[November 2015]
"John!" William shouted, kicking the door open to his son's room. "Wake your angsty ass up!"
"Aghfumafucker!" John muttered, having been ripped away from a good sleep. "What the hell, Dad...it's too early for this shit." He said as he rubbed his eyes.
"It's literally 2:30 in the afternoon."
"My point exactly. ...Wait how do even know what angst means?"
William grew a dark look.
The truth is I fell into a rabbit hole on Urban Dictionary after searching up what a masochist was...
He waved away his son's question. "T-That's not the focus right now! Look at what came in!" He shoved a white envelope into his son's face.
"Okay, okay!" After rubbing the crust from his eyes, he got a good look at the envelope.
Every fiber in his body shot awake once he saw a red mark with a W on the letter.
"Wellston!" John shouted in realization.
"Wellston!" William cheered.
"...I gotta take a shower!" John shot from his bed to his closet, finding whatever nice-looking clothes he could.
"Dafuk—Why a shower?!"
"I gotta look nice for this!"
"For a letter?!"
"One of the most important letters of my life!" John retorted, walking out the door to the bathroom.
"If you aren't out in 10 minutes, I'm opening it myself!" William called out to his son, leaning out of the room.
"You better not!"
John speedran his shower, finishing it in 8 minutes, and quickly drying off before changing. He walked into his room finding his father holding the letter in his hands, ready to rip the top off.
"I was this close."
"Getyourhandsoffmyletter!" John snatched it out of his dad's hands.
Excitement and anxiety mixed together as he stared at the letter, his heart beginning to beat faster by the moment.
William placed a firm hand on his shoulder, helping to calm him down. "Don't overthink it, I'm sure you got accepted."
John chuckled. "I better have, else I want a refund for all the hours I studied." He joked.
"I don't think that's possible."
"I'll find a way."
Pushing one last breath out, John tore open the top of the letter, then slowly pulled out the folded paper from within. He read over every single word, making sure to not skip over anything. He didn't say a word until he reached the last few sentences of the paper.
"Wellston Private High School..." John's eyes lit up like stars. "Is proud to have you attend our curriculum!"
"You got in!" William couldn't contain his happiness. He offered a high-five to John.
"I got in!" John completed it happily.
"So, what else does it say?" He asks after letting go.
"Uhmmm." John read through the last bit of it. "A flight to the Wellston area has been scheduled for you on Sunday at 3. You'll head to the campus to have a meeting with the headmaster for your enrollment interview. Afterward, your residence will be situated and you'll begin classes starting the Monday after."
William nodded along. "I see, so that'll be in three days..."
"So soon..." John whispered, thinking of Adrion and Claire. He pulled out his phone to text their group chat, asking about hanging out at Woaba Boba.
"I've made it in."
Adrion and Claire almost choked on their drink hearing John tell them.
"You got accepted?! John, that's awesome!" Adrion shouted in excitement, almost pulling himself over to the other side of the booth where he, Claire, and John sat.
He stopped himself, realizing the commotion he had started as various customers lay their eyes on him in annoyance. "S-Sorry, about that." He apologizes meekly, sitting back down.
Claire lightly slaps his shoulder. "Forget about them hon, that reaction's well deserved." She shifts her attention to John. "Congrats! I'll be honest, I had my doubts about you making it in." She added on.
John nodded, knowing it was understandable. "Trust me, no one had more doubts than me. With what my records show, I'm grateful they were willing to give me the chance."
"Nah, forget your record, you just suck at academics." Claire replied bluntly.
"Pff." Adrion sounded.
"Ack!" John responded. How could a single sentence cause so much emotional damage? "Look, I try my best, alright?! And it was enough!"
"Oh yeah? What was your score?" Claire asked, putting on a smug face.
"That's an off-topic question!"
"61?" Adrion guessed randomly.
The stunned expression on John's face was more than enough to know Adrion nailed it.
"Oh shit, it was 61."
"Scraping by as usual, aren't you? I don't envy your academically-challenged nature." Claire quipped, giggling a little at John's reaction.
