The Eternal Dawn

Chapter 2

"So it is written here that you just moved from Minnesota...?" Principal Eikner asks me. At that very point, I feel like disowning Jerome and strangle him to death. Why would he put me as Tim McGraw?!

"Yes, sir." I reply. I pinch Jerome's on his waist for putting me in that situation.

"But you don't have the accent?"

"He lived there for a very short period, Mr. Eikner so he didn't adapt with the mannerism of Minnesota." Thank God for Jerome's quick wit. Because if he didn't move fast, I swear to God I will make sure he had to remove Dawn from his surname.

"I see..." And he proceeds looking deep into my details. "And what happened to Mr. and Mrs. Dawn?"

"Car accident. And Mrs. Dawn only relatives live in Italy. I'm the sole heir of my grandson, Simon Dawn."

At this very point, I believe Jerome could already write himself a novel on his own. I am totally sure it would turn out to be a best-seller because damn boy look at how good he fabricates the story.

"Oh, okay. Thank you, Mr. Dawn. You may go now and we will show Quentin where is his class."

After I'm done with the registration and meeting up with the principal, Mr. Eikner, I bid my adieu to Jerome. After that, the principal's assistant brings me to see where is my locker and since the second period has started, he then brings me to the class which is History with Ms. Colbert.

Ms. Colbert is a petite woman with shoulder-level blonde hair. She looks like she's in a mid 40s which when she was born, I was already 60s something. But now, she looks like she could be a mother to one of the student in this class.

I take my seat next to Marsha Gardner and in front of Daryl Trust. Knowing that they are 17/18 years old, I tried my best to stay chill and lit as the kids nowadays trying to be.

It's only few minutes into class and I'm already sleepy as hell. It's not the topic, it's the fact that I'm already studied this 40 years ago. And to restudy it is a peak boredom.

During recess, it's a tough challenge for me. These kids were born in another millenium from mine so their thinking and mannerism would be 180 degree different from me.

I was then called by one of my classmate, Virginia Weston. Can't believe these kids have a name which is very ancient to my ears. Who was born in 1910s now again?

"Hi! This is Dean and this Becky." She pointed out to the two others. One is a boy with a curly blond hair and very big glasses and one is a girl who is wearing a blue bonnet and wooden wristband. "And for short, call me Gigi."

I almost choked on my bagel the moment she said her nickname. I mean, the name is fine but I'm kinda sceptical with Gigi Hadid, modern teenage boys pin-up girl. Kids nowadays don't know Lana Turner and Rita Hayworth and it shows.

This reminds me of the first relationship in 1935. It was late, I admit for someone in 1930s. My older brother, Cecil, born in 1909 and got married in 1928 when he was 18. He got his first and only child which is Jerome's father, Raymond in 1930 and also been said to get a child very late. So yeah, me having a first relationship at 22 is something abnormal.

Her name is Mildred Stevenson and she was 18 in 1935. Yes, it's a she. She was the only woman that I love and when we got into a relationship, she already had a daughter from her only-one-year marriage.

"I can't marry you, Mildred."

"But why you can't? It's been 4 years already, Christopher? What are ye waiting for?"

"Because I'm 18, Mildred!"

"God, you're not 18! How can you be 18 when we were dating for four years?"

It was a very intense meeting and I don't think I want to remember the details again. Now back to 2019.

"So boy, what's your @?" Gigi asks me a question which I completely have no idea.

"What's my what?"

"Username? For Instagram or Twitter or Snapchat?" Becky seems like she's judging me and I'm judging her wristband hope that she knows. That thing looks like something my mother owned back in the 20s.

"No I didn't have any."

"What do you mean you don't have any of those? Even Facebook?"

"Nope. I don't have any social media, sorry."

"Dude, do you live in like what, 1930s?" Okay now it's Dean's turn. If he is judging me too, I hope he knows I have lots of things to talk about him, specifically his glasses. And yes, Dean, I was living in 1930s and perhaps your great-grandparents is the one who threw me down the well.

"Then why don't you make one? At least a Facebook?"

"Well, I'll ask my grandfather to set an account for me."

They both looked at me with a very judging look. Oh yes, my sentence really doesn't make any sense. Why would a teenage boy asks his grandfather to set an account for a social media?

"I was kidding. Of course I know how to set an account. You guys should look at your face, the faces are hilarious."

And back at home, I almost gave Jerome a heart attack when I asked him a very weird request.

"Jer, make me a Facebook account?"

"Gramps, why would you want to?"

"Everyone in school have that and I'm gonna be that weird kid who doesn't have one."

"Gramps, I hope you know that when you have an account, you have to put your details and of course, your picture."

"I'll think about that soon. Now make me one!"

"Okay, calm down!"

And on that very historical evening, I have my very own Facebook account named Quentin Dawn. The first few friends is Gigi Weston, Becky Vaughn and Dean Hermosa.

Wow! What's wrong with me?