A whole week had passed since the incident, and Adam was back at school to recover from the accident. The principal had given him a whole week off to rest. However, that week wasn't enough for the boy to regain the smile on his face.
If it weren't for his father's insistence, Adam probably would have dropped out of school. But his father always warned him that the path for those who couldn't read in this world was even worse than Sofia's. Therefore, Adam ended up being forced to attend school with fear.
Upon arriving at school, Adam noticed it was as normal as ever, as if nothing had happened. However, this time he saw Cesar sitting with a stool by the hexagon's door. When Cesar saw him, he said with a smile:
—Hope you've recovered, Adam. We made some changes in your class to make you feel more comfortable. Come on, I'll walk you to the classroom. And if you feel unwell during class, you can come to the principal's office for a chat.
Adam nodded and followed Cesar to the classroom. Upon arrival, Adam noticed that the classroom hadn't changed, but this time there were two unfamiliar faces looking curiously at him, in addition to Aquiles, who seemed to still be his teacher.
As Adam walked in, Aquiles rushed to the door and embraced him, saying:
—Finally, my favorite student is here! You really did me a favor, kid.
Adam didn't quite understand what Aquiles meant; he only remembered his teacher passing out, so he couldn't grasp what favor he had done for him.
After the strange reception, Adam went to his usual desk and sat down, waiting to have classes for the first time in his life. Seeing that everything was going smoothly, Cesar bid farewell and went on with his duties as the principal, which was reading.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
—Alright, we're all here!—said Aquiles with much enthusiasm; it seemed like he desperately wanted these kids to like him — First of all, the name of our class has changed, hence the new faces, and from now on, I'll be your teacher. I used to be the teacher for the special children's class, but now I'm the teacher for class S-2.
The two students listened attentively to their teacher, while Adam looked closely at the children beside him, including Sofia. This was the second time he had been near other kids, and now there were two of them. Meanwhile, Aquiles continued:
—The first thing we're going to do is introduce ourselves. For that, I want Adam to show you how it's done.
Adam proceeded to introduce himself as the teacher had explained in the first class; he felt really happy to have learned at least one thing in this school. Once Adam finished, Aquiles introduced himself as he had done before. Now it was the turn of the other two unfamiliar students for Adam.
—I'm Bianca, I'm 10 years old, and I'm a student from floor middle 4 of 5, hexagon 8 of 18. You could say I love painting, and I have no doubt that I hate insects. When I grow up, I want to be a painter. My parents are tailors.
Bianca had black hair and green eyes, dressed in the same white robe as Adam, and she seemed to wear two beautiful gold earrings in her ears. Adam was surprised that this girl's voice was quite different from Sofia's, and she spoke more like him, with the childlike tone of a kid, dragging some complicated and seldom used words like tailors.
Next, the other boy in the room stood up:
—I'm Franco, I'm 9 years old, and I'm a student from floor middle 4 of 5, hexagon 8 of 18. You could say I love playing with some bookshelves, and I have no doubt that I hate getting punished. Like my father, I'm an inquisitor.
Franco had brown hair and turquoise eyes, dressed in white robes like Adam, but his robes were different and had a gold-embroidered badge on one of the sleeves. The badge resembled an open book with a candle in the middle. Like Bianca, Franco also had a diamond earring, but he only wore it in one ear.
—Well done, all of you!—said Aquiles with a smile— Now I'm going to give both of you your books. As your parents asked, both of you will learn the language of the upper floors. Your classmate Adam is learning the language of the middle floors, or as you know it at home: the language of the wooden floors.