《Clementine's unorthodox Metamorphosis》 CHAPTER 1 - FUNDAMENTAL If Clementine had to ever write a College Essay, he would write it about Manga. An art form from a foreign place, slowly spreading to other areas of the world and gaining popularity. It was not unusual to find Manga in Bookstores everywhere nowadays. Some enjoy reading it, while others love it. Some are casual readers, while others wait with bated breath for the next issue. Even those who are not necessarily a fan of it, are neutral about it. But then there are those who hate it. Who cannot stand its existence and prosecute those who read it. They cannot accept that others could enjoy it- could read something they cannot stand. So they shame them. Make their lives miserable with their hate. Make ¡°reading Manga¡± something to be hidden- a dirty little secret, when they cannot help what they enjoy, making them hate it themselves eventually. And yet, Mangas are just Comics from a different place, with only their name and the format being the difference while being fundamentally the same. His brother would probably say that manga is a weird thing to compare his Life to; but if the shoe fits¡­ Actually, knowing his brother, Reuben would likely just smile in exasperation before sitting down and helping him with it. That was just the type of person his brother was. Times like these make Clementine feel undeserving of this unconditional love. What made Clementine worth it, spending most of his time and attention on his little brother, when he could be with his peers? What would it take to lose it? When would Reuben realize that his darling younger brother- Stop. Breathe. There is no need to fret over this. Clementine rubbed his face and sighed. He was so tired of thinking sometimes. Them moving here was messing with his head in ways he could not have imagined at the start. He tried to relax, letting his body rest limp on the bedcovers. The sudden sound of knocking made him sit up from his bed. With a creak, the face of his brother appeared from the door. ¡°Clemt, are you busy right now?¡± ¡°Yeah? Uh, no- I¡¯m free. What¡¯s up?¡± His brother opened his mouth but hesitated, biting his lip. He was weirded out to see Reuben so nervous. It only made him nervous too. ¡°Ben? You ok?¡± Reuben took a measured breath in before nodding with an unsteady conviction. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Could you come into the living room for a moment?¡± ¡°Suuure¡­?¡± Clementine said, unsure. Getting up, he followed Reuben to the living room where he saw Phil sitting on the couch. So Phil was part of this. Phil smiled, appearing just as nervous as Reuben, and waved. Clementine lamely waved back and moved to sit down in the armchair whilst Reuben sat down next to Phil. Back when they first moved to the other side of the Country, it was a huge adjustment for Reuben and Clementine, their only solace were the Barnett Siblings- old friends from their childhood. And seeing Phil and his younger sister again was nice, even under these strange circumstances. They all saw each other almost every day. Especially Reuben and Phil, who clicked instantly and were attached at the hip. It was not unusual to have Phil over nowadays; his presence brought a breath of fresh air to their flat which Clementine learned to appreciate greatly. Reuben took a moment to compose himself. ¡°I want-¡± Phil gently knocked his shoulder against Reuben¡¯s, who shot him a glare before looking back at Clementine, his eyes suddenly finding it hard to stay on him. ¡°We want to tell you something. It¡¯s nothing bad! (Or at least, it shouldn¡¯t be-) And we feel like you should know.¡± He finished his probably rehearsed speech. Once done, the two briefly glanced at each other. Clementine watched them silently. Something is going on between those two... ¡°It¡¯s something that has been a long time coming. This last year just reaffirmed it,¡± his brother said. ¡°And you, of all people, deserve the truth the most.¡± Clementine jolted upright in his seat. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t feel pressured to tell me,¡± he interjected, his hand waving frantically. ¡°Especially if it is so important to you.¡± Phil smiled at him.¡°But we want to. And we want to trust you,¡± He glanced at Reuben,¡± just as much as you trust us.¡± Clementine felt conflicted, feeling somewhat guilty that they felt the need to do this, but he sat back and gestured them to continue. ¡°You know how Phil and I spend so much time together? And how recently Phil even stays the night over?¡± He nodded, thinking of the clothes and toiletries Phil had been leaving around. Honestly, it got to the point that it feels weird when Phil wasn¡¯t around. ¡°That is because¡­¡± His mouth opened but no sound came out. Reuben scowled at that. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. ¡°Phil and I¡­¡± Phil slung his arm over Reuben¡¯s shoulder and squeezed, showing his support and silent encouragement. It only made Reuben gasp as if he was suffocating, tears starting to well up in his terrified eyes. Clementine¡¯s eyes widened. He never saw his brother so overwhelmed and scared to the point of tears, not even during the most difficult of times. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. He walked over and kneeled down before his brother, taking his hand in his and simply held it. The Brothers¡¯ eyes met, fearful eyes meeting yet reassuring ones. ¡°Take your time. I can wait.