“Happy Birthday!”
I grin through all the shouts. Everyone starts talking over each other, speaking and moving and launching congratulations all around. Ken even dumps a handful of confetti over me, forcing me to wave my hands around and brush it off my shoulders and out of my hair with a laugh.
Mom comes up, wrapping me in a hug. “My little boy's finally becoming a man,” she says, suddenly tearing up.
“Cut it out, Mom,” I grumble, putting up a show of trying to pull away, but my Dad comes up right behind, and we pause.
“Sei, you're an adult now, I expect you to act like it.” Yeah, way to bring the mood down, Dad...
“I'll do my best,” I assure him anyway. I mean, I'm not a full adult for another six years anyway, but whatever.
He thumps me on the shoulder, his hand big and heavy enough to hurt a little, but not enough to make me flinch. I'm used to this much after sixteen years of it. “And by god, try to man up a little.”
“Y-yeah...” You say that like it's my fault...
Eventually, I manage to get my parents to back off after assuring them repeatedly that I'm all packed and ready to head off to high school. I go tomorrow because of course my birthday is immediately before term starts.
Ken's lucky, his is in like a week, so he missed the cut-off. So instead of starting high school within days of the end of middle school, he got a whole year off. At least this means we get to be in the same class now, he was always a year ahead of me before.
Ok, most people get a whole year off since there's like a two week gap between the end of middle school and start of high school semesters, and only adults can go to high school for legal reasons, something about minors being required to live with guardians I think. So, it's just that I have awful luck being born in that narrow sliver of time between the two.
Trying not to worry about that too much, I remind myself that things will get better. Any day now...
With a successful retreat from my parents, I to flop down into a seat by the table, grabbing my cup and taking a long drought of cola, almost emptying it in one go.
“So, how's it feel to join us in the adult world?” Jen asks with her signature, shit-eating grin.
“I feel taller.” I deadpan back.
“Oof,” she plays at holding a hand over her heart like she's in pain. We all share a laugh, then settle into our usual chatting and banter. For the most part, we're all excited to start high school. Them moreso than me, since they've had months, or in Ken's case, almost a full year off. He's nearly seventeen already because of it.
“So, romance, romance!” Jen suddenly chimes excitedly. “Do either of you have eyes on any of the girls?”
“Hah? We haven't even found out who's in our class yet!” Ken balks.
“Yeah, there are gonna be so many new faces,” I add in. Middle school was just Ferrvale, high school is all of Meridan county. That covers all of Jostole and Teekton just to start, both of which are bigger than Ferrvale is, so chances are, everyone we know will be all split up into different classes. She already knows this, why is she asking dumb questions?
“Ahh, who cares!” Jen waves her hands. “We're finally adults, I want to get a boyfriend!”
“You and me both,” Ken agrees solemnly. When he catches us both smiling and trying not to laugh, he snarks, “Oh, you know what I mean.”
“What about Runa-chan?” Jen asks, voice dropping lower, and directing all of our eyes over to her, sitting on my family's couch, ringed in on both sides by her parents, the Danns. She's pretty much always been miss perfect. With her gorgeous black hair, sexy curves, those big boobs...
It comes again, that unpleasant stirring in my pants. I flush red, looking away in a fluster. I know the feeling, it's exactly what the other guys described. Just feeling it assures me, I'm finally hitting puberty. About damn time! The shit I've gotten from my Dad for these last years over not changing, and from the other kids ever since I was young, all because of how I am...
“Helooo, Miel to Seikooo, anyone hooommmee?” Jenna waves a hand around in front of me, finally catching my attention.
“A-ahh, sorry. What were you saying?”
“You're all red, what's up?” she questions, leaning in closer, eyes boring into mine like a predator.
My hands go up defensively. “N-nothing, I'm good.”
“Ooh, is our little Sei finally getting interested in girls?” she practically purrs, leaning in even closer, putting her own chest directly in my line of sight. She hasn't really grown much there herself, and it's just Jen, so I purposely cross my arms and huff, turning my head away.