"This is a personal attack of the highest order and I will not stand for it." John pouted, taking a sip of the blissful liquid that is Mango Boba Tea to heal his damaged soul.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop it there." Claire said through her laughter, wiping away tears of amusement.
"You know..." John wore a sad smile. "I'm gonna miss this. Hanging out again."
"Yeah, it's kind of a bummer." Adrion replied, before perking up. "We can still talk over Discord!"
"And it's not like you're going to the other side of the planet, we can plan on visiting each other once in a while." Claire added.
John nodded along. "Yeah, I know, but still."
"Another thing." Claire pointed a finger at John. "Stay the way you are, please, if you turn into some jerk again I'm gonna smack you." She warned.
John opened his mouth to speak, closed it, and opened it again. "Fair enough."
"Oh, I just remembered!" Adrion spoke up. "Mom took me to the doctor's for a checkup last week and while we were there I got a read on my ability!"
"From the sounds of it, something good must have happened." John responded.
A couple of months back, though John was hesitant about it, Adrion had asked John to help improve his fighting skills and train his ability to get him stronger.
It would be a win-win; Adrion would be able to defend himself better and it gave John a way to practice self-control and restraint.
John also thought of it as a way to make up for having used Adrion as a punching bag in the past. Ugh, he hates remembering that.
"Yeah! I'm a Level 3 now!"
Claire beamed. "For real? That's awesome, that makes you pretty strong around here! "
"Yeah, the doctor was impressed and mom was pretty happy too!"
"Not that it wasn't deserved. That's almost all you two would do if you were hanging out."
"If you had that at the start of high school, you could've kept up with me, maybe I wouldn't've been such a dickhead."
Adrion shrugged. "What ifs." He took a sip of his "wretched" Pineapple Boba. "I don't want a situation like before with those two guys to happen again. I want...to be able to fight back and stop those kinds of jerks.
He looked at John with appreciation. "It's kind of something I picked up from you, so thanks, John. For that and for all the lessons."
John fiddled with his drink, spinning the cup around. He was still getting used to anyone talking about him positively, but it really did make him feel better. "It's the least I could do. Glad I could be a good influence this time around."
Claire took a sip of her Green Apple Boba blankly.
The bromance is beautiful.
"Flight 211, report to Gate J1, boarding will begin in a moment." The announcer said over the intercom of the New Bostin Airport.
John looked at the flight number on his digital ticket. "Okay, that's me." He sat up from his seat, a satchel hanging from his shoulder and a traveling suitcase in his other hand.
"This is finally it." William placed a hand on John's shoulder. "Study hard and be the best you can be, you've come a long way with yourself. I couldn't be any more proud of you, son."
John rubbed his neck with a smile. "Always with the mushy stuff, aren't you pops?"
"You're damn right I am! And I always will be!"
"I know." John pulled his dad in for one more hug. "...Love you, dad."
William smiled, patting John's back. "Love you too, son."
John hurried off to his flight, waving goodbye to his dad. Not long after, he finally got himself seated in the plane and they took off. It was expected to be there in 2 hours and 45 minutes.
He couldn't help but look out at the window to see just how far the plane was taking him, reminding him how far away he was going from home. His heart began to feel heavier and heavier.
Then, he felt his phone buzz.
Something from the group chat, an image? John realized. He unlocked his phone to see what it was.
Claire and Adrion were smiling, holding a large poster board, plastered with pictures of John and them on their various past outings. At the center was a large print of him, words above and below it written in green and yellow.
DO YOUR BEST JOHN!
WE BELIEVE IN YOU!
John released a heavy sigh, slumping in his seat. The phone fell against his face, hiding his big smile.
They're just the best.
John's flight arrived at the Wellston airport around 6 in the evening, so pretty much on time. Once he passed through the airport and grabbed his baggage, he looked around and came across a man, holding up a sign with his name. The man had beige hair parted to the side and green eyes, wearing a light blue long-sleeve shirt, khakis, and black circular glasses.
With curiosity, John approached the man, who waved him forward once he noticed the dark-haired boy.