¡± As disconcerting as it was to see his older brother like that, Clementine could not stand being the cause of Reuben¡¯s distress in any way. For a moment, they all just sat in silence, the tension eased as Reuben calmed down. ¡°...I just don¡¯t want to lose you¡­,¡± whispered Reuben horsly. Clementine¡¯s heart broke. ¡°And I you.¡± ¡°I could drive you away.¡± ¡°Nothing could.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t promise that.¡± ¡°But I can promise to hear you out.¡± ¡°...¡± Blinking tears out of his eyes, Reuben let out a strained laugh. ¡°I¡¯m making a bigger deal out of it than it actually is.¡± Clementine smiled sheepishly. ¡°You worry too much sometimes.¡± Reuben glared at him, though there was no heat behind it. ¡°Like you¡¯re the one to talk.¡± Taking deep breaths, Reuben opened his mouth and said in a quiet, shy voice. ¡°I¡¯m Gay.¡± The room was silent. Reuben watched Clementine¡¯s reaction, who just looked at him stunned. ¡°And Phil is my Boyfriend. We¡¯ve been together for almost two months.¡± As Clementine still did not react, the couple began to fidget in their seats. They were surprised when he threw himself at Reuben, laughter bubbling out of him. ¡°Oh my god, you really-¡± Clementine pulled back and looked at the two- ¡°You thought I would think badly of you for this?!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable,¡± Phil explained, slumped back into the couch, visibly relieved. ¡°You were wrong,¡± Clementine exclaimed, laughing and hugging his brother, a few tears in his eyes in pure relief. ¡°I could never hate something that makes Ben happy!¡± Abruptly pulling back, he looked his brother in the eyes. ¡°You are happy, right?¡± Dazed, Reuben chortled, happy tears filling his eyes as an invisible weight lifted off his shoulder. ¡°I am. I am happy. I¡¯m overjoyed because my little brother and boyfriend are here, with me; my most important people whom I love so much.¡± He lurched forward and crushed Clementine in a tight embrace, even roping Phil into it by pulling him into the hug. The evening that started so tense, dissolved into a fun night of games and spending time with each other, appreciating having their loved ones with them. Whilst Clementine had his reprehension about the move, he would never regret his time here. Of course, there will always be the rotten apples of the bunch, but the people he met here make it worth it. Who cares if they had to move across the country, or that the School is really weird! Clementine is happy with how things are. And Reuben is also¡­ It was a sobering thought that night. Lying in bed, his mood sank when the realisation came. Reuben is scared of coming out. And it was not that thought that was what scared him. It was normal to be scared of Coming Out¡¯, Clementine knew that. No, it was for a different reason. Even if Reuben was not scared of coming out, he still would be afraid. Because they would make sure of that. Them. The people that cut you down if you stand out too much, like a gardener pulling out the weed. A group known by everyone in the school; unnamed and its members anonymous, making you think twice about who you ought to befriend. The one thing threatening his brother¡¯s happiness. Clementine frowned, clenching his jaw. They were more known and feared by the Chancy than by the Leery: those two being the categories students are separated by in the school. No one knows how the selection is decided, only that age is irrelevant to it, as the students will be put in classes according to their intellectual level. The Chancy are much more aware of this Group; it is speculated among the C-Students that most members are a Chancy. This causes great tension within the student body. All the whilst, the L-Students would keep their distance due to their odd and paranoid behaviour. Clementine and Phil¡¯s younger sister were C-Students. He knew the dangers of his brother¡¯s relationship- even if Reuben himself was unaware of that. It made Clementine feel so bad and dirty, but he was glad in the end, that Reuben was so hesitant about revealing his relationship. Because not even the Leery are safe from them. This relationship- this secret could not come out. Just one wrong word to the wrong person and- Clementine took a stuttering breath. Staring at the ceiling, he huffed, making his hands into fists as reality sank in. His brother might not know, but he does. He knew of what was at stake. And he was determined to help bring the happy ending Reuben deserved! All he had to do was deal with the group that had always been around as far as he knew and who no one knew anything about! Oh boy¡­ I can at least try. Chapter 2 - PULLOVER Waking up bleary-eyed, Clementine blindly felt his night table for his phone, grabbing it and turning it on. Blinking the sleep from his eyes away, he squinted at the screen. 