"Hey, wake up!"
No reaction.
"Hey! You'll be late for the bus!"
Only a failed yet controled humming was given in reply, letting her guess that the guy was awake.
In part at least.
Suddenly, a chill resembling an ice storm hits the arms and legs, which were been kept warm under three blankets stuffed with wool.
"Och!... am going..." affirmed the young man, without conviction in his words, which seemed to want to return to the warm mouth that had exiled them.
He should be around seventeen at most, featured with black hairs looking like they got bombed. He is quite tall, around 6 feet, without passing the 6 feet 3 inches in height, with mestizo skin, somewhat mediterranean. He is neither too fat nor too skinny : enough to not have his stomack falling and have a bit of visible muscles on his limbs.
"Yeah, yeah, if i go, you'll get back to sleeping," said his mom.
She ain't that tall, 5 feet 3 inches at most. Having her son's hair except longer and smoother.
He was getting up with pain, movement as fast as those of a sloth, crawling across the bed like a sick snail. The mom went out the room as soon as the boy had gotten his feet on ground, although his lower limbs were not tense.
"Come on, hurry up and come eat to leave - you don't want to be late for the start of the new school year!"
No reply from the boy. He just prepared himself, his eyes almost closed so as not to have them on fire in the light ; at least it was his reason. The fact is that he wasn't awake yet. He was acting like a bot realising its usual task.
The light was coming from a tilt window in the east, where the sun rises. As for the room, it was neither too big nor too small. The perfect size for its inhabitant.
A high-end Computer, being with no doubt powerful. Surely a "hardcore gamer" we'd say? On the desk, we could read a poem written by his own hand. The writing was refined, almost made with geometry instruments. But when you read it, you could tell he's an amateur. There was also world map without country names, and a paper where he seemed to be listing each of them. It was unfinished, the pen still on it. There were one hundred and eight countries writen down.
Once dressed, he went to the salon, where he saw his father sitting at the table, his back turned to the wall in front of the entrence. A table wide enough for six people. A familly of at least four.
"Where is Vïta?" Asked the young man, with a voice lost between the dream of his sleep and the energy of waking.
"Is she in the same year as you? No, so don't try to compare because it is useless since you'll get to class so you won't stay."
"But why does she get to sta-"
"Because you have to start before her. She starts on Wednesday, so eat and go. You are already late!"
He purred again, frowned slightly and sat down. He then ate, got up to brush his teeth, and saw the hour, reminding himself that he got to take the bus at half past seven to get there at eight less fourth... it is... twenty-eight! He got in such a hurry to get to the stop that he almost forgot to say 'see you soon' to his parents. Running, he arrived right when the last person got in. Lucky today, the driver saw him. He then got in. The bus was full! Only five seats were remaining, where he looked for someone he knew. There!
"Hey, Louis, how are you?" Asked the almost late boy to a guy a bit taller than him, the skin somewhat nordic. He has blond hair and is surely is as old as the asker.
"Oh, Aaron! Long time no see!" Responded Louis. "I'm doing fine, and you? What were you doing all this time?"
"Well, sleep, play, eat. And annoy my sister. I don't like going out, you know that very well!" Aaron replies.
"I see, you don't look so good though"
"That's Normal, Vïta starts tomorrow, sleeping like a cat, while i have to endure Tuesday. And she only have the morning, this jug!"
"I see that it is always the same stories between you two, to think you are enemies!"
"No! I stop you there my lord! That is the only way to get to know a real sibling, my dear! In our case, our bickering is perfect proof of our sibling bond!"
"Meh, first time hearing that..."
Thirteen minutes later, they arrived at the Lycée Firus stop where they went and, having arrived at the gate, they showed their passports, lacking identity cards as they were still too young, to get through and find their classes.
At least a hunded and fifty other students are present, everyone at 12th grade. The school is huge and, for some reason, looks both modern and medieval at the same time, with a low wall srrounding the building that is four hundred and fifty meters by five hundred, made of steel creating magnificient patterns, and stands three meters in height. Its foundation, measuring half a meter, is constructed of stone veneer, dorned with meticulously maintened marble. The covered concrete portal is designed to accomodate a maximum of twelve students at a time, with a capacity to cover approximately thirty, though this capacity takes some difficulty to reach.
Among the current group, Aaron could recognize only two or three of his former classmates from the previous year and four from even far preceding one. His face looked as one of a killer, and he knows that it participate to his solitude that he loves, almost asks for.
Someone who knew him very well when he was young, wouldn't recognize him easily now. Five years of harrassement with two meetings with Death, it's merciless. All this even disabled his capacity of crying. Even pain is scared to not being able to make him let a tear out!
"So this is where i'll approach my dream of becoming an engineer..." thought Aaron. He and Louis went near the glass from which they saw where to place themselves to get in their class to have the presentations and meet their new classmates.
At his arrival in front of the class, he finds out that they are only twenty, with Aaron being among the last names of the list which is normal since his name is VON LAUSANNE, name coming from the old noblehood from his father.
They went to the place designed by the paper, waiting for the time to come. At 8:05, the ring revealed itself: it was a song from Mozart, the 40th symphony, first movement. The first five seconds only. Everyone got packed in their designed places, ready to get in class as the teacher's coming. He made us enter, each time with a greeting from both sides. The respect is primordial, and so important that they almost all miss shaking hands with the professor. They get the habit at a very young age.
