly eating his food and providing a answer when asked. Richard stood there for a couple of seconds, weighing his options, finally deciding to just ask if he could sit along and not be coward about it. He approached with short steps, hoping to discreetly get their attention and appear as normal as possible. One he got the attention of the goth girl at the table by being in close proximity, he asked:

"Hey guys, mind if I sit here?"

The girl blinked numerous times, her face lighting up suddenly after a couple of seconds.

"Uh, sure! Go ahead!"

She was soon joined by the girl next to her, who urged Richard to sit with them. He placed his tray in front of his future seat next to silent classmate with the red cap and, once seated, introduced himself.

"Hey guys, I'm Richard. W-what's up?"

"Hey there!" replied the goth girl eagerly, "I'm Argent!"

"Karen here!" said the girl next to Argent, "And those two in front of me are Roy and Tramaine." It appeared the boy with the red cap was Tramaine. Roy, on the other hand, was a confident looking blond guy.

In contrast to Tramaine who gave a minimal, acknowledging nod, Roy seemingly ignored Richard.

"Karen, I have a mouth of my own you know…" he protested, occupied with a large chunk of food between his teeth.

"Uhhh Roy… first off, that's disgusting! Secondly, you aren't exactly known for your manners…"

Roy gulped audibly, probably indicating that was finally done with that large bite of his, and assumed a clearly fake, carefree expression.

"As far as I'm concerned Karen, my manners are none of your business." He tried to conceal his smirk by taking a sip from his glass of water.

"Nah-uh!" she objected, "they are when we're at the same table!"

Roy took yet another bite , taking the time to savor the taste.

"Karen," he began, "no-one's forcing you to sit here with me. In fact, I think I just saw a seat be emptied in the back…"

"What!? Why should I leave? You leave!" Said Karen, putting her hands down with a loud thud. Argent discreetly urged Karen to keep it down, although Tramaine was simply unfazed, seeing as he almost done with his own meal.

"Well," began Roy all too smugly, "you're the one who seems to have a problem, so…"

"No Roy," Karen raised her voice dangerously, "the problem is yours and it's called being an assho-"

Argent immediately seized the moment and skillfully changed the topic, nudging Karen and getting an irritated look in the process.

"So Richard," she said, "I haven't seen you around here before. You're new here, right?"

Richard was pleasantly surprised when group's attention was shifted on him. He wasn't the sort of person to enjoy being the center of attention, and made consistent efforts to reveal only what was necessary about himself. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but appreciate being asked, even if it was a product of simple curiosity.

"Yeah, I-ah, I moved here pretty recently actually…"

"How recently?" asked Roy with a raised eyebrow.

"Less than a week ago…" he paused, and then, out of sudden inspiration, decided to get the ball rolling, "What about you guys? Did you attend here last year…?"

"I didn't." replied Tramaine, speaking for the first time ever since Richard joined the table. The tray in front of him was empty, with the dishes carefully stacked upon one other. He looked over to Richard with a faint smile. "I suppose not being the only new guy is good."

"Definetely!" beamed Richard, the rest of them looking surprised at Tramaine taking the initiative to speak on his own.

"Coming through!"

The students at the table turned towards the source of the high-pitched squeak and saw a lanky, brown-haired boy struggling to keep his tray firmly in his grasp. Despite his valiant efforts however, he fell slightly out of balance, dropping the tray onto the table. The dishes clashed loudly, some of their contents migrating to the rest of the table, as well as outside of it. Fortunately however, the tray stood in place, adjacent to Richard's, with him and Karen having some red sauce on their clothes.

"Uh, hi y'all!" the boy grinned sheepishly.

"I'm Garfield!" he continued, in an effort to dissolve the suffocating awkwardness.

Richard examined his stained shirt in absolute silence. It was going to be a long day, wasn't it?