Yellow Sun Academy

Chapter 18: Botany Class

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"Zzzzz," Hothead goes as he adjusts his sleeping head on his pillow hand. I watch for a bit as the snot bubble coming out of his nose shrinks and glows.

"Sulien Bokamoso," Professor Purdue yells. "Sulien Bokamoso. Sulien Bokamoso, are you in this class?"

I turn my head toward Hothead as he exhales, the snot bubble also shrinking. I roll my eyes and kick Hothead in the leg. His eyes snap open and, like a rocket, his head shoots up.

"Here," Hothead yells, standing up. "I am right here! Here I stand!"

As Hothead yells, he spreads out his arms like their wings.

"I am here," he shouts one last time. Smiling as he looks around, his smile disappears when, from the looks of it, he realizes he's in class.

"Uhh," he says in a much lower voice. He looks down at me and I nudge my head at Professor Purdue. The Professor meanwhile is looking right at Hothead. "I'm here."

"Yes," Professor Purdue says, checking on Hothead's name on his holo-display. "I can see that. Please sit down."

Hothead coughs as he awkwardly sits back down.

While Professor Purdue goes on with checking attendance, Hothead leans in close to me.

"Thanks for the save," Hothead says with downward-pointing eyebrows.

"You're welcome," I answer with a grin.

Hothead's head turns a little red and I think I see some steam shooting out of his ears.

"Alodia Darreth," Professor Purdue says. As soon as she hears her name, Alodia stands up with a smile.

"Here," she shouts proudly with a big smile and her hands on her hips. "Thank you for having me in class."

Alodia bows her head before sitting back down.

"Darreth," Professor Purdue says while rubbing his chin. "Darreth. Darreth. I've heard that name before. Wait, is your sister Gwen? Gwen Darreth?"

I can't be sure but it seems as soon as Alodia hears the name, she sinks a little deeper into her chair. Also, her once proud smile is turned upside down.

"What's that about," I ask myself. I don't have much time to think about it as I hear my name begin called next.

"Eimear Avita," the Professor shouts. "Eimear Avita?"

"Here," I say. Unlike Hothead or Alodia, I don't make much of a scene. However, a lot like Alodia, it seems my name triggers something in the Professor's mind.

"Avita," he repeats. "Avita. That's funny. I recognize that last name as well."

"Oh no," I think. "Please no. Please no."

"Is your father Soren Avita?"

I nod my head when I hear my father's name.

"Ha," the Professor shouts, his laugh echoing throughout the classroom. "There's a name I haven't heard in a while."

I shake my head at the thought.

"There's a name I'm glad I haven't heard in a while."

Once the teacher finishes with the class attendance, he starts the class's introduction.

"Hello future fighters of the world," he yells, his voice thundering as it carries throughout the class. "And welcome to botany, or in less fancy terms, the study of plants. Haha. Believe me when I say this. In the wild, there are no such things as hospitals, and only the luckiest of us have a doctor with us. That is why we must learn to rely on the land herself, and everything she had to offer us."