LUCAS, MEANING NOAH, HAD STARTED TO HEADING TOWARDS BLACK RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL WITH THE SCHOOL'S PRIVATE BUS. ON THE BUS, HE WAS THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS BROTHER AND WHAT HIS NEW IDENTITY, LUCAS VANE, WOULD BE LIKE.
(Lucas Vane, as he had said, was someone who died 5 years ago. According to what **** said, he was a quiet person who focused on his studies. Additionally, he had been receiving psychological support due to bullying and peer harassment. But after two years of support, he had committed suicide. This is really strange.)
[30 Minutes Later - In front of Black Ridge High School]
NOAH, LOOKING AT THE SCHOOL FROM THE OUTSIDE, REALLY THOUGHT IT LOOKED LIKE A NORMAL AND PRESTIGIOUS SCHOOL. IT WAS VERY INTERESTING. HE STARTED WALKING TOWARDS THE SCHOOL AND HAD TO GO TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE. HE ASKED THE FIRST TEACHER HE SAW FOR DIRECTIONS.
Lucas: "H-Hello, I'm new here. I was told to find the principal. Do you know how I can find him?"
Lily: "Ah, yes, I heard a new student was transferring. The principal's office is two floors up, on the left side. His name is written on the door, so just go there."
Lucas: "Thank you, ma'am."
AFTER TALKING TO LILY, LUCAS WALKED TOWARDS THE DIRECTION SHE HAD POINTED OUT AND SOON SAW THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE. HE KNOCKED ON THE DOOR TWICE AND WENT IN.
Lucas: "Hello, I'm new here…"
THE PRINCIPAL WAS TALKING ON THE PHONE WITH SOMEONE, SO HE TOLD LUCAS TO SIT DOWN IN THE CHAIR IN FRONT OF HIS DESK AND WAIT UNTIL HIS CALL ENDED.
Principal: "Let me see... Lucas Vane, right?"
Lucas: "Yes, sir."
Principal: "Welcome to our school, Lucas. Sit for a bit, and once we finish these formalities, you'll go to your class."
[Almost 1 Hour Later]
NOAH, NOW LUCAS, HAD GONE TO HIS NEW CLASS WITH THE COUNSELOR. THERE WAS A LESSON GOING ON INSIDE. THE COUNSELOR WENT IN FIRST AND SAID:
Counselor: "Hello, everyone. We have a new transfer student to our school. He will be studying here starting today, so please treat him kindly and show him around."
THE COUNSELOR NUDGED LUCAS, MOTIONING FOR HIM TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF. LUCAS STEPPED FORWARD AND BEGAN TO SPEAK.
Lucas: "Nice to meet you all. I'm Lucas Vane, and I'm new here. I hope we get along well."
THE COUNSELOR TOLD HIM TO SIT IN AN EMPTY SEAT, AND LUCAS MOVED TO A VACANT ONE IN THE BACK. THERE WAS A GIRL SLEEPING NEXT TO HIM. A FEW PEOPLE LOOKED AT HER.
NOAH LOOKED AROUND THE CLASS. AFTER EVERYONE GAVE HIM A QUICK GLANCE, THEY RETURNED TO THEIR LESSONS. BUT SOMEONE—YES, SOMEONE—HAD BEEN STARING AT HIM FOR A LONG TIME. HE DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND, BUT WHEN HE SCANNED WITH HIS EYES, HE SAW A LONG-HAIRED KID SITTING BY THE WINDOW ON THE LEFT. THE KID SEEMED TO BE SMILING, BUT HIS EYES HAD THAT STRANGE "I KNOW EVERYTHING" LOOK. HE DIDN'T LIKE THAT TYPE.
HE LOOKED AT THE SLEEPING GIRL A FEW TIMES. HER BREATHING WAS CALM, BUT ONE HAND WAS TENSELY RESTING ON HER KNEE. ONLY A VERY OBSERVANT PERSON COULD HAVE NOTICED THIS. WAS SHE DREAMING? MAYBE, BUT WHAT THE OTHERS WERE LOOKING AT WASN'T REALLY HER SLEEPING, IT WAS WHO SHE WAS.
LUCAS TURNED HIS HEAD SLIGHTLY AND LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW.
[Lunch Bell - Lunch Break]
LUCAS HAD FALLEN ASLEEP DURING LUNCH, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF EXHAUSTION. HIS GOAL, AFTER ALL, WAS TO PRETEND TO BE AN AVERAGE STUDENT WHO DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS. HE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME. AS SOON AS IT WAS LUNCH, HE WENT OUT INTO THE SCHOOL CORRIDOR. HE WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE.
(Really interesting... I thought the school was a place where the bullies ran riot, but it's empty. Anyway, the real problem is that I need to find my brother's class. He told me a few things, and after messing with his computer, I learned he was in class 12/D. First, I need to find the classroom, then I'll find Ethan.)
NOAH WALKED AROUND AND ASKED A FEW PEOPLE ABOUT THE 12/D CLASS. AFTER A WHILE, HE FOUND A PLACE: THE OLD LOCKER ROOM BEHIND THE SCHOOL. THERE WAS A LOT OF NOISE COMING FROM INSIDE.
(It smells like too much smoke... and sweat. But the strange thing is, why do I smell a bit of blood from inside?)
NOAH LOOKED AROUND THE LOCKER ROOM AND SPOTTED A SMALL WINDOW ON THE SIDE. HE STARTED TO LISTEN AND WATCH.
Kian: "Fuck! How can this be a job like this?! We haven't been able to bully anyone or beat anyone up since this damn Blake guy came."
Logan: "Since that bastard brought his new rule, this school is like the schools we used to know! If the old leader were here, this school would be like it used to be."
