Shard

Academy 218: Still looking for new people to join - now is the primetime.

Zoe!!

Academy 218: Still looking for new people to join - now is the primetime.

Casper was so into his game that he almost jumped out of skin when the other boy came to talk with him. Damn it, had he done something stupid? He knew that it was probably best not to sneak up on people. This guy was rather scary, to say the least. Was he in a gang? He looked like someone who’d be in a gang. ‘Damn it, Casper. Stop being so judgemental, he just said hello.’ That wasn’t all he said. As Diego introduced himself and informed the smaller boy of his reluctance to be in the cafeteria, Casper immediately loosened up a bit. Needless to say, he had been incredibly tense before Diego finished his sentence.

Casper reached his hand up and pulled his headphones off, blinking a few times before swallowing his social anxiety and replied. “H-hello…” He responded, analysing this boy who had introduced himself as Diego. Diego…that was honestly a very pretty name. ‘I didn’t say that out loud, did I? Oh, good…that would have been awkward…If this guy can read my mind, I’m fucked…’ “Y-yeah…it was really…uh…” The boy looked down for a moment, what was a good word to describe the situation in the cafeteria? “Crowded…” Yeah, that worked. Casper’s eyes continued to the guitar and he nodded slightly at what Diego said. “I…I saw you play on the boat.” The boy smiled softly, lowering his eyes as he spoke. “I think you’re…really good.” It was the truth. Casper couldn’t play an instrument to save his life and if he saw someone else able to play, it always peaked his curiosity. Perhaps he could learn, at some point.

“Oh…” He slipped the game console into his bag after turning it off and pulled the headphones out. “It’s okay if you want to smoke…” Admittedly, Casper disliked the smell and the atmosphere that came with smoking but he understood why some people did it. If he had a habit like that, he’d probably swipe the whole package right about now. He needed something to calm his nerves, especially after the wondrous welcome he had been given by his two close friends.

“I’m Casper…” The boy spoke quietly, lowering his head. “…by the way.” Diego didn’t seem like the most talkative type either and he seemed nice. ‘See? He’s not going to hurt me, you’re a judgmental ass sometimes, you know that, Casper?’ The boy managed a slight smile as he looked up at Diego. He did seem to manage to run into a few good people, too. “You have a…pretty guitar.”

Academy 218: Still looking for new people to join - now is the primetime.

So far everything had been going well. No one came and bothered Casper and no one talked to him. As he had hoped, the boy easily disappeared in the crowd, but with the massive amount of people surrounding him, he felt his appetite leaving him at a rapid pace. It was okay at first, he managed to get a few bites in but after that, it was getting too cramped and too uncomfortable. He needed to get out of there, to go somewhere safe and quiet. If someone he didn’t quite get along with bumped into him here he’d be in a lot of shit. He’d rather not cause a scene, not that he could, but the mass of people didn’t help in calming his mind. Finding Mason was something he had completely given up on and now sat poking his food absentmindedly with his fork.

Suddenly, a little girl came and sat in front of him. Wait, what? She was like, a kid. How old was she? This girl couldn’t have been older than five. They let five year olds run around on their own in a sea of people where they could be trampled to the floor? She smiled at him with a polite expression and Casper returned it, a faint and gentle smile crossing his lips. This was getting too hard to maintain, however. He felt out of place and exposed to everything. It was as if he stood in a bush of thorns and moving even an inch would get him cut.

Without another word, the boy stood and grabbed his plate. Now that he was standing, the scene appeared clearer around him. He could see the various little groups packed together and immediately noticed a tall blonde girl talking to an asian girl. Yeah, the popular kids. Casper moved to where he could dispose of his plate and saw a table by the wall with a few people gathered. Adam was also there, the head of this whole thing. Honestly, he looked like a big, bad president of some kind of super power. Maybe he was? Damn, it’s ironic when you can’t even think these things around here without someone hearing you. That was the worst part of the academy, nothing was a secret. Casper didn’t have much to hide, not in his past at least, but sometimes he liked having an opinion.

Adam was talking to someone, something. What the hell was that? Moving slightly to get a better view, Casper saw the fleshy creature and raised an eyebrow. Wait, he had been here last year, too. Oh well, apart from that a hooded person was sitting besides him and some other guy, along with some more people. Alright, it was time to leave.

Trying to avoid everyone the best he could, Casper eventually managed to get out of the cafeteria and took a deep, deep breath. It felt almost like he had just emerged from a deep ocean after having held his breath for the past twenty minutes.