"Ah, you're John Doe, correct?" The man asked.
"Yeah. Are you a teacher from Wellston or something?"
"Not exactly." He held out a hand. "My name's Keene, I'm Wellston's Head of Security. The headmaster sent me to come pick you up for the meeting."
"I see." John shook the man's hand with a smile. "Then, good to meet you! Thanks for that."
Polite kid. Keene turned away to begin walking. "It's no problem. Come, follow me."
The ride to the campus was rather uneventful, just some small talk.
"Feeling nervous, John?" Keene asked.
John shrugged. "I guess, a little."
Keene nodded. "He's definitely got a presence to him, no doubt about that. But he's also a rather relaxed man, so no need to feel skittish."
"Easier said than done, I'm sure."
Keene chuckled. "Maybe. Ah, here we are." Keene parked on the side of the street across from the building.
"Woah..." John mumbled as he took in the sheer magnitude of the school, getting out of the car.
"Impressed?" Keene asked.
"It's like...5 times the size of my last school so...yeah."
"It's the most prestigious school in the region for a reason, I suppose." Keene responded.
"You can say that again."
"We have arrived." Keene stated, leading John up to the Headmaster's office, currently in the waiting room. He knocked a few times on the door.
"Yes?" Came a deep, distinguished-sounding voice from beyond the door.
"I've returned with the transfer, Headmaster." Replied Keene.
"Great to hear. Let him in."
Keene stood aside, motioning John to enter.
He calmed his nerves one last time, patted down his white-blue polo shirt and khakis to make sure he was presented at his best, then twisted the knob and pushed the door open.
The office was spacious, shelves lined the walls with many dozens of books, sets of chairs to the side for visitors, and a window at the back, allowing one to see the entryway of the Wellston campus.
"John Doe." The headmaster spoke, bringing the boy's attention to him as he stood from his desk, an inch or two taller than John.
The headmaster indeed held the appearance of a distinguished middle-aged man, Wavy hair and a connected, thick goatee the color of Teal adorned his face. He wore a black 2-piece suit and tie with black rectangular glasses.
John nodded before he took a small bow before the man. "Headmaster."
The action gave Vaughn a hearty chuckle. "Please, no need for that, just call me Vaughn. I have little interest in honorifics." He held out a hand. "It's a pleasure meeting you face to face."
John was a little surprised but shook the man's hand.
"Come, sit down." Vaughn motioned for John to take a seat across from him. John set his luggage down before doing so.
"I suppose a few questions are in order. So, John, why did you choose Wellston as the place to continue your education?"
"From what I researched, the school has the best academic curriculum. That kind of thing would put anyone in a pretty good future." John responded.
There was another reason, but that was likely better left unsaid.
"I see, that's good to hear. I know that you've had to take the past year off from your education due to circumstances. If you may, could you tell me what you've learned during that time of recovery?"
John clasped his hands together, thinking through what he should say.
"I've learned...some people aren't meant to be leaders, no matter their strength. I've also learned that those who wish to change can do so."
Vaughn hummed. "I see." He shifted around some papers on his desk before finding the file he needed. "Maybe it's better for us to address the elephant in the room sooner than later. Your expulsion from your previous school due to being "uncontrollable"."
John gulped. Here we go.
Vaughn's expression softens from his previous neutral look. "I don't mean to hound you for your past actions, John. Your demeanor now clearly shows some development from back then. I just need you to promise me that an incident like that won't repeat itself here, yes?"
John nodded immediately. "Of course, you have my word on that, Headm— Vaughn." John corrected himself.
A small smile came upon Vaughn. "Good, I'm glad to hear it. Though, there is just one more thing in regard to that incident I would like to go over. Is that alright?"
John nodded again. "Whatever you need to know."
Vaughn turned a few pages of the file he had on John over, stopping at where it spoke about the aftermath of the incident. "It's said you were sentenced to three months at a readjustment facility for your actions. I'm wondering, did the time you spent there help you?"
The mentioning of the facility would never fail to cause John to wince in remembrance of it, his hands instinctively moving to his wrists as the memories of back then replayed, more clearly than he liked.
