Tekkit High

Chapter Three- Redstone Heist, part one

The hallways of Tekkit High were full to bursting with chattering students- all except one. Vechs Davion twiddled his thumbs as he waited in the wooden chair just outside of Principal Notch's office. His dark, green tinted shades reflected the fluorescent lights that lit up the small waiting room. He leaned back in the seat comfortably, watching the other students bustling about. Ignoring the strange looks he received, he cast a glance at the door of the office. What in Minecraftia was taking so long?

The door opened suddenly, startling Vechs. A tall man stood in the doorway, looking back into the office. Vechs couldn't see his face, but he was dressed sharply in solid black. He said something quietly that Vechs didn't catch, then turned to leave and shut the door behind him. The man nodded quickly to Vechs, then hurried on his way. Vechs' eyes followed him, then turned back toward the door. He stood up slowly, adjusted his shades, and moved forward to open it.

The teen peered into the office, eyes skimming over the bookshelves and various furniture pieces that made up the room's decor. A large, polished, mahogany desk sat beneath the windows, its shiny top littered with an assortment of documents and papers, office supplies, a computer that hummed softly, and a mug of something that looked like... coffee? A man sat behind the desk, his warm gray eyes glancing up at Vechs as he entered.

"Vechs Davion?" the man Vechs presumed to be Mr. Notch inquired.

"Yessir."

"Excellent. Right on time. I presume you need your dorm key and class schedule?"

"That's right, sir."

"I know they're here somewhere..." The man shifted aside some official-looking documents and pulled out a silver key and a slip of paper, sliding them across the desktop toward Vechs. The teen reached down and picked up the principal's offering, weighing the key in his hand.

"Thank you, sir."

"It's no trouble at all, Vechs," he said with a smile, finally glancing up, "Welcome to Tekkit High."

The teen stood awkwardly, staring at the papers and key in his hand, unsure about what to do next. He nearly jumped when Mr. Notch cleared his throat, asking, "Will that be all?"

"Yessir, thank you." he inclined his head and turned to leave. As he put his hand on the doorknob, he thought he heard him whisper, "Good luck, Mr. Davion... you're going to need it."

Vechs adjusted his shades and closed the office door behind him, tucking the key into the back pocket of his jeans. He leaned down and grasped the metallic handle of the suitcase that rested beside the chair, extending it with a push of a button. He opened the door and poked his head out cautiously. The hallways had cleared since he had entered the office, and Vechs felt relief wash through him. He didn't think he could stand all of the students staring like they had when he had entered the building.

Vechs crossed the marble floor in a few long strides and pushed open the main door, stepping into the late afternoon sun. The concrete paths connecting the school, dorms, and athletic fields were bordered by short bushes and a few well-groomed trees. To the left, a line of tall oaks met the grass where the forest began. To the right, the grounds sloped downhill until it met the asphalt road that bordered the property. Vechs tightened his hold on his suitcase and began the short trek to the dormitory.

A few students were milling around, but not many. Vechs couldn't help but notice a cute teen with light brown hair and bright coloured clothing as he passed her on the road. He gave a small wave, and she waved cheerfully back, tugging a large suitcase behind her. So he wasn't the only new student in school. Interesting.

He pushed open the glass door and entered the building, pulling his suitcase over the threshold and onto the maroon carpet. The building seemed to be mainly a hallway, with doors on either side leading into the different rooms. The doors were numbered; odd on the left and even on the right. Vechs reached into his back pocket and withdrew the silver key, squinting at the engraved number on its face. A small number 6 shined in the lights of the hallway. Vechs walked halfway down the hallway to the sixth door.

Pulling his suitcase to a stop beside him, he took a deep breath, inserting the key into the door's lock and turning it. With a soft click, the door unlocked. Vechs pushed it open with his free hand and removed the key, again placing it in his back pocket.

The room was a fairly decent size, with polished wood floors and windows that allowed sunlight to spill in. A soft green rug was spread on the floor at the foot of a comfortable-looking couch. A small wooden table sat in the left corner, accompanied by 2 chairs. Bookshelves lined the walls. Two doorways on the left and right led off into other rooms (Vechs guessed they were the kitchen and bedroom). The whole place was tidy: swept, dusted, and organized.

A tall boy stood at the table, his back to Vechs. His brown, curly-haired head was bent as he focused on whatever it was that he was doing. Vechs rolled his suitcase into the room and closed the door behind himself. He cleared his throat. The taller teen started, nearly dropping the item in his hands- a sleek recurve bow. He cast a curious glance at Vechs, who shifted his gaze quickly from the bow to the other's face.

"Hey. I'm Vechs," he stated simply, offering his hand. "Nice bow." he quickly added.

The tall boy didn't respond; instead, he merely nodded, placing the bow on the table and taking Vechs' outstretched hand, shaking it firmly. Vechs waited expectantly for something that didn't come. "Well?" he prompted after a few moments had passed. "What's your name?"

A knowing look crossed the others face suddenly, and he slapped his palm against his forehead. In a swift, sudden movement he slipped his hand into his sweatshirt pocket, pulling out a mini whiteboard and marker set. He then scrawled something on the whiteboard, turning it so Vechs could read- it said, in neat script, 'Teep'.

"Your name is Teep?" he questioned, to which the other teen nodded.

"Cool!" Vechs said, broadly grinning. "But why didn't you just say so?"

Teep shrugged, pointing towards his throat.

"You... can't talk, can you?"

Teep shook his head.

"Oh... Sorry about that..."

Teep shrugged again. Obviously he didn't mind not being able to speak.

Vechs allowed himself to ask another question. "How did it happen? Your- y'know- muteness."

A heavy sigh escaped the other teen, and he grabbed his whiteboard again. Vechs was pretty sure he saw him roll his eyes as he erased the board with the side of his hand and wrote a new message.

"Born with it, huh?...." Vechs questioned, and at Teep's nod, he sighed. "I see." Teep scratched unconsciously at the back of his neck, accidentally revealing a thick scar.

Vechs let out a whistle. "That's some scar you've got there," he murmured, "Where'd you get that?"

At this, Teep's eyes narrowed and his lip curled slightly. He lifted his arm, pointing toward the bedroom. Vechs sighed. Even at high school he was getting bossed around!

Vechs grabbed his suitcase and rolled it into the other room. Glancing back at his roommate, he saw Teep had gone back to carefully putting his bow away in its case.

Vechs rolled his suitcase to the bed near the far wall and opened his suitcase, beginning to unpack.

He finished shortly thereafter, and picked up an item he had left out- a book of redstone recipes.

Dropping onto his bed with a sigh of relief, Vechs cracked open the book, poring over the pages with interest. Finding a machine he particularly liked, Vechs turned to the backpack that was leaning against the bed and began to paw through it, looking for the ingredients he would need.