“Awwwww...” She doesn't even have to say anything else for me to know what she's thinking.
“Come on Jen, back off,” Ken finally steps in with a tired sigh.
“But he's so cute when he pouts...” There's a silent look between them, then she pouts too. “Ok, fine... Come here, Sei.” And she gives me a hug. Even that reminds me that she has like fifteen centimeters on me, but I sigh and try to shrug it off. I'll definitely shoot up now that my growth spurt should be coming.
Still... releasing Jen, my gaze wanders over to Ken. The guy comes from a family of giants. He's like a hundred eighty five centimeters tall already. At a hundred forty five, I'm barely eye level with his chest. His brother's practically a professional basketball player!
I shake my head. I know he's not the kind of person I should be comparing myself to. I can't even dream of being as manly as Ken. As depressing as it is to say, I probably don't even reach Jen's level right now...
Still, it's not like I need to worry about it, I tell myself. I'll start growing any day now, all I have to do is wait and let nature take its course. It'll make me into the man I'm supposed to be.
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“Meridan County High School. Arriving at Meridan County High School.” Even the generically female, synthesized voice that drones over the intercom sounds bored somehow, as the shuttle pulls up to the curb, and we all pile off in a herd. I stretch and yawn after so long cooped up on the ride all the way out here. Not a trip I'd want to make regularly. At least it means I'll only have to go home on holidays.
With the shuttle pulling away behind us, we all start to disperse away from the road. The building that meets us is downright daunting. Five, six stories of vaguely teal, cheap-ass funky reinforced concrete-polymer stuff that they started making a lot of these buildings from a few decades back.
Even at its height, it still sprawls all across the surrounding campus like some sort of labyrinth. Ugh, I'm going to need a map to get around, won't I?
“Oh, look at that,” I mumble, when the crowd clears around me enough to see. It's a map. Ken is already heading that way, so I plod after him.
“We're supposed to go to drop our stuff in our classroom, then head to the opening ceremony, right?” he asks for a reminder, and I confirm while shaking myself more awake. “Alright, then...” Approaching the big, old-fashioned standing map, encased in black and clear plastics, he starts to figure out where we are. I stand back since other new students, all significantly larger than me, are also moving in to crowd around it.
For now, I grab my mobile and pull up maps. A place as big as this should have their floor plan available, right? “Yes!” I clench my fist when it comes up. Now, if only I could actually use it inside... The junk they build these places with absolutely demolishes sat signal. I'd have to get near a window first.
With a dejected sigh, I slide the little, indestructible plastic brick back into my pocket. I'll just have to follow Ken, I guess. Once he has an idea of our location, he points, and we head off. It's not too long before we arrive where we need to be, at one of the huge boards staked up in the middle of the lawn, listing all of the class assignments. We migrate to the far end with the first year classes, and start to scan for our names.
Where is it, where is it...
Ah, there! Seiko Maka, class 1-C. Now what about the others...? Oh, nice! Kentan Yono, same class!
“Aww, damn...” a familiar voice comes from behind. When I turn, it's Jen. Searching the board for a little longer, I finally spot it. Jenna Corro, class 1-D. So we won't be together after all...
“Hey, don't worry about it,” comes another voice I recognize, and I turn back to see Finn slouch himself onto Jen, an arm hanging over her shoulders. “Look at the bright side, we're in the same class this year.”
“It's nice to see you again too, Olrick-san,” she greets him coldly, but doesn't really put any venom in her tone, even as she shrugs his arm off.
“Don't be like that, babe,” he chuckles while I walk over toward them, waving a hand to get their attention. “Waa! Sei-chan!” Finn gasps exaggeratedly, and pounces on me. Shifting my head, I bury it in his chest with a thud, and he lets out a grunt, his body flopping over me.
“Finn-san, you're heavy,” I complain when he leans his entire body weight on me.
