4 Welcome!

-CEDRIC-

"Welcome to Alpha Section."

As Mr. Cruz said those words, my forehead instantly creased. My gaze landed on him, then afterwards it shifted to his weird student now lying on the bed.

I gave them a look as if they went completely nuts.

"You're kidding... right?" I managed to ask, one eyebrow arched on the teacher.

"Do I look like I'm joking here, Mr. Magbanua?" Mr. Cruz asked back in his more serious tone than usual.

"No! It can't be!" I uttered in disbelief.

Mr. Cruz took a step forward and attempted to go near me, but I automatically took a step backwards.

"I know there's some mistake here! I'm not smart like all of the students here. I'm not even part of our section's top 10. So why me?" I quickly added.

"Why not? Alpha Section is not just about wits Mr. Magbanua..." The teacher again took a step forward and placed one hand on my right shoulder. "But it's that 'something special' that you possess, as what my student here said a while ago."

No. It can't be. I shook my head sideways in disapproval. Even if how many times he attempts to explain it to me, I'm still not convinced to be a part of Alpha Section.

I still think that maybe they're wrong, that they only mistook me for someone else and that last spot they're talking about is really not mine.

This is all some kind of a joke. A creepy joke to be exact.

I can't take this anymore. Without uttering a word, I finally got hold of the doorknob, opened the door behind me, and walked out of that crazy scenario.

***

My eyes suddenly swung open as I felt a hand tapping both of my cheeks. When I finally regained my senses, the blurry image of my best friend trying to wake me up soon became a little bit clear, at least without my glasses.

My gaze roamed around the area and immediately realized that I'm now in our dormitory room.

All of those things happened at the clinic, was that all a part of my dream?

"Thank goodness you're awake!" I heard Andrew mutter. I noticed the cup he's holding on his right hand currently which was filled with water.

"Uh, what's that cup on your hand for?" I somehow panicked, never leaving my gaze on that cup.

"Ahh, this?" he said, raising the said cup. "I'm just planning to spill this all over your face in case you didn't wake up for the last ten freakin' minutes that I'm trying to wake you up here! You sleepy head!"

I noticed him then pointing at the wall clock hanging adjacent to where I'm currently located. So I immediately grabbed for my glasses holder which was placed beside my pillow, opened it, and hurriedly wore my glasses. My eyes widened at the sight.

"Oh sh*t! It's past seven in the morning!"

Andrew now decided to climb off the deck and went back to his bed while me, well, I hastily went down from my bed grabbed my towel hung on our towel rack and almost ran my way towards the bathroom.

I can see my best friend already dressed up in his complete uniform when he's first class is still at 8am. Well, he's a natural early bird since we've been friends.

***

Remember what I said about being careful to run down the hallways? Well I take it back. As they say, desperate times require desperate measure. So I don't care anymore if Ms. Reyes caught me zooming around in her territory like that hit cartoon character The Flash.

Maybe if I get caught, then I'll be excused from my classes the whole day and will be spending my sweet time in the detention room. That sounds like a much better idea than listening to some boring lectures.

I can already imagine the look on my adviser's grumpy face as she scolds me for being late to her class for the nth time. She'll eventually say about me not going to be accelerated to a much better section in the next years to come.

Yeah. Happens all the time, which came to a point where I can somehow memorize her usual dialogue for me.

When I finally reached our classroom, I paused for a moment and took my time catching my breath first. Boy, I sure did burn a lot of calories with all that running I made in the hallways.

As my breath is now in a stable manner, I grabbed for the doorknob and hurriedly opened the door and slowly made my way inside... eyes glued on the cement floor.

Ms. Santos had actually started the discussion when I entered. It didn't take that long for her to notice my presence so I hurriedly looked up and gave her a nervous smile. But this time, there's something different on the way she looks at me.

I don't know. Maybe she didn't raise her eyebrow upon seeing me? She does it all the time.

Hmmm... no. There's something more. The way she looks at me right now, it's like she treats me like a lost kid and entered the wrong classroom.

"Mr. Magbanua, it seems like you're in the wrong classroom?" Ms. Santos' brows drew together as she looked at me right now.

"Excuse me? Isn't this my classroom ever since then?" I asked, both the corners of my eyes crinkled. I notice my classmates' gazes are now fixed on my direction.

"Oh... I think you mean FORMER student. Mr. Cruz already went here earlier and informed me about you being transferred to Alpha Section starting today." Then I saw her lips curved into a smile, a creepy smile to be exact. "Job well done Mr. Magbanua. I'm so proud of you."

My jaw literally dropped as she gave me a quick tap on my shoulder. Then I manage to shut it again.

"Now go to your designated room. It's on the fourth floor, room 409." That was the last statement I heard from her before she motions me to leave the classroom in which I unwillingly followed.

