The clock struck eight. The boy walked into the bathroom, grabbed a towel, and began washing. The splashing water echoed. After finishing, he got dressed for school, locked the door as his mother instructed, and waited outside the apartment.
A beautiful woman in a red dress came out carrying a laundry basket.
"Going to school already, Brian?"
"Yes, Mrs. Sullivan."
He waited until the yellow school bus arrived, then boarded it to Los Angeles Elementary. As the wheels approached the school, he walked to greet a friend; he particularly wanted to talk to a girl with red-blonde bangs and clear blue eyes, seemingly one of the school's cheerleaders.
"Hey, Katie."
"Hey, Brian! Happy Birthday!" she replied with a bright smile.
"I'm good~ Thanks! Did you do the math homework today?" he asked, hoping to copy.
"I did. You're going to copy, aren't you? Naughty, naughty, Brian." Katie crossed her arms and shook her head playfully.
"Yeah, I know. And I also know you didn't do it 100% yourself." Brian reached out for her homework.
"Okay, here. Copy, but don't make it 100% identical." She handed him the homework from her bag.
"Of course, maybe 98.88%. Thanks! You're so cute," he said, a child's innocent compliment.
Screech! The bus braked suddenly! Katie's face collided with his hand. He held her face gently to prevent her from falling.
"We're here, kids," the bus driver announced. Katie smiled, embarrassed.
Brian walked through the schoolyard, greeted friends along the way, and made his way down the hallway lined with lockers and classroom doors.
"Hey buddy, skipping class today?" a fluffy-haired friend teased.
"Sorry, haven't thought about it yet," Brian replied politely.
"When you're free, let us know. Don't make us hunt you down!" his friend patted his shoulder.
"Heh, you guys are such troublemakers," Brian teased lightly.
"Don't talk about others; we're the same!" his friend laughed.
Brian William Dixon was easygoing and trustworthy. Though serious-looking, he rarely got teased. When he had to defend himself, he was formidable. He lived with his mother, Helena, who had been raising him alone for four years since his father passed away.