Project: Socialize (Chapters 1-197)

191. School Day

"So where's Alevian?" Irina asked when I approached her.

"He's uh..." I searched my memory for the excuse that Noah had informed me this morning through our phone call, and I was only just able to respond before things became suspicious. "He's visiting our grandparents."

I had an awkward smile on my face that I forced myself to wear. To be honest, it's rather an odd feeling, one that's not particularly the most comfortable, when forced to talk about yourself as if you're someone else. Like...it's just weird having to think about yourself as someone else and not yourself.

"When will he be back?" Loyd asked.

"I think it'll be in a month?" My voice trailed off in the end as I felt a severe lack of confidence in that statement. I glanced over at Noah, who still appeared quite calm and oblivious as to my worries. On his face, there was that usual smile on his face that to me, appeared somewhat goofy but not to others apparently.

"A month?" Irina frowned. "That's a long time. How will he be able to catch up with school?"

"I'm taking notes for him as well," I explained, forging a believable lie as I am technically taking notes for myself in the end. "So you don't have to worry about his grades."

"Thankfully he still has you to lend him your notes," Muria chuckled. "Or else he'll have no one that will be willing."

"Y-yeah," I forced myself to smile and nod. 

To be honest, it's been quite a while since I've heard such a mean statement from Muria directed towards 'Alevian'. Even though it made me somewhat uneasy, it also made me feel quite warm inside. It's as if things are truly back to the way they were prior to the whole incident with Luna's illness and such. It's actually a very good feeling.    

At the next instant, the bell rang, signaling the start of the school day officially. The ringing bell thus scattered every single chatting clique in the classroom, forcing everyone to head to their seats to prepare for the morning homeroom. However, there came my next problem: I do not know where I sit.

Like I know where 'Alevian' sits. But Alvelyn? That I do not know as this is technically my first day knowing about the existence of Alvelyn while everyone else has false memories of Alvelyn in their minds. But...if it's the divine entities who created the world and everything with it, then is their creation considered not true? Like if the author of a book or something created something later on, as in he or she added in something, then would that addition not be considered canon? That's just rather confusing for me.

Since I have not the slightest clue as to where my seat was, I approached Noah and whispered to him. "Where do I sit?" 

"On the other side of Muria that you used to sit on," he answered without looking over at me and also in a hushed voice.

I looked up from him and then cast my glance over at the back row. The seat by the window at the very back next to Muria was where I used to sit as 'Alevian'. Therefore, when Noah said the seat on the other side of Muria from where I used to sit in, then I suppose it's that empty seat next to her?

With my seat located, I walked over towards it and took a seat, just in time before the front doors slide open to reveal Mura, the homeroom teacher for our class.

"How's everyone doing?" she asked the class as she stepped to the teacher's podium at the front of the classroom before the smartboard. "Today is officially the first day back from Winter Break, and later on today, there will be an assembly in the gym welcoming everyone back, so watch out for that."

Mura then continued speaking to the class about what we'll be doing this semester, talking about major dates for events and tests.

"So in spring," she said, looking up from her tablet, "the Friday before spring break, there'll be the Athletics Festival. I'm sure you all know what that is so I won't explain it to you now. If any of you have questions about it just ask me later in the day."