“Come on, off of him,” Jen gives him a swat, then pulls him off, and he ends up rubbing both his chest and the back of his head with a pained expression.
“You guys are no fun...” he pouts, thrusting his bottom lip out so he looks like a goof, and we all crack up.
“Hey, having all this fun without me?” Ken calls as he comes over. “Hey, Finn-san, how's it going?” They bump fists.
“Not bad, I'm in class D.”
“Oh, too bad, we're class C.”
“I'm D too,” Jen volunteers with a frown and a sad sigh. “With this clown,” and stabs a thumb at Finn.
“Don't worry, you're right next door. We'll still see each other on breaks, right?” Ken says.
“Oh yeah, that's not so bad,” she perks up a little. “Well, let's get going, I think the opening ceremony starts soon.”
With calls of approval, the four of us head toward the school. All around, it's a buzz of activity. Students flowing in every direction, some in groups, some flying solo. And lots and lots of them looking around, utterly lost. More than once, our group is among them.
Thankfully, there are upperclassmen around to help provide directions. It's easy to tell them apart too. We all have green ties and ribbons on our uniforms as first years, while the yellow, blue, and red are for older students.
We're around the second southwest wing, fourth floor, when we finally find our own classes. “There, they really do exist,” Jen groans when the signs come into sight. Like we thought, 1-C and 1-D are right next door to each other. Or rather, across the hall from each other, technically. After we pass 1-A and 1-B, they're on either side, 1-C on our right, 1-D on our left. Just beyond them, the hall ends, with a stair well on the right hand side.
We all break up briefly into our classes, and deposit our bags in rows of numbered lockers at the back of the room. There are actually a few people inside already, but when one girl with long silver hair suddenly glares at me, I quickly lower my gaze and try to finish up quickly. We meet up with our friends in the hall shortly after, and fight once more to find our way toward our destination: the sports field where they're holding the opening ceremony.
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I fall into my seat with a heavy sigh. None of us expected the opening ceremony to be that boring. I almost fell asleep standing up a few times. Finn did, and one of the teachers dragged him off to give him a talking to...
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“Hey, this isn't too bad,” Ken says from his seat. However the student numbers were organized, we both wound up with window seats, far left side of the room. I'm in the second row, desk six, while he's two behind me, desk sixteen. Not too bad. We chat for a bit, before a guy with short black hair and a book in hand arrives and takes the desk between us.
I gulp nervously. Come on, this is high school. I'm becoming a man, I have to have some guts...
“Umm, excuse me?” I speak up.
“Mm?” Just that gives me the impression that he doesn't want to talk to me, but I tell myself I must be imagining it and push on anyway.
“Hi, I'm Seiko Maka, it's nice to meet you.”
“Trace Gon, nice to meet you,” he responds in kind.
Pushing through my awkwardness, I ask, “Gon-san, if it wouldn't bother you too much, could we switch seats during breaks?”
Immediately getting my meaning, he turns back to look at Ken, who offers a small smile. “Sure, no problem,” he responds easily, and gets up so we can swap.
“Thanks a lot,” I say as I take his seat.
“Don't sweat it.” With that, he opens up his book and starts reading. Turning back to Ken, I let out a small, relieved sigh. I can't believe that worked!
“Good job, Sei,” he praises me with a thumbs up, and I beam at him proudly. Yes, I'm an adult now, things will be different.
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It's a short day, with half length classes and no gym. Mostly just time for the teachers and students to all get acquainted. Jen and Finn don't come over, so they're probably working to get to know their own classmates today. We do pretty much the same, going through introduction after introduction with our new teachers, and I jot down names, trying to remember them.
Between classes, Gon disappears immediately. I guess he has friends in other classes and isn't really interested in knowing this one. It leaves his seat free though, so at least I'm not bothering him wanting to switch all the time. Similarly, a bunch of other students leave, while others arrive here from their classes. During one break, two purple haired girls from our class come over. They've been going around greeting everyone, so I guess it's our turn?
