1 Late to Class

Nemo Farid:

The alarm on my phone goes off but I swipe the screen and turn it off. With my alarm off, I can focus on my work.

"Just need to add some lines," I tell myself. "Along with some shadow for depth."

I grab a thin brush with some black ink on it. Painting underneath the wavy lines, I put the brush down and admire my work.

"Yes," I say, giving the slime monster mask a nod. "This will work! But first, it needs a few more adjustments."

I work on the vital adjustments, trying to make the monster mask as best as I can. I make the eye sockets wavy instead of oval-shaped. I draw a uvula in the back of the monster's throat but then erase it. I add more layers of plastic but also make sure to add air holes so the inside isn't so hot. I keep on working and working on my monster mask until someone screams my name.

"Nemo!"

I scream as the mask jumps out of my hands. Patting my chest, trying to make sure I don't die of a heart attack, I look to my right and see Akio floating beside me.

"What," I ask, finally feeling my heartbeats go below four digitals. "Akio, can't you see I'm a little busy?"

"Nemo," Akio starts, "While I will admit I am over 600 years old and haven't been fully caught up on everything, I do know this. School is about to start!"

Akio then points behind me. I follow his see-through finger, turning around to see the time on my clock.

"7 o'clock," I shout, slapping myself on the face. Immediately, I start to gather everything I need for school and throw it into my shoulder knapsack.

"I'm going to be late," I tell myself. 'I'm going to be late! I'm going to be late! Ahh! Akio, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"You often tell me not to bother you when you're working," Akio answers, watching peacefully from the side as I run around my room. "I was respecting your wishes."

"Yeah, well," I say, trying to think of something to say. "Thank you for that!"

I sigh as I grab the slime monster mask and shove it into my knapsack. About to leave, I stop when I realize I almost forgot something very important. Running back to my bed, I reach underneath my pillow and pull out the green emerald dragon.

The green emerald dragon glows brightly when I pick it up. As it glows, I feel the magic flowing throughout it. I pocket the emerald dragon while throwing the knapsack over my shoulder. With everything packed and ready, I leave my room and head for the front door.

"Hi Mom," I say as I run down the stairs and past the kitchen. "Hi, Dad! No breakfast today! I'll eat after school! Bye, Mom! Later Dad! Best of luck at the museum!"

"Bye sweetie," my parents say, waving at me as I grab and carry my scooter through the front door and down the stairs. Putting my scooter on the ground and bringing up the handle, I then jump on it and kick against the sidewalk. Now, sailing through the busy city of Boston toward school, I stop only when I see a glowing red hand and cars driving in front of me. While waiting, Akio appears beside me again. He looks up at the blue sky.

"Do you think there will be any dakura tchingu today?"

"I really hope not," I answer. "Osca and I have plans today and I do not want to keep him waiting any longer."

"Yes," Akio says with a nod. "I do think you have been keeping your friend, Oscar, waiting for quite a while now. I doubt he is very happy."

"Yeah, well," I start, turning to face Akio. "Whose fault is that?"

"Donyokuna Yokubo," Akio answers. "After all, he is the one that summoned the dakura tchingu to transform innocent people into magical beings that serves him."

"Well, technically yes, but I was referring more to you."

"Me?"

"Yes. I would be lying if I didn't say sometimes, "I regret finding the emerald dragon."

As I look at Akio as he crosses his arms, I remember all of a sudden that I'm talking to a ghost. A ghost that no one except me can see or hear. When I was talking to Akio, it looked like I was talking out loud to a crowd of complete strangers. When I realize this, I also realize the crowd of complete strangers is looking back at me.

"Oh," I say, laughing and waving. "Uhh, hello. Beautiful morning. Am I right?"

Ovia Afternoon Encarnacion:

"Ovia Afternoon Encarnacion," my mother yells from the base of our grand staircase. "Public schools start in less than one hour. Hurry up, and do not forget. Afterward, you have your Chinese lessons, your ballet lessons, and the photoshoot for the upcoming spring catalog."

My mother then crosses her arms and taps her foot. She gives me about 30 seconds before yelling again.

"Ovia Afternoon Encarnacion, where are you?"

"I'm right here," I say, standing right beside my mother. My reply makes my mother jump as she turns to face me. Holding her hand over her chest, I smile. "Morning, Mom."

"Hello Ovia Afternoon Encarnacion," my mother greets.

"Mom," I sigh. "Please. I must have told you a million times already. Just call me Noon. I would actually prefer it if you did call me Noon. It's a lot easier than saying my whole name."

"Nonsense," my mother says, dropping to her knees. "Ovia Afternoon Encarnacion is the name your father and I chose for you. Hence, it is what I will call you. Besides, Ovia is such a unique and beautiful name. Noon is far too simple a name for such a wonderful daughter like you."

My mother smiles as she straightens my long brown hair.

"Anyway, do you have your---."

Before my mother can finish, I bring up my backpack. My backpack is stuffed to the point where I needed a pair of clamps just to bring the zippers together.

"Don't worry," I say. "I'm already prepared for everything. My Chinese textbooks are in my room and stacked in order of my lesson, my ballet uniform is already washed and folded neatly on my bed, and I already told my driver. He knows to pick me up right after ballet and take me to the studio for the string photoshoot. Also, bye Mom."

