章 2: Parents
Plus, they live near here. That means they're close enough that I could ask them personally.
***
The next day, I woke up early in order to catch the bus. I hated being late, I couldn't afford to miss class today. But first, I needed to get ready. Since I was planning to visit my parents, I put on a pair of jeans and a plain blue shirt. I added a sweater just in case the temperature dropped later in the afternoon. Finally, I slipped on my sneakers and headed to the kitchen to eat breakfast.
Once I finished eating, I grabbed my backpack and left the house. As expected, I arrived at the bus stop shortly thereafter. From there, I waited patiently until the big yellow vehicle pulled up to the curb. Once we reached our destination, I hopped aboard and found myself a seat towards the back of the bus.
Today's lesson was supposed to cover advanced math concepts, which meant that it wouldn't be easy for me to pay attention. Luckily, I brought some snacks with me so I could munch on them periodically throughout the morning.
"Hey," said a girl sitting behind me. "Do you mind switching seats?"
She pointed her thumb at the empty seat beside hers. Her voice was cheerful and friendly, unlike most girls whose faces looked like thunderclouds when they spoke with me. She seemed nice, so I agreed without much hesitation.
We exchanged our names and talked for a short while; she told me about herself while I listened politely. We shared some laughs together, laughed at jokes that weren't funny at all.
Her name is Fae and apparently, she goes to the same high school as me. Although, I hadn't met her during my freshman year since she transferred schools last semester. Apparently, our two classes were scheduled to meet for the very first time today.
Fae explained to me how she ended up transferring to our school. According to her story, her family lives far outside town and they usually drive themselves to and from school every day. However, due to some unfortunate circumstances, they were forced to rent a car instead, forcing her to ride the bus with other students from the area. This led to her meeting several people whom she now considers friends, one of those being Aden.
While talking to her, I learned a lot about her personality and interests. For example, she loves dancing and singing. She also likes to read books about mythology and legends.
However, the conversation soon turned serious. Fae began telling me how badly she wants to become a professional dancer someday, but unfortunately, her grades aren't good enough. With this in mind, she started attending dance lessons three times a week and studying hard to improve her academic performance.
Despite these efforts, her grades haven't improved significantly. Even worse, she hasn't been accepted into any prestigious ballet academies. She currently attends an average performing arts academy where she studies dance and sings in the choir. Despite her best intentions, she isn't sure if she'll ever achieve her dream.
I wanted to comfort her somehow, but I didn't know how. So instead, I decided to focus on listening to her problems. After all, I knew exactly what it feels like to struggle against overwhelming odds.
"I can tutor you." I wanted to help her anyway I could. "Maybe I could teach you some tricks and tips on how to study better…"
Fae smiled brightly at me. "Really?!"
"Yeah!" I nodded enthusiastically. "You seem smart, so I think you could definitely benefit from my tutelage..."
"Thank you a lot!" Fae smiled from ear to ear.
"My pleasure." I grinned happily. "Let's start tonight after dinner. I live alone, so I won't need to worry about getting interrupted halfway through your homework assignments."
Fae giggled excitedly. "Sounds great! See you then."
After saying goodbye to her, I returned to my seat. The rest of the trip went smoothly. There were no awkward silences between us and I managed to learn a few things about her life.
When we finally arrived at school, I thanked her once more before heading inside. My first period was chemistry, which meant I had plenty of time to kill until lunchtime.
Luckily, I always carry my phone with me wherever I go, so I decided to check my messages.
There was one from my mom asking why I wasn't answering my cell. I responded quickly and apologized for being late, explaining everything that happened earlier in the day. Then I promised her I would call her as soon as possible.
Next, I checked my email account. A message from my father awaited me, informing me about some important news regarding my mother's research project. I opened the attachment and scanned its contents carefully.
Apparently, they've recently received funding from a private donor willing to fund their work indefinitely if they manage to complete the task ahead of schedule.
'Crap I forgot to get Fae's number.' I sighed softly, realizing I missed my chance to contact her.
Then I called my dad. It was almost noon and I knew he would be busy preparing lunch for my siblings. Fortunately, I got him on the second attempt.
"Hello Aden," he greeted me cheerfully. "How are you doing?"
"Good thanks Dad." I replied. "Just calling to say hi. How's Mom?"
Dad chuckled. "Oh, she's fine. She's working on something really interesting right now though. Something related to her research project actually. Anyway, I don't want to bother her, so I'll tell you about it later."
I nodded slowly. "Okay, sounds good."
"Anyway, I hope you're enjoying yourself at school." He continued. "Have you made any new friends yet?"
I shook my head sadly. "Not many people accept me because of how weak I am."
"Don't let them get to you son." Dad advised me gently. "You shouldn't care what others think about you."
"Thanks and goodbye, dad."
"Goodbye, Aden."
With that, I hung up the phone and stared blankly at nothingness.
クリエイターの想い 
Mrhekko
Mrhekko I know Fae seemed a bit forced.
I will try to improve on that.
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.
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