06:03. He groaned. Rubbing his face, he thought about how he did not have to stand up for another hour but going back to sleep now would not do him any good, regardless of how tired he was. He would only be even more exhausted. Getting out of bed, he dragged his feet to the wardrobe to get ready for the day. Over from the open window, the smell of food filled up his room and lungs; a smell consisting of a weird mix of spices, which he knew came from a neighbour. Why do they always do this so early in the morning. As unfailing as the rising sun, the smell of the neighbours¡¯ breakfast made his stomach growl. Should I make something or go and see what the Mensa has, he wondered as he walked to the Kitchen. Catching the sight of Phil¡¯s shoes on the shoe rack made Clementine¡¯s decision for him. The rays of the hot summer sun greeted him as he walked to the Mensa, he took the time to observe his surroundings. The stone path beneath his feet diverged and merged here and there, leading to and fro buildings and places of note all over the campus. A soft breeze ruffled bushes and the few trees that grew scattered over the mostly empty lawn, and as it brushed over the blades of grass, it created the illusion as if the lawn made waves like the ocean. Noticing an increase in activities near the Dormitories reminded him that the start of the School Year was coming closer. Outside of the school year, those who decide to stay on campus over the holidays tend to be more active in the evening, preferring to sleep in most of the days. Within the bustling masses of old and new students going in and out of the Dorms, he saw some new faces among semi-familiar ones. This school, also known as the Benison, is a¡­ unique school. Very unique. From what Clementine knows, roughly a dozen or so random people are sent invitations to attend the school and then are separated into two Groups: the Leery and the Chancy. Neither group is much different from the other; the only noticeable difference is that they are named differently, have a different coloured uniform, and the atmosphere between the students. Truth be told, Clementine had been suspicious of the school and its whole ¡°thing¡± since their letter arrived in the Mail. Not that he could have done much back then- or even now. As soon as he knew about the content of the letter, he just knew that Reuben would accept it. Clementine could kiss the thought of convincing his brother to reconsider goodbye the moment Reuben told him of the ¡°Sibling Clause¡± with a sparkle in his eyes. ¡°Excuse me!¡± Halting midstep, he twisted around to look behind him at the speaker. The first thing he saw was hair. Quick to correct his mistake, he shifted his eyes downwards to meet the stranger¡¯s. ¡°Do you know where the Faculty is?¡± They asked cheerfully. The stranger had a petite body, with pale skin nicely contrasting the blue eyes and blond hair. Their outfit consisted of jeans and, more notably, a warm grey, oversized pullover which seemed to swallow their arms whole and drown them in the fabric. A pullover in the summer sure was an odd thing- not that Clementine had any grounds to argue, with his ugly-coloured sweat jacket he was wearing. The clouds thankfully kept the sweating to a minimum. Pursing his lips, he took a moment to answer. ¡°You must be one of the new students.¡± The stranger blinked, surprised. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± They hid their mouth behind a sweater-paw as they giggled into it. Clementine awkwardly chuckled, rubbing his neck. ¡°Aside from the fact that I¡¯ve never seen you around before and you¡¯re asking me for directions?¡± He pointed behind them towards the dorms. ¡°It seems like that the new students are moving in today, so I took a guess.¡± The new student smiled sweetly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a smart one!¡± Clementine smiled back, not sure how to answer that. ¡°Aw- Anyway!¡±, he stuttered and swallowed, ¡°The Faculty isn¡¯t exactly on my way but I can point you in the right direction. And I could show you a little bit around.¡± They smiled brightly at him and nodded enthusiastically, walking beside him as he beaconed them to follow. ¡°So¡­,¡± they started, drawing his attention, looking at him with big eyes, ¡°Where are we going?¡± Clementine had to press his lips tightly together. ¡°The Mensa,¡± he eventually answered. They tilted their head, short wavy hair bouncing with the motion. ¡°Aw- Hmpf. I-it¡¯s the cafeteria. In a sense, anyway. You will soon learn that in the Benison things run differently than your stereotypical schools. ¡°Yeah, I thought so.¡± They trailed off, looking at their surroundings. A wide, expansive lawn, with some trees and a handful of big buildings spaced out from one another. ¡°It¡¯s almost like I¡¯m on the campus of a University or something. That happens to be in the middle of nowhere.¡± ¡°Well, the Benison is¡­ something, alright. Your guess isn¡¯t too far off. Some classes they offer definitely could fit in a University.¡± Stopping in front of one of the buildings, he gestured to it. ¡°This is the Mensa. You can eat here whenever you don¡¯t feel like cooking for yourself. If you do want to cook or bake,¡± he pointed towards an attached building to the Mensa, standing slightly behind it and easy to overlook from most angles, ¡°you can go to the ¡®Food¡¯ Storage and get some to take back to your dorm or flat. It is kinda like a supermarket and a warehouse combined. Though, you don¡¯t have to pay for anything since the school provides it to us for free. But students are expected to eat in the cafeteria within school hours, though it isn¡¯t mandatory. Mostly, it¡¯s to prevent tardiness and believe me,¡± he leaned closer and theatrically whispered, ¡°you don¡¯t wanna make a fool of yourself having to sprint from the dorms all the way to your class. They are literally on the opposite sides of the campus.