Epitome of a Hero

Second Chances

I went to the locker area at the school to fetch some of the books which I know will be used for today’s classes.

Algebra and History will be on the list of classes which is why I stood right now in front of my locker to open it. Hmmm…

I closed my eyes to see whether I can remember what these classes will be about but all I can see inside my head are numbers that I can’t even get. Maybe it will come around later.

I grabbed the books that I arranged yesterday but stopped at once when I remembered about the sketch which dropped from the book.

“I think she drew a lot more of these… Maybe there are more sketches clipped on this book…”

I mumbled to myself and decided to flip on the pages of the books and there I found two to three more sketches of the strange boy who I have no memory of, which she had no information of aside from him being a guy from another section. Andrei’s classmate?  

I scanned the sketches and there it was again, that unusual beating of my heart which I don’t normally get.

I’m pretty sure this is not my feeling… I won’t just like someone I’ve never even met… but maybe the girl does…?

I didn’t notice that I was smiling on the sketches myself so I just put it on my bag and clip it in between the pages of the girl’s notebook on Algebra.

“Hi fei,” I greeted as I passed by my friend on the hallway. She was looking kind of embarrassed by the way she look so I told her she looked pretty. Nothing much happened on the day but I noticed that I was getting good at answering during recitations making my classmates know me a little better than the real owner of this body.

I think she was very isolated from other people … just like me…

The difference is, I was more on front of war which us why I have faced more people which turned to be my foes than friends. The reason why I am also familiar with how to cope up when you are being treated like s**t.

Which is also why I wonder what happened to her…

“You’re spacing out again,” Adrian spoke beside me and I looked at him. “I didn’t know you love drawing.”

What?

“What do you mean—”

Oh.

I gasped and my eyes widen when I looked at my desk where Adrian was looking. I didn’t realize that I was drawing again and this time, it was me doing it--- and my drawing was the boy’s reaction last day!

“You have some good fundamentals to be drawing on that way with your imagination.” Adrian looked impressed so I let out a nervous laugh and just thanked him for it. You really do like that boy from yesterday huh, Tricia?

“Uhm thanks,” I answered and he smiled at me, I felt great about that.

“If you’d like we can hang out sometime to draw, it’ll be fun making our own OC’s and we can also practice color theories if you want to take your drawings to the next level,” he chuckled and I giggled, feeling like I knew what he is exactly talking about and damn, I really do.

“Sure, that would be nice. I’ll be bringing my things next time,” I answered.

“Hey Adrian,” Fei greeted with Sheene and Adrian raised his hand as his form of greeting before leaving us alone.

“Here’s your sandwich,” Sheene smiled as she hand me over the sandwich which I didn’t remember that I asked for. I guess I was so busy--- drawing. I huffed and they kind of noticed it making me feel shy. Kind of.

While on break, the three of us talked about random things about school and organizations which existed in the school. I kind of knew it but I would like to check out what I could do on those. I would very much like to hold a sword again… Do they even have clubs for that?

“Do you think they have clubs for uhm---swordsmanship?”

I asked and they both look at me as if I was crazy. Why?

“What? No, they don’t,” Sheene laughed.

“This is a school, Triz,” Fei added as she giggled.

“Oh,” That’s disappointing…

I took a bite of my sandwich out of my melancholy of the thought of never being able to hold a sword again. The sword which became my friend for my whole life on my real world.

“But they do have Taekwondo!”

Fei blurted out like it was the craziest idea but I wasn’t thrilled at all.

Taekwondo? What is that? I tilted my head as I chewed.

“Martial arts! Since you have a good punch, you can join if you want!”

Punches? I’m in.

“Where do I sign in?” I asked immediately and all of us laughed because of my response.

“We can look---”

Fei stopped when the group of mean girls bumped her shoulder with their hips as they walked past her.

“Looks like the nerds are getting together all too well,” Ashley said before putting out her disgusting laughter.

“Well, what do you expect? Birds of the same feather flock together!” Marielle added making me smirk at them.

Those words doesn’t even apply to us.

