Chapter 17

The next morning, Friday of September 27th, 2019. Class was about to begin, and Emily was almost late. Emily entered class right before Refus did, and when she entered, Refus could hear Emma and Jessica calling out to her. "Emily!" They would say, "come on, sit over here!". Emily hesitates at first, but eventually joins them, sitting with The Rejects. As Refus observed this, it brought a smile to his face. Not only did it help make his job easier, but he was happy to see that progress was being made. Not only because Ryan wanted Refus specifically to help ease Emily into school life, but because he was also worried about his students.

Later that day, during lunch period, Refus went to report the good news about Emily. He also planned to let Ryan know that Emma appeared to be fine, and doesn't need any living assistance. "So, everything is fine then?" Ryan asks.

"As far as I can tell" Refus says, "everything is more than fine. I'm surprised things are going this well. I thought by now that the school would be getting hell for having a laibah teacher, students would be revolting, and the school would be falling apart. How do you manage to keep it all together so well, Principal Schafold?".

"Oh, don't worry so much" Ryan says, "and give yourself a little credit. You're the one helping lead those classes".

Refus laughs a little as he scratches the back of his head. "Right" Refus says, "well, I'll be off now. Don't work yourself too hard, Ryan".

"Ha ha- you don't have to worry about this old man!" Ryan says cheerfully, "I can handle myself". After Refus leaves, Ryan takes a few slips of folded up paper out of one of his drawers in his desk. These folded up pieces of paper, letters, were recently sent directly to Ryan. He tried to get rid of it before anyone showed up in his office, but stuffed it away when Refus showed up. He reaches behind his chair with the papers, and puts them in a paper shredder, one by one. As the paper falls into the shredder, few words were able to be seen. Words like "Ryan Schafold, Laibah, Refus Maloney, Remove" and "School". All of these letters were all different kinds of threats or protests held against the school. Not only for having a laibah teacher, but also for being known to house plenty of laibah. "As long as they don't worry about it" Ryan says to himself, "it'll be easier to handle. If the teachers found out about this, everyone would be anxious and stressed about this school. Then it'll become that much harder to help all these children...". Ryan sighs to himself and says "One day... one day, I'll make things right. I know what I've done to deserve this, but these people haven't done anything to deserve this".

Meanwhile, on the roof. "So why are you still being so quiet?" Jessica asks Emily.

"Just... because" Emily replies.

"Don't really get along well with many people, do ya?" Jessica asks.

"No, not really" Emily says.

"Yeah, I know how that feels" Jessica says. "There always feels like there's just... something that separates you from the rest of the crowd. Like... you're not sure what it is, but it's definitely there. Sometimes, and it may seem weird, but we outcasts gotta stick together. Even if it's not really for being long term friends, it's just- in the end, we can only really count on each other to understand what we're going through. Wait, that's it! I have an idea! Wanna hang out this weekend, Emily!?".

Emily brings her fist down on her own open hand, as if to come to a sudden discovery. "No!" Emily says, almost cheerfully.

"Aw... damn!" Jessica says in disappointment. "I thought I had finally found something to do this weekend".

"It was a nice try, Jess" Aeris says.

"It was a stupid idea though" Emily says.

"Why you gotta be so mean?" Jessica asks.

"Just... because?" Emily says.

"Are you not sure why you do it?" Emma asks.

"I just... I don't know" Emily says, suddenly hangin her head in defeat. "I've kinda always been like that".

"What do you mean?" Emma asks.

"Well... I was even like that towards my parents" Emily says. "I guess I was kind of mean to them... but back then, I was confused and mad when I found out I was adopted. I couldn't really accept it at the time, so I guess I lashed out in anger towards them over a long period of time. I-I mean... I didn't keep treating them like that. I still... love my parents, ya know? It's just... I'm not sure why I do that to other people".

"Is it because even though you knew you were wrong in doing so" Jackson asks, "that you subconsciously couldn't accept how wrong you were? Due to that, you began deploying that social behavior towards other people, hoping to find some way to make it right?".

"When you say it that way" Emily says, "it kinda makes me... sound like...".

"Like an asshole?" Jackson asks. "Well, yeah. You kinda are". Aeris elbows Jackson really hard in the ribs. "Ohm- Ow, Ow, Ow!" Jackson exclaims, "Worth!".

"I don't mean to treat people like this" Emily says, with tears beginning to form in her eyes, "but... it isn't fair... what I put mom and dad through".

