Vio put his finger on his lips: ≪ Shh! ≫

Leo stood perfectly still, looking down.

His heart was beating so fast.

W- what am I doing…!

They heard Mr. Gilson’s steps.

≪ Don’t make a noise or he’s going to find us ≫ Vio whispered.

By now, though, Leo almost wanted him to find them. He was making too much of a fool out of himself in there.

Am I…

He gathered his courage and glanced up at Vio again.

… the only one…?

The boy was on his tiptoes, looking out the little plastic window. His sharp profile looked like it was sculpted out of a blade.

Leo gulped nervously.

Really, though, what am I doing? Why am I here? I should just tell that teacher that I- I didn’t wanna run away from him, I j- just…

Mr. Gilson’s steps were closer and closer.

≪ I know you’re here, come on out! I promise I won’t punish you! ≫

≪ L- listen… ≫

Vio glanced down at Leo, an eyebrow slightly raised.

≪ I- I don’t know why I’m here, s- so just let me go out… ≫

The boy blinked twice, then sniffled.

≪ I ain’t keeping you here ≫

…

Leo turned completely red.

Of course he isn’t! Gosh, why did you say that!

He wanted to hit himself.

Get a grip, Leo!

≪ A- alright, then… ≫

Vio stepped back and gestured him to the door, still looking at Leo with a strange, unreadable expression.

Leo hesitated.

W- why do I feel like…

He shook his head.

Nah… right?

Something about that guy kept feeling off to him, but he decided to ignore it.

He stepped outside.

It’s not like there’s anything I can do anyway…

Mr. Gilson was right there. He turned around with a head snap, triumphant.

≪ A-ha! There you are you little rascal! Who are you? I know every student of this school, and I’ve never seen you! I’ve been working here for 40 years and- ≫

≪ M- my name is Leo, and I just transferred here today ≫

Mr. Gilson didn’t like being interrupted. His forehead, shiny with sweat, wrinkled up as he frowned.

≪ I see, so you’re that new transfer student that was supposed to come in this morning… not only are you late, but you’re also already causing problems?? ≫

Leo tilted his head, confused and slightly worried.

W- what…?

≪ I- I wasn’t supposed to come in this morning… my mom called saying I’d be here after- ≫

≪ How dare you talk back to me! ≫ the man snapped, grabbing the first thing he found around – a pencil – and waving in menacingly in front of Leo.

≪ In my office now! You’ll explain to me what you were doing in the school council room and then running away when I told you to stop, troublemaker newcomer! ≫

Leo was speechless.

T- troublemaker? Me??

Never, in his previous schools, had he been considered a troublemaker.

And now, because of that guy…

He started to panic a bit.

That Mr. Gilson was clearly the type it was better not to argue with, but still, he couldn’t just say nothing.

≪ S- sir, I wasn’t doing anything in the c- council room, I was there because it said 2-B and that’s my classroom! I- I didn’t do anything! ≫

≪ Hm… you didn’t do anything? ≫

Mr. Gilson crossed his arms, arrogant.

≪ And yet I’m sure it was your blonde hair I saw running away while I was telling you to stop… why were you running away, if you didn’t do anything? ≫

≪ I- I wasn’t running away, I was following- ≫

Leo frowned.

Right, why did I follow that guy? He took my hand and…

He blushed slightly.

It’s all his fault…

He turned around angrily.

By the way, where is he!?

Vio hadn’t come out of the room yet.

≪ So, care to explain? ≫ Mr. Gilson asked, tapping his foot.

Leo clenched his fists.

≪ Yes Sir! ≫

He trudged fiercely towards the small room.

He’s the troublemaker! If he really knows every student of this school then he’ll surely know him…

≪ I wasn’t running away, I was following hi- ≫

≪ Gosh-… so heavy-! ≫

Vio suddenly came out of the door, and Leo’s jaw dropped.

His shirt, that flapped around loosely earlier, now was perfectly tucked in and fully buttoned up; he was now wearing a pair of metal frame glasses, and his messy hair were neatly parted down the middle.

He was holding a huge pile of yellowed, dusty books. While Leo stared bewildered he put them down on a chair with a tired grunt, then leaned on them and wiped his forehead before taking off the glasses and cleaning them on his pants, sighing.

He put them back on and looked up, acting surprised.

≪ Mr. Gilson! ≫

≪ Oh, Vio! ≫ Mr. Gilson exclaimed, smiling.

≪ What are you doing here? It’s almost time for class! ≫

Leo was baffled – the teacher had changed completely, and now he looked like the sweetest old man.

≪ I came here to pick up some books… ≫ Vio replied.

≪ You know, this school has so many old and interesting books but they’re all just left here, forgotten, and it’s such a shame ≫

Mr. Gilson, teary eyed, blew his nose on a cloth tissue. He was very moved – he was a literature teacher, and no one cared for old, dusty books more than him.

≪ You’re so right, kid, you’re so right… ≫

Vio looked annoyed.

≪ But then I heard all this clamor and got distracted… ≫

He glared at Leo and pushed back his glasses, which reflected the light coming from the windows.

≪ Are you new here? Don’t you know that you’re supposed to keep quiet inside libraries? They are a sacred place of studying ≫

Leo blinked.

EH???

He felt an ominous aura and slowly turned around – Mr. Gilson was fuming at him.

≪ S- Sir, I- ≫

≪ Silence! ≫ the man roared. ≪ No more from you, kid! I don’t know what you were used to in the city, but here, I’ll make sure you clean up your act! This is a serious school, where people study, not play around like little kids! ≫

He pointed at Vio.