¡± He leaned back and pointed towards a path splitting off next to the Food Storage Building that disappeared behind it and into the grove of trees. ¡°If you follow this path past the trees, go right at the intersection and the first building you¡¯ll see is the Faculty. You can¡¯t miss it.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± They said their goodbyes and Clementine watched as the stranger disappeared into the trees. Once they were gone, he took a moment to collect himself, heaving a sigh of relief as the excess energy drained out of him. After taking a minute to calm down, he entered the Mensa. Inside, he saw a couple students sitting either alone or huddled in small groups, a sleepy atmosphere hung over the hall, keeping conversations at a low volume. Appreciative of the calm mood, he leisurely walked to the meal counter. His face pulled into a grimace when he saw the options on the menu. While the food was not bad- the lunch was quite good!-, the breakfast menu was terrible. It¡¯s why most students chose to make their own breakfast, as the Mensa¡¯s was just dreadful. Scrunching his nose, he grabbed a tray and a bowl. At the cutlery, he hesitated. Hand moving to and fro, mulling over his choice, he eventually sighed, deciding that it was too early for impulse control, and grabbed a small spoon instead of a regular-sized one. Picking the lesser evil, he took his poison of choice and sat down in a quiet corner. Lukewarm milk and bland cereal, my beloved. You haven¡¯t given me indigestion yet. Chewing on stale flakes, Clementine let his tired mind wander. School starts soon, so many old and some new students will return over the week. The Campus of the Benison was comically big, yet- in Clementine¡¯s first year living here- he never had seen that many students attending at once. Not that it matters. They put the students into the classes according to their intellectual level, so there is not a great need for more students. Although some classes are pretty small. Finishing his meagre ¡°breakfast¡±, he brought his tray with the bowl and small (so small!!!) spoon away. Wonder what group they got sorted into. His steps faltered for a second. Clementine never even got the other student¡¯s name. Goodness, I don¡¯t even know what gender they are. Pushing down a groan, he could just imagine Reuben chastising him about proper introductions and his manners. Throwing that thought through an imaginary window, he walked through the door connecting the Mensa and F-StoBu (Food Storage Building). He had something to pick up first. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.Walking between the shelves, he grabbed what he needed. Separated in small paper bags, he had meat, berries, seeds, and vegetables. Checking his selection for today, he took a brisk walk into the forest closest to the F-StoBu, the one bordering the west of the campus. The campus was in the middle of a forest, but there was something specific in the west he wanted to visit today. Leaves danced in the wind between the beams of sunshine that shone through the blanket roof of the trees. The sound of leaves crunching and stones shifting beneath his feet permeated the air as he followed the beaten-down, overgrown path deeper into the woods. Weaving between the bushes and wildflowers, he tried carefully to stay as silent as possible. The summer might be almost over but Clementine wanted to take the little time he had left before school to do this, before schoolwork ate up all of his time. And before he had to deal with them. Stopping next to a wild berry bush, there was a hole, hidden from view by branches and leaves. Taking one of the bags, he emptied its contents on the floor before the bush and took a step back, hiding behind the trunk of a tree standing a little bit away. It took a few minutes of waiting until he got what he came here for. His feet had started to hurt and his limps were stiff but his patience paid off. Slowly, a head peeked out of the whole, and then another and another and another, et cetera, et cetera. One by one, small lanky bodies slunk out of the hole, investigating the food, tentatively sniffing and licking it. Deeming it safe, one began to eat which prompted the others to also eat, nibbling away. Olive eyes were locked on the scene, enchanted by it. Their small furry bodies, how they moved and ate, their small faces! His cheeks hurt from the broad smile nearly splitting his face apart. He held his breath, afraid that he might unwittingly scare the ferrets off. They contentedly ate away, when one of the ferrets suddenly leaned back and sneezed. Caught by surprise, Clementine did not notice his sharp intake of hair and when his mouth opened before he knew to stop it- ¡°Awww!