April 4, 2014. A year and a month ago.
It was a bright, glorious Friday with the sun breaking through the gray clouds after the morning showers. Jessica was bored out of her mind sitting in her 6th-hour English class with Mrs. Head. She had already completed all her assignments and extra credit assignments.
"Mr. Veyron, unless you complete that Haiku assignment, I'll see to it personally that you don't go to that Easter egg hunt in your seventh hour!" Mrs. Head barked.
Kevin threw his hands up, "Ok! Ok! I got it, Mrs. Head."
Mrs. Head scoffed, "Hopefully."
"Sheesh, get a load of that witch who crapped in her lunch," Kevin muttered.
Mrs. Head swiveled back to Kevin, "I'm sorry, Kevin. Did you say something?"
Kevin shook his head, "No, Ma'am."
Mrs. Head sighed, "Jessica, can you please help Kevin stay on task, please."
Jessica smiled, "You got it, Ma'am."
Jessica started getting up.
Mrs. Head wagged her finger, "No, no, no. Mr. Veyron, go to the queen of this English class. Queens don't move for class clowns."
The class erupted in oohs and laughter.
Kevin was unamused, "FYI Mrs. Head, I'm the Dragon King. But even Kings must bend and ask for help from their friends."
Mrs. Head nodded, "Or in this case, a queen."
Kevin sighed in exasperation, "Okay, you know what, you win, teach."
Jessica sat back down, her face burning in embarrassment. She pulled the seat back as Kevin plopped himself on the chair, defeated.
"I'm so not gonna miss seventh grade. Eighth grade needs to hurry up." Kevin said under his breath.
Jessica shook her head, "Who's to say we won't run into something worse?"
Kevin snickered, "At least I can rest my head on this desk in peace. As long as I got a desk and my head, I'm gonna doze through eighth grade as well."
Jessica rolled her eyes, "Alright, let's see what you got done."
She took the paper and could barely pull herself together, "Master of my fate. What is fate, anyways, Tao? May the Tao guide me... Kevin, what is this?"
Kevin shrugged, "She said make something with three lines that has five syllables in the first and third line. But the second line needs seven syllables, right?"
Jessica chuckled, "Okay, for starters, this isn't a Haiku."
Kevin sat up, "Yes, it is. The first line is 5 syllables. The second line is seven. The third is 5."
Jessica wagged her finger. "The first line does have 5 syllables. But the second line may have 8 depending on how many syllables the word 'Tao' has. 'Anyways' has three syllables, so if 'Tao' isn't a one-syllable word, you're cooked, 'cause it essentially ruins the third line as well."
"I just searched it up, Kevin, and 'Tao' is a two-syllable word. Time to start over. Ten minutes left in the hour," cut in Mrs. Head.
Kevin sighed, "Haikus and syllables are such BS. I wanna go back to free verse poems."
Kevin scans the classroom and then returns his focus back on Jessica.
"Jess?"
"No."
"I didn't even ask yet."
"You're about to ask me if I can write it for you."
"See? That's why you're the Queen of England, home to the English. Tell Queen Elizabeth to move aside."
Jessica stared at him.
"Kevin, we're American..."
Kevin blinked, "And? English is English."
Jessica facepalmed, "That's not how that works..."
Kevin smirked, "Sounds like something the Queen of England would say."
Jessica pinched the bridge of her nose, "I'm not doing your assignment."
"C'mon, Your Majesty, please, I'm begging ya."
Jessica snickered, "I'm gonna help you complete it. But you're doing all the writing, Dragon King."
Kevin cracked his knuckles, "Alright, couldn't ask for a better partner."
Partner... Kevin just—
Kevin smiled, "So where do we start, Queen?"
Jessica shook her head. "Alright, what is the word 'tao' and why is it significant to you?"
Kevin folded his arms. "My mom always says it. It's like some type of prayer or call to a higher being. Like whenever something bad happens, she clasps her hands and says, 'May the tao guide us, help us, or lead us to the best future.'"
Jessica's eyebrow furrowed. "Hmmmm, is your mom a Taoist?"
Kevin shrugged. "I genuinely don't know. Otherwise, she would've hammered it into me by now."
Jessica yawned. "Alright, let's just start from scratch. Make a new Haiku not using the word 'tao'. But it can still be about home or your mom."
Kevin sat there, tapping his pen. "Hmmmm."
Jessica narrowed her eyes. "What now?"
Kevin matched her glance. "I'm brainstorming, Queen, give me a minute."
Jessica glances at the clock.
1:40
"You got 5 left in the hour..."
Kevin opened his eyes. "I got it!"
He began jotting down his three lines.
Kevin sighed in relief. "Done. My masterpiece haiku is complete."
"Excellent work, Mr. Veyron," said Mrs. Head from her desk. "Now may I see your fine piece of art?"
Kevin didn't hesitate; he gave her his paper. Mrs. Head pushed her glasses back. A smile covered her face.
"Fantastic work, Kevin. This is work that rivals our queen. You're free to go to your Easter egg hunt, Dragon King."
Kevin jumped with his fist reaching for the ceiling, "Aw, yeah!"
RRRING
The bell rang, ending sixth period.
Jessica lifted her bag and made her way to the door where Kevin was waiting.
Kevin brought his hand up, "Thanks, Jess."
Jessica returned the smile and high-fived him, "Teamwork makes the dream work. But what did you write, though?"
Kevin wrapped his hands behind his head, "Blade be strong like Mom.
Cut through it all, never break.
To protect home, change."
Jessica counted on her fingers, "You did it, Kevin. You aced it!"
SCRREEEECH
Everybody covered their ears as the overhead intercom screamed alive.
"Attention Lyons students and staff. We have a special announcement in the auditorium before we start our school grounds-wide Easter egg hunt. Make your way to the auditorium immediately."
Kevin sighed, "What now? What could possibly be so important?"
Jessica shrugged, "I don't know, Dragon King, but we should make our way there. After all, we can find the rest of the squad quickly."
"Alright, lead the way, Queen."
The two students made their way to the auditorium, not knowing what fate had in store for them.