≪ Take his example – the best student of the second year! Here we form elites, not punks! ≫

The best student-!!!

Leo couldn’t believe his ears – shocked, he turned to Vio, but the boy simply stared at him.

Leo’s eyes sparked up in anger.

≪ YOU! Y- you were- ≫

He was so furious he couldn’t even speak.

≪ J- just… just tell him! ≫

Vio sniffled, then shrugged.

≪ Tell him what? ≫

This guy!!!

Leo had never felt such injustice in his entire life.

He turned completely red, and pointed a finger at Vio.

≪ I- I swear, i- if you don’t- ≫

≪ ENOUGH! ≫ Mr. Gilson shouted.

≪ How dare you try to threaten one of your schoolmates! I should put you in detention! In my office, now! ≫

Leo hesitated, looking helplessly back and forth.

≪ B- but- ≫

≪ I said NOW! ≫

Leo shivered, then he finally gave up. There was nothing he could do – he had been set up, and nothing he could say would help him.

As he followed the angry teacher outside he glanced one last time at Vio, who was still staring at him with the usual, blank, unreadable expression on his face.

Oh, gosh…

Mr. Gilson kept him more than half an hour inside the teacher’s room going on and on about how in his school there was no place for troublemakers, and that there, by hook or by crook, he’d learn how to behave properly, and that there were many examples there he could follow.

Yeah, like that guy… are they all blind in here? I better stay veeery far away from him instead…

It turned out he had really arrived there during lunch break, but he hadn’t met anyone because half the school was out on a day field trip and the rest either in the cafeteria or out in the schoolyard in the back, where there were tables.

Yeah, but… no one at the entrance? So much for a “serious school”…

After the crash out Mr. Gilson finally took him to his classroom, where the lesson had already started.

They passed by the room where Leo had ended up earlier.

The 2-B sign wasn’t there, and the door was open – inside he saw three or four turned-off fans.

Gosh…

He shook his head.

He really went out of his way to pull a prank on a transfer student on his first day, during lunch break, using an entire classroom… him and those other two guys… do they really have nothing else to do in here??

He looked around.

There were other student in the hallways now, walking around with a bored expression on their faces – everyone stopped to stare at him, whispering between themselves as if they had never seen a transfer student.

Leo looked down and tensed up, embarrassed.

Yeah, probably not…

The school building was old – the paint on the walls was all scraped off, the wooden window frames splintered, the windowsill’s stained and broken, dirt piled up on every corner, the wooden flooring creaked and squeaked.

Outside all he could see was grass, trees and the sky, an ocean of green and blue.

They were in front of the classroom.

≪ This time, try to act properly! ≫ Mr. Gilson said.

Leo nodded, gloomy. He gulped nervously, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants, then entered.

The classroom was how he had imagined it – small, bright, single desks, chalkboard on one end and lockers on the other.

Every single face sitting at the desks rose to stare at him.

The teacher – a kind-looking lady with a bob – smiled and gestured Leo over; Mr. Gilson followed him and told him to introduce himself.

Leo kept his eyes down, fidgeting, and said in a thin voice: ≪ H- hi, m- my name is Leo and- ≫

≪ Oh, look who’s here! ≫

≪ The ice cream man! ≫

≪ Hey, ice cream man! ≫

≪ Here! ≫

In a cold sweat, the boy immediately recognized the voices he had heard in that dark room, and looked up.

Nancy and Terry, sitting next to each other near the back of the classroom, were waving their hands at him with huge, happy smiles painted on their faces.

≪ Here, here! ≫ they exclaimed, pointing at an empty desk behind Nancy.

Leo had a very bad feeling, and sure enough, there he was – Vio, sitting behind that empty desk and staring absently out the window.

He looked like he hadn’t even noticed Leo – Leo, instead, felt like crying.

Gosh, please, don’t tell me that-

≪ Great! ≫ Mr. Gilson exclaimed.

≪ I see an empty desk in front of Vio – surely the boy here, who seems to be a bit of a troublemaker, would benefit a lot from sitting next to our best student – don’t you agree, Mrs. Kelly? ≫

The entire classroom started whispering, and Leo wished he could just vanish.

Mrs. Kelly clapped her hands.

≪ Of course! Go ahead and sit there, Leo! ≫

Leo sniffled, then started slowly towards the desk, trudging with his head down as if towards the death row.

≪ Hey, thank you again for the ice cream, man! ≫

≪ It was delicious! ≫

≪ What’s your name, by the way? I’m Terry! ≫

≪ And I’m Nancy! ≫

Leo stared blankly out the window, struggling to hold back his tears.

Why me?

He turned to the two jolly faces staring at him with their hands held out, not one thought behind their smiles, and wished he was anywhere but there.

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned around.

Vio, without a word, gave him a folded piece of paper.

Leo’s eyes sparkled, and he felt a bit of hope – Maybe he wants to apologize!

He opened it. It said “LOOK DOWN”

Leo looked down, and almost jumped out of his chair. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and his heart was beating so fast he heard a buzzing sound in his ears.

While he was distracted reading, Vio had slid his monster mask – the one he had used to scare him earlier – on Leo’s lap.

The boy, breathing steadily to regain control, slowly looked up – Vio was grinning from ear to ear, clearly very proud of himself.

Leo closed his eyes and sighed, turning away and hiding his head in his arms.

S**t… it’s gonna be a looong two years…