Our Way Back Home

Ollie didn't like toying with the idea that he had to walk with Anna. He could've gone with Emil and Ray to the dorms but apparently, it was too far for Ollie to get back home without becoming a living water sponge. Then his last resort was walking with Julien - a better but still a "wimpy" solution. Besides, Julien had an umbrella.

"You know, you're a wimp right - don't worry I just happened to have that umbrella in my bag, anyway," Julien responded as if it was nothing and Ollie always found to appreciate at the end of the day how upfront Julien always remained but never dug further than a remark.

It was raining bad enough for a chance that a car could splash you but it wasn't windy for neither of them to complain about not going by bus. They were in a residential area, besides the few streetlamps and cars only local shops, which gave off light. Ollie was more worried about Anna being a jog reach behind them.

"Alright, but hear me out - Why are we still in school if we aren't even learning anything. How does that link to the grand scheme?" Ollie interrogated Julien.

"From what I've been through it seems as if the point to optimise the real high school experience, you know like going to parties or hiding behind some punks in the library." Julien got distracted,

"They didn't think they will find me there as they think I'm illiterate"

"Wait! You got CHASED!" Ollie was loudly concerned, "What did you do?"

"The hell I know, They wanted to take me to some other numb skull." Julien almost had an urge to spit like one of them, but they heard heavy breathing from behind. They both turned around only to see a skinny boy drenched in the water, he attempted to dress tough but no one told him that his broken glasses kinda don't fit with the aesthetic.

"K-king Julien, *breath* you must help us, *Breath*, please or the hound ghosts will, *BREATH*-" The kid barely held up.

"What sort of fucking charade you are playing? Also don't compare me to THAT."

"As our leader, you should protect us from ghosts..." He kept trying to catch his breath still.

(Ollie didn't know what to think of this, he only seen Anna get closer to them, second by second.)

"What will I get back from this?", Ollie listened on and told Julien that he could go, besides they were almost at the point where they would have to split. It was something about everyone's pocket money and video games that won him over.

Ollie thought he will stand by the store as right at that moment was caught by Anna, seems that she was closer than he expected.

"You are Oliver from my class, right?" She still didn't offer her the umbrella. Her vacant expression and lack of eyes made her look really robotic, with the voice she would as well be an AI machine.

"It's Ollie, we also live on the same street." He wanted to sound tough but she scared him and he was on a verge of a-

ACHOO!

"Get under, if you want to."

He did, and so they began walking together. Ollie was holding the umbrella while she wanted to find him a tissue in her bag. They weren't talking, her, because she genuinely couldn't believe she was walking with a cute yet odd classmate. He, because of how more traits didn't seem real to him.

Anna had no scent, even when looking down at her you couldn't see a glimpse of her eyes. She also walked perfectly in pace with Ollie. Plus, he was aware that she wanted to talk to him as she kept smiling. Another one of Ollie's weaknesses is that he's extremely gullible.

"So, what made you move here?" Small talk initiated.

"My father finally managed to settle down in terms of his job." It was too effective.

"I see."

They went on in silence until their street, Anna looked directly(?) at Ollie and asked -

"I got lost today, so could you walk with me until I get to know the area?"

Ollie almost said, Absolutely no, but he wasn't Julien and he couldn't come up with any excuse so shamefully he replied.

"Of course."

"Then, could you pick me up tomorrow morning?", She turned right to go into her house, she was blushing but because of the rain, Ollie couldn't tell.

"Yeah, right, I will, See you. Obviously"

She waved a bye and left.