A Quiet Corner

[HISS]

The heavy brakes of the school bus groan to a stop.

I step out onto the rain-slicked pavement.

Out of nowhere, a heavy door swings wide right into my path.

I leap backward, narrowly avoiding a face-plant into the polished, pristine metal of a luxury SUV idling in the drop-off lane.

Completely off-balance, I lurch backward and blindly grab the perimeter fence to stabilize myself.

Rip.

The sharp metal wire snags my faded backpack, tearing a fresh hole right next to the already jammed front zipper.

I yank it loose, but nobody turns around.

Spotless designer sneakers splash through puddles right past me without a single glance.

It doesn't bother me one bit.

I hold my head high, a quiet, casual smile on my face.

Who cares about being noticed by a bunch of strangers...

...when the world running inside my own head is infinitely more interesting anyway?

I push open the door to my classroom and weave through the rows of desks.

Far corner. By the big windows. My safe haven.

Having Leo sitting right there in the next row always makes the classroom feel completely comfortable.

I drop my bag onto the floor.

*[THUD]*

"Morning, Dave," Leo whispers.

I lean over my desk, keeping my voice low.

"Leo, you won't believe the dream I had. I was in space flying a spaceship in the middle of a battle..."

Just retelling it makes my heart race all over again.

My palms press flat against the cold faux-wood of the desk, sweating as if I'm still gripping the flight controls.

Leo’s eyes widen like saucers.

"No way! My new space-combat sim lets you upgrade the thrusters for that exact maneuver!"

He beams, practically vibrating with excitement.

"I just got it over the weekend. It has customizable dreadnoughts and dogfights. You have to come over to my place after school today so we can patch the hull and see if you're actually a good captain."

I look up at Leo’s massive grin.

The heavy textbooks waiting at the bottom of my bag can wait. I already know the material well enough to get by later anyway. Right now, the universe takes priority.

I grin back, already mapping out starship strategies.

"Count me in."

Before Leo could start explaining the different ship upgrades, our teacher walks in, the rich, bitter steam of her travel-mug coffee drifting through the front row.

The loud morning chatter instantly dies down as she writes the day's topic across the blackboard in crisp, white strokes: World History — The Silk Road.

"Good morning, everyone," she says with a warm smile. "Open your textbooks to page 114. Let's get started."

Around me, the restless buzz of the room takes over. Pages rustle, pencils scratch experimentally against paper, and kids shift restlessly in their squeaking chairs.

I slide my notebook open and uncap my pen, trying my best to look attentive.

But instead of copying down dates and trade routes...

My pen glides effortlessly across the margins.

A cluster of jagged asteroids takes shape on the clean white page. 

Then, a sleek starship console, weaving perfectly between them.

I am completely in my zone, entirely detached from the drone of the lecture.

Across the aisle, Leo catches my eye and gave a subtle, two-finger salute across the aisle, a silent confirmation that our weekend plans were locked in.

I return the salute with a small, hidden smile, then turn my eyes toward the window glass.

Outside, the quiet courtyard sits under the morning sun. Inside, the history lesson completely fades into background noise.