Okay, if he could find his dorm, that would be great. The teachers had however not given them that information, yet. Damn it. Well, at least he could drop down in the garden. It was empty there apart from…guitar sounds? Wait, was it the guy from the boat? The guy with the guitar? Yeah, he still had the guitar, didn't he? Sure, he looked rather intimidating but Casper would honestly much rather be alone with a dude who could beat him into the ground than hang out in the crowd in the cafeteria. With another breath, the boy softly moved towards the sound and peeked behind the tree, his steps naturally light and quiet against the grass. That confirmed it, it was him, smoking. Not wanting to be a bother, Casper moved a slight distance from the tree and dropped down on the grass further away and produced his Playstation Vita from his shoulder bag. This was the original. Saving your progress on a copy wasn’t very effective when you wanted to actually get further into the game.

Turning the device on, Casper plugged his headset into it not to destroy the serenity of silence in the garden. He had always loved it there, it was peaceful and incredibly beautiful. He knew the way to the garden from anywhere on the school and could easily make his way there from the cafeteria without any complications. Lowering his eyes to the screen, Casper sighed slightly and started clicking the various buttons on his device. Tomorrow class would start, and his gaming device was probably going to be his best friend in the spaces between. Slicing monsters up with a katana was always fun, after all. The thought was honestly rather funny. Imagine little Casper with a katana, cutting through monstrous creatures. That’d be the day.

After people finished up in the cafeteria, the garden would probably get crowded too but luckily Casper knew of a few secluded places where he could hang out until it was time to go 'home'. He couldn't wait for his dorm number to be assigned. So far he felt like he was drifting at sea with but a plank to hold onto. This would all be over soon.

Academy 218: Still looking for new people to join - now is the primetime.

Zoe will go and sit with you, no worries.

Academy 218: Still looking for new people to join - now is the primetime.

Anyone can sit next to Casper in any of the scenes I described ^^.

Academy 218: Still looking for new people to join - now is the primetime.

And so it begins again. Casper followed the crowd walking off the boat, moving some bangs from his eyes as he slipped his white beanie atop his head. The boy’s pink bangs were still clearly visible, but now they kept themselves at the left side of his face instead of covering his vision. The first order of business was to locate Mason but it was futile. That young man had vanished in the crowed and if Casper would even attempt to stop moving, he’d be trampled. ‘Damn…well, I might see him around, later. Last year all the students ate dinner together, I might find him there.’ It was a thought that kept an optimistic aura around the boy but he tried not to put too much weight on it, lest it break.

As he felt his feet step onto the island’s soil, an immediate feeling of absolution washed over him. There was no turning back now. He had managed one year there without breaking, he could manage another. With his fingers tightly wrapped around the strap of his bag, Casper tried to keep every limb as closer to his torso as he could. It felt safer that way.

The grass beneath his feet reminded him of the countless times he had walked from one class to the other, keeping his eyes down as to not meet anyone along the way. Maybe this year was going to be different. Maybe this year he’d be able to look up as he walked and not fear every single step he took. Maybe-…

“Well, look, it's The Friendly Little Ghost!” A familiar voice tore Casper from his thoughts just before he entered the auditorium. It was an old ‘friend’, Philip. “Changed your colours this time around, did’ja?” Philip wasn’t a large guy, neither was his friend Greg who stood besides him. They were of average size but towered above Casper all the same. “What…?” He continued, not getting an answer from the boy. “Cat got your tongue?”

“You’ll have time to talk later.” A teacher interrupted the group of three. “Now get into the auditorium.” If this woman had been at the academy last year or not, Casper was unsure. She did however save him. Without another word, the boy hurried into the auditorium and took a seat next to whoever, hoping that it wasn’t either Greg or Philip that would sit besides him. Luck was with him so far, and another student sat down besides him.

Damn, where was Mason? ‘Why am I clinging to him? Mason won’t be my knight in shining armour. He doesn’t even know me…besides…I don’t want anyone to stand up for me. I can take care of myself…’ It wasn’t true, of course. He couldn’t stand up for himself to save his life but it was something he liked telling himself. One could call it ‘living a lie’ because that was all it was, but it was better than accepting his weakness.

The Head Mistress began talking but Casper’s thoughts were way too distracted to record her words. She was talking about something concerning rules and punishment, he registered that much, but Casper already knew the rules. Too bad none of them actually helped him. He wasn’t the only student that was bullied, others were as well, but as long as no one threw a fire ball his way, no one would get punished for it. That’s what it is though, isn’t it? Just like high school back home, everyday’s a battle.