Alex: "You guys have lost your minds? Do you even know what Blake has done? He's the new leader of the Sons of the Death gang, and they barely had any losses in the fourth major gang fight."
Logan: "That day was terrifying. Their hands were all covered in blood. I get why they're called the Sons of the Death now..."
Kian: "The Red Vultures gang tried to stop them with knives! Don't you remember?"
Logan: "Forget that... You're the leader of all these gangs and yet you still come to school and attend classes! How could a genius like you just come here? Don't you remember how to fight? Blake is a really scary guy..."
NOAH KEPT LISTENING, BUT SUDDENLY, HE FELT SOMEONE APPROACHING AND QUICKLY SNEAKED AWAY. HE WAS A MASTER AT THIS. HE WENT BACK TO THE SCHOOL HALLWAYS. THE BELL WAS ABOUT TO RING, AND THE CLASS WAS NEARLY OVER. HE NEEDED TO FIND BLAKE. AFTER ALL, HIS BROTHER WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE SONS OF THE DEATH GANG. THIS WAS A REALLY GOOD PIECE OF INFORMATION FOR NOAH. HE NEEDED TO TALK TO THE LEADER DIRECTLY. SO NOAH STARTED WALKING AROUND THE SENIOR'S FLOOR, LOOKING FOR BLAKE.
(Blake definitely knows something about my brother. After all, he's the leader of this gang, and my brother was part of it. My brother would never do something like this. He wouldn't hurt people. Why did he join such a brutal gang?)
WHILE WALKING QUICKLY, NOAH RAN INTO SOMEONE. HE WAS SURPRISED TO SEE IT WAS ETHAN.
Ethan: "Look who I found… Looks like the brother of the big shot is here too, huh?"
NOAH GAVE ETHAN A COLD STARE. BUT THESE EYES LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE WHO COULD KILL A PERSON. ETHAN CUT OFF HIS WORDS AND WENT SILENT. NOAH IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED.
Lucas: "Where's Blake? I can't find him anywhere."
ETHAN TRIED TO HOLD BACK A LAUGH AFTER HEARING THIS.
Ethan: "Why are you looking for him here? He's on the 11th-grade floor. Or did you think he was in 12th grade? Hahaha!"
ETHAN WAS GIGGLING WITHOUT REALIZING IT. AFTER HEARING THIS, NOAH WAS A BIT SURPRISED, BUT HE WAS ABOUT TO WALK AWAY WHEN HE TURNED TO ETHAN AND SAID:
Lucas: "Don't call me Noah. Call me Lucas."
JUST AS ETHAN WAS ABOUT TO RESPOND, NOAH HAD ALREADY WALKED AWAY, HEADING TO THE LOWER FLOOR TO FIND BLAKE.
Ethan: "So you're going for revenge, huh Lucas... This is going to be fun."
NOAH WENT DOWN TO HIS OWN FLOOR AND FELT A BIT CONFUSED. SOMEONE HIS AGE WAS RUNNING A GANG. HE WAS REALLY SURPRISED BY THIS. HE STARTED LOOKING AROUND ALL THE CLASSES, AND FROM A DISTANCE, HE SAW A PERSON WALKING WITH HANDS IN POCKETS, SURROUNDED BY GIRLS AND GUYS WHO WERE GREETING HIM. HE FINALLY FOUND HIM. HIS EYES LOCKED DIRECTLY ON BLAKE'S. A FEW SECONDS LATER, BLAKE SPOTTED HIM AMONG THE CROWD AND LOOKED BACK AT HIM. NOAH WAS SURPRISED, BUT HE DIDN'T LOOK AWAY. IT WAS LIKE A STARE-OFF. NOAH, HOWEVER, LOOKED AT BLAKE WITHOUT ANY EMOTION, AS IF HE WAS STARE AT NOTHING. BLAKE WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HIS GAZE, BUT HE COULDN'T. HE HAD BEEN STANDING STILL, NOT REALIZING HOW LONG HE HAD BEEN DOING SO. SOMEONE TAPPED HIS SHOULDER AND BLAKE HAD TO TURN.
Kevin: "Hey Blake, you alright man? Why are you standing still?"
Blake: (Laughing) "I zoned out a bit... I'm tired."
Kevin: "I told you not to skip the training yesterday. You overdid it."
Blake: "Mind your own business. You've lost a lot of weight. Your bones are showing."
BLAKE LOOKED BACK AT NOAH'S DIRECTION BUT COULDN'T SEE HIM ANYMORE. HE LOOKED AROUND BUT COULDN'T SPOT ANYONE SIMILAR. HE THOUGHT MAYBE NOAH HAD WALKED AWAY, BUT HE COULDN'T FIND ANYONE LIKE HIM. BLAKE, SURPRISED, SMIRKED SLIGHTLY.
(Seems like I've found someone interesting in this school.)
JUST THEN, THE BELL RANG, AND NOAH WENT BACK TO HIS CLASS AND SAT DOWN. HE WAITED FOR THE LESSON TO BEGIN. SOMEONE WAS LOOKING AT HIM. IT WAS A GIRL WITH HEADPHONES IN HER EARS AND BANDAGES ON HER ELBOWS. SHE HAD A FEVER-REDUCING BANDAGE ON HER HEAD. THIS WAS NOAH'S SEATMATE. SHE LOOKED AT HIM AND, AS HE EXTENDED HIS HAND TO GREET HER, SHE IGNORED HIM AND CONTINUED LOOKING AT HER PHONE. A FEW SECONDS LATER:
Mia: "Nice to meet you."
NOAH CONTINUED WAITING FOR THE CLASS TO START, SCANNING THE ROOM. THEN HE LOOKED AT MIA.