Those Damn Dimples (BL)

Chapter 4: Adopted

Mr. Flores checked if everyone was present in class. He called each name one by one, with a quick recitation of "Present!" after each name. Caden tried his best to remember the names and faces of those that raised their hands during attendance. Next thing you know it, Mr. Flores had left the classroom. It seems he didn't even bother letting each student introduce themselves. After all, they were classmates last year too.

Not all though. Some of us were just transferred here.

Caden felt very overwhelmed by the new atmosphere he was in. He felt helpless, only facing Claire whenever she wasn't talking to her classmates. The guys were also busy talking among themselves. Caden counted the number of students in the class. There were only 12 guys in there. While counting, he noticed another boy that wasn't talking to anyone. He was only facing his book, seemingly trying to drown out the laughter and the smiles that spoke in high frequencies around him. He had a hoodie on, the type of jacket without a zipper. This type of hoodie was banned in Ascension High because some students wouldn't bother wearing their school uniform under it. Seeing that he must not be familiar with this rule, he must have transferred from another school.

Caden approached the boy. He stretched his hand into the direction of his face. "Hi! I'm Caden. I'm new to this section too. You are?"

The boy looked up at him. The first thing he noticed was his eyes. He looked like he wanted to get out of the room. He was also chewing gum in the classroom, which is another thing banned in the school. The boy then shook Caden's hand.

"I'm Tyrone. Tyrone Pascual. Sorry, I don't know anyone from this class." Tyrone's voice was shivering. Is it because of the cold, or is it anxiety?

"It's okay, I don't know anyone here too. I came from a different class and was just transferred this year. I hope we can be good friends!" said Caden, reassuring the fellow. "But you gotta spit that gum out, you know! You're gonna get yourself in trouble if a teacher sees you chewing." Caden added.

"Alright." Tyrone took out a piece of paper and spat his gum into it. "So, how long have you been studying here in Ascension High?" Tyron asked the other outsider.

"Well, this is my 9th year of studying here. I've never really –" the door swung open before Caden could speak. It was already 8 a.m., and first period was starting. A woman with long straight hair came in, holding an envelope, probably containing the class lists for checking attendance. The woman stood in front of the class, her heels making a sharp sound with every step.

"Good morning, class! I'm Ms. De Guzman and I will be your Math teacher for this academic year."

Sh*t. Math in the morning? That's like getting bitten by a mosquito on your eyelid while you sleep. Your whole day's ruined by a bump that wouldn't let you fully open your left eye. But that's okay. We got the Best in Math awardee in the room. Maybe we can coax him to teach us sometimes.

"Now, of course this is only the first day, so we wouldn't be discussing anything for this session. I would like you all to introduce yourselves first." Ms. De Guzman spoke.

Ms. De Guzman randomly grouped everyone and made them form circles around the room. Her plan was to get everyone to talk among themselves, what their names are, what they like or dislike, their hobbies, or anything you could think of. Then, the groups would be asked to stand in front of the class. Basically, you'd be introducing your classmates for them. No one will be speaking for themselves.

Caden was really anxious while Ms. De Guzman was announcing the groupings. It was understandable, he knew nobody in this room. He stared at a certain spot on the wall the whole time. The teacher was grouping everyone into groups of 6 members. Caden was hoping he'd be grouped with someone. Maybe he'd get to know them better after.