I did faint yesterday y’know.”
“Yeah, and you said that you were feeling better.”
“Maybe he cares.”
“Yeah, sure. He’s prolly just covering his back, insurance an’ all.” Taner grinned; the whiff of a scandal seemed enough to make him forget about warning him against Carlie.
“I’ll see you in class then.”
When Daniel watched as quivering people walked out of Reuben’s office he wasn’t sure what he’d done. Reuben had been nice to him, and he enjoyed reassuring himself that with each step he took..
Daniel knocked twice, and each knock echoed in the small hallway of the third floor.
“Come in!” a voice boomed, shaking Daniel, almost to rap his knuckles on the door again.
Daniel twisted the brass handle and the door swung open. Reuben was seated; his elbows on his desk and his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. He glanced over them briefly to make eye contact.
“You wanted to see me,” Daniel said and then approached the sofa.
Reuben immediately flicked his wrist and the sofas popped; they became thick, hard wooden chairs. “Take a seat.” Daniel took the offer, wiping his hands on his pants and trying to smile. “So, Daniel. Why do you think I’ve summoned you here today?”
“I fainted yesterday?” Daniel asked.
Reuben grinned; he took his glasses off, staring into Daniel’s eyes, he glanced away to his fingers toying with the frame. He shook his head slowly, “I’m a little disappointed in you.”
“Me?” Daniel’s face flushed red and he bit his lip to stop himself from panting.
“You broke a fundamental rule. Not once, but twice now. You’ve been leaving the campus. The first was Tuesday, and then I’m woken late last night to a call of another breach.”
“Last night?” Daniel voiced from a gasp. It was real? I met Mia last night? I knew it! He smiled haphazardly.
“This is not a grinning matter, Mr Satoria,” Reuben growled and grasped a hold of his glasses frame harder.
“No, sir.”
“Good. Are you going to tell me where you were then?”
“Yes, sir,” he said, holding a hand up to his mouth to cough. “On Tuesday I went home, I went to see my friend.”
“And did you receive any permission to leave the grounds?” he asked and Daniel shook his head. “And what about last night?” and Daniel shook his head again. “Your whereabouts last night?”
Daniel shrugged. “On a skyscraper, I woke from this nightmare and then, and then I was there. I thought it was still part of my dream. But you just said it wasn’t.” Daniel looked up to see a lax expression across Reuben’s face, and then a smile.
“Ah it would’ve just been The City, an awfully cramped and busy place. You may leave,” Reuben said, smiling again as he pushed his glasses back on.
Daniel rushed off to his class on the second floor. The class had already started and the door was closed. He took a couple of deep breaths and wiped the sweat from his palms on his pants. Be confident, now , he told himself as he opened the door. There was a loud squeak and everyone turned around to see him walk in.
“Our first challenger,” the teacher said, throwing his hands up.
Challenger? Daniel asked, glancing around the room in search of Taner.
“Let’s welcome Daniel to the stage, guys!” the teacher, Rik parted the crowd to a large white square in the middle of the room. “Mark, make your way to the stage as well.”
Daniel took one look at Mark and realised just who he was, Jasper’s friend. Mark stood in one corner, his chest puffed out as the class cheered him on. Daniel was yet to receive any words of encouragement.
Rik pushed through to the white stage. “The aim of this game,” he began.
Game? Daniel thought, rolling his eyes. This is one funny game.
“You have to affect your opponent physically, without touching them. Although you may use techniques which value motion and allow you to manipulate your energy much easier.
“Yeah, and you said that you were feeling better.”
“Maybe he cares.”
“Yeah, sure. He’s prolly just covering his back, insurance an’ all.” Taner grinned; the whiff of a scandal seemed enough to make him forget about warning him against Carlie.
“I’ll see you in class then.”
When Daniel watched as quivering people walked out of Reuben’s office he wasn’t sure what he’d done. Reuben had been nice to him, and he enjoyed reassuring himself that with each step he took..
Daniel knocked twice, and each knock echoed in the small hallway of the third floor.
“Come in!” a voice boomed, shaking Daniel, almost to rap his knuckles on the door again.
Daniel twisted the brass handle and the door swung open. Reuben was seated; his elbows on his desk and his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. He glanced over them briefly to make eye contact.
“You wanted to see me,” Daniel said and then approached the sofa.
Reuben immediately flicked his wrist and the sofas popped; they became thick, hard wooden chairs. “Take a seat.” Daniel took the offer, wiping his hands on his pants and trying to smile. “So, Daniel. Why do you think I’ve summoned you here today?”
“I fainted yesterday?” Daniel asked.
Reuben grinned; he took his glasses off, staring into Daniel’s eyes, he glanced away to his fingers toying with the frame. He shook his head slowly, “I’m a little disappointed in you.”
“Me?” Daniel’s face flushed red and he bit his lip to stop himself from panting.
“You broke a fundamental rule. Not once, but twice now. You’ve been leaving the campus. The first was Tuesday, and then I’m woken late last night to a call of another breach.”
“Last night?” Daniel voiced from a gasp. It was real? I met Mia last night? I knew it! He smiled haphazardly.
“This is not a grinning matter, Mr Satoria,” Reuben growled and grasped a hold of his glasses frame harder.
“No, sir.”
“Good. Are you going to tell me where you were then?”
“Yes, sir,” he said, holding a hand up to his mouth to cough. “On Tuesday I went home, I went to see my friend.”
“And did you receive any permission to leave the grounds?” he asked and Daniel shook his head. “And what about last night?” and Daniel shook his head again. “Your whereabouts last night?”
Daniel shrugged. “On a skyscraper, I woke from this nightmare and then, and then I was there. I thought it was still part of my dream. But you just said it wasn’t.” Daniel looked up to see a lax expression across Reuben’s face, and then a smile.
“Ah it would’ve just been The City, an awfully cramped and busy place. You may leave,” Reuben said, smiling again as he pushed his glasses back on.
Daniel rushed off to his class on the second floor. The class had already started and the door was closed. He took a couple of deep breaths and wiped the sweat from his palms on his pants. Be confident, now , he told himself as he opened the door. There was a loud squeak and everyone turned around to see him walk in.
“Our first challenger,” the teacher said, throwing his hands up.
Challenger? Daniel asked, glancing around the room in search of Taner.
“Let’s welcome Daniel to the stage, guys!” the teacher, Rik parted the crowd to a large white square in the middle of the room. “Mark, make your way to the stage as well.”
Daniel took one look at Mark and realised just who he was, Jasper’s friend. Mark stood in one corner, his chest puffed out as the class cheered him on. Daniel was yet to receive any words of encouragement.
Rik pushed through to the white stage. “The aim of this game,” he began.
Game? Daniel thought, rolling his eyes. This is one funny game.
“You have to affect your opponent physically, without touching them. Although you may use techniques which value motion and allow you to manipulate your energy much easier.
Similar Books