¡± Startled by the noise, the ferrets abandoned the meat and scampered back into their hole, all the little noodles disappearing from view within mere seconds. Eyes wide, he slabbed a hand over his mouth, mentally cursing himself out. Not again, he lamented in dismay. Usually, he could suppress this ¡®reaction¡¯ of his better. Was it because I had to stifle it earlier? Frustrated with himself and disappointed that he scared off the ferrets, he stalked away, mood dampened and shoulders slumped. He should probably keep this from Reuben. He would just hound Clementine about ¡®it¡¯ and how he actively sought things out that evoked ¡®it¡¯. In the privacy of the trees, he rolled his eyes. Continuing his round, he carefully watches his reactions when observing the other animals. Feeding them by giving them a little food now and again, and then observing them, was a guilty pleasure of Clementine¡¯s. He knew he probably should not do this- which is why he does it so sparingly- but he just had a big thing for stuff that was cute. His brother described it as his ¡°greatest weakness¡± which Clementine felt a little offended by (even if it was true). It is not his fault that cute things were just so irresistible! Be it animals like ferrets, or objects like small spoons- He saw, he aww! His¡­ well, he has taken to simply referring to them as his ¡®reactions¡¯ (in quotations), for lack of a better word. His involuntary reactions used to embarrass him a lot- like with the class¡¯ pet hamster in kindergarten, he cooed at Mr Stache every time he saw him, much to his teacher¡¯s chagrin while his classmates found it hilarious. Nowadays, he has come to accept it and stopped being embarrassed by it as much. He eventually learned to suppress it and stop cooing at inappropriate times with Reuben¡¯s help, who was exasperated by this at the best of times. Thus far, he has not had any incidents in any classes, mainly because there was not anything remotely cute on campus. The style and aesthetic of the Benison of 19th-century Europe made sure of that. It starved him of cuteness and his brother flat out refused to let anything, that could even be remotely called ¡°kinda cute¡± into their flat. He just had no sympathy for his little brother¡¯s needs, woe is me! Pfff- That actually made him laugh a little. Going back to the topic, this deprivation was what drove Clementine to search for anything that could fill that hole in his Life. People and extinguished paintings just did not do it for him. Usually, he had to amend, unfortunately. Thinking of the Stranger from earlier this morning, he remembered how close he was to cooing at them multiple times. And while gushing over the clothes of people was fine, doing it over the person themselves? It had never happened before and it was just awkward and a line he was not sure if he wanted to cross. Watching the birds fly away- luring and observing birds was always unreliable if it worked-, Clementine crumpled the last paper bag up and stuffed it into his pocket, beginning his trek back out of the forest. Leaving the protective shade of the trees, the midday sun beat down on him, feeling as if there was a thick layer of pure heat on top of him. He pulled his hood up to protect his skin from the sun and hurried to his flat. To keep his brother in the dark means that he has to be back before he asks questions. And to avoid having to lie, Clementine was on a tight schedule. More people were out and about now, walking, chatting with each other, and sunbathing on the grass, some even having a picnic. He thinks that he might even see some of the Staff mulling about. The campus would only become busier as the first-day approaches. Soon, even the flats will fill up with other siblings. Compared to the dorms, the flats are for siblings (or close relatives) to live together while attending. A flat is bigger than a dorm since there lives more than one person. Even if the siblings are sorted into different groups, like in the case of Clementine and his brother. However, siblings can always request to be moved into a dorm. And cousins can ask to be moved to a flat. As long as the students in question are relatives, the staff rarely see a reason to refuse. He stumbled as a familiar voice called out, ¡°Clementine, hi!¡±, and turned around. Coming out of the flats and smiling brightly was Phil¡¯s sister. Long straight brown hair swayed behind her as she looked up at him with dark brown eyes, matching her smooth, golden brown skin. If he had to say what one upside to the start of the school year is, it would be seeing her again. ¡°Mandi!¡± He embraced her, squeezing her tightly before releasing her. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you back. I hope that your time home was okay.¡± He looked her over, noticing how her skin darkened by a few shades since he last saw her.¡± Mandi laughed, pushing a strand behind her ear. ¡°Good to see you too! Portugal was great as always, I wish you could¡¯ve been there. You would¡¯ve loved it.¡± She hooked her arm into his and pulled him, away from the flats. ¡°C¡¯mon! I wanna catch up with you.¡± Her ever-sharp nails dug into his skin, urging him to follow. The saying old habits die hard came to mind as he hid his wince behind a smile. Mandi had often forgotten about her nails, but he was not one to fault her for it. She always said how easy it was to forget their length. As Clementine let Mandi drag him, a thought from last night resurfaced. ¡°Wait,¡± he attempted to stop walking but Mandi continued to pull him. ¡°Mandi, wait!¡± Finally stopping, she turned and gave him a confused look. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I just- Did you talk with your brother since arriving?¡± He asked, forcing a smile on his face. She frowned. ¡°Geeze, where is this coming from.¡± Letting go of his aching arm, she put her hands on her hips. ¡°Phil wasn¡¯t home. Like always. So I went to look for you so we could catch up.