(St. High School, England — 2025)
"Oh—are you participating in the new school event, Ethan?"
Students streamed through the hallway as the final bell rang.
"Nah. I don't even come to school that much," Ethan said. "Not participating."
The boy beside him scoffed.
"You think too much. This school isn't hiding anything." He glanced sideways.
"What do you even do at home that you skip school so much?"
Ethan opened his mouth.
"Uh… me—"
The door to his room shut quietly behind him.
His bag hit the floor.
The desk lamp clicked on.
Paper covered the wall in front of him—schedules, classroom layouts, names written and rewritten.
Some circled. Some crossed out.
Ethan sat down and opened his notebook.
HIGH SCHOOL — PATTERNS
He flipped to the last page. Only two lines were written there:
The event isn't new.
It's a repeat.
Ethan picked up his pen and added another name.
Ethan closed the notebook.
His stomach growled. Loud.
He stared at it for a second.
"…Seriously?"
He stood up and walked to the kitchen.
The fridge light flickered on. Empty.
He sighed.
"Of course."
Ethan's phone buzzed
Leo: Bro did you dip again 💀
Leo: We waited like idiots
A breath escaped Ethan's nose. He typed back.
Ethan: Had stuff.
Leo: "'Stuff' = sleeping."
Ethan: Correct.
Another notification slid in.
Maya: Are you coming tomorrow or should we save you a seat again?
His thumb hovered over the screen. Save you a seat.
Ethan: I'll try.
A moment passed.
Maya: That's not an answer. But okay.
Ethan felt the corner of his mouth lift. Just a little.
A voice note from Leo popped up.
He stared at it, then locked the screen without opening it.
The room went quiet again.
Ethan turned back to his desk.
The wall of notes was still there. Watching.
He rotated his chair so it slipped out of view.
Not now. For now.
Next Morning — St. High School
The bell rang, slicing through the chatter of the hallways.
Ethan walked in, backpack slung low, hands in his pockets.
He spotted Leo leaning against the lockers, arms crossed like he owned the corridor.
"Finally decided to show up," Leo called, smirking.
"Weren't you skipping again? You always skip," Maya added, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, yeah," Ethan muttered, dodging a stray backpack.
"You really missed math yesterday," Maya teased.
"Don't worry, I survived," Ethan said with a shrug.
She rolled her eyes.
They walked together, weaving between students.
For a moment, everything was normal: laughter, locker doors slamming, sneakers squeaking on tile.
But Ethan's eyes kept flicking—small details, patterns in the crowd, faces.
The same way he did at home, just quieter.
"Are you even listening to us?" Maya asked, nudging his shoulder.
Ethan blinked, smiled faintly.
"Yep. Totally," he said.
It wasn't a lie. He was listening. Just not to them.
The announcement bell rang over the PA.
"Attention students: The new school event begins today. All participants report to the auditorium immediately."
Ethan blinked. He wasn't signed up. He wasn't planning to go.
Leo nudged him.
"Dude… that's kind of your thing, isn't it?"
Ethan shrugged, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
"Maybe. Maybe not."
He stepped back into the crowd, watching everyone hustle toward the auditorium.
Somewhere, a little spark of curiosity tickled him.
Huh. Maybe today won't be so boring after all.