Cassandra walked into the kitchen a moment later, already dressed perfectly for school. Her hair was neatly tied back, and she looked like she had stepped out of a magazine compared to him.
She frowned immediately when she saw him standing there.
"Why are you just standing around?"
"I'm making lunch."
"Well, hurry up."
Silas entered right after her, yawning while carrying his backpack over one shoulder.
"Can you make mine bigger today? Practice is after school."
Shonte nodded quietly and started preparing the lunches while everyone else sat down.
After he finished, he went upstairs to freshen up for school.
***
The hallways were unusually noisy when he arrived.
Students crowded together in groups, whispering excitedly while teachers moved back and forth carrying stacks of papers. Something clearly happened, though nobody seemed to know exactly what.
Shonte quietly slipped into his classroom and took his usual seat near the back, beside the window.
A few minutes later, the teacher entered the room, but she wasn't alone. A tall man dressed entirely in black followed behind her.
The second he stepped inside, the classroom slowly fell silent. Something about him immediately felt strange to Shonte. Not because of the way he looked.
It was the feeling in the air around him.
Cold, heavy, and familiar.
The teacher cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Everyone, this is Mr. Vale. He'll be assisting the principal with a new educational support program."
Several students exchanged confused looks.
Mr. Vale stepped forward calmly, dark gloves covering his hands despite the warm weather outside.
"The principal has decided to reorganize several students into a separate class," he explained evenly. "Certain individuals require specialized educational attention due to unique personal circumstances and learning difficulties.
The room immediately erupted into whispers and murmurs.
"Learning difficulties?"
"What does that even mean?"
"Are they making a special-ed class?"
The teacher quickly raised her voice. "Quiet."
Mr. Vale unfolded a paper slowly. Then he began reading names.
"Shonte Weldon."
A few students immediately glanced back at him.
But strangely.... the next person wasn't the student people expected.
"The class president, Elena Mire."
"What?!" Elena blurted out. "There must be a mistake."
The teacher didn't explain. Instead, she looked at the two of them. "Shonte. Elena. Please grab your belongings and step into the hallway."
Shonte quietly grabbed his bag. Elena's face was flushed with embarrassment and anger as she shoved her notebook into her backpack. They walked out of the classroom under the heavy gaze of their peers.
But the hallway wasn't empty.
Thirteen other students were already standing there, spaced out awkwardly along the lockers. Shonte recognized them instantly, and the confusion only deepened.
There was Adrian Cross, the literature club captain, staring blankly at the floor. Malik Renn, the football captain, leaned against a wall while aggressively scrolling through his phone to avoid eye contact—some students from the occult club (cuz why not :p). Nearby stood two top-tier honor students who looked entirely out of place.
And of course there had to be...him.
Oh yes...The 'great' Tyler York.
A loud, dramatic groan, running a hand through his expensive, perfectly styled hair.
"Are you kidding me?" Tyler scoffed loudly, crossing his arms tightly as he glared at the crowd. "A bunch of delinquents and nerds? Do they know who my father is? He practically funds the school's new athletic wing! My dad is going to have the principal fired for this. I don't belong in some remedial group."
Elena looked like she wanted to agree, but the heavy classroom door clicked open again before anyone could speak.
Mr. Vale stepped out. His dark-gloved hands were folded neatly in front of him, his expression completely unreadable.
"Follow me," Mr. Vale said calmly.
Without waiting for a response, he turned and began walking down the long hallway toward the older, less-used wing of the building. The twelve students glanced at one another in silence before slowly falling into line behind him, heading toward Room 9-E.
As the group walked down the quiet hallway, Tyler quickened his pace until he was walking right alongside the silent teacher.
"Look, Mr...?"
"Mr. Vale"
"Right," Tyler said, lowering his voice in a smooth, practiced tone he had clearly copied from his father. "There's obviously been a mix-up. My father is Senator York. If you pull my name from this little experiment right now, I can ensure your department receives a significant funding bonus next quarter. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. Do we have a deal?"
Mr. Vale didn't look at him. He didn't slow down. He just kept walking, his dark-gloved hands stiffly at his sides.
"Hey, Politician boy."
A deep, bored voice cut through the hallway. Tyler stopped. Malik Renn was suddenly standing right over him. At nearly 6'3", the sports captain completely towered over Tyler, his broad shoulders easily blocking the light from the hallway windows. Malik didn't even take his eyes off his phone screen as he spoke, but his presence was massive.
"Shut up," Malik muttered. "Your voice is annoying. Keep walking before I make you, or do you want me to talk about how your dad kicked you out?"
Tyler's face flushed red. He opened his mouth, about to spit out a furious threat about his father's lawyers, but before the words could leave his throat, Mr. Vale stopped dead ahead.
They had reached Room 9-E.
"We are here," Mr. Vale announced, turning his blank gaze toward the group. He pushed the heavy wooden door open. "Enter. Take any seat you wish."
The students filed into the ordinary-looking classroom, the sunlight pouring over the desks. Shonte claimed a spot near the back, trying to shake the tight feeling in his chest. Elena marched straight to the front row, sitting with a rigid posture. Tyler took a seat as far away as possible, still glaring.
Once everyone was seated, Mr. Vale walked to the podium, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Shonte.
"To begin this program, we will start with introductions," Mr. Vale said. "State your name and your school club."
Elena stood up first, her voice sharp."Elena Mire. Class president...well, former class president for class 9-A, and I still expect a formal explanation for why I'm here." She sat down heavily.
Tyler stood up next, straightening his expensive collar. "Tyler York. My father is in the Senate, and he and his legal team will be hearing about this room by tomorrow morning."
Malik didn't even stand up. He just raised his hand lazily from the back row.
"Malik Renn. Sports club."
Beside him, Adrian adjusted his glasses, his voice coming out smoothly. "Adrian Cross....Literature club."
Shonte cleared his throat slightly from the back row, keeping his eyes on his desk. "Shonte Weldon. I... don't really belong to any clubs."
A boy in the middle row stood up, adjusting a thick pair of noise-canceling headphones around his neck. "Stefano Bianchi. Technology club. I was in the middle of a server diagnostic when I got dragged out here."
Near the windows, two identical boys stood up in perfect unison. The Park twins are almost supernatural, wearing matching dark crystal pendulums around their necks.
"Min-soo Park," the first brother said.
"Min-seo Park," his twin finished, his voice a perfect echo of his brother's.
"Occult club," they said together, sitting down at the same time.
Directly behind them, a girl with messy hair and a leather jacket blew a bubble with her chewing gum before popping loudly. "Mia Sanchez. Also, an occult club. I go where the guys go, touch them, and you're dead."
From the front row, a girl had already brought out her textbooks. "Farah Kalil, Senior Honor Society."
The boy sitting next to her, looking equally studious but entirely exhausted, nodded grimly. "Damian Kuzmin. Also, Honor Society. Our grades are flawless, so 'learning difficulties' doesn't apply to us."
Finally, a boy sitting in the dead center of the room sighed heavily, slouching so low in his chair that he almost slid off it. Everyone knew who he was— the principal's son.
"Ridgewood Vaughn," he mumbled, staring at the ceiling. "But if anyone calls me this, I'll lose my mind. Just call me Riri, and don't ask me what my dad is thinking, because he doesn't tell me anything."
Then one word came to Shonte's mind.
[He's Cute.]
After that, all eleven introductions were complete.
Mr. Vale stood perfectly still at the front of the class.
Then, he walked slowly toward the heavy classroom door.
Click.