It's a rather odd sight though, the short one, hardly even taller than me, is enthusiastically dragging along the taller one, almost Ken's size. Despite her short height, she's got a really nice figure, visible even under her school uniform, with these long pigtails most of the way down her back.
“Hey, I'm Lucy Miki, my friend here is Amari Jann! It's nice to meet you!” she barrels right through their introductions.
“Nice to meet you...” Jann parrots her quietly, bowing a little. With her height and slim figure, the motion immediately draws my eyes to her huge chest, before I force myself to look away.
She doesn't even wait to hear our names, she must already know them from our earlier introductions. “So, how's it going, Yono-kun?” she asks, and throws a hand out for a handshake, which he accepts while chuckling at her antics.
“Good, good.”
“How about you, Maka-chan?” she chirps, and throws her arms around me in a hug. The move presses her breasts right into my face, my heart immediately thundering and my body reacting before I shove my hands down and clap my legs together to cover myself. Stupid body!
When my words fail, Miki draws back. “Huh? What's wrong?” she asks when she sees my face.
Grabbing her by the arm, Ken interjects. “Uhh, Sei's a guy, so...”
“Eh?!” Miki lurches back for just a moment, then immediately leans in and slaps her hands flat on my chest.
“Eee!” I let out a strangled gasp, face on fire from ear to ear, and my hands come up automatically to knock hers away, before wrapping around myself protectively. I lower my head and grit my teeth, trying desperately not to cry. I don't have anything there, why do people treat me like this?!
“Miki-san,” Ken's voice comes low and dangerous. “What are you doing to Sei?”
“Ah! I'm so sorry!” her hands flailing. “I didn't mean to, I moved without thinking! Umm, uhh, how about...” Spinning around to frantically dig through the bag hanging off Jann's shoulder, she suddenly pulls out a stick of gum and offers it to me, whole body bowing deeply. “A peace offering,” she says, dead serious.
“H-hey, that's mine!” Jann exclaims quietly from behind in shock. Seeing Miki's response, the way she apologized... It takes a few seconds to calm down, but I take the gum. She... doesn't seem like a bad person. She didn't mean anything by it, she was just surprised...
“Ok, I forgive you,” I sigh, then lean past the bowing Miki to give Jann back her gum.
“Oh, Maka-san,” Miki says quietly, leaning close, and I start to worry. She isn't going to do something else, is she? “Don't overreact or anything, alright?” she whispers in my ear, moving even closer, blocking my view of the rest of the class. “Nice and slow, just fix yourself, alright?” and moves her eyes downward to show what she means.
With my attention going straight back to the tightness in my pants, I blush bright red, tears pushing at the corners of my eyes, but do as she says, and don't immediately overreact. The way she's standing, her body is blocking anyone from seeing.
Stupid embarrassing body... Reaching down, I fix myself to avoid any more issues, and share a shaky smile with Miki, before she pats me on the head.
“I guess Maka-san is a boy after all. Sorry about the trouble. You can call me Lucy, alright?” she looks to both of us as she speaks.
“Sure, Lucy-chan,” I reply with a sigh, and Ken joins shortly after. Then Lucy throws both hands out, one for each of us to shake. When we take them, she shakes her hands up and down and asks, “Friends?”
I glance up at Ken, but he's looking at me, obviously waiting on my answer. “Yeah, friends,” I agree despite my reservations. Shortly after, the teacher arrives and we have to return to our seats for class.
After that, Lucy and Jann join us during breaks, and after some prodding of her much more shy friend, we all wind up on a first name basis by the end of the day.
Once the last bell rings, we sit for a bit longer while everyone packs up to head to their dorms. “So, how do you two know each other anyway?” Ken asks, “Not to be rude or anything, but it's a surprise, I wouldn't expect you two to mesh together so well.”
