Creak!
The first step was a creak on my foot, but when I left the carriage, it was a calm and simple moment, met with the warm air of this school. Not one seems to bat an eye at me, much to my surprise. Perhaps I underestimate this uniform's capacity. This would be a tense day for Doorwell. So many humans to meet, but so little chance to get to know them.
"Okay. That's weird...nothing's happening here..." I mumbled.
"Well that would be what happened when you're set in a private school, Dorriel. Just be sure not to take up too many attention there,"
"Oh, brother. If only you had told me that earlier."
Coldham High School—it was the place, according to the contract I just signed. It was a huge place, bigger than the Institute's playground—and also outdoors. All I had to do here was to get my education and new friends before I would be forgotten like a rotting dough.
"Alright, Doorwell. As a reminder, the Institute will be monitoring the school area in case of any incidents. So don't be afraid! You're not alone here..." Dr Volcker supports me as always.
"Would be good if you did." Samuel commented from inside.
"Bye-bye, Samuel! Bye-bye, Dr Volcker..."
The carriage left for the railway towards the north, leaving me alone in this school. Although Dr Volcker didn't say I was alone, I could still feel a sense of his absence creeping back like a nightmare. It's hard to have someone trustworthy for me—especially in a place like this.
I started with a few steps into the gate, and I was welcomed by the human teenagers in the park. Still unbothered, I walked further with my uniform towards the hallway while watching some lovely things happening around the grass.
"*Chuckle* Hey, Dessa. Can you stop that? We're in public?"
"*Chuckle* Or what? You're going to bite me?"
"*Chuckle* Hehe, I'm such a lucky girl to have you, Dessa."
"Ooh..."
Love is in the air! I can see it well with these people around me. Those two girls over the fountain are filled with blooms. I wish to help them feel happier there with my lyre, but I didn't have enough time to spare for my first class. Pray for them! Pray for all of them!
Still, nobody bats an eye at me despite my face being clear! I have the dough out, but I'm still walking into the school's hallway without raising any attention. I see so many lockers, instead. I wonder which one is mine. It stretches out to the east.
*Background noises*
"Whoa, this is a metal locker...wow..."
I took a gentle tap to reassure myself that it was a metal locker. To my surprise, it bangs like one. Such a surprising gift of a human world for a cookie like me. But when I was done, a boy suddenly appeared before me with an angry face because I kept tapping that locker. It wasn't my intention to hurt his feelings.
"Hey! That's mine! Who do you think you are?"
"Sorry! My apologies for that! I was just checking if it was a locker." I bowed as quick as he appeared.
"What do you mean? This is a locker...are you dumb?" He closed the locker before I could see what was inside.
"Uhm..."
"Hey, who are you? You're not from this school! I don't recognize your voice!"
"I'm a new student! I just came here looking for my class! Also, I want to be your friend, too!"
I wanted to show a warm gesture for this new friend of mine with a handshake. Those black sunglasses he's wearing make him look so menacing, and I was nervous that I would become his enemy. To my surprise, he was refusing the offer with silence. I was also worried he would also hit me with that cane he's holding.
"What the...you're weird...get off of me..."
"Oh..." My hands are down. I didn't expect the guest to be so disappointed with me.
"Well, I only have ten minutes to go to class."
*Bump* "Do you mind?"
"W-wait, was that a human? Why did she have pink hair and an eye like that?"
"What are you talking about?"
Befriending humans here is quite challenging. But at least I knew they weren't acting out of the blue all the time. At the end, I found my class through the sheer power of passion for friendship—and some attempts not to break a conversation with people who keep glaring at you when you call their names.
My class was right before my eyes, empty as if nobody was here. Doorwell must have been too early, unlike how she was back in the Institute. It inspired her to start this day, because she knew she had the place for herself. Which is why she decided to go in and pick her first chair.
"Phew! Woo! I needed this..."
"Now, what do I bring here? A set of fun? Check!"
