Lesson One - A Monster School Fic

Chapter Twenty One - Math Class

Monday morning came around again, and with it, math class.

You didn't hate math- at least, not as much as some of your classmates from your last school had. But it barely held your interest. So here you were, sitting slumped over your desk and twirling a pencil between your fingers while Herobrine droned on at the front of the classroom about equivalent fractions.

Your thoughts began to wander as class went on, to your encounter with the players in the Nether two days ago. It looked like they had been constructing a minecart track... probably for long-distance travel. The armed players had been there to protect them, then, and must have seen Soot and Fade as a threat even though they had just been curious. It made you think about how much your perspective had changed since you came to this school just two weeks ago. Before then, you would have never considered talking to a monster, much less living and learning with them.

You rested your cheek in your palm, gazing at your pencil as you spun it back and forth. It seemed to you that if all players knew what great friends the monster races could be, then maybe they could travel and work in the nether without having to worry about them.

You were interrupted from your thoughts when Morpheus' wing bapped you in the back of the head. You jumped, swiveling immediately to scowl at him, and found the phantom holding a folded slip of paper in your direction, looking as nonchalant as possible as he focused on the blackboard. You took a quick glance at Herobrine- who was, fortunately, also facing the blackboard at the moment - before snatching the note and unfolding it under your desk to see what it said.

"Kai seems sad today :( know why?"

You glanced to your right with a frown, seeking out the guardian girl where she sat on Silvia's other side. Sure enough, Kai's huge eye was half-lidded, and she was leaning her chin into her palm with a little bit of a pout. You would have thought she was just bored, but usually she was alert and attentive, even in the most mind-numbing of classes.

You hastily scrawled out a response - "no I don't, should we ask?" before passing it back to Morpheus. Herobrine turned around for a moment, scanned the classroom, then went back to his lecture.

After a moment, Morpheus passed back his response. "I think so. at lunch?" Instead of responding with a note, you just gave him a thumbs-up under your desk.

You really liked Kai. Her upbringing as a princess was clear in her mannerisms, the way she was able to defuse a fight with just her words. She was super sweet and friendly, and made everyone in class feel welcome. If there was anything you could do to make her feel better, you were sure as heck going to do it.

The bell for lunch rang before too long, and you hurriedly shoved your books back into your backpack before joining Morpheus and following him into the hall. Kai had been one of the first to leave, having been sat closer to the door, and you and Morpheus agreed to wait until you'd all gotten your food before you talked to her.

She was, you noticed as you filled up your tray with player-appropriate food, sitting by herself today on the far end of the table. Usually she sat with Geode and Soliel, and sometimes across from the zombies, but today she was alone.

Not for long. You strode over to the table, stopping on her left. "Hey, can I sit here?"

Kai blinked at you. "Oh, y-yeah. Sure." You scooted out the chair to her left, sinking down into it and setting down your tray as Morpheus came and sat down on her other side.

"Is everything okay?" He asked her, not wasting a moment before launching into his interrogation. "You haven't really seemed like yourself today."

"Oh." Kai's voice faltered. "Oh, no, I'm okay, I just..." she sniffled. "T-today is my little brother's birthday, and I'm missing it." Her large eye welled up with tears, and you immediately felt your heart drop.