¡± His smile fell, alongside his heart. ¡°The last time I saw him, he was still in my flat with my brother.¡± She rolled her eyes and scoffed. ¡°¡®Course he was.¡± Mandi then glared at him. ¡°What is this even about. Are you trying to get rid of me?¡± He immediately shook his head. ¡°T-that¡¯s not what I-¡± The fierce glare melted into a sad one as she hugged herself. ¡°I just came back and you¡¯re already trying to avoid me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not-¡± He sighed. ¡° I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not trying to avoid you. I just thought¡­ nothing.¡± His shoulders slumped and looked away from Mandi. ¡°Sorry, I ruined the mood again.¡± She relaxed, a soft smile gracing her lips. ¡°I forgive you. I¡¯m more tired from travelling than I thought, so, sorry for getting mad at you.¡± He returned her smile awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Do you still wanna hang out?¡± She looked down and fidgeted with her dress. ¡°I can understand if you don¡¯t wanna.¡± He didn¡¯t think when he said, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Her face shined brightly like a star. ¡°Great!¡± She pounced on him and held his arm in the same vice grip as before. Leading the way, she pursed her lips into a pout. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t want my brother to ruin our day. You should¡¯ve known better not to bring him up. ¡° He just nodded, letting her do all the talking. With Amanda Barnett, no conversation was ever boring. And, overlooking her mood swings, she has always been someone Clementine could count on. Her cheerful attitude could brighten anyone¡¯s day, especially Clementine¡¯s. However, she has very little patience, so he was not surprised that she got so annoyed at Phil. He will tell her later. Probably. Much later. Phil and Mandi¡¯s relationship has been strained for some time now; it was for that reason that he bit his tongue. Telling her meant he could ask her to help him protect their brothers, but it was not his secret to share, nor did he think it was a good moment. He will just let Phil tell Mandi himself. Until then, he will spend time with his dear friend, he thought as his stomach has yet to untwist itself. Chapter 3 - BEANS With the first school day coming closer, more students filled the dorms and flats, bringing life to the desolate halls. Since Mandi¡¯s return, he barely saw Reuben or Phil as she has been taking up all of his time, dragging him around, avoiding her brother and ergo, his brother too. Today though, he left his flat early to¡­ get a breather. He is not avoiding her! He was only¡­ feeling drained, so he escaped to a place he knew he could collect his thoughts alone. Hidden in a far corner of one of the buildings on campus, were the Beanbags?. They were an unspoken secret, but it was universally understood that the ¡®Beans Corner¡¯ is a place of peace and rest. ¡°Amanda is putting you through the wringer and school hasn¡¯t started yet,¡± Lisa stated bluntly, letting herself fall into a beanbag. ¡°You look like death warmed over.¡± Clementine laughed dryly. ¡°Very funny.¡± He shifted upright and rolled his stiff shoulders. ¡°She is just excited to be back. I can¡¯t really fault her for that. ¡°Ex. Cuses,¡± she pointed at him. ¡°You can. I thought you would finally get tired of her walking all over you after last year. Show some backbone!¡± His eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you her friend too?¡± She pointed at herself. ¡°I have my reasons to be a ¡®friend¡¯ of hers. And I set boundaries.¡± Then at him. ¡°Unlike you, who is just being her little doormat.¡± He stood up. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to listen to your slander.¡± She gasped. ¡°Oh what wizardry, the doormat can talk!¡± They stared at each other tensely. But the tension broke when he chuckled, which made Lisa giggle, and then they both burst out laughing. He sat back down, sinking into the beanbag. Clementine smiled. ¡°Good to have you back. I missed your snark.¡± Lisa returned the smile. ¡°Good to be back. I missed your unexpected backbone, (even if you decide to hide it sometimes). And to be away from Issak. Do you know how annoying it is, having to listen to your brother angst all summer, six weeks in a row, seven days a week?¡± She held her head, crying out in frustration. ¡°I thought I was gonna lose it! That insecure bastard.¡± ¡°Hey, c¡¯mon, be nice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m nice enough. It¡¯s you who is too nice.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s a critic,¡± he joked. ¡°I¡¯m serious though, when I say that I didn''t come here for you to critique me. It feels illegal doing this in the Beans CornerTM.¡± Lisa snorted. ¡°Fine.¡± But you have to talk about it with someone. Maybe your brother?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known her since kindergarten; she is my friend. I trust her.¡± ¡°And you haven¡¯t seen her for six years before coming here. Face it,¡± her grey eyes bored into him. ¡°Whoever she used to be, she isn¡¯t that person anymore. Amanda isn¡¯t a good person.¡± He pressed his lips into a thin line, body tense. She sighed. ¡°What Club are you gonna join?¡± Lisa snorted and mimed kicking with her legs. ¡°Hopefully it¡¯s better than kicking a ball around.¡± Clementine huffed. ¡°Leave Football alone.¡± Smirking, she shrugged. ¡°What can I say.¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Relaxing, he glanced at her. ¡°Are you joining the Journalists again?¡± She tilted her head, lips pursing while she thought about it. ¡°Hm¡­ I don¡¯t think so. I am actually thinking of creating an independent club.¡± ¡°What would it be about?¡± ¡°I! ...don¡¯t know yet.¡± She heaved a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m hoping to get an idea soon.¡± He smiled sympathetically at her. ¡°Well, good luck with that.¡± ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± He bit his lip. ¡°I have an idea but¡­ I¡¯ll tell you if I have decided for sure.¡± Standing up and stretching, she smiled at him. ¡°As long as it isn¡¯t ¡®Good Boy Club¡¯, you have time to decide ¡®til Autumn Break.¡± He glared at her, only causing her to laugh. Lisa winked and stuck her tongue out, before turning and walking off. ¡°See you in class, Cuddy.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see, Wretch,¡± he shot back. The sound of Lisa¡¯s laughter made his angry facade break with a smile. Aloisa Ward is one of the most frustrating yet amazing people he knew. Clever and ambitious, he knows she will make it far one day. Yet also so snarky he wants to strangle her sometimes (in the most affectionate way). Time spent with her was so freeing, unlike with Mandi. Lisa was one of the few good things at the Benison. And one of the only people willing to talk with him. That train of thought made him sigh. Thinking about his decrepit social life will not do him any good. He moved to stand up and- ¡°Hello?¡± Clementine¡¯s head shot up and saw- there, walking into view, a guy! ¡°Hi?¡± ¡°Sorry to bother you, but I think I¡¯m lost.¡± He said in a ¡®kill-me-now¡¯ way. It took a moment for the situation to sink in, but when it did, Clementine snapped his fingers and pointed at him, asking incredulously: ¡°You¡¯re a new student?!¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.If he knew any better, Clementine would guess that the guy was blushing, but it was hard to tell against the dark complexion. Phil and Mandi¡¯s skin are more of a golden brown colour, while the guy¡¯s is shades darker. ¡°I arrived yesterday.¡± The guy¡¯s fingers twitched as if he was preventing himself from grabbing at something. ¡°I wanted to familiarise myself with the campus before classes started.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Clementine suddenly realized how he must¡¯ve come across. ¡°Ah, sorry for that just now. I was just surprised that you found this place so soon.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that so?¡± He rubbed his neck. ¡°Well, this corner is kinda an open secret. The unofficial rule is that students have to find it on their own. I only found it a few months ago, well into my first year,¡± he explained. ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°Anyway,¡± he held out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Clementine Cubby and this is my second year at the Benison.¡± The smaller guy shook his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Abel Deering and I¡¯m new here.¡± ¡°Want me to give you a tour of the campus?¡± He offered. Abel looked relieved. ¡°Gladly.¡± Standing outside, Clementine pointed to buildings in the distance as he explained, some obscured behind the groves of trees. ¡°The dorms and flats are for us to use during the semester and breaks; the teachers have the apartment, which is bigger since they live here way longer than students. The faculty is for official paperwork and stuff, and the Mensa- aka Cafeteria- is for eating. There are two storage buildings where you can go and take what you need so you don¡¯t have to all the way to the nearest town; there is one for food and the other for general stuff you might need. And of course, the buildings for classes and such-¡± Abel grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lot, ¡± Clementine said wryly. ¡°And it doesn¡¯t help that the campus is massive.¡± He patted Abel on the shoulder sympathetically. ¡°But you¡¯ll learn this stuff eventually. Before you know it, you won¡¯t even need the map anymore!¡± ¡°A map?¡± Abel looked like he had to swallow a big pill. ¡°Yeah. They give the first years a map at the start of the year. Everything looks so tiny on it.¡± He chuckled. ¡°But let me warn you beforehand: head out early if you want to be on time. I know I had a hard time with punctuality at first before I learned. Just plan 10-ish minutes into your morning for walking.¡± Their conversation drifted onto other topics after that, and he felt like he got a better picture of who Abel was. A person who prefers to keep to himself and has difficulty expressing himself. It reminded him a little of Reuben and Lisa: his brother has trouble getting closer to people and Lisa can come across as crass. That only endeared Abel to him all the more. But I will have to keep to myself. ¡°And the other group- Lerry? Won¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°The Chancy and the Leery get along just fine. Why would they be a problem, just because of a different name and uniform colour?¡± Blue eyes stared blankly at him. ¡°...Okay!