Story Of My Life - Starting Line

A Moment Broken

( Wave's mindset: https://youtu.be/VM6bPbOnK9w )

The fact that maroon hoodies are common evidently didn't mean anything to this lot. The fact that if someone was that content with breaking the rules, wearing a non-regulation jumper wouldn't phase them at all also seemed beyond the logic of these guys. No. They saw Wave and Wave's jumper and that was it. Even though the jumper was an intentional play on his part, he couldn't help the feeling of desolation consuming him. His own jumper was actually quite different in shape and size to that of his minion; his own was years old whereas hers was quite obviously new. His jumper was his favourite not only because it was red but because it was the last gift given to him by his parents; the last thing he had received out of genuine love and not obligation. It was obvious. Their minds were made up; Wave was the problem.

He descended the stairs along with Namtarn straight into an ambush. "What's going on?" Wave asked. They had apparently had a meeting, which of course Wave himself had known about but hadn't been explicitly invited to; also, he had wanted to see how the whole thing would play out. They couldn't have been more obvious with their thoughts if they tried; the crossed arms and accusing glares directed at him leaving nothing to the imagination. Punn and Claire stood slightly off to the side, angling themselves away from Wave slightly, expressions no less cold, whilst Pang and Ohm faced him dead on. Pang was furious. The furrow of the other boy's brows over his eyes with a fury reflecting Wave's own. Wave nearly dropped to his knees from the intensity. Damn the boy was hot when he was mad... Wave quickly grabbed a hold of himself before his mask of clinical indifference dropped and his thoughts became apparent. He noticed that Pang's eyes kept flicking slightly between himself and Namtarn. Wave laughed internally. He had pissed off Pang by spending the afternoon with his girlfriend. Brilliant. Wave smirked.

He stood there for what felt like half an hour being chewed out by his classmates for something he didn't actually do. "If you have something to say, just say it." At least Punn stuck to the facts and asked his questions outright, the rest of them seemed compelled to euphemise or skirt around the situation. Yes, he set it up and yes, he deliberately framed himself, but it's not his fault that these lot didn't notice an obvious frame job when they saw it. He knew they had asked Claire to monitor him, hell, he had even asked for her to do it himself, but from their obvious body language, they didn't believe her. Looks like it's not just Wave himself that is being doubted...

Pang's eyes barely left wave after the first minute or so, stare growing more and more intense by the second, so much so that by the end Wave was barely avoiding gasping for his own breath by the end of it. Damn, why did the boy have such a marked effect on him? "Are you behind this?" Ohm accused. Before he could say anything, Namtarn jumped to his aid.

"How could he have Ohm? He has been with me all evening, we haven't left the rooftop," Namtarn looked distressed at their almost baseless accusations. Now that was new. He actually tried defending himself after that only to be immediately told by Ohm that they all thought him capable of much worse. Heh, he can show them much worse...

"Honestly Wave, I just want to ask you if it is you in the photo," Pang stated warily, the fire in his eyes barely restrained. At least the class eight kid had the decency to ask and may have realised it was a frame job. The current passing between himself and the boy in front was almost electrifying now, a magnetic pull towards the other boy he was only able to deny because of his anger.

"No matter what I tell you, it's not like you would believe me," Wave huffed. Punn said something about trying anyway. So, he did. Only for Pang's minion to start shouting about how he must have done it, how he was the only one advanced enough. His disbelief in Claire just served to prove his point, they had all decided he was guilty, so he may as well do something worthy of the punishment right? Seeing the look in Pang's eyes just pushed him over the edge; he ran off barely even taking note of what Namtarn was saying. He could still feel Pang's stare on him on the stairwell only... lower? That couldn't be right, could it?

Sure enough, Wave surreptitiously glanced backwards to find Pang stood at the top of the stairwell, eyes glazed over, head tilted slightly to the side, openly staring at Wave's ass. What?! To test his theory and make sure he wasn't caught, he continued walking, noting Pang's gulp and slow exhale. What the hell was that about? Wave turned the corner, catching his breath and thoughts slightly. Why was Pang looking at him like that and why did his stomach flip happily because of it?

After a minute or so, Wave collected his thoughts and remembered how Namtarn had stuck up for him, and also, he wanted some answers from Pang, so he turned around to climb back up the stairs only to hear it. "Either way, Wave cannot be trusted," Pang stated confidently. A female voice hummed in approval. He had heard enough.

Wave fled back to his room to cry silently at yet another person betraying him. He had really thought Namtarn may have been different, may have actually wanted to be his friend. He didn't know why he had actually tried to let her into his world even just the small slither of it he had permitted. Something in him just felt he could trust her, that she would understand him. She had almost had him fooled. Then there was Pang. That asshole who was calm and collected to his face yet saying how he couldn't be trusted to everyone behind his back and that didn't even start on the look like he wanted to pin Wave against the nearest wall as he had walked down the stairs...

He had had enough. Enough of the assholes who had decided that he was guilty despite all the solid evidence they had had to the contrary. Enough of being blamed and framed and just outwardly hated. If this was what it meant to be gifted, having to deal with backstabbing idiots at every turn then fuck it; he was glad they were trying to get rid of him. That didn't mean he would go down quietly though. If they wanted him to be truly guilty, then he would really show them what he was capable of.

Given the success of his emissary so far, and having sensed from today he barely had hours left, he decided to move 3rd testament to a closed beta stage. He set the concurrent users allowed from one to twenty but made sure that people could only be invited via invitation. His minion had proven her worth so it only felt fitting to allow her to bring in some friends. He typed out another task for her.

'Spread the word to 19 other students who will be good at the game. Choose wisely.
The uprising starts soon.
Reward: Grade 4 in all compulsory subjects.
Reward processed after: 20 students are registered with 3rd Testament.
Accept||Reject'

Excellent. Wave finished all changes he needed to make to the app as well as making sure that, upon the press of a button, he can have it spread to everybody in the school's phones providing they didn't have the hidden counter app he had given teachers and the Gifted.

Tomorrow it was game on.