A Scholar's Affection

1

Looked like another dull day for Hansiel. School, home, repeat. So he was excited when there was a newcomer who wasn't a Yellow like nearly everyone else (There was Bertha, a Green, but she keeps to herself.) Differently raised. A wild Red. He was curious.

"Greet the newcomer to this class, pupils," announced Ms. Leva.

"Hello," they muttered.

"You can sit down next to Mi - Ming! Awaken!"

"Awake, ma'am," Hansiel said.

"Sit up! You will make me assume your parents are good-for-nothing fools!"

"Yes, ma'am," He only did so until she looked away.

"He has very different... traditions, so try to be nice to him and do not judge,"

"Nah, I don't mind!" The Red said. "Nobody here looks real tough!"

"Just sit."

"Whatever," The Red plopped next to Hansiel. The Red inspected the Yellow for a second. "S'up?" He thrust his head up at him, an unknown gesture in the area.

Hansiel blinked and nodded back.

"Call me Slate." He winked.

"Alright, I'm Hansiel."

He sat back and put his hands behind his head, tilted it back while the teacher drawled about the last test and how well everyone did. The bell rung and all the other Yellows stood in an orderly fashion, as did Hansiel, and took their items. Slate just slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out.

He was just as rude and yawned boisterously every couple of minutes in the middle of class on purpose. Females stared at him, but he must've taken the confusion as a flirt and winked at them, "Ladies." Other than when he got yelled off for his impoliteness by multiple Yellows and a respectful look from Bertha, he flew behind Hansiel (which got him a yell for flying in the hallways).

At lunch, everybody sat at their tables, discussing news. Hansiel would be the only one besides Bertha in a lonely table eating, but from that day on, Slate was there as well. "Why are you with me all the time?" Hansiel asked Slate.

"All the time? We met this morning!"

Bertha bit into her sandwich lunch lacking the graceful way that Yellows eat, and she wasn't alone for the first time in doing that with Slate there. She blushed, feeling like if she was in the middle of something.

"You've been noisier than Bertha, and she's a Green."

"Hey!" She said with her mouth full.

Slate smiled at them. "You just don't seem to really like it here, do you?"

Hansiel sat silently for a while, not knowing how to answer that. "So? What about it?"

"It's better than hanging with those zombies. Hey, maybe we can go to the Blue-Quadrant this weekend and paint everything pink!"

"Wouldn't that get them really mad?" Bertha whimpered.

"That's the point, captain obvious!"

Hansiel knew that was wrong and wanted to make up an excuse. Studying, public service, anything. But he nodded. "I might be able to, I'll let you know. What's your Chat-Link address?"

Slate smiled. "That's what I'm talking about! Here, give me your pad," He took the tablet and rapidly dialed something into it. He gave it back and dipped his fork into his homemade spaghetti. "You in, Greeny?"