"Poppers? Check!"
"Papers of love and pink? Check!"
"And a jovial smile? Check~!"
A new friend was coming into my position, as I watched more and more. The first student was oblivious to my presence as he headed to his chair, sat in front of me, and assembled his books on the table. It does annoy me a bit that having too close a resemblance to humans makes me less noticeable.
"Hi there!"
"Hm..." He ignores me, before he realises that my voice didn't sound too familiar. "Huh? Who are you?"
"Me? Oh, just the new student here! Name's Doorwell, nice to meet you!"
I reached out my hand to his presence, asking for a gentle handshake. But he dismisses it again, as if hearing from a new student like me didn't ring a bell. I was sad for a moment because I thought he might have been bored by me. But it only took him a second to realise something was odd.
"Wait.." He paused, then he looked at me. "WHOA!"
The new student falls to the floor in shock, and then two more students come into the class. He was cornering himself out of fear, against what I had thought of him, seeing a Joyling. Why was he scared? Do I not look good enough to him? Good as in friendly, I mean.
"Stan, what is wrong with you?" Hearing his name immediately catches my attention.
"Anna, you should've asked about that new student instead of him."
"What student—woah!"
The two students fell to the floor with the human boy beside me, and they were stunned like him. The boy stood up first and grabbed his eyeglasses before he gave me a glance.
"You're...you're not...how do I say it...?...alive?" The boy Stan, said.
"Human..." The girl said.
The boy approached me again to have a look, using a long stick that he poked at my face. He tickles my cheeks and squeezes them aside, perhaps he was thinking of a doll when he sees me. The pinch was soft, and I couldn't handle a chuckle from it.
Maybe, he was attracted by the unique berry cheek.
"Hello! My name is Doorwell! Nice to meet you!" The boy keeps rubbing my cheek with the stick.
"Hehe! That tickles!"
The other two humans walked even distant from me, as if trying to get a better look. Their stupefaction never fails to impress me, but it seems they were more of a onlooker than an examiner now. I don't mind enjoying some cushion from my cheek.
"What is this abomination standing before me...?"
"Definitely something horrendous if not for that terrible cheek."
"That's a makeup, right? Are you a clown, you dork?"
"Uhm. I'm an angel. If you want to see a clown, feel free to visit Dawn's circus the next time he was out of the facility!"
I intend to approach the humans, but they were still busy looking at me. They didn't want to get closer because they were too amazed, so I decided to stay and let them watch as much as they could. Otherwise, the human boy would've tripped and hurt himself.
"What's your name again?"
"Doorwell. As in cookie name!"
"Doorwell is not a cookie name. It's a flower name."
"I know! Because I'm a flower nurturer! and it was a name given by my creator Sebastian."
"Nurture...? Creator...? What kind of absurd combination is that...?" The girl said.
"I'm not. Now I'm excited that I don't go to school for a waste." The other one said.
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[7.00 AM]
Time passes so quick, and more students came into the class with the same surprise on their faces. They were amazed, stunned, anything you can say about people who had their days on a chair. I heard school was supposed to be fun, but it looks like from their tired eyes that they weren't having fun.
"Wow, what is that? She looks strange!"
"Don't get any closer! I don't know what to say about that face!"
"Is that a new student? Eww!"
Within a minute, I was surrounded by all the students in this class. Some had even walked out, sending a message perhaps? I don't mind being invited with more friends, as long as they would like to play with me fairly and kindly. But even Doorwell learned from her lesson about being a star that she shouldn't expect any boundaries with her admirers.
"Okay! Okay! Enough with the pampers! I need a space, you know?" I mumbled. "All of you are lovely, and I love you all! But please, no need to barge in and hurt others for attention!"
"By Fire Son, is this for real?"
"Oh, no! Mom was right, I shouldn't have eaten too much sugar! Now I'm haunted!"
"Eww, what is that on your cheek? You look weird!"