I stood up and stretched my neck making my classmates look at me, seeming like they are waiting for some action.

“Birds of the same feather really do flock together ey? Just like how houseflies stay together when they sense shit.” I sneered. Having the foolish girl’s brow twitch already settled the score.

Fei and Sheene just completely went silent as I deal with the group of mean girls and I just saw my other classmates’ reaction which were all varied but most are waiting for more which made me feel disappointed. Is this how people really are even in this life?

Man, people do love issues.

I sat down and stopped the fire before someone adds up more to the heat that was igniting on the room. Gwen and the other two just kept giving me their glares so I just kept my emotionless face to stare back. Do they still want more ugly truth?

****

When the classes started once again, all things went out smoothly. Fei, Sheene and I decided to have a group study this coming Sunday at my house which made me quite happy. Having friends is kind of--- fun…

Once the clock hit 5pm, the classes ended and all of us decided to go home but I did stay for a while after the girls left since I was going to bring my things on the locker.

I think I’m going to stroll for a while before going back home.

On my way, I passed by the clinic and remembered the woman inside so I decided to greet her.

“Oh hello there, Triz!” Mary ran to me immediately to give me a hug and proceeded to scan my hand for any more bruises.

“My, my you do heal quite fast!” She said and I smiled at her.

“Yea, I think so.” I was quite surprised as well. Tricia’s body is quite strong despite of being thinner than I was.

“So, to what do I owe a visit? Do you need any medicine?”

My feet just brought me here for some reason.

“I just want to thank you for, you know. The last time,” I answered and she just gave me the sweetest smile.

“Anything for you kid…”

She pat my head then my cheek and in her eyes, I remembered motherly care which I have never experienced from my real mother, but from Julla.

“Thank you…” I hugged her tightly and she did the same.

Both of us talked about some random things before I proceed on my walk outside. And as I did, I felt like I was given a second chance to live a life, even though it is borrowed for I don’t know how long.

I was staring at the dusk as I walked down the streets outside the school when I heard grunts and wicked laughter coming from a corner. What is that? As I walked to take a peek from the hidden corner, I suddenly felt petrified when I saw two boys kicking the hell out of a helpless young man.

I stared for minutes, watching what was going on, feeling like I was blasted by an unknown condition, forced to watch the bullies inflict harm to a boy that I don’t even know. I squint my eyes to see who it was and my body suddenly moved on its own to charge on the two as soon as I saw who it was that was lying helplessly on the floor.

Help him, please.

A voice echoed on my head and it was a sound of Tricia’s voice and all I knew right after was the kick I landed on one of the bullies’ face making him splatter down the hard ground.

“Are you okay?!”

I asked and the strange boy just looked up to me with his cloudy eyes and busted lower lip.

My rage started to build as I saw the wounds that these men inflicted to him making me crumple my own fist and land a hit on the other guy. I slapped him!

“Who do you think you are!?” the creepy dude shouted but I didn’t care.

“What did he do to you for you to treat him like this!?” I shouted back before receiving a hit back from the man’s heavy palm.

My cheeks went numb and hot as soon as the hit landed but I felt more heated on throwing another punch and when I did, I made sure it will land straight to his jaw.

It hurts!!!

The guy went down with his other friend from the kick so I took the chance to grab the strange boy and help him up so I could bring him somewhere safe to treat his wounds.

He was silent as I let him rest his arm on my shoulder and both of us scuffled away from the scene. My hands were shaking and I felt very cold. The hit was painful and I knew that if I take another one, I’d be dead. My knuckles hurt so bad and my cheeks felt like it will explode at any minute.

But I have to save this boy. He did nothing wrong--- and she wanted me to save him too…

That’s the other thing I need to figure because inside this body that I am in right now, she is also inside, in a corner that I can’t even find.

After some walk, we reached a bench where I can finally let him sit down. His body was also shaking and cold but as soon as we sat down, I knew he was crying silently.

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t even do anything…” he whimpered, and I just sat down beside him, feeling kind of--- lonely for him…