¡± They bid their goodbyes and split in front of the C-Dorms. Clementine watched Abel disappear into the doors of the dorm, feeling lighter and happier than yesterday. I think I made a friend! Content, he turned to leave when his eyes drifted over to the plaza between the dormitories. Many students were out mingling on this cloudless day, their chatter faintly drifted over to him. Further back, he noticed Mandi talking in a group with other students. The thought of approaching her crossed his mind¡­ He shivered. Nope! She looked busy and he would feel bad interrupting her. Swiftly turning around, he walked away at a brisk pace. He surely has something to do at home. Maybe Reuben needs his help with something. ¡°Oof-¡±, air escaped him as he bumped into something and fell onto it. An Ack from under him made him look, seeing- Clementine¡¯s face burned. ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± He scrambled up and turned to hold out a hand for the cute person from a few days ago. From behind their bangs, he could see a dark expression on their face. It disappeared as they plastered on a smile; it happened so fast that Clementine thought he had imagined it. ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± they said in a happy-but-not-really tone, taking his hand and letting themself be pulled up. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d bumped into you so soon. Literally.¡± Clementine sheepishly smiled. ¡°Me neither.¡± Looking them over to see if they may be injured themselves, he noticed that they wore the L-Uniform. ¡°I see you got your uniform!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± They trailed off, picking at the sleeves of their blue cardigan. Like any uniform, it was tailored to be a comfortable fit for the student, so it did not hang off of them like the pullover from last time. He noticed that it was the boys¡¯ uniform. However, that could just be because they preferred pants over skirts. So he was not any closer to knowing their gender. Clementine could guess, but everything that could hint towards one side- hair, facial and body structure, clothes, etc.- was just too unreliable. He himself had a more androgynous body type and could pass as the opposite gender in the right clothes. He will have to ask them directly to know for sure. So he asked them, his nerves making him speak faster and faster until the words mashed together. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna come across as rude or anything, so you don¡¯t have to answer me, but¡­ Are you a boy? A girl? Trans? Pronounces? (That¡¯s a thing people do, right?)¡± What am I saying?! Gods, just kill me now¡­ An array of emotions flickered through their eyes, before settling on a carefully blank expression. ¡°I am a born male and go by he/him if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡± He said deadpan but then sighed, continuing in an exasperated tone. ¡°And it¡¯s fine, I get this question a lot. I maybe should start wearing a tag with my gender on it so people stop asking me.¡± ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s good.¡± Feeling awkward, Clementine tried to think of something to say. ¡°Oh right, I realised that we never introduced ourselves. I¡¯m Clem-¡± The other glared at him. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Clementine¡¯s eyes were transfixed on the other¡¯s. For some reason, he could not bring himself to look away. ¡°MmmMM-,¡± The dark expression deepened and Clementine¡¯s face started to burn again, but this time for a different reason. Suddenly, he blurted out: ¡°MMH, DID ANYONE EVER TELL YOU HOW CUTE YOU ARE!?!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...oh my god¡­¡± They stared at each other speechless. Clementine felt like he was dying from embarrassment. Why did I say that?! Why did that come out of my mouth!? The other looked at him with a flabbergasted expression and his mouth slacked into an ¡®o¡¯ shape, staring at Clementine as if he was not sure if what just happened was real. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I said that, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Clementine apologised. And he meant that. He usually had a ¡®milder¡¯ temperament- if you want to call it that- and while he does coo at cute things, he never had such a strong reaction. He honestly did not know where this even came from. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± The other searched for what to say. ¡°No one ever-¡±, he stopped himself and took a deep breath to clear his head. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ whatever, it happened. Sorry, for, y¡¯know¡­ glaring and being rude and stuff. I¡¯m having a bad day and you running me over didn¡¯t help that.¡± The way he spoke and held himself was different from before. More¡­ genuine. ¡°...do you really think that?¡± He mumbled. ¡°Oh uh- yeah, I do.¡± Clementine¡¯s answer still seemed to startled him. He coughed into his fist, probably to collect himself. ¡°I guess I should¡­¡± He cleared his throat, smiled and held out his hand. ¡°You can call me Liam, Clem.¡± Clementine took the hand but then noticed what Liam called him. ¡°My name isn¡¯t Clem though?¡± Liam winked at him and shook their hand. ¡°Let¡¯s make it a little game.¡± ¡°A game?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s see how long we can go before we learn each other¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ sure. Why not.¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll see you around Clem!¡± Said Liam. ¡°Yeah, I guess I¡¯ll cya later, Liam!¡± Answered Clem. They both smiled as they parted ways.