As Emily begins to cry, Emma leans over and hugs Emily. Emily holds onto Emma and began crying more. "It's alright" Emma says, "I'm sure they don't blame you".

"B-but..." Emily says through her tears, "it's probably better if they did. They've never done anything wrong... and yet, I still...". Emily found it hard to finish her words, through all of her tears.

"Well" Emma says, "you can always try telling them that, when you see them again! Right?".

"Y-Yeah" Emily says, trying to cheer up, "I guess you're right".

"Aw, that's so nice" Jessica says, "can I cry on your shoulder too, Emma? Like when I have nothing to do on the weekends?".

"I- Uhh..." Emma says as she thinks for a moment.

"You're being a baby about not having anything to do on the weekends" Jackson says. "Plus, she's the shortest one out of all of us. You'll crush Emma if you lean on her shoulders too much".

"H-hey!" Emma complains. "I'm not that short!".

"Aw, is the little spoon angry?" Jackson teases.

Emma's face grows bright red as she yells "Don't make me come over there!".

"Stop teasing people, Jackson" Wyatt says.

"Are you just mad that I've been leaving you out?" Jackson asks. "I don't pick on you for ONE day, and you feel left out? Sorry, but I have to be sarcastic wherever there's stupidity. It's like a job, and this sarcasm is rated E: for Everybody!".

"I wouldn't suggest talking to children" Aeris says. "I'm pretty sure that ranks your attitude at like... rated M: for Mature now".

"Look" Wyatt says, "if you're going to tease Emma, try doing something about your own looks. I know you're funny, but looks aren't everything".

Jackson pauses for a moment. "Did... did he just have a comeback?".

Aeris giggles, then says "I think he called you funny-looking!".

"I'm almost proud..." Jackson says in awe. "Almost...".

"Want to make that almost dead?" Emma says, her face still red.

"Whoa whoa, chill, short stuff!" Jackson pleads. "You'll probably break my ankles or something!".

Wyatt lightly holds Emma back, as he says "Can you please stop picking on my girlfriend, Jackson?".

"Well..." Jackson says as he thinks, "I guess since you said please".

"Really?" Wyatt asks.

"No" Jackson says, "she's short and I'm not stopping until she admits that".

"Why you!" Emma says as she struggles in Wyatt's arms.

"Admit it" Jackson says, "you can't lie to yourself forever".

"I've completely lost track of what's going on here..." Emily says.

Jessica just shrugs her shoulders and Aeris says "Sometimes it's just like this...".

"Really?" Emily asks.

"Well, no" Aeris says. "Usually Emma is quiet. I guess she's still working on opening up to people... rather violently, I'd say".

"Oh..." Emily says, now more confused than before. "And Jackson?".

"Oh, he's just an asshole" Aeris says. "Which reminds me, how many times were you rude just now? Three times? Four times?".

Aeris begins to take out her notebook again. "Are we still seriously doing that!?" Jackson asks.

"Yep, I've lost control of my life..." Emily says.

"Oh, it's not you" Jessica says, "they're just weirdos. Fun weirdos, but still weirdos. Maybe it's a laibah thing?".

"A laibah thing?" Emily asks. "No, I don't think so...".

"Well, I wouldn't know" Jessica says. After a short pause, Jessica says "Oh yeah, I'm human, by the way".

"What?" Emily asks.

"You said before that you heard we were all laibah" Jessica says, "but I'm a human".

"Oh... okay" Emily says. "Not sure... why I'd actually... care".

"Who knows?" Jessica says with a shrug. "Most people nowadays are super picky about that kinda stuff. I just figured you might've been curious at the very least".

"Oh, I guess that makes sense" Emily says.

After school that day, Wyatt goes to work and Emma waits for him in the dorm. When Wyatt comes back home, Emma was wearing her purple dress again. Emma was standing in the middle of the room, with a bright smile on her face. "How do I look?" She asks.

"Y-you look..." Wyatt says as he fumbles for the right words again. No matter how many times he sees her in that dress, he couldn't get used to it. She seemed infinitely enchanting to him. "A-amazing!" Wyatt finally says. Emma blushes lightly and Wyatt says "Hang on, I'll get changed real quick and we can go out!".

Wyatt takes a while to get ready in the bathroom. Eventually, Emma asks "Are you alright in there?".

Wyatt comes out of the bathroom, still trying to get his tie on just right. "I'm just having a little trouble with this".