When I was able to get out of the classroom, I closed the door behind me but never letting go of the doorknob.

"And that is Mr. Magbanua, the one that you should make as a good example for you to do good in your studies so that you can be accelerated on a much better section like he did." I heard my adviser... or should I say FORMER adviser... preached, making me as her "good example".

No way. All the things that happened yesterday in the clinic... are somehow true? Am I really being transferred to Alpha Section?

***

After several walks, I was soon in front of the Alpha Section's classroom. On the upper part of the door, there were the numbers 409 engraved on golden plates.

"I guess this must be it." I muttered to myself before reaching for the doorknob.

I twisted it to the right and slowly opened the door. When I finally opened it to the exact space I want for me to enter, I set my wobbly foot inside... then another one... until I was finally inside the classroom.

All of the students that were now sitting on their respective seats suddenly stopped whatever they were doing and really took their time to check me out.

I mentally counted them all and pretty soon I've known that they were all nine of them here.

So that means I'm their tenth student.

Feeling anxious, I continued to walk towards the only vacant seat I spotted which is on the far end corner to the left of the second row, and I can feel nine pairs of eyes following as I do so. Nonetheless, I chose to ignore them, placed my bag, and finally took a seat.

"Hi there! I'm Mitch! And you are?"

I was kinda startled when my seatmate to my right suddenly made his introduction to me in his booming voice. His grinning at me from ear to ear. I can't help but to notice his chestnut-colored hair slightly covering his forehead.

Wait, Mitch? Is this Andrew's classmate that he mentioned before who was suddenly transferred here as well? I thought Mitch is a she, not a he.

"Mitchelle Joey Navarro is my full name, but you can call me Mitch for short." he quickly added when he seems to notice my curiosity.

"H-Hi. I'm Cedric." I decided to introduce myself to him as well.

"Hi Cedric! Nice meeting you!" Geez, I almost jumped out of my seat the moment the girl seating in front of me suddenly turned around. Do they want to give me a heart attack here?

I can see she also has chestnut-colored hair, same with this guy on my right, tied into a ponytail with a cute red ribbon. And just like me, she's also wearing glasses as well.

"Sorry." she mouthed, flushing. "I'm Kylie Sullivan by the way."

"Cedric" I stated my name once more.

"So this loser over here is the reason why our classes were delayed ever since first semester? Oh come on, give me a break!"

All eyes were now focused on the guy who cockily said that. Of course, I'm not surprised to see the jerk, who had me and my best friend clean up the entire school gym the other day, in this class as well. He's also seated on the opposite far end corner of the second row, and now glaring at me.

I glared back. Still being a jerk, aren't we?

I noticed the brunette-haired girl who's sitting in front of him raised one eyebrow in my direction, and the twins sitting next to this jerk secretly laughed on their seats.

Anxiety soon got the best of me as I felt that all eyes were on me again and an unfathomable tension started to build up on the four corners of this classroom.

"Good morning class. Sorry I'm late. I have so many things to take care of before going here."

This tension soon faded as the adviser of this section now enters the room and walks towards his desk. He placed both of his hands on both ends of his desk and faced each one of us.

"For the newly-transferred student here, I want you to come forward and introduce yourself." His eyes soon landed on me, being that newly-transferred student that he was referring to.

Of course! The traditional introduce yourself part for newbies like me.

I automatically stood up from my seat and anxiously took a few steps forward. I bit my lip as soon as I was now in front of my new classmates.

"My name's Cedric Magbanua, a freshman student that came from section 6." I said without making direct eye contact with them.

I heard someone sneered.

"This student, who came from the last section, is the reason why our classes were delayed? Seriously?" It was that jerk who suddenly spoke up with so much contempt in his tone.

"Warren Santiago! Don't you ever say like that! Elise sensed something special within him, thus, like all of you here, he also belongs in this section!" I heard Mr. Cruz make a pronounced sigh. "So I expect that you all treat him like that as well."

I slightly lifted up my head and saw that same girl whom I've helped from yesterday that is now seated in front next to a guy with a slight messy hair. So Elise is her name huh.

"Yeah right. Trust that blind's instincts!" I heard that jerk, who's name is Warren, snarled for the second time around and furiously rested his back on his seat.

My gaze soon landed back again on our adviser as I saw him shake his head sideways and chose to ignore the jerk.

"Again, welcome to Alpha Section Mr. Magbanua. Your new ID and new badge were already placed at the bottom of your desk. You may now take your seat." Mr. Cruz instructed which I willingly obliged.

Surely, when I searched the bottom of my desk, I found my new ID and new badge inside its compartment.

"Since you're all finally here, let's officially begin our class."