Homecoming

Felix bit his lower lip as he stepped foot into the hall of his brand-new school. To say he was nervous would be an understatement – he was absolutely terrified. However, it's not like he had much of a choice. He was doing a minor in Business and a Major in Culinary Arts, with the ambition of one day opening his own bakery – but for that to happen, he needed to finish his studies and get his diplomas.

Which wasn't exactly easy, when one looked like he did.

The supernatural world had long since merged with the Human realm, all species eventually learning to live alongside each other. Society had evolved tremendously under the influence of magic and technology alike, and all manners of creatures now occupied various seats of power all over the world. Last Felix had heard, America had elected a Dragonborn as their President!

However, prejudices were still very real – some creatures were a lot less welcomed, even by their own supernatural peers, and Felix was unfortunate enough to be a part of the minority that was rejected by Humans and non-Humans alike. Because of that, he'd suffered a lonely childhood, and tormented teenage years, and he was eventually forced to move to another country entirely because of an incident he was involved in at the end of his first year in university.

Hence his current situation – him entering a brand-new school and definitely not feeling at ease. At least back in Australia, everyone knew what he was – here, he was an unknown in addition to being a foreigner, and he somehow doubted that many would try to befriend him.

He could already feel the stares as he quickly walked down the hallway, keeping his head low and clutching the hem of his hood to ensure it wouldn't accidentally slip off. Though he'd grabbed one of the most oversized hoodies he could find in his admittedly empty closet – thus one with a hood so big it partly fell over his face – he was still anxious and preferred to be careful.

He eventually made it to his classroom but, just as he entered, a senior student stepped out. They collided, Felix stumbling backward, and the student glared at him.

"Watch where you're going, punk."

"So- sorry," Felix whispered, lowering his head even more.

The older student – Minotaur genes, if Felix had to guess from his weirdly-shaped shoes – scoffed and walked away, though not without roughly bumping shoulders with him on the way. Felix winced from the impact but didn't say anything and scurried inside the classroom. Since the last lesson had just finished, Felix was free to pick the seat he wanted, and he immediately claimed the furthest chair in the back – the one opposite to the windows, so no one would bother him about it.

At last, Felix allowed himself to relax a bit. Now seated, he pulled out a worn-out notebook and his pencil case, ready for when class would start. He started doodling a bit to pass the time, at peace in this empty classroom – until students began coming in, and it was no longer empty. He pulled his hood down some more, internally praying they'd all just ignore him – and, miraculously enough, they all did.

A slightly more exuberant group settled down in the opposite corner, and Felix internally praised himself for not picking a seat next to the window, else he'd have had to deal with the whole lot. He avoided outright looking at anyone, however – the last thing he wanted was to attract attention by staring. Thankfully, it didn't take too long for everyone to settle down and, soon enough, the teacher also arrived, and class finally started.

Now, business wasn't particularly fun, but Felix did his best to pay attention. He couldn't afford to miss anything, else he'd have to ask questions, and that was the last thing he wanted. So, he really tried his best to focus, and by the end of the lecture, he was satisfied to notice that he understood almost everything they covered today – and the rest, he could simply look up online.