"If I may, John." Vaughn spoke, pulling him out of his replay. "I want you to understand that I'm on the side of my students and that includes you. I implore you, tell me how you truly feel."
John wasn't sure what it was, but Vaughn felt...different. Different from the other powerful figures of authority John had met in his life, however few that may be. Something in him felt like he could trust this man.
"If I'm being honest, Vaughn..." John began, letting go of a deep breath. "It didn't. It was a hellhole, to say the least."
Vaughn hummed softly at John's answer. "Very well. If that's so, could you tell me what did help you?"
Any thoughts of the facility, of the torture that asshole Keon did to him, soon washed away as waves of more recent memories flashed in his mind.
He smiled at Vaughn. "My dad and two of the greatest friends I could ask for."
John's answer...deeply satisfied Vaughn. "Excellent. Just one more matter to settle then, your residence."
"I would guess people of relatively equal strength would be put together in the dorms, would I be rooming with the King?" John wondered.
"That wouldn't be the case, the current King of Wellston is one year ahead of you and lives off-campus. We offer that option for the strongest of our students, so if you were interested..."
John placed a hand to his chin, thinking. "If the King's not there. Then, who's the strongest guy who lives in the dorms that's in my year?"
Vaughn crossed his arms and leaned back a little in his chair, rubbing his jaw. "If I recall correctly, that would be Blyke, he's around level 4 from when his file was last updated if I remember right." Vaughn smiled. "A headstrong boy but he has a good heart."
John grinned. Sounds familiar.
"Alright, I think I'll be fine with a roommate."
Vaughn nodded. "Glad to hear." Vaughn pointed to the small desk near his door. "Over there are a few binders containing what you'll need: textbooks, schedules, guidelines, so on. Take that with you on your way out.
"Before you head to the dorms though, you'll be stopping by the Nurse's office so we can have an updated file for you made and your uniform given to you." He motioned to the door.
John stood, picking up his luggage and giving the headmaster another slight bow. "Thanks again for letting me attend here, Vaughn."
The older man waved it away. "Believe me, the honor's all mine. Have a good rest of your day." He said.
John grabbed the supplies and exited the office. Keene was sitting in one of the chairs, munching on an apple when he saw John come back out.
"See, wasn't so terrible, was it?" Keene teased.
John shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose."
"Well, come on. I'll lead you to the Nurse's office."
John followed after Keene, thinking of what the nurse could be like.
"So you're the little shit that made me come into work on a day off."
John expected many possibilities.
But this terrifying man.
He wasn't one of them.
"Darren, language." Keene half-heartedly warned.
"Shut up, you're not my mother." The Prussian-haired man in the lab coat hissed back.
"How is she by the way? I'll need to ask her for that tea recipe."
"What the—Fuck off!"
John felt very awkward. "Uhhh."
"You say something, punk?" The man sent a death glare at John, making him feel so small.
"...I'm sorry?"
Darren heaved a heavy sigh before groaning. "Whatever, let's just get this over with." He muttered, pulling John into the office.
It didn't take too long, just a general wellness check then a device to gauge John's level with a few details on the ability from John himself.
"There, you're done, take your uniform and go." Darren told John, typing away on his keyboard.
With pleasure. John grabbed his uniform set off the desk and got the hell out of there.
"Lovely guy, isn't he?" Keene remarked, having waited in the hallway.
"I swear, he's gonna be invading my dreams." John whispered, not wanting to face the good nurse's wrath if he overheard him.
"Hm, ironic. Just relax, he's like a grumpy cat if anything." Keene retorted.
"With razor-sharp claws maybe." John mumbled. "Let's just head over to the dorms please."
"As you wish, off we go!"
Name: Adrion
Ability: Protector
Level: 3.0
[Power: 3 Speed: 2 Trick: 2 Recovery: 2 Defense: 3]
Name: Claire
Ability: Clairvoyance
Level: 2.3
[Power: 1 Speed: 1 Trick: 2 Recovery: 2 Defense: 1]
A/N: Feedback is always appreciated!