Adam couldn't help but glance at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He could have sworn it had been stuck on 3:15 for at least five minutes. The closer it got to the end of the school day, the slower the minute hand seemed to move. Finally, the clock ticked to 3:16.
As he watched the clock's sluggish hand tick down, a sense of boredom settled over him. "Four more minutes," he muttered to himself, wishing for something - anything - to liven up the moment.
His thoughts turned to Stella, the one person who always managed to make time fly by. ‘She'd know just how to distract me,’ he mused, a smile creeping across his face at the thought. But of course, she wasn't there. And so he was left to endure the interminable seconds alone.
Adam's attention was drawn away from the clock when he heard a thump from behind him. Turning around, he noticed some of his classmates surrounding three boys; it seemed that two of them had pushed another to the ground.
"Where's the mecha figurine?" Liam demanded, his voice filled with venom.
Oliver's voice quivered as he explained, "My mom saw it and took it away. I'll bring it tomorrow, I promise."
Liam snorted in disgust. "You're such a pathetic loser. We don't need you in our group. You're out."
Lee, the shorter of the two standing boys, chimed in. "Yeah, and tomorrow is brownie day. You're gonna give us your brownie at lunch, or else."
Oliver pleaded with them, "Guys, come on. I'll make it up to you. Please, don't do this."
Liam turned to Oliver, his eyes narrowing. "If you want a friend, maybe you can ask Demon boy if he'd be willing to take you." With that, Liam and Lee turned and walked away, leaving Oliver on the ground. Oliver turned his head toward Adam, who sat at the back of the class, as if to consider Liam's suggestion, but quickly averted his gaze when he met Adam's mismatched eyes.
As the crowd of children dispersed, Oliver remained on the floor, a look of despair on his face. Adam noticed the brief glance Oliver had cast his way, but he couldn't have cared less about what had just transpired. Usually, someone calling him 'Demon boy' would have resulted in a beating for the offender, but right now, he was focused on more important things than the taunts from Liam and Lee.
It was baffling that the eight-year-olds hadn't learned their lesson yet. One would assume that after receiving a brutal lesson from Adam, Liam and Lee—whom he teasingly referred to as the "two losers"—would have steered clear of him. Being an albino with heterochromia and having a late birthday within the academic year might have made Adam a prime target for bullies, but his nocturnal pursuits ensured that anyone who dared to cross him would live to regret it.
The clock finally reached 3:20, signaling the end of free time and the beginning of the lineup to leave school.
Mrs. Hutch entered the classroom, punctual as always. "Children, line up; it's time to go home. Your parents are waiting outside."
Adam quickly stood up, taking his place in front of Mrs. Hutch, who calmly acknowledged him before observing the other children lining up behind him.
"Okay, everyone is present," Mrs. Hutch scanned the line. "Let's go, Adam. Remember, no pushing, or I'll give extra homework to everyone."
They walked some distance through the school building before arriving at the playground, where some parents were already waiting for their children and other classes stood in lines waiting for their parent’s to collect them.
“Adam!” Yusuf stood there waving his arm to catch Adams attention, “over here son”
---
After a short drive, Adam arrived at his family home and swiftly got out of the car and stepped into his home.
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"Trying to sneak off to bed already, are you?" Yusuf's voice came from behind, catching Adam off guard as he paused on the staircase.
"Ughh." Adam groaned, realizing his father had seen right through his intentions.
"Well, if you're at a loss for what to do, how about we give Pavement Fighter 4 a try? I bought it recently, but you haven't seemed too eager to play," Yusuf suggested, removing his shoes and heading into the living room.
Adam hesitated, weighing his options: follow his dad's instructions or risk getting into trouble by sneaking off to his room to sleep. Reluctantly, he joined his father in the living room.
The gaming session went the same as usual with his dad vast experience with fighting games leading to his back to back losses.
"Dad, can't we play a different game?" Adam asked.
"Nope," Yusuf replied with a grin.
"But it's not fair! You know I could beat you in any other type of game."
Yusuf's grin widened as he said, "And that's precisely why I stick to fighting games."
Determined to beat his dad, He became fully absorbed in the game, losing track of time. They continued playing until darkness settled in, and the sound of a car pulling into the driveway caught their attention. Melissa, looking exhausted, walked into the living room and flopped onto the sofa, draping her legs over Adam.
"What a day," she sighed, kicking off her shoes. She nudged Adam with her foot, saying, "Adam, be a sweetheart and give me a foot rub, will you?"
“Sure mom.”
Grateful for the distraction, he set his controller down and quickly looked away from the screen, which displayed the most humiliating win-to-loss ratio he'd ever experienced.
"Thanks." Melissa glanced at the TV screen. "Honey, can I have the remote? Fake Housewives should be on soon."
Yusuf tossed the remote to Melissa, who fumbled to catch it. She shot him a scolding look as he sheepishly rose to his feet and headed to the kitchen to reheat the food he'd prepared earlier.
Dinner was a casual affair for the family of three, as they sat in front of the television, occasionally taking bites of their meals. While Melissa was engrossed in her show, both Adam and his dad watched with disinterest.
Picking at his food, Adam thought, 'How can people even watch these women? All they do is constantly complain about their lives and bicker with each other.'
"So, Stella wasn't at school today?" His mom casually asked, not taking her eyes off the TV.
"Yeah, she went on a school trip," he replied.
"The same trip I signed the papers for you to go on?" His mother raised an eyebrow, glancing at him.
"You know it's just the Emmanuel family trying to rope me into their dumb activities with my cousins," he grumbled.
"Spending time with your cousins isn't so bad. I thought you'd be mature enough to get along with kids your age."
"If they were so great, you wouldn't have left them," Adam shot back.
Melissa, clearly annoyed, faced him. "You know exactly why I left that family. Their attempts to separate me and your dad have nothing to do with visiting your cousins."
Adam sighed. "I... I just can't stand them. They treat Stella horribly, just because she's from the Edward family." He clenched his fists. "They know they can't touch me, so they're even worse to her when I'm around."
"Come here," his mother said, embracing him. "You know, Stella was all alone today."
"I hate being there, Mom. The elders just watch Stella get tormented. But when I try to stand up to those snobs, they intervene and stop me."
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," his mother cupped his face, forcing him to meet her gaze. "I know you'll find a way to put an end to their behavior. You're my pride and joy, and I want the Emmanuels to see that I made the right choice being with your dad." Yusuf offered his support with a hand on her shoulder.
"Promise me you'll go this weekend. Promise me you'll be there to protect Stella if your cousins pull anything." His mother's gaze intensified, and Adam relented, "I promise."
Melissa released Adam's face, and the conversation came to an end. She gently stroked his hair as they both returned their attention to the TV show. Once it finished, Adam knew it was time to leave the room. He quickly carried his plate to the kitchen, doing his best not to make eye contact with his parents.
"Thanks for the food, Dad." He hugged his father and planted a kiss on his mother's cheek. "See you tomorrow, Mom!" He sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time and reaching the top in record time. He could hear his dad jokingly remark to his mom, "Other parents have to fight to get their kids to bed on time, while ours can't wait to sleep every chance he gets."
After brushing his teeth at lightning speed, he entered his bedroom and flung himself onto the bed, eagerly trying to fall asleep. His emotions threatened to keep him awake, but he forced himself to calm down by focusing on the ceiling. He employed his usual sheep-counting technique to drift off; by the time he reached the 238th sheep, his vision began to darken as sleep finally enveloped him.
*Ding*
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