The Hope Kids 𓆉 // A New Beginning

ch: 7 // an uninvited guest

Hiro sat at his desk, trying to focus on the open chemistry textbook in front of him. But his mind wasn't cooperating—too much had happened at dinner, and now, there was an unsettling quietness in the dorm that made him uneasy. Every time he tried to read a sentence, his eyes would flick to the door connecting his room to Miguel's next door.

It was too quiet.

Finally, unable to shake the strange feeling, Hiro stood up and walked over to Miguel's door. With a quick glance down the hallway to make sure no one else was around, he knocked softly. No answer. He bit his lip, then gently turned the doorknob and stepped inside.

The moment he crossed the threshold, Hiro's eyes went wide and he let out a startled scream.

In the middle of Miguel's room was a huge black dog, its gleaming eyes staring right back at him.

Miguel, who had been kneeling beside the dog, quickly shot up and clapped a hand over Hiro's mouth, shushing him. "Shh, dude! You'll wake the whole place up!"

Hiro jerked Miguel's hand away, his heart pounding. "Are you crazy? You snuck a dog in here without telling anyone?"

Miguel, looking a bit sheepish, rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah... I mean, I couldn't just leave him behind. Dante and I... we're inseparable. Through and through, even to death."

Hiro blinked at the strange choice of words, feeling a little off about it. But he decided not to press further. "I'm—I'm scared of dogs, Miguel!" he stammered, backing up against the wall, his eyes still locked on the large, fluffy creature that wagged its tail at him.

Miguel laughed, clearly amused. "Dante's the sweetest dog ever, I promise. You don't need to be scared. Come on, he won't hurt you."

Hiro gave him a skeptical look. "Are you sure? He looks like he could swallow me whole."

Miguel knelt next to Dante, giving him a quick pet on the head. "Come on, Hiro, just try. He's a total softie. Trust me, you'll love him."

Reluctantly, Hiro took a step closer. He extended a trembling hand toward Dante, and the dog tilted its head curiously. For a moment, it seemed like everything would go smoothly—until, without warning, Dante lunged forward and tackled Hiro to the ground, slobbering all over him.

"Ahh! Get him off, get him off!" Hiro shrieked in a mix of terror and laughter as Dante happily licked his face, his tail wagging furiously.

Miguel jumped in, trying to pull Dante off, but ended up getting tangled up in the chaos. The two boys collapsed in a heap on the floor, wrestling with the overenthusiastic dog.

That's when Riley timidly knocked on the door and poked her head in. "Um... is everything okay in here—"

Her eyes landed on the scene—Hiro and Miguel on the floor, tangled up with a large black dog—and she let out a high-pitched scream.

"Whoa, whoa! Shhh!" Miguel panicked, scrambling to get Dante under control. "Riley, keep it down! Please don't tell Mei or her mom!"

Just then, a voice from behind Riley chimed in. "Tell Mei what?"

All three of them froze, staring in horror as Mei stepped into the room, arms crossed. The boys, along with Riley, huddled up in an awkward group, realizing they were caught red-handed.

But instead of the scolding Miguel was clearly bracing for, Mei's eyes landed on Dante. Her expression softened almost immediately, and she let out an "Aww" before walking over to the dog, kneeling down to pet him.

"He's so cute!" she cooed, her eyes twinkling as Dante wagged his tail even harder.

Hiro, still sitting on the floor, looked up at Mei hesitantly. "Uh... you're not mad?"

Mei laughed, standing up and brushing her hands on her pants. "Of course not! My family loves pets. I mean, I didn't expect a dog, but we'll make it work."

All three of them let out sighs of relief, tension fading from the room.

As they sat back down, the atmosphere turned more relaxed. Miguel leaned against the wall, giving Hiro an encouraging look. "See? I told you Dante wasn't so bad."

Hiro grumbled playfully, still wiping off the slobber. "Yeah, sure. I'm still recovering from the heart attack."

They all laughed, the mood lightening considerably.

After a while, the four of them began talking more freely, exchanging stories and opening up to each other. Miguel talked about how Dante had been his companion since he was a kid, following him everywhere, while Mei shared stories about growing up in a household that always had animals around.

"So," Hiro said, trying to keep things casual but genuinely curious, "Riley, why did you freak out so much when I made that joke at dinner?"

Riley blushed, her face turning a light shade of pink as she fiddled with the edge of her hoodie. "Oh, um... I was just surprised. I mean, where I'm from... no one really talks about it. So, I wasn't expecting it."

Hiro's eyes widened slightly as a thought hit him. "Wait... you're the freshman from the Firehawks, aren't you? From Elmore?"

Riley nodded, looking both impressed and surprised. "Yeah... how'd you know?"

Hiro gave her a casual shrug. "I'm from San Francisco Institute of Technology—SFIT."

Riley's jaw dropped, her eyes going wide. "Wait—isn't that a college?"

Miguel laughed, reaching over to poke Hiro's shoulder. "Yeah, our boy's a genius. Didn't you know?"

Hiro, though used to the teasing, found himself blushing a little at the compliment, even if it was meant in a playful way.

They continued talking well into the evening, their conversation now flowing easily in the soft candlelight. Hiro noticed how Miguel and Riley both seemed to be hiding something—just like he had his own secrets—but he decided to leave it for another time.

For now, they had started to form a bond, one that would undoubtedly grow stronger as the weeks passed in their strange new environment.