Hyper Reality

Chapter 1

The homeroom bell rang and the teacher called for attention. After a few minutes, the rowdy teenagers settled down and the day's lesson started.

April O'Neil took out her note book and lazily started taking notes, only half paying attention. After all, it's hard to focus on calculus when your daily concerns involve mutants, aliens and ninjas.

"Whatup, Teach," a teenaged boy sauntered into class fifteen minutes late, carrying a hockey stick over one shoulder, his black hair tied back with a bandana over his forehead. He smiled sweetly to the teacher, revealing a gap where his incisors should have been.

The teacher wasn't impressed with his shenanigans. "Take your seat, Mr. Jones."

Casey Jones made his way to an empty desk at the back of the class room, winking to April who rolled her eyes. Even after an alien invasion and spending months hiding out in an old farmhouse, Casey Jones hadn't changed a bit. For that, April was thankful for, even if he could get annoying at times.

Halfway through that mornings class, another teenager came in. He had shaggy light brown hair, baggy pants, a loose hoody, and a calculating gaze. He looked around the room before handing the teacher a slip of paper.

"We have a new student," the teacher announced, reading the slip, "Jay Cogen, take a seat."

Jay made his way to the only empty seat in the room, right next to Casey Jones, who smiled at him, "Welcome to the home of the Vikings, skater dude," Casey said, noticing the skateboard strapped to the new kid's backpack.

The kid nodded to him, not saying anything. The teacher managed to finish the lecture without further interruptions and assigned questions from the text book. The other kids in the class shuffled their desks around and formed their respective groups as they socialized more than they did math.

Casey looked over at the new guy as he kicked his feet onto his desk and leaned back, "It's Jay right? So, where're you from, Jay?"

The new guy glanced over at him, those piercing eyes analyzing every bit of the rough looking kid in front of him. After a few moments of scrutiny, he replied. "Canada."

"Seriously?" Casey's face lit up, "Well welcome to America dude! Do you play hockey?"

"No," Jay said simply, keeping his sentences short, "Never got into it."

"Never got into it?! It's only the best sport in the entire universe. I thought you were supposed to be from Canada."

"Give the guy a bit of space," April came up to them with her calculus textbook clutched to her chest, "Don't mind Casey, he's a block head."

"That's harsh, Red," Casey said, mocking an expression of hurt.

April pulled up a chair and opened her text book on Casey's desk, after knocking his feet off of it. "I'm April," she turned back to the new guy. "And you've already met Casey."

"Jay," his response was curt and short, like everything else he'd said.

"Alright, Jay," April said, flipping through the book to the correct page, "how're you at calculus?"

Oo-oO

The final bell couldn't ring soon enough. Casey launched out the front doors of the school and jumped down the short flight of stairs onto the sidewalk. April followed after him, waving good bye to the new kid. He just nodded back and started off in the other direction.

"Come on, Red," Casey urged her, "Let's get a move on."

"Coming," April called, and skipped down the stairs. "What do you think it is that they found?"