It's him, I see the 19 year old Ter infront of me.
I start running towards him as I'm opening my arms. I've missed him so much. He looks the same, yet so different. He's wearing a leather jacket, his style doesn't match his current one, but who cares. Everyone changes overtime.
I hug him tightly
He lets me hug him, but after a minute pushes me away. As expected, he and I are nothing to each other yet. I'd do the same. But I needed that.
He doesn't push me too hard, just with his little hand, but I can feel the pressure, the force that he doesn't use fully. I was expecting him to push me to the point I fall, but he doesn't. He's strong, it makes me smile.
"What are you doing?" He backs away and looks at me, all confused and disgusted. As expected.
"Do you have any sort of brain damage?" A stupid question comes to mind. I need to know if he has it or not. If I'm planning to stay here for a longer time I need to do everything to prevent it from happening. Even if it sounds stupid, I want to spend as much time as I can with little Ter. I can't bare to see him suffer in the future.
"What kind of question is that?" A boy next to him suddenly asks. It's a boy I've never seen before, he's wearing glasses so I can't fully see his face. I only look at Aster, but shortly after I see another one on his left, it's a guy I already know. It's the same, old Ezio. He looks adorable. All three of them wear similar clothes, I feel like I'm with three mafia bosses or something. Ezio keeps being quiet, looking all so dangerous but his face is far from that. His face is so cute and small.
I notice that they are going towards the place I'm coming from, this is odd.
"Well do you?" Ter looks offended "Did someone drop you as a baby?"
"Well.. no, I.."
"So why do you look so deformed" This was unexpected. I've never seen him act this way.
Ouch. I start acting like I've been shot, close my eyes and smile again as I open them. They just look at me, like I'm a fool. I agree, I look like a fool.
Ter just frowns. I tend to hug him again, he pushes me away the same way he pushed me away before. I smile again.
"What are you smiling at, freak!" I could never imagine him acting this way. He looks afraid.
I just miss hugging him, seeing him again after all of this back in the present. I hope this dream never comes to an end, so I get to see his face all the time.
I start to tear up, tears start falling on the path we're standing. I look like an idiot.
As he is about to leave, he takes out a cigarette from his pocket. He used to smoke? This is definitely a dream, he never smoked. it's impossible, he would've told me.
Shit, what if those cigarettes damaged his brain. I have to take them away from him, he is too young to be smoking.
As he lights up the cigarette and put it in his mouth I quickly knock it out to the ground.
He starts getting angry and takes a deep breath.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Stop smoking, it might ruin you" yes it might. I don't want to risk it, even if it's a dream it's weird seeing him smoking. That's doesn't sound like the same Ter.
What if it's his twin he hasn't told me about? I didn't even ask for his name, maybe it's not even him. He hid a lot of secrets from me already, so what's to lose?
"There is nothing else to ruin"
"But you can turn anything around if you stop doing things that ruin you" I say anything on my tongue.
"I'm leaving" he passes by. I stop him the same minute.
I grab his arm, he shakes it off and walks away.
They are going to the school. I'm so confused, why would they go there? The same school that I used to go to.
As his friends catch up to him, the same one with the glasses looks back to me
"Such an interesting guy " what?
"Don't smoke kids! It'll really ruin you, I'm telling you!" I scream as they walk towards the school.
I must find them, see Ter again so I won't lose him again. I can't let this happen, no matter if it's a dream or not. This dream is definitely ending the minute I go to sleep, so I have time. Time, where I can enjoy seeing his face, without all of those breathing tubes and ventilators on him. I can't live without him.
Oh little Ter, you were so little, it's so weird. I want to go back to you as soon as I can.
I don't see them anymore. All lost in my thoughts I didn't notice which way they went.
I start running back to the school, I need to know where they went, especially the fact they're here. Maybe Ezio or the guy with sunglasses went to this school? That would be insane.
I forgot some parts of the school so it's harder for me to find them. It feels like a maze.
I see a teacher walking through the hallway and run up to her.
"Have you seen three guys around here?"
"Why aren't you in class?"
"One is wearing sunglasses, the other one a hat, and the last one - a leather jacket"
"Go back to your class!" She doesn't answer my question "Let's go"
She walks me to the watchman of the school, the one that watches everyone going back to their classes in time and gives back keys to kids that lose them.
I don't want to go back to the lesson. I don't have time for this, I need to find Ter.
"What's your name, kid?"
"…"
I don't answer.
"I'm not asking you again"
"Uhhh…" The teacher is right beside me waiting for me to answer. I feel like a kid again, she doesn't even realise that I'm older than her. Only if I was my usual age, I'd put her back to her place.
"Aren't you going to answer him" I can sense that the teacher is starting to get angry.
"…"
"Burger"
A fucking idiot, could've thought of any name and I said that? There is no chance, that there is a person called a freaking burger. A burger, that we eat.
"Alright, you are in class D, it's geography right now, so go learn about countries or something" he looks pretty annoyed, yikes.
It turns out that there is a person in this school named that way. What will I do? I don't remember being in class D. Well, I stole someone's identity, so everything speaks for itself.
I can't go back, they might call my dad or something. I don't want him involved. Ah, my father, haven't seen him for quite some time, I wonder how he's doing. I was so busy working I haven't visited him for years. I'm a terrible son.
