Chapter 4

Joe opened a door quietly, hoping he had entered the right room, for he had spent minutes looking for Eric's room.

“Finally!” He signed, citing Eric on the bed He had a pop corn on his hands and took one after the other, one could tell from his expression that he felt bitter.

“Hey” Joe began, taking a seat on Eric's bed.

Eric turned else where to avoid looking at him.

“It's a good thing you got your memory back, so we are as good as old enemies” Eric stated after throwing a pop corn into his mouth.

“Why do your father hate you so much?” Joe asked.

“You don't remember everything a thing, do you?”

“No I don't, that's why I need you to help me remember”

“Are you sure you're talking to the right person, the last time I remembered, you clarified it that you never trusted me”.

'Well guess I changed, by the way, how old am I?

“Your eighteen”

“I knew it was eighteen” Joe mumbled, looking happy about it.

“So, are you going to help me out?” Joe asked, offering Eric a handshake.

“Well, I also require a favor if you require my help”.

"What do you want?”

***

Joe sat beside Eric at the dinner table, it was his first time eating with his new family, and he felt cold.

He was horrible in eating and never wanted to display, his mouth usually had food particles all over during the eating process, and so he continued to stare until he was beckoned upon by his new mother to eat.

The whole family watched with popped eyes open as Joe devoured his chicken like an angry lion.

“Did the doctor say anything about this?” Lucy asked in fright to know if her son was truly okay.

Michael never gave an answer, he only sipped his tea slowly and looked sorrowfully at his son.

It was early in the morning Eric only woke up due to the persisting alarm that rang noisily, he went straight ahead to Joe's room to get him alerted.

Eric reached Joe's room and alerted him to get ready for school.

The astounded Joe watched as Eric opened a wardrobe and brought out a white sleeved shirt and a navy-blue blazer with a trouser of the same color.

'Wow, so I get to go to a school' Joe exclaimed silently he had always wished to attend before turning old, but thanks to the teens body his long wishes are now getting actualized.

He kept wondering what a school would look like as he dressed.

He's facial expressions showed that he was excited.

For a fact, the peter everyone knew wasn't a fan of school, he would miss school for four days in a week and pretend to be sick on the fifth, and if he was finally persuaded to go… Reports troop in next of his bad conduct in school.

Many wonders why he still got the title class captain after all this misconducts. He never got expelled from school, not even a day suspension was given to him.

Eric groaned at Joe's behavior he hates to help him out, but what can he do, he had no choice?

***

“Be disciplined and attentive” Michael advised before driving off, for he had already dropped them at the gate of the school.

He was fond of that advice, that it wasn't supposed to be new.

(Vanessa) sighted the brothers from the stairs, where she stood and ran down towards them.

“El…rim, look at that girl of last time is coming again” Joe was used to miscalling people's names and difficult words, despite being in a new body his attitude remained.

“Just remember what I have asked you to say” Eric reminded, taking a few steps away.

“Wait” Joe pulled him back, his legs were staggering, and he felt nervous.

“What if she kisses me again?” Joe asked in fright.

“Of course she will, she's your girlfriend, isn't she?

Eric released himself from Joe's grip, leaving him with Vanessa, who approached.

“Hi” she began, “Are you better now?” She questioned Joe to confirm.

Joe had always been nervous to face a lady, Imelda was the only woman who caught his heart.

He felt too nervous to reply Vanessa he'd rather run away, which he did.

Joe sat in a class still having the anxiety in him, he never noticed he was in the wrong place.

Mr. A student called to him, “your class is at the third block.

The students of grade eight laughed mockingly to Joe's correction.

As Joe moved from blocks to blocks he admired the beautiful surrounding of the school, it was indeed a large and neat one and meant for only the wealthy.

“Peter!" An old man called about to him.

Joe responded with a look, and the man beckoned on him to come.

Joe recognized this man, of course! It's Mr. Franklin Imelda's dad.

“I am going to kill him” Joe groaned, walking angrily towards him.

Joe opened a door quietly, hoping he had entered the right room, for he had spent minutes looking for Eric's room.

“Finally!” He signed, citing Eric on the bed He had a pop corn on his hands and took one after the other, one could tell from his expression that he felt bitter.

“Hey” Joe began, taking a seat on Eric's bed.

Eric turned else where to avoid looking at him.

“It's a good thing you got your memory back, so we are as good as old enemies” Eric stated after throwing a pop corn into his mouth.

“Why do your father hate you so much?” Joe asked.

“You don't remember everything a thing, do you?”

“No I don't, that's why I need you to help me remember”

“Are you sure you're talking to the right person, the last time I remembered, you clarified it that you never trusted me”.

'Well guess I changed, by the way, how old am I?