The Head Mistress kept talking and Casper occasionally glanced up at her from where he was sitting but his eyes would much rather just remain at his hands as they laid together, his fingers anxiously fiddling with each other. How could he have missed Greg and Philip on the boat? Perhaps they were here all along, yeah that was probably it. They were already there, waiting for him. Once the Head Mistress was done talking, the students were herded out of the auditorium and he’d soon find himself in the cafeteria. Again, Mason was nowhere to be seen. Well, the only thing that could be done now was to just take a random seat and hope for the best. Perhaps no one would talk to him at all, and this would all go by harmlessly. As soon as his dorm number would be revealed, Casper could finally hide out in his room. It was the safest place on the island, after all.

No matter the worried thoughts of dread that were washing over him, he couldn’t deny that his stomach had been very empty since he stepped onto the boat. With a soft sigh, the boy grabbed hold of a fork in his left hand a knife in his right, cutting into the food that was on his plate.

Academy 218: Still looking for new people to join - now is the primetime.

Yay, food.

Academy 218: Still looking for new people to join - now is the primetime.

“Bye…” Casper returned as Mason took off. The feeling in the pit of Casper’s stomach was something he was very unused to, it was a form of longing. Was it for Mason? Perhaps he didn’t want him to leave. It was almost as if safety left with him and once more, Casper was standing alone on a large ship full of people. It was nothing against Kana or Mark, but Mason had managed to unlock something within Casper that he never thought possible from anyone else than his dad. With Mason gone it felt like Casper was suddenly out of place with the others. Kana and Mark were polite individuals, they were kind. However, Casper felt out of place in their conversations. He didn’t quite belong. “I’m gonna’ leave, too…” The boy spoke quietly, his eyes trailing the floor. “It was nice meeting you…”

With a gentle smile, he moved away and walked down to the sleeping quarters where he had his bag. It didn’t take long, he knew the way. Upon reaching his destination, Casper dropped down on his knees and produced a Playstation Vita from the traveling bad and replicated it. Call it paranoia, but he’d rather walk around with something he couldn’t really lose.

There, he was all set for the remainder of the trip. He’d be within the safety of his own little bubble. No one usually came and bothered a person reading a book so why would they with a person playing video games? It’s considered rude, isn’t it? Casper left the sleeping quarters and found himself a nice, sunny spot on the lower levels and sat down against the wall. He felt the soft breeze brushing past him as he turned the portable game console on and clicked ‘Play’ as soon as the main menu appeared. He had always loved shooters, and they were a splendid choice when he wanted to kill time.

The boy’s thoughts traveled to the academy as he absentmindedly played the game. Would people remember him from last year? He had his hair coloured in a similar way back then but a bright green colour instead. A lot of people objected, of course. It was in the form of bullying and forcing him to rather secluded places in between classes. Casper didn’t mind being by himself beneath a large tree casting a refreshing shadow over him to prevent the sun’s hot rays from being constant. Had he a choice, however, he would enjoy some company. Mason…perhaps he would be that company this time around. Casper was sure not to count on it, though. There were a lot of students in that academy, all of which were more interesting than him. There was another thing, too. Casper didn’t want to drag Mason through the mud. He seemed like a socially inclined person and hanging out with Casper would immediately brand him with a negative stamp on the forehead.

There was this other kid at school who had it worse, though. In comparison, Casper was king of the ball room. What was his name again? He didn’t remember, the never actually spoke. Harley, Harvey? It was something like that. His name wasn’t the thing people would remember though, it was his appearance. He didn’t have eyes, his skin was a sickly colour and he was just overall so…weird. At first Casper’s heart skipped a beat at the sight but it quickly turned into fascination. How, why, when…how!? How could someone look like that?

Shaking his head slightly, with a soft sigh leaving his lips, Casper paused the game for a moment. He didn’t have anything against this guy…Harvey? No, he didn’t have anything against him. In fact, he had wanted to say hello a lot last year but it never came down to it. He never had the spine to actually do it. Perhaps this year would be different, maybe it would be different for everyone. From the get-go, this year had started out as the polar opposite to last year. Three people came and talked with the boy, they came to him. Perhaps that was a sign. Casper wanted friends, he was just too scared to take that step. With this start however, he might have the strength to pass it forward. Mason gave Casper something he never expected. It was time to pass it on. Okay, it was decided. He’d say hello to…Harley? Whatever, he’d say hi. Un-pausing the game, Casper returned his attention to the screen.

Academy 218: Still looking for new people to join - now is the primetime.

<Snipped quote by Shard>

We must destroy her.

@SepticGentleman

She'll probably bully Casper, too. He won't have the ability to retaliate though xD

Academy 218: Still looking for new people to join - now is the primetime.

Zoe is so polite