Every attention is on me, even before I could pull out a show. Too bad everyone was expecting too early this morning for a stage, and I have no stage here. But I could enjoy waving and standing for as long as they needed to see me.
"Alright, students. Get to the chair now, we have a new announcement for—ooh..."
The last audience was the teacher, who appeared with a grey folder with the mark of the Institute on the cover. He was busy reading that precious paper, before looking right at my eyes and freezing like others. Yet he wasn't amazed or stunned—only surprised. He then took his bag to the chair and pretended this new student was no one.
"Oh, the new student..." The teacher muttered. "Right, just as THEY said..."
'Ehem! Everyone, get to the chairs! All of you outside, go back to your class. Students, there's a big announcement for you today, so I need you to listen up!"
All of us went into our chairs quickly, but still batting their eyes at me. A doctor appeared beside the teacher in his usual white coat, greeting me with the familiarity of a friend. I knew the name of every doctor in the Institute, so it wasn't too weird for me.
"A doctor?"
"Doctor Cobble! Doctor Cobble!" I yelled.
"Hey, Doorwell. Nice to see you, too. Don't mind me...I'm just here to help on your first day..." Mr. Cobble waved at me. All the students were shocked when they heard me calling him.
————————————————————————————————
[Introduction]
The teacher pulls that folder out and prepares to make a speech to the class. Yet he was too nervous to do so, because he could not memorise the speech. But Dr Cobble is nice and kind enough to help him, which comforts the poor man with confidence.
"Ehem. Good morning, everyone. Today, we have a new student."
"Right beside you is not just an ordinary student." He pauses. "Ms...Doorwell...Lovemore is a rehabilitated student from the Funtakers Institute, who had just received her release and is now ready to start a life as a human again."
"She will be enrolled into this class so she can deepen her bond with humans and also to provide a social test to see Doorwell's capability to socialise and act as a human in the future."
"Yeah!"
"Moreover, there are things that some of you need to know before you can interact with Doorwell. The list are below—I mean, here's the thing you need to know..."
He was switching the page nervously, but the doctor was so kind as not to judge him.
"Please don't be mean to Doorwell. Her heart is...pure? And she does not like people who talk too meanly to others. Doorwell needs your support, and you should treat her like you treat others here."
"Yeah!"
"Hehe...or what...?" The girl said. "You're going to spray with sparkles?"
"Please avoid giving her condensed and raw sugary foods or sweets like candy and cookie. Doorwell is very fragile with sweets, and could break her body when consuming one."
"However, you may feed her nutritious food like fruits and vegetables to strengthen her. She has a poor health condition, and cannot operate for too long through...exercise?" The teacher looks at Dr Cobble with confusion. He was wondering, so the man took the spot for him.
"Doorwell is not very good with sports. Please refrain from pushing Doorwell with physical activities, because her body cannot endure too much pressure from stretch and exhaustion."
I can hear chatter from all the students when they heard the terrible news about me. I, too, would have acted the same to know I would miss so many chances in this school due to my poor condition. Even I couldn't breathe too much, just to feel panic.
"Wow, you're lucky, kid. Today there would be a P.E class and you just get a pass to skip it."
"I always thought that class would fit me. But I immediately regret it because it's horrible..." I frowned.
"Lazy kid."
There's so much commotion in the class when they hear things about me. I couldn't tell if I should be flattered or flustered, but their cheers and mumbling felt like they were complimenting me. By the time the teacher was done with his speech, everyone was looking at me.
"Alright! That should be all of it! Any question can be delivered later after the school's hour to the Institute. For now, let us continue with our education first. Shall we?"
"Alright, that should be all. Don't worry, Ms. Lovemore. We'll be observing you during your school hours. So don't worry about being alone, okay?"
"I won't! I always believe in myself, Mr. Cobble! Though I was hoping Dr. Volcker would be here instead of you..."
"Gee, you know a lot of people there? How lonely was your life?"