Chapter 01.2

Proudly, I smiled to myself. Even the teacher had heard of me.

“Hi, Paul Tashiro,” the guy said, extending his hand toward us.

“Hi, we’ve met before,” the girl smiled at him.

Her lips weren’t particularly full, but the way she smiled at him was captivating.

“John,” I said, extending my hand as well. “You can call me Jay.”

That explained why I hadn’t recognized them—I had only glanced at their names briefly when Brian showed me the list of new students. He was responsible for registering newcomers and organizing their tours. Brian loved meeting new people and always knew if someone was noteworthy. He hadn’t mentioned these two specifically, which I didn’t blame him for.

Paul was about my height, but his black hair and dark, half-cut eyes were completely different from my blue eyes and light hair. He wore dress pants and a shirt—far more polished than my jeans and t-shirt.

“Well, if everyone has unpacked and finished getting acquainted,” Mr. Thomas continued, “you’ll be sitting like this for at least half a year, and your end-of-year grade will be heavily influenced by your group work. Besides daily learning, each group will create a ten-minute nature film about any animal. Apart from a few small rules, you can choose any subject.”

“What are the rules?” asked a chubby girl—I think her name was Cinthia.

“Who has a dog, cat, or any pet?”

Almost everyone raised their hand, including Paul. The girl didn’t, and neither did I. We had lost Theodore, our family dog, about a year and a half ago.

“Great. Then sleeping, eating, playing, doing their business, and mating pets are excluded. I also don’t want any videos of partying, drinking college students contributing to nature. That’s about it—no more rules.”

Loud murmuring followed his announcement.

“Does video quality matter? Can we film with a mobile phone?” Paul asked.

“Yes, but the video shouldn’t look like a pirated movie. The narration must be clear and understandable. That means you’ll need to comment on the video—just like in a proper nature documentary.”

“What’s the deadline?” I asked.

“The submission deadline is the end of February. If there’s anything you don’t like about it, you’ll have time to improve it before the end of the year. After all, you chose my class because your biology grade matters.” He paused briefly. “Well, if there are no more questions, let’s start the lesson.”

I liked biology, and Mr. Thomas was a great teacher, but I wasn’t thrilled about my teammates. I hoped they wouldn’t mess up my grade just because they couldn’t take another class.

The rest of the lesson focused on ontogeny, but from a completely different perspective. Mr. Thomas explained how humans began to diverge from other living beings on Earth. We had learned the basics in previous years, but now we needed a detailed analysis of biology. By the end of the lesson, I started doubting whether one year was enough to prepare—and whether I even wanted this.

I glanced at my teammates. Paul was diligently taking notes in his notebook, while Jane barely wrote anything, only jotting down short notes in the textbook’s margins.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Jane quietly started packing her things, but Paul spoke up.

“Would you like to meet over the weekend to discuss our video topic? I’m free—how about you, John?”

“I’m free too, no plans yet. Little girl, how about you?” I asked, my tone laced with irony.

“I’m not free on Sunday. We’ll discuss it before the next class. I have to go—bye.” She grabbed her backpack and left the room.

“She’s right. We still have at least two more classes together this week,” Paul said before leaving as well.

I was slightly annoyed that Jane had left so abruptly—I wasn’t used to being brushed off like that.

—-

I had three more classes before lunch, all painfully boring. I hated poetry, didn’t care for language classes, and already knew history well. My dad loved history and had always turned lessons into bedtime stories when I was little. If presented interestingly, history could feel like a story.

I had just settled into my usual seat when Jane appeared. She nodded at me before sitting in an empty chair. I motioned for her to sit behind me—sometimes I could be nice. She hesitated for a moment, then moved to the seat behind mine.

I turned back just as Shannon arrived. She looked stunning today—one of the coolest girls in school. Last year, we had something going on, but then she started dating a college guy. She dumped him over the summer.

Her fiery red hair, brown eyes, and perfect figure always turned heads. She knew exactly how to dress to be noticed, and today was no exception—she wore a short, red, low-cut dress.

She spotted me, so I waved. She sat next to me, dropped her bag, and leaned in.

“Hi, pretty boy. How was your summer? I didn’t see you—I missed you,” she said, running her finger down my arm.

“I saw you often in my dreams,” I grinned.

“Shall we meet after school?” she asked, winking.

“I’m free now,” I replied casually.

“You know my number—call me.” She stroked my arm before turning away.

I glanced around. My friends were grinning and pointing, clearly amused. Jane, on the other hand, was writing something, looking completely uninterested. She noticed my gaze and met my eyes.

“Good thing the scene is over—I almost lost my appetite.”

I was about to respond when the teacher walked in.