Emma helps Wyatt fix his tie. When Wyatt begins to lean back up, after Emma fixed his tie, Emma pulls him back down. Pulling on his tie, forcing Wyatt to lean forward, Emma brought Wyatt to eye level and kissed him. "W-What was that for?" Wyatt asks.

Emma shrugs her shoulders and says "Just felt like it, I guess". Emma then thinks to herself "Good thing my ears aren't popping out now. I think I've finally managed to keep it under control for now. Either that, or maybe I really am just getting more comfortable with being around Wyatt".

The two of them stayed up late at the festival. As they spent their night out together, Aeris and Jackson also spent their night together. As Emma and Wyatt spent their time trying out rides together, playing mini-games, and relaxing in the festival, Aeris and Jackson spent their time walking around town, trying out a restaurant they've never been to before, looking through a book store (which was Aeris's idea) and sitting at public parks just to talk for a while. After that night, Emma and Wyatt felt like they were getting closer to each other, as did Aeris and Jackson.

The next day, Emma and Wyatt went to the festival again just to see what the concert being held there would be like. Although, they weren't familiar with the musicians playing, they stayed anyways. It was fun for them simply just having something to do together.

The rest of the weekend seemed to pass like a blur, as finally Monday came around again. On the morning of Monday, September 30th, The Rejects show up to school before class. The rest of the classroom was still excited and busy. "What's everyone so excited for this time?" Wyatt asks. "The festival just ended, so I thought they'd be more... depressed".

"It's the last day of September" Jessica says.

"Already!?" Emma asks.

"Yeah" Jackson says, "which means...".

"Which means...?" Wyatt asks.

"Halloween is coming up..." Emily says.

"Is... is that it?" Wyatt asks.

"Yeah, I'll be honest" Emily says, "it's not that exciting anymore".

"Well, it's still fun for some of us" Jessica says. "Sure, we won't be going around getting free candy, but...".

"Please don't say 'let's have a party'... please" Jackson says.

"I was actually thinking" Jessica says, "that we could just... hang out at like... a park?".

"That's... a little better" Jackson says.

"Are you guys dressing up?" Jessica asks.

"And there it is!" Jackson says, "the point of which I say 'screw this, I'm out'! Seriously, I'm not dressing up".

"Come on!" Jessica says, "you don't have to be so... negative".

"Yeah, I hate to say this, Jessica" Wyatt says, "but I'm not sure if I really want to do anything for Halloween either".

"I'm kind of planning on just... relaxing" Emma says. "Like I always do for Halloween".

"You mean, you've never been trick or treating before?" Jessica asks.

"Nope" Emma says.

"Yeah, and the rest of us kinda live... outside of the city" Aeris says. "So like... way too much effort to try and go trick or treating. I just stayed home and ate snacks".

"I guess that's not so surprising" Jessica says.

"I just didn't really like seeing anyone in my neighborhood" Wyatt says. "We also never really felt like trying to travel to another part of the city just to trick or treat, so...".

"Not you too, Wyatt!" Jessica complains. Jessica then looks at Emily and asks "Emily?".

"I've done it before" Emily says. "But I don't promise dressing up now...".

"That's fair..." Jessica says, her head hanging low.

"Well, on the bright side" Wyatt says, "we still have a whole month until then. So I guess if we do something after all, we have plenty of time to think about it".

"Y-Yeah!" Jessica says, "I guess you're right!".

"Good morning" Refus says as he enters the class.

"Ah, shit" Jessica says, "I guess class is starting".

When lunch started, and The Rejects were on the roof, Emily asks "So how long are you all staying in Harrison University for?".

"Dunno" Wyatt says, "I still haven't really figured out what I'm going to be doing".

"I thought it was just a two year course" Emma says.

"Well, for colleges like Harrison, they have extra courses to help people" Emily says. "Like, two years gets you certified to work for the city, but you can go a third year for an extensive course. Like, if you figure out what you want to do while you're here, they have a few courses set up in hopes they can help you get certified for that job too. Then there's the fourth year. The reason you don't really see any of them around, especially in dorms is because most of that year is spent with internships. They do practical work within their profession, in order to get a job immediately out of college. Most of their time is spent off the campus".

"I didn't know about the fourth years" Jackson says.

"I did" Aeris says.

"Well" Wyatt says, "I guess that's just another reason why we plan on making our club. Once we decide what we want to do after college, we'll decide if we're going to be staying for a third or fourth year".