“Ah, we're purple hair best friends!” Lucy claims with a big, goofy grin.
“E-excuse me?” Ken stammers.
“Purple...?” I mumble.
Blushing deep red before she covers her face with her hands, Amari explains for her. “When we were in kindergarten, Lucy grabbed me on the playground and said we were best friends because we both have purple hair...”
“A-ahh...” we both fail to respond to that.
“What about you?” Amari asks, hands still on her cheeks. “How did you meet Sei-kun?”
“Well, about that...” Ken scratches a hand through his rough red hair, like he doesn't know how to say it, so I speak up.
“Ken saved me from bullies as a kid.”
“Oh, I'm sorry...”
“N-no, it's fine, it was... a long time ago...” I wrap an arm around myself anxiously when I think about it, looking off to the left automatically. That's when I see him. Spiky blond hair and a sloppy uniform. Only a hair shorter than Ken.
Bolin Vance.
He's been gone every break today, but now, he's coming our way. He pushes past the black haired beauty Vicca, coming right toward my desk.
Ken is already halfway out of his seat when Vance stops, leaning one hand down on the front corner of my desk. “Hey there, Seiko-chan,” I recoil, arms clutching tighter around myself. “Didn't see you earlier. You're still so tiny, I missed you completely. It's been a while, but you're still just as cute as I remember.”
I can't speak, I'm suffocating. With one step closer, his fingers trail lightly over my desk, and I squeeze my arms tighter around my chest. Not him. Not now. I can't.
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry... Even with Ken right at my shoulder, I'm paralyzed.
“So, Seiko-chan...” his voice drops lower, and I quiver, tears forming. “Has your dick fallen off yet?”
“Asshole!” Ken immediately snaps, lurching forward to snatch his collar up in one hand. “Leave Sei alone!” Even at nearly the same height, Ken is much more built, his strong hands pulling Vance almost up off his feet.
But even when Ken draws a hand back threateningly, Vance just smirks. “What are you going to do, hit me? In front of all these witnesses?” And he waves at the room of staring, half-packed up students around us. “Remember, we're adults now, Ken. I'll press charges. You remember who my Dad is, right?”
“Tch!” Ken grunts, face screwed up in anger, and his fist clenches so tight his knuckles go white. I can't breathe, but I can't let him get in trouble like that! Jolting up out of my seat, I grab Ken's arm.
“Please, don't do it!” I plead. Ken grits his teeth, then drops his hand. When his arms fall to his sides, Vance takes advantage of that moment to thrust a hand out at me. I'm still holding onto Ken's arm, and don't have any time to react.
He's going to touch me.
My eyes squeeze shut, entire body freezing in horror, but the hand never comes. I finally squint an eye open, to see that a girl caught him by the shoulder. Looking up at her, it's Leona Vicca. Tall and strong, with her black hair chopped into a short pixie cut, she is all leg, and looks like a supermodel, even in her school uniform. By far the most beautiful woman in our class.
The look on her face though, the withering glare and aura of command, make me feel even smaller than usual.
When she speaks, my stomach is in knots. “I will not permit such conduct within my sight. Do you understand?”
“What? We're just some guys messing around-”
“I said. Do. You. Understand.” Then, she flares, a brilliant glow of purple spreading from her irises, like a pool of light spilling from her eyes, and every sound stops dead. No one even dares to breathe before her.
A few moments drag on and on, every eye in the room nailed to the sudden, impossible appearance before us.
A Psion.
“Yes.” That is the only word Vance can force out. He can't even look at her.
Turning on a heel, Vicca grabs her bag and sweeps out of the room, other students throwing themselves out of her way as she passes by. Even after she leaves the room, everyone continues to stare at the door for a while, before there is a collective intake of breath.
I pant for a couple seconds, starting to shake. I think most of the class does.
Holy shit we have a psion in our class?! It's so different from the movies!
