Chapter 5

7:00 a.m.

The bell rang for the first time today to signal that classes are already starting. All of the hallways have been cleared of students too. Some who came late were asked to go to the disciplinary office.

As for Cyril and Hera, they were almost caught by a student council member while walking to their literature class. Hopefully, they were saved by their teacher who called them to help her out with the books and some of her things as well.

“Please distribute those to your classmates,” she instructed the two students as the three of them entered the classroom.

“Yes ma’am.” They both went around to give the books to their respective owners.

After settling down in their places, the teacher started the day with a warm greeting to her students.

“Good morning, everyone. It’s nice to see your faces again after the long vacation,” she said, smiling at her students.

“Good morning, Mrs. Jones,” the class replied.

“Alright, I was informed earlier that we would be having an additional student from the original 23 roster,” the teacher announced. “Is Kode Walker here already?”

The students all looked around to see if there’s an unfamiliar face inside the classroom.

“Very well, I guess he’s not here yet. We may meet him some other day or probably later.” 

No one replied to the teacher’s statement, which gave her the cue to start her lessons for the day. Meanwhile, the students who knew each other very well from the previous year were a little curious as to who that Kode Walker might be.

It was their first time hearing that name and - with high school students being high school students - whenever they find out that there’s a new student, that student will surely become their target. So some of the known bullies of that class couldn’t wait to meet this new boy.

Over lunchtime, Cyril and Hera went over to the canteen to get their lunch. As usual, it’s always Hera who looks for a table for the two of them while the other buys them food.

Queued in the line in front of the counter, Cyril overheard some students talking about Kode.

“I heard that he and his friends were sent to the principal earlier,” the slimmer guy said.

“What do you expect?” the shorter one asked. “Kode is the most troublesome student in this university.”

“Bro, do you remember how he fought with another gang in front of the school gate?”

“Who wouldn’t remember that?” the other asked. “That’s when he made a name for himself.”

Name for himself? Cyril thought.

The queue started to move slowly as students from the front of the line one by one finished ordering their lunch. But as they continued to wait, the two students continued talking about Kode which gave Cyril the privilege to learn more about the said student.

“He was my brother’s batchmate back during their freshmen,“ the skinny guy said. “When I heard that he’s going to re-enroll for 8th grade I felt a little scared so I asked my brother how Kode is as a classmate.”

“What did he say?”

“Well, he said that as long as you don’t mess with him or his friends, you’ll be fine.”

“That sounds scary.”

“I know,” he said after sighing. “Well, at least he isn’t in our class.”

“Next please,” the canteen server called.

The two boys took their turns to take what they wanted to eat and put it on their plates before they went to pay for them. Then it was Cyril’s turn to get some food for him and Hera.

“Good afternoon,” he greeted.

“Good afternoon to you too,” the server greeted him back. “The usual?”

“Yes, please.” 

He took a tray underneath the counter and placed it on the counter as he waited for the girl to finish filling up the plates. After she placed them on the tray, she printed the receipt and gave it to Cyril.

“Thank you, have a nice day,” Cyril said.

He took the tray and walked over to where he remembered leaving Hera. She wasn’t there anymore so he assumed that she'd seen a table for them already. He let his eyes wander around the place and eventually he saw her sitting on a vacant table in the middle of the canteen.

She is busy looking at the book that she got yesterday from the book club that’s why she didn’t see Cyril walking towards her.

“Earth to Hera Bresset,” Cyril said upon placing down the tray on the table.

“Oh, hey you’re back,” she replied while smiling.

She kept the book back inside her bag before she helped Cyril serve their plates. After, Cyril settled on his spot to start eating his lunch.

“You really love that book now, don’t you?” he asked before digging into his macaroni and cheese.

“I haven’t started reading it actually,” Hera answered. “Maybe when I have fewer things to do.”

“By the way, I was over the counter earlier right?”

“Yeah.” 

Cyril cautiously looked around just in case that the two boys earlier were sitting somewhere near them. After he confirmed that they aren’t close, he turned to his friend.

“I think that new guy, Kode,” he whispered to her. “He seemed ruthless, arrogant, troublemaker of some sort.”

“Have you met him?”

Cyril shook his head as a response to that question.

“Then how do you say so?”

“I overheard two students in the line earlier, they were talking about Kode,” he took a sip from his cola before continuing. “They mentioned that he fought another gang in front of the school gate.”

“I envy that bravery.”

“And I think that what he did made other students fear him.”

There was a subtle silence between the two friends since both of them took a bite from their burger.

“I mean that’s like the characteristics of every other bully, ain’t it?” Hera asked while chewing her food.

“But this one seems different,” Cyril answered. “I don’t know, I just feel it.”

Hera didn’t respond to that statement, instead, she looked around the canteen area to try and find anything more interesting than Kode. Hopefully, she was able to spot one and she almost choked on her food as she tried to chew and call Cyril’s attention at the same time.

“What the hell are you doing?” Cyril asked, handing his friend her juice.