“Your eighteen”

“I knew it was eighteen” Joe mumbled, looking happy about it.

“So, are you going to help me out?” Joe asked, offering Eric a handshake.

“Well, I also require a favor if you require my help”.

"What do you want?”

***

Joe sat beside Eric at the dinner table, it was his first time eating with his new family, and he felt cold.

He was horrible in eating and never wanted to display, his mouth usually had food particles all over during the eating process, and so he continued to stare until he was beckoned upon by his new mother to eat.

The whole family watched with popped eyes open as Joe devoured his chicken like an angry lion.

“Did the doctor say anything about this?” Lucy asked in fright to know if her son was truly okay.

Michael never gave an answer, he only sipped his tea slowly and looked sorrowfully at his son.

It was early in the morning Eric only woke up due to the persisting alarm that rang noisily, he went straight ahead to Joe's room to get him alerted.

Eric reached Joe's room and alerted him to get ready for school.

The astounded Joe watched as Eric opened a wardrobe and brought out a white sleeved shirt and a navy-blue blazer with a trouser of the same color.

'Wow, so I get to go to a school' Joe exclaimed silently he had always wished to attend before turning old, but thanks to the teens body his long wishes are now getting actualized.

He kept wondering what a school would look like as he dressed.

He's facial expressions showed that he was excited.

For a fact, the peter everyone knew wasn't a fan of school, he would miss school for four days in a week and pretend to be sick on the fifth, and if he was finally persuaded to go… Reports troop in next of his bad conduct in school.

Many wonders why he still got the title class captain after all this misconducts. He never got expelled from school, not even a day suspension was given to him.

Eric groaned at Joe's behavior he hates to help him out, but what can he do, he had no choice?

***

“Be disciplined and attentive” Michael advised before driving off, for he had already dropped them at the gate of the school.

He was fond of that advice, that it wasn't supposed to be new.

Vanessa sighted the brothers from the stairs, where she stood and ran down towards them.

“El…rim, look at that girl of last time is coming again” Joe was used to miscalling people's names and difficult words, despite being in a new body his attitude remained.

“Just remember what I have asked you to say” Eric reminded, taking a few steps away.

“Wait” Joe pulled him back, his legs were staggering, and he felt nervous.

“What if she kisses me again?” Joe asked in fright.

“Of course she will, she's your girlfriend, isn't she?

Eric released himself from Joe's grip, leaving him with Vanessa, who approached.

“Hi” she began, “Are you better now?” She questioned Joe to confirm.

Joe had always been nervous to face a lady, Imelda was the only woman who caught his heart.

He felt too nervous to reply Vanessa he'd rather run away, which he did.

Joe sat in a class still having the anxiety in him, he never noticed he was in the wrong place.

Mr. A student called to him, “your class is at the third block.

The students of grade eight laughed mockingly to Joe's correction.

As Joe moved from blocks to blocks he admired the beautiful surrounding of the school, it was indeed a large and neat one and meant for only the wealthy.

“Peter!” An old man called about to him.

Joe responded with a look, and the man beckoned on him to come.

Joe recognized this man, of course! It's Mr. Franklin Imelda's dad.

“I am going to kill him” Joe groaned, walking angrily towards him.

Securities rushed out of their various points to free the principal from Joe's punches.

Students whose windows were close to the venue watched with great interest, gossiping along… “That rude guy is back”

“I heard he has been in the hospital for a week now…

“He hadn't attended school for a month now, and you say he was away for a week?

The chats of students rose chaos in the block.

Joe was led to his class by the school securities, and classes that witness the scene were asked to keep it a secret or else they would get expelled.

Of course, many found it suspicious, but they were easily convinced with the point that Peter was mentally ill.

Mr. Frank as he was popularly called in the school couldn't get over the emotions of being punches of a kid that could be his grandson.

He recalled, vividly, Joe blaming him for something unknown to him.

“It was because of you” Joe roared, “oh! My Imelda.

Mr. Frank locked himself in his office, he couldn't help but wonder what could be going on between Peter and his daughter.

He knew for a fact that Peter was a notorious student, and besides Imelda was way older than him.

Joe sat quietly in class, he was shocked to see Eric in the same class as he.

Definitely he knew nothing about school but for someone of his age even he knows not his age he sure looked like sixteen.

Students tried to draw near to Joe but couldn't, he sat almost separated from the class for that was the referred seat for the class captain which is him.

“Are the two still dating? Students questioned from behind.

They were talking about Vanessa and Joe, they seemed to have seen the incident that transpired between both outside, 'when Joe walked on Vanessa'.

Joe never bordered about the rising questions, his concern was elsewhere, Imelda precisely.

He stood up at once and ran out like a mad man.