They sits at designed places, one by one. The class is arranged in a military way, a girl and a boy, two by two, and ordered. Three ranks four tables per ranks, one boy and one girl per table of two. Twelve tables in total so twenty four students who can get in this class, but since they are only twenty, the two last were on the center of last rank.
"Nice, i will now start the call then give you the information. So please focus."
It was the teacher's instructions. He did the call and gave the principal informations, mainly the rules and the papers to have signed by the parents. There are some tens of papers, work for dad.
There were no interns in the class, and just as many girls as boys, divided up in the same way as art is divided into squares: one boy, one girl next to him, one boy, another girl next to him, on all tables. The side changes depending on the rank. Aaron got a seat next to a girl named Rose. She is small, a little younger than Aaron, and her hair is a bright brown. He imagined her, looking at her from the side of the eye, with all the haircuts that came to mind but all fitting beautifully, with brown eyes reflecting the light, making them as beautiful as cats'.
The day passed with six hours of classes, where the position of the seats were the exact same, two hours to eat and a simple ring to show the separation between the hours.
Once Aaron went out, it was 4pm, and he would finish everytime at this hour we told him. Starting at eight, three hours of lessons, returning class at 1pm, to finish at four.
The end of class is given by the same Mozart melody, but the five last seconds. Poor Amadeus Mozart, having his fortieth symphony usurped, Aaron thought insercerely.
He and Louis exited building T, for theory, and walked for ten seconds before reaching the steel and concrete portal. They decided to go for a walk, so Aaron informed his mother, who promptly agreed. Half an hour's walk doesn't do any harm, it does some good, doesn't it?
After walking for five minutes, he got distracted by a black object embedded in a birch tree. Unmissable! But... he is apparently the only one to see it, or at least the only one curious enough to take an interest pn it.
Louis continued his way without seeming to have noticed that Aaron stopped in contemplation. He approached as if hypnotized, walking like a zombie. 'What is... it looks like a piece formed by a tree...' was the thought this undead, roughly still able to think strait. Suddenly, the piece broke free from its mold and, as if by magic, floated away into the forest. It looked as if it was watching passers-by, or rather, seemed to be waiting for someone? But who?
The moribund seemed attracted and couldn't help running once both feet were on the grass of the forest. Why? Was he wanting to take that piece that badly? Or was he in chains the moment he saw it? He was running like he never got to and once he arrived, everything in front of him could have been given in an account or simple description if it had been an assignment, but he saw it with his own eyes, which he couldn't close by contemplating this tree excluded and revered by others.
What could be more beautiful? A diamond? It couldn't compete itself, despite its claim to be the finest piece of jewelry. A green-herb marble at its base, turning shimmering brown as it rose, then azure blue. It matched perfectly with the sky, which was curved by its prostration above this tree, harmonizing all its neighbours. Glistening blue mushrooms at its feet blended almost unnoticed into the green of its excelence. A diamond shape crossed the wood, the size of a man, but what was going on behind didn't match what was actually on the reverse side.
He looked with difficulty at the time on his phone to see that it was 6:30pm while it seemed to be no later than 1pm on the other side of the slot. If he came tomorrow at noon, would it be morning? Aaron quckly decided to turn back, walking for fifteen minutes and as he exited the woods thinking about this never seen tree, he felt himself closely watched at. He turned around but nothing noticable. The young man then continued walking back home and astonished, he found himself in front of his house, just outside the forest opposite.
Once he arrived, he found his mom and dad in the car. As soon as the engine stopped, he understood they came back from shopping. He walked faster to help them. Vïta opened the door and was going out as well. She saw him with the bag on his back, and sent him a mocking smile. She would be eighteen. Her skin was the same as Aaron's and she has brown hair falling to the waist. She was not that tall though, between the mom and the son. The tallest was the dad, almost 6 feet and half, like Louis.
Once louis was close enough, they started talking a bit.
"Oh, so you arrived! Did you found a fast way through the forest?" Asked his mom.
"I guess you could say that," replied the one who had only gotten lost.
"Well, since you made it home on time, you can help us bring in the groceries," said his sister, wearing a clear smug expression.
"Yea, of course, the crazy princess," he replied simply. The response from the other side was just a laugh.
Then they finally entered their home. The mom, helped by the dad, made dinner: a Moroccan soup with large chickpeas, rfissa as a second course, along with a whole cooked chicken, lentils, and a few spices. Everything looked delicious! In a moment of sheer beauty, one could fall ill from the overwhelming appeal of these dishes. These Moroccan meals are recognizable even by their aroma, indescribable in the hunger they evoke. Once everything was ready, the family gathered around the square table and began to eat.
Aaron and his sister both started at the same time with the chicken dish, their favorite ever since they discovered it. It was almost a love story, even if Aaron would probably say he preferred the history of countries to that of food.
Half an hour was enough for the family to finish what had been served, and then he and Vita both went to their respective rooms after brushing their teeth and washing up one after the other. After that, it was the parents' turn to head upstairs and go to sleep nearly at the same time.
Aaron's last though was that he would go as soon as possible to the 'Children's tree' as he called it for its surrealism.