That's when I smell it, and my eyes move to Vance on the floor. He pissed himself. I'm not surprised, I would have too. I might have a little... Still, seeing him like that makes me feel a tiny bit better...
Eventually, everyone recovers, and starts heading out, Vance being the first one to run off. I really hope that puts an end to his bullying. He never had the guts to bully me after Ken and Jen beat him up in middle school. He must have thought things would be different here since we're adults now.
I wish I never had to see his awful fucking face ever again...
Word is already spreading about what happened. Tiny whispers, but I keep hearing the same words. Vicca, and psion.
While the four of us are shakily gathering our things, Jen shows up from the next class over. She has Runa and Finn trailing behind her too. “Woah, what happened here?” is the first thing she asks when she sees our shocked expressions.
“We have a psion in our class, Leona Vicca. She stopped Vance from bullying Sei.” Ken's flat, matter of fact reply sends all their eyes open wide, but it's Jen who responds just a moment later.
“Leona Vicca? From the Vicca family?” she gapes, but when it's clear no one else knows what she's talking about, she snaps at us. “We did that report on the Vicca's, remember? They're a powerful family of psions from the military!”
“A-ah, did we do something like that...?” Ken replies uncertainly.
Blowing out an annoyed breath, Jen looks over our group. “Yes, we did. If she's in your class, she probably just got back from her military service. Scary...” Even Jen shudders at the thought, then immediately tries changing the topic. “So, who are the new girls?”
Barely snapping out of their dazes, the two girls introduce themselves, and Jen responds, “Jenna Corro. If you're friends of these dorks, you're friends of mine. Call me Jenna.”
“Sure, you can call me Lucy, Jenna-san.” Lucy still looks a little shaken up when she speaks.
“Amari,” the shy one says, pressing a hand to her chest. “You can call me Amari.”
Smiling kindly, Jen draws the girls into a hug. “Good to meet you, Lucy-chan, Amari-chan.” Then she pulls Finn and Runa into the conversation, and gets everyone introduced to each other.
While they're all talking, my eyes drift up toward where Vicca was standing earlier. Still in a shocked stupor, like a buzz in my head, I shift a step forward, gaze glued to the odd little something hanging in the air. Like a smudge of... stuff.
There's a color without color. No reflection or refraction of light. Just... something. I can't so much see it as see it. It's up above my head, so I wave a hand slowly toward it.
I feel it. Everything and everyone. Forever. Then it's gone.
I blink a few times, before Ken wraps an arm around me from the side and pulls me back toward the others.
They're finishing up with the introductions. As soon as they're done, Jen snaps her fingers at the two of us, and goes on, “Come on boys, can't sit there forever. Let's get back to the dorms. I want to see my new room.”
“S-sure...” I mumble. My thoughts are still a complete mess after everything that happened. I thought things could be different here. So why...?
We all walk back to the dorms, everyone chatting, especially Jen and Lucy, who are already bouncing off each other like the best of friends. Even Finn manages to get Amari out of her shell a little and they speak quietly, Amari giggling once in a while.
I hang back with Ken and Runa, a couple steps behind the others. “Rough day?” Runa asks quietly. She tucks a loose strand of her long black hair behind her ear as she looks down at me, and I mimic the gesture automatically.
“Yeah, Vance-san,” I murmur. I feel sick. “Why does he have to be so... so...”
“He's a dick,” Ken grunts. “He's just a dick that likes to make people suffer.” With a grin, he jostles me by the shoulder. “And all he has are words, even you could kick his ass. You shouldn't let him get to you.”
“Yeah, you're right. Thanks Ken.” That's how I answer, but inside, my heart is sinking. I know Vance is just messing with me, he can't do anything to me anymore. I know I should ignore him.
I know that... that I need to just man up and forget about it all. But if I could do that, I would have done it years ago! How do you just 'man up?' What the hell does that even mean?!
Like always, I bury those thoughts deep down inside. I just have to wait. Once I grow up and become a man, I'm sure it will all make sense...