While Evan was immersed in his dreams, he was drenched in sweat from head to toe.

"Ahhhh." He woke up screaming, clutching his head, which throbbed with pain as if it would split open any second.

He turned on the room light and checked the time on his phone, realizing it was already past five in the morning and dawn was near.

He considered sleeping more but quickly dismissed the thought, remembering that today marked his first day of school.

Rising from his bed, he headed to the bathroom to freshen up. As he washed his face, he noticed his eyes were mostly red. He attributed it to the previous day's events and continued his routine, unaware that the cause was something entirely different.

After leaving the bathroom, he opened the window beside his bed to observe the outside world.

It was still somewhat dark, but he could see people going about their business, some even running.

A message notification from James caught his attention as he was checking his phone.

He and his new friend had exchanged numbers to stay in touch. Evan had been hesitant at first, but eventually relented after some coaxing.

James had even called to verify the number, ensuring it wasn't incorrect.

Evan chuckled at the memory and opened the message box to see what James had sent.

The messages read: "Hey bro, are you awake? Message me if you are. Bro, are you coming to school today?"

They had been sent one after another, and Evan was taken aback by James's forwardness. It was unusual for someone to become so friendly after just one meeting, especially since they weren't children who often make friends within minutes, but rather teenagers.

Evan responded, "Yes, I'm awake, and I'll be attending school today, so don't worry."

A few minutes later, his message arrived in the form of an emoji depicting a smiley face.

"So, you're actually online right now, huh? Well, I guess we're somewhat alike," James replied, accompanied by a devil emoji.

"No, I just woke up, and I'm sorry to inform you that I didn't stay up all night," Evan stated, accompanied by a straight-faced emoji. ( :| )

"Ah, who cares? Just get to school, and we'll have some crazy fun today," James said, eager to change the subject.

Evan chuckled and replied with a thumbs-up emoji before closing his phone.

Noticing it was nearly six, he quickly headed to the bathroom to get ready.

A few minutes later, he emerged fully dressed in his freshly ironed clothes, which he had obviously pressed himself, and packed his bag with all the subjects he would study that day: mathematics, literature, geography, physics, science, history, and a few additional items.

With everything prepared and the time already past six-thirty, he hurriedly left, grabbing his phone from the charger and slipping it into his pocket.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

He laced up his shoes and stepped out of his apartment. He greeted some neighbors who were on their way to work; they always exchanged pleasantries, unlike the unpleasant encounter he had with that other girl and guy before.

He bid them farewell and descended the stairs. There, he discovered Jason outside, engaged in his morning workout.

"Good morning, Uncle Jason," he greeted, prompting Jason to turn around. The sight of Evan, so strikingly reminiscent of his son from years past, left Jason momentarily lost in memories, oblivious to Evan's presence.

"Um... Uncle, are you alright?" he inquired, noticing Jason's distant gaze.

"Oh... yes, I'm fine, just reminiscing," Jason replied, clearing his throat slightly.

"Ah," he responded, offering a smile. (:[))

"I was about to come and wake you, but it seems unnecessary now," he remarked, aware that Evan understood the reason for his distraction.

"Well, I should head to school," he announced, and was about to leave when Jason called out to stop him.

"Where are you going before even having breakfast?" he asked, knowing that Evan was about to leave without eating.

"Oh, I figured I could grab something from the store so I wouldn't bother Aunt Rossy this early in the morning," Evan replied, not wanting her to tire herself by waking up early to prepare food for him.

"It's actually nothing; breakfast is already made, and she was waiting for me to wake you so we could all eat together," Jason explained, sharing the truth.

"But you both shouldn't have to go through this trouble for me. I don't want to be a burden," Evan protested, feeling like they were making adjustments for him.

"No, it's normal for us to eat this early," Jason said, chuckling.

"And Evan, your aunt said it, and I'm saying it too—you're not a burden to us," he continued reassuringly.

"Bu..." Evan began, but Jason cut him off.

"Ah... these days, kids don't know when to stay quiet and heed their elders' words. Get inside and eat your breakfast, or else..." Jason barked at him.

"Sorry, I'll do it right away, Uncle," Evan replied, hurrying inside, leaving Jason with a slight smirk.

"Kids these days actually listen when we raise our voices," he muttered under his breath as he entered the apartment.

Jason noticed Evan assisting Rossy in setting the table and arranging the plates.

He settled into his chair and began reading the newspaper, waiting for them to finish. Half a minute later, they were done.

"Put that paper aside, Mr. News Anchor, or I'll burn it in the next ten seconds," Rossy declared, while Evan chuckled upon hearing the nickname she had for Jason.

"Alright, just don't burn it," conceded Jason, who could be quite stubborn at times but tended to yield, knowing his wife's temper.

Afterward, silence fell as everyone finished their breakfast.

Once done, Rossy cleared the plates while Jason stood up and retrieved some documents.

He handed them to Evan, who looked puzzled.

"What's this, Uncle?" Evan inquired, smiling, worried he might have done something wrong.

"It's just a document I forgot to submit at your school. You'll need to drop it off at the principal's office," Jason explained, prompting a sigh of relief from Evan.

"Okay, I'll take care of it," Evan agreed, slipping the papers into his bag. He was about to leave when Rossy halted him.

"Evan, aren't you forgetting something?" she asked, feigning sadness.

"What is it, Aunty?" he responded, clueless.

"Your lunch, you dummy," she chided, playfully thumping his head.

Evan rubbed his head, pretending to soothe the pain.

"And what would you eat for lunch at school, huh?" she prodded, her affection warming Evan's heart.

"Thanks, Aunt. I'll make sure to eat it all," he promised, packing his lunch and dashing off after bidding them farewell, ready to embrace a new day in a new city and school.

_