I only have a dad, my mother died during childbirth, when she was pregnant with Sasi, my sister. I was seventeen back then, it was the hardest point of my life. I really loved her. Poor Sasi, never got to meet her mom. Enough talking about these traumatic events, that's how life is.
"Where is the geography class?"
Why did I even ask, that'll look suspicious.
"You don't remember? As I can see, you been here for years" he looks at his computer
"I have a memory of a fish"
"Mmm" he looks sickened
Watchman leads me to the class. I don't want to go in, I do not remember anyone in that class. I don't know anyone. It feels like my exact emotions are coming back, I feel a little scared. I've changed, but it still feels weird, the nostalgia of this school is unforgettable.
I go in and I see everyone turn to me. They all look confused, they must think I'm a new student or something. I was invisible back then, so I know for sure nobody will even notice.
"Ah, a new student!" The geography teacher smiles. She wasn't my teacher back then, but she seems nice. "I wasn't informed about this!"
I almost introduce myself as a burger, but I remember that it must be someone else in that class, and that would be weird. Saying my real name would be odd aswell, because they might find out I'm not supposed to be here. Soon enough I'll leave this dream so it's not a big deal to lie, I could have fun with this.
"My name's Mali" shit. It's a girl's name. What is my problem with making up names on spot?
"Ain't this a freaking girl's name?" Some student shouts at the back
Gosh, a grown man making fun of a name. Isn't he eighteen or nineteen, how has he not matured at all?
"Yeah, so what"
"It sounds dumb. Your parents must be idiots naming you like that"
"Well your parents must be idiots for not using a condom" This is not real, so I'll say anything. These kids need to be taught to mind their own business. I'm actually having fun.
"You motherfu.."
"Children, stop fighting, did you forget the age you guys are?"
"Sorry, teacher!" that little bitch starts apologising like he didn't start it all.
The teacher makes me sit at the back.
While I'm walking to my seat I notice a cap. It's the same one that Ezio wore.
Is it him? Was he a student here? This is exciting. P and Ezio were so close to each other all of this time and didn't even know?
Oh my god, I must introduce them to each other. Oh I have a lot to do, I feel like this isn't a dream anymore, it feels too real. I might go back to the present anytime soon, so i have to take advantage of it.
He has his cap really close to his face so I can't see it. He doesn't sit too far from me so I must ask him where are his friends. I can't see the sunglasses guy and Aster here, so they probably went back to their own school. Surely I would've known if Ter went to the same school as me, right?
"Hey, Ezio!" he glances to my side. Completely puzzled.
I would be grossed out too if someone that I've only seen once knew my name.
He turns back to his table
"Where's Aster" I whisper
I'm a fool. Why would I know their names, this is such a creep behaviour.
He ignores me, that's what I expected. Adult Ezio isn't so bubbly and joyful too, I'm not surprised he's not answering me.
I just continue sitting at my table until the end of the lesson, I don't even have a backpack, how did they even take me for a student?
The second the class ends I run up to him
"Wow, you are such a cutie" I let my thoughts leave my head again, I should keep things to myself. But he is a cutie.
He just shrugs his brows and starts walking away.
"Look, do you know where Aster is?"
He starts walking faster
Damn I forgot he's one year older, but at the moment I'm the twenty eight year old while he's the 19 y.o, so he must be respectful to me.
Or not. I am literally back to being eighteen, so he's the older one. Whatever, I just need to know where Aster is.
"I'm his friend, tell me where he is"
"…" no answer
"I'll tell your grandmother if you don't tell me" I know he loves his grandma very much. Like, too much. He even told me about his grandma the day we met, could've went crazy, but I love him of course.
He suddenly stops, I didn't really expect him to.
"What do you know about grandma Champa?"
"I know that she'll get sad if you ignore people that are begging for help"
"Why do you even need him?"
"I just want to talk to him"
"He doesn't like people"
"But I know he likes you"
"Yeah, his friends, but not a complete stranger like you!"
"I just need to talk to him, that's all"
"Well, how would I know where he is? He must be with Izak"
"And do you have any idea where they could be?"
"I don't know their whole schedule"
"Yeah, but.."
"They are in class E, find them yourself"
Class E? In which school?
"What is the name of their school?"
"Are you kidding me? You say you know him and do not even know what school he goes to?" He shakes his head "it's obviously this one, why else would we all go here?" He's talking about the fact that they were walking towards this school after meeting me.
As a quiet kid, he's got quite the attitude.
Hold on, Aster In class E? In this exact school? The same school that I went to?? I need an explanation. Why would he not mention that? I talked about this school quite a lot, why did he not say anything? My head with all this information starts to spin. To be honest he never really answered my questions about his highschool life anyway and everything used to end in ..whatever, so this part's on me.
"Thank you" I finally leave him alone.
Firstly i go to the bathroom, after all of this walking i need to pee. Later I'll go to the receptionist and ask for the next lesson in class E. I must find him.
I go to the bathroom that's at the same floor, and when I walk in I see two guys.
Those two guys were the same Aster and sunglasses guy - probably Izak. They were smoking. Shit.
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Ongoing!! Written and created by me - tempox:)
If you see any mistakes please reach out I'll try to fix it as fast as I can