Vitality [Teaser]

Chapter 2: Brothers in Salento

Nikos stopped in front of his school after walking back further into the city. He leaned against the wall and sat on the ground as he waited for the school bells to ring. Just a few minutes later, multiple students of all ages began walking out of the school wearing the same uniform as everyone else in Salento. Nikos looked up and watched them stroll by. Some of them glanced at him and scoffed while others just ignored him completely. One girl then stopped in front of him and shook her head. She had short wavy platinum white hair that barely covered her neck. Her warm hazelnut skin tone was contrasted by her ice-cold blue eyes. She was short and thin, but in a crowd, she'll stand out as if she was the tallest person there.

"That was quite the stunt you pulled earlier, huh?" She said.

"I don't want to talk about it, Iris. I'm just waiting for my brother." Nikos said.

"Can you at least tell me why did you do it? Why didn't you give Mr. Moore your brother's tablet? The least he would've done is just yell at your brother for taking awful notes like usual. What was so special this time that you had to intervene?" She asked.

"Look all you need to know is that I didn't want to get my brother in trouble this time around, so I gave Mr. Moore my tablet instead of my brother's. It was just an impulse." Nikos said with a shrug.

"I know you want to protect Orion, but even I know you went too far. I mean, you went to Sector 8. They put Advors and traitors in there. The fact that you were there for only one day has already given you a big reputation at the school." Iris said.

"It's not a big deal," Nikos said as he rolled his eyes.

"It is for everyone else. People were calling you and your brother a traitor."

"What proof do they have?! My brother and I are Proditors! We've always have been since the day we were born. I'm sure most of them want me gone just because I outrank nearly every single one of them."

"You even outrank me..." She said disappointingly.

"Only by a couple of points though. To be honest, you deserve to be on top of the board. I can care less about the grades and the ranking system." Nikos said.

"You're probably the only who doesn't care about it, too. It's weird how far you strive without even caring. I don't know why you don't care though; those ranks will give you such a leap after graduating." She said with a bit of jealousy.

"You're right," Nikos said with a sigh.

"As usual," Iris said with a smile.

Nikos grinned and shook his head. He then glanced at the door and saw a boy just a few years younger than him. The teenager was tall and bulky with broad shoulders. He had very short brown hair that matched his brown hazel eyes and light tawny skin tone. He was nearly the complete physical opposite of Nikos, yet they were brothers. Nikos' smile quickly fell short as he stood up. Orion glanced at him but continued walking off.

"I can see things are still heated between you and Orion," Iris said.

"Yup."

"Well, hey, will I see you after school today to study next week's test?" She asked.

"I don't think so. Maybe some other time." Nikos said.

"Alright, I'll see ya later then Nikos."

"See ya later Iris."

Iris walked back inside the school as Nikos quickly caught back up to Orion. They walked in silence for a few minutes until Orion finally spoke up.

"So, how are you out of Sector 8 so soon? I thought they would have kept you in there for at least a week." Orion said.

"I don't even want to talk to you about Sector 8, Orion," Nikos said.