The Beginnings

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The Beginnings

I wake up pretty early. It's still hard with this 12 hour time difference.

I leave Niel to rest and I grab some khaki shorts and a polo for Ivan.

I walk into his dorm and call his name.

I smile knowing he's still in a pretty deep sleep.

I kneel before the bed and run a soft hand over his head till he wakes up.

He snaps up quick and backs away from me scared.

"Hey it's okay. It's just me."

"Headmaster." His chest rises and falls quickly.

I nod. "I brought you some clothes to change into. And a toothbrush."

He looks at the toothbrush and the back at me, "what's that?"

I grin. "Come on. It helps keep your mouth healthy. I'll show you."

We head to the wash hall. It just has a series of sinks and showers.

"So you wet the brush. Then take this tube which squeezes out paste onto the brush. You wet it again. Then you put it in your mouth. Wait!" I say and he freezes.

"Do not swallow the paste. If your mouth gets full spit into the sink. You use the brush to scrub your teeth and tongue. Like this."

I begin and he copies until we finish.

"And you just keep spitting until all the paste is gone."

We wash our faces after and I give him the clothes to get dressed.

He meets me in the kitchen where I make my favourite, it's just some porridge but it's still good without all the other stuff.

Niel comes around, "S-Headmaster. You didn't wake me." He fluffs out a navy dress shirt.

"You were tired. And I promised to get Ivan back."

"Do you even remember the way?" He runs a hand down his face.

"I'm sure I would've managed. You want some before we get going?"

He nods before putting his arms in the sleeves, buttoning the shirt up.  He meets my gaze and I look away. Before he comments:

"Thank you headmaster." Ivan quickly says.

"Anytime. Now come over here and help me wash this."

I show him how to wash the dishes and where they go when it's done.

Niel finishes up and we head out to the garden to pick some berries to take to the others.

...

At the field we let Ivan take the lead.

We head over to a thick wall of hedges. There's a small ripped out space. Ivan crawls through it. I see a ton of cardboard. And I realize what's going on.

They ripped through the middle of the hedge and placed the cardboard around the walls to stop the pant from regrowing. This keeps wind and weather out.

A couple of minutes later we hear screaming.

Ivan comes out frowning. "Don't think I'm Ivan."

Niel sticks his head in the opening. "Professor!" We hear.

"Come out and apologize to Ivan."

They come out but no apologies are said.

"I cut his hair." Niel says.

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