I nod my head before waving at my mother and leaving our mega-mansion. Running down the even grander stone staircase outside, I see my personal stretch limo ready to go with my personal driver holding the door. I smile at him as I jump into the backseat. He nods and smiles back before closing the door and getting into the driver's seat. Once there, he drives me to public school.

As I sit in the backseat and wait, Emica appears in the empty seat next to me with crossed arms and legs.

"I am sorry about last night," Emica starts. "I didn't mean to keep you out for so long. Especially since I know about your daily life."

"It's fine," I whisper, remembering that my driver can't exactly see or hear Emica. "And don't worry about it. I know about my daily life too but I don't care. You and Akio needed my help. Well, Akil needed your help. I just had to be there."

"Believe me when I say this," Emica says, smiling. "Akio needs you too. He doesn't know it but he does need you."

I couldn't help but smile at the very thought of Akio, the fearless and mighty Green Emerald Ninjas needing me, a sheltered teenage model with an overprotective mother. Turning away from Emica, I look out the tinted window.

"Oh no," I say as the limo slows to a stop. Looking outside, I see a long line of cars.

Akio Hisashi:

"Come on," Nemo says, tapping his foot repeatedly. "Come on. Come on. Why are you taking so long?"

I wait and watch as, after what seems like a while, the bright red hand finally turns into a person walking. The second it does, the metal boxes, as Nemo tells me are called cars, stop. The second they stop moving, Nemo pushes himself off the sidewalk and rides through the street.

"Excuse me," Nemo says as he rushes past all the people. "Pardon me! Sorry! So sorry, but I need to get to school! If I see you again, I'll stop and apologize for real but for now, I am so sorry!"

I shake my head as I fly right through the people.

"Come on," Nemo goes on. "Come on! I can't be late! I can't be late again!"

Nemo crouches down while still riding his scooter. He kicks against the sidewalk and gives himself another boost. He then jumps into the air. Taking off and flying through the air like a bird, Nemo lands back on the sidewalk. There, he pushes himself up and stomps on the ground. Skidding to a stop, Nemo and I look at a large stone building with many students surrounding it.

"Your school," I say, looking at Nemo. "Congratulations on not being late."

"Hey," a familiar voice yells, grabbing both Nemo and my attention. Turning around, I see Oscar standing near the school's gate with his hand high in the air.

Oscar is wearing a shirt and shorts, along with what I believe is called "headphones" around his neck. Nemo runs up to Oscar and the two greet each other.

"Hey man," Oscar says, the two of them shaking hands. "Hey, did you finish it? Please oh please tell me yes. Not to be mean or anything, but I feel like you've been ditching me way too much lately."

"Yeah," Nemo says. He grabs and reaches into his knapsack. "Oh, and by the way, I'm sorry about having to ditch you so many times. Believe me, it wasn't by choice."

Nemo then looks at me. All I can do is cross my arms.

Emica Kana:

"Finally," Noon says as her personal driver pulls up to the high school. Her driver gets out and opens the door for her. "Aw, man. We were cutting it a bit close there. Thank you for driving me, and for running that annoying red light. I'll see you after school."

Noon laughs as she says this. Her driver smiles and laughs with her before nodding his head and getting back inside the car and driving away.

"Ahhhh," Noon sighs. She closes her eyes, slams her fists against her hips, and smells the air. "Emica, do you know what that smell is?"

"No," I say, shaking my head. "I'm a spirit. I can't smell."

"Oh, right. Sorry. Emica, that is the smell of greasy foods. In fact, to be precise, I think it's pizza. Oh, I can't wait for lunch."

"I could be wrong about this," I say, floating in front of Noon as she walks toward the opened gate, "But doesn't your mother hate the idea of you eating the 'pizza'."

"It'll be fine, Emica," Noon says. "You've seen the pizzas here. The palm of my hand is bigger. Besides, it's normal food. It's normal, everyday food that normal everyday people eat. It's not some fancy, couple of hundred dollar pizza from some Michelin star restaurant."

I open my mouth to say something but someone else cuts me off.

"Hey," Nyssa says, shooting a wave at Noon. Walking right through me and up to Noon, the two hugs. "I am so glad to see you. How was your morning?"

"A little worrisome," Noon answers. "Traffic was long and I was almost late."

Nyssa snaps her head back and laughs, her short, brown hairs snapping back as well. Dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, Nyssa pulls her head back and wipes a tear from her eyes.

"Well luckily, despite the traffic, you were still able to beat the clock. Hey, uh, speaking of beating the clock."

Nyssa's eyes darting right and left, she then lends close to Noon.

"How long before you and a certain someone become a thing?"

Pointing toward the certain someone, Noon coughs before hitting Nyssa with her elbow.

"Could you please be a little more subtle," Noon begs. "I don't want Nemo to know."

"Oh please," Nyssa says with a roll of her eyes. "Nemo knows a lot of things but he doesn't know about you. It's kind of sad actually."

I lower my head as I look at Nemo and he and Oscar talk.

"Hey," Nyssa says, grabbing Noon's arm. "I have an idea. Follow my lead."

"Wait, what? Nyssa, what are you doing?"

Nyssa ignores Noon and drags her through me. The two walk toward the front gate and up the stairs.

"What are you doing," Noon asks.

"I'm helping you," Nyssa answers. "Also, for the record, I am really sorry about this."

"Sorry," Noon repeats.

Without any warning, Nyssa steps forward and pushes Noon. She falls through me and toward the stairs.