Imperial High

OBERON

I scowled and dug farther into my seat, adjusting my tie. The uniform had come yesterday, and it still had a faint starchiness to it. Why I had let Grandma convince me to come, I had no idea. Plus, there was something off about the way things had happened.

As expected, the landlord had come with his horrible lime-green suit riding over his belly, inspecting every inch of the house. Predictably, he had demanded another rise in rent to be paid at its usual time. I had been so close to giving him a good one, but Grandma caught my eye and shook her head.

After he had left, Grandma sat down and began to cry. I rushed to her side.

"Grandma, it's okay. It's going to be fine. I'll just mow more lawns and up my price."

At this, she cried even harder.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. I scowled. It had better not be that landlord come again for another try.

"Mail for a Mr. Oberon Isabis?

Grandma and I looked up. Never in my life had I ever gotten mail. Grandma wiped her eyes and pushed me towards the door.

"Go on, answer it."

I walked to the door cautiously. It could be a trick by those gangsters across the street to get into our house and try to rob us. I clenched my fists. Let them come. They wouldn't find it so easy to rob me.

I stepped behind the door and opened it slowly. Nothing happened. There was a slight cough from the other side. I peeked around it. A neatly dressed mailman looked at me curiously. I blushed.

"Sorry, I thought you were someone else. Um, you had mail for me?"

The mailman laughed and nodded. "No need to apologize, it happens all the time. I presume you are Mr. Oberon Isabis?"

I nodded.

He passed me a thick creamy envelope with what looked like a logo embossed on it. I turned it over. My name and address were stylized in italics. I frowned. I didn't have many friends and not one of them was rich enough to send me letters with fancy handwriting and embossed logos. I looked up to ask the mailman who exactly the letter was from and stopped. There was no one there.

"Oberon, what's taking so long?"

I shook my head and closed the door. I opened the envelope and handed the letter over to Grandma and watched as her eyes grew and her smile brightened.

"Oberon, this is amazing!"

Her eyes narrowed.

"You bad boy." She tugged at me cheeks in mock anger. "Making you dear old grandmother worry like that. Why didn't you say something sooner?"

I shook my head. "Say what exactly, Grandma?"

She shook the letter in my face. "Why, that you gained admission into the most prestigious school on this side of the Earth, of course....... Imperial High."

I didn't tell Grandma that I hadn't written up any applications neither applied to any schools; I hadn't seen her this happy in years. She had run around, calling old friends and talking about her genius grandson who had gotten into a prestigious school with such a smile on her face, I felt bad that I was spoil all that by not going.

She had been on another call when I had told her. She froze for a few seconds before turning around with a look of pure fury in her eyes.

"OBERON DJIMAL ISABIS, HOW DARE YOU?! YOU HAVE FINALLY BEEN GRANTED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A LIFE AGAIN AND YOU WOULD THROW IT AWAY?! I MAY BE AN ELDERLY WOMAN BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN I CAN'T TAKE CARE OF MYSELF! YOU'RE GOING TO THIS SCHOOL AND THAT'S FINAL!"

I hadn't ever seen Grandma that angry. The next day, I had meekly eaten my eggs and bacon and waited for the bus to come. My grandma had come down to see me go.

There were tears in her eyes. I rushed forward to her but she raised her hand.

"I... I just wanted you to know how proud I am of you Oberon. I know you would rather stay here and take care of me but you have a life to live and I don't know what kind of grandmother I would be if I prevented you from living it." At this, there was a bus honk outside. She smiled and pulled me closer for a hug. "Now, go out there and make me proud."

I hugged her tightly then let go. With a final glance at her and a heart filled with curiosity and wariness, I stepped onto the bus and into the unknown. 

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