After class, Travis stayed behind with Ms. Ross. He leaned casually against her desk, the cool surface pressing against his back as he listened to her speak.
"Now that you're back, I'd love for you to begin catching up with your studies," she said, a trace of worry in her voice. "The issue is, my budget's been cut. I can't even get an actual model for you guys—not to mention the supplies you need. But I'm sure we can work it out."
Travis raised an eyebrow. "How much money would you need to get everything together? $1,000?"
She nodded, biting her lip slightly. "That's perfect. I can get everything we need… but Mrs. Smith—she's such a hassle. She's always complaining about my art, so she started lowering my budget. I might even run out if I don't land a job soon," she said, her tone tinged with sadness.
Travis smiled, a spark of determination lighting his eyes. "I heard the mayor is hosting an art contest. The winner receives $1,000. So why don't I enter that competition?"
Her eyes widened in surprise, then softened with gratitude. "What? You would do that for me? Thank you so much, Travis. You really are a blessing." She leaned forward suddenly, giving him a warm hug. "I know you can win. We just have to sharpen your skills. Come see me tomorrow, and we'll talk about it."
He nodded, a quiet confidence settling over him as he walked out of the classroom. Eve caught up to him, and together they headed toward their next class.
"So we're going to Gym Class now. What do you all do there, by the way?" he asked casually.
Gym Class wasn't indoors—they would meet out on the grounds for workouts.
"We work out. Before you left, we were just doing stretches and easy stuff, but now… Coach Bridget is looking for potential athletes in every class. So we basically run military drills," Eve explained with a sigh, her shoulders drooping slightly at the memory.
"Damn, sounds painful," Travis muttered, smirking. "You can go ahead; I should go to my locker and get my gym stuff." Eve nodded and hurried off, practically sprinting toward the lockers.
Travis made his way to his locker and swung it open. Inside were just a couple of items—not surprising, considering he hadn't really attended this school before. Among them, he noticed a sheet of paper with his current grades.
' E- everywhere, man… that sucks. I should just take my gym clothes,' he thought, a wave of melancholy settling in. Shrugging, he grabbed his gym clothes, slid them into his bag, and closed the locker with a soft click.
He quickly ran toward the changing rooms, dodging groups of students milling around the gym grounds. As he approached, he saw a cluster of girls gathered near the entrance, their voices sharp and animated.
"How the hell do you expect us to share a bathroom with the boys!" one girl shouted, her hands flailing in frustration.
"I don't expect you to, but you have no other choice," Coach Bridget replied, her tone hard and commanding, making the girls flinch. "So if you have any complaints, keep them to yourself. Now get changed before I force you to." Her presence alone radiated authority, and the girls shivered instinctively.
After delivering her warning, she turned and walked away from the crowd, leaving a tense silence behind.
Coach Bridget's eyes landed on Travis, standing awkwardly at the edge of the commotion. Her frown slowly curved into a smirk, sharp and playful.
"Wow, look what the cat dragged out of the bag," she said, her voice low and teasing. "Travis—the boy who didn't come to school for the past month. Your grades are on the ground, but let's see if your body will be after my intense workout. Get changed, boy, because I don't like to wait." She stepped closer and closer, invading his personal space, her tone daring and dominant.
"Um, sure… what do I get if I'm not on the ground?" he asked, a smirk tugging at his lips, trying to match her energy.
"You get a chance to live. Now go, maggot!"
He nodded, turning toward the changing room. As he walked, he noticed the girls standing near the entrance, their eyes scanning the boys with an intensity that made him pause.
"We'll go in first. After that, you can go in," their leader, Roxxy, said, her tone sharp but teasing.
Travis couldn't help stealing a glance. Roxxy's real-life figure was as striking as her game counterpart—curvy and confident, her large breasts noticeable but proportioned naturally, her body exuding effortless attractiveness. Her friends were equally striking.
He found himself drawn to Missy, whose quirky personality made her intriguing, but body-wise, Becca stole the show. She was exceptionally attractive, maybe even surpassing Roxxy, and her presence made him silently take mental notes. And her mom… damn, he thought, shaking his head.
"Why do we have to listen to you? That's our changing room, so why don't you just step aside and let us in?" the leader of the boys said, his tone defensive.
"Who even are you? You literally have no significance in this school," Roxxy shot back, her words sharp and cutting. Her friends laughed, the sound ringing out like a challenge.
The boy's face flushed crimson as embarrassment took over. He retreated back to his group, who put comforting hands on his shoulders, murmuring reassurances.
The girls turned gracefully and strode into the changing room, slamming the door behind them.
"Those darn girls… who do they think they are?" one of the boys muttered, shaking his head, a mix of frustration and awe in his voice.
Travis stood off to the side, leaning casually against the wall while the chatter of the other students filled the air. He didn't bother joining in—his eyes drifted lazily over the crowd until they landed on a familiar figure. Judith stood a little apart from everyone else, head bowed, her long hair partly shielding her face.
' Guess this is how the story starts for me and her. Even though in the game it didn't go any further. '
Pushing himself off the wall, Travis walked toward her with an easy smile. As he got closer, she lifted her gaze for the briefest moment, her eyes meeting his before they darted down again. A flush of pink dusted her cheeks, and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
' Travis… why is he here? Does he want to speak with me? No, I doubt that. I'm sure he doesn't even know my name. '
"You must be Judith, right?" Travis said as he came to stand beside her, his tone friendly but calm.
Judith risked a glance at him from the corner of her eye. "Y-yes… I-I am Judith," she replied, her voice soft and uneven.
"Cool. I'm Travis. You might not remember this, but back in high school we were in the same class."
Her eyes widened slightly. ' What… he actually knows about my existence!! '
"I do remember," she said quickly, her voice gaining a touch more strength. "In fact, we sat next to each other in math class."
"For real? Ohh, yeah," he chuckled. "You were pretty smart back then—the teacher would always ask you for the answer."
Judith shook her head, the blush deepening on her cheeks. "No, I wasn't that smart. By the way… I heard about your dad, and I'm really sorry."
"Oh, that," Travis said with a small shrug. "You don't have to worry about it. What are you doing here anyway? Don't you need to change?"
Her smile faltered, and her gaze fell back to the floor. "Yeah… I don't want to change while everyone is there."
"Why, though?"
"I forgot… this is your first day back," she murmured, a sad little laugh escaping her. "Well… I'm being bullied, you see, for my abnormally huge breasts. Also… I didn't wear a bra." She tried to mask her embarrassment with a half-smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Travis's expression softened with concern. "That's not cool of them to say that. And you must have a reason. Have you tried telling them off or something?"
"No… I'm not good at talking or arguing, so I just let them say all that. Don't worry, though, I'm alright with it. And yes… I do have a reason."
"No, you're not," Travis said firmly. "I can pretty much tell this bothers you. Hey—why don't we go somewhere else and change instead of you waiting here?"
Judith's head turned toward him, her eyes wide in surprise. Slowly, a genuine smile curved her lips. "Sure… but where will we go?"
"The girls' bathroom, of course. Last I checked, it's only closed because of some water damage. I'm sure it's not all wet," he said, a hint of playfulness in his tone.
She nodded, still smiling faintly, and together they began walking toward the far side of the building, away from the noise of the crowd. The corridor grew quieter with each step, the muffled sound of their shoes echoing against the tiled floor.
TO BE CONTINUED