Ethan woke up before his alarm the next morning, the early light filtering through the thin curtains of his room. For a moment, he simply lay still, listening to the quiet hum of the ceiling fan. The calmness of morning always grounded him. No voices, no crowds, no expectations. Just silence.
He sat up, stretched, and went through his familiar routine—wash up, get dressed, check his bag, tie his shoes, and head downstairs.
Lucas was already at the dining table, flipping through a thick study guide while sipping coffee. His eyes lifted as Ethan entered.
"You're up early," Lucas said, setting the mug down.
"I always wake up early," Ethan replied.
"Yeah, but it's only the second day. Most first-years oversleep."
Ethan shrugged as he reached for toast. "Maybe I got lucky."
Lucas snorted. "You? Lucky? With mornings? Never."
Mrs. Cross entered the room, carrying a small stack of lunch containers. She placed one in front of Ethan with a proud smile.
"I packed something simple today. If you need more, let me know."
"Thanks, Mom."
She smiled warmly. "How are you feeling?"
Ethan paused to think. "Good."
"Any nerves?"
"Not really."
"That's my boy," she said, patting his shoulder. "Just stay focused."
Lucas added, "And don't let Ben distract you too much."
"I don't," Ethan said.
"Lies," Lucas muttered playfully.
Ethan rolled his eyes, but the light teasing felt comforting. Familiar.
After eating, he grabbed his bag and headed out the door with Lucas. They walked together for the first few minutes until Lucas split off toward the third-year building.
"See you later," Lucas said. "And remember—don't rush anything."
"I won't."
"And don't let Ben talk you into joining any weird clubs before basketball."
"Why would he?"
"Because he's Ben."
Ethan didn't disagree.
He continued down the walkway, the morning sun growing brighter as students filled the campus again. Today felt different—not brand new, but not yet routine either. Somewhere in between.
When he reached his classroom, only a few students were there. Sarah was already seated, reading through her notebook. She noticed Ethan and waved lightly.
"Morning."
"Morning," Ethan replied, taking his usual seat.
Oliver arrived a minute later, nervous as always, offering a tiny wave before slinking into his seat. Ethan nodded back, giving him a small reassurance.
Class slowly filled. The energy was calmer than yesterday; newness had worn off enough that people were settling into patterns.
Aria entered around two minutes before the bell. Her expression remained neutral, her steps quiet. She took her seat, opened her notebook, and began writing—completely absorbed.
Ethan didn't stare.
He only noticed the movement, the same way he noticed someone opening a window or dropping a pen. Natural awareness. Nothing more.
Ms. Winters arrived soon after, cheerful as ever.
"Good morning, everyone! I hope you slept better than I did. My cat decided three a.m. was the ideal time for chaos."
Soft laughter filled the room.
Ethan's lips twitched. Her energy was contagious in a strange way.
Class began with literature review, moving through analysis, questions, and small discussions. Ethan answered when called, his voice steady and clear. A few students glanced at him afterward—not amazed, just acknowledging he was reliable.
During a group reading session, Daniel—who worked with Ethan yesterday—turned around.
"You want to partner again?" Daniel asked.
Ethan nodded. "Sure."
They worked through the questions, taking turns reading paragraphs aloud. Daniel was quick to laugh at his own mistakes, and Ethan found it easy to match his pace.
"So," Daniel said as they wrapped up, "what clubs are you thinking about?"
"Basketball," Ethan answered honestly.
Daniel blinked. "Oh. You play?"
"Yeah."
"You any good?"
Ethan shrugged lightly. "I play okay."
Daniel grinned. "You seem like the type who underplays himself."
Ethan didn't confirm or deny. He wasn't going to announce anything.
"Planning to join today?" Daniel asked.
"Probably next week."
"Smart move," Daniel nodded. "The first week is chaotic. Every club tries to recruit everyone with a pulse."
That made Ethan chuckle, just barely.
After the activity, Daniel shifted back to his seat, and Ethan returned to quiet observation. Not analyzing. Not predicting. Just a normal student listening to lectures.
When lunch arrived, Ethan packed up slowly. Ben met him right outside the door, as if waiting for a dramatic entrance.
"There you are!" Ben exclaimed. "I got lost. Twice."
"You've been here one day," Ethan said.
"That's why!" Ben countered.
Oliver trailed behind them. "Um… cafeteria again?"
"Sure," Ethan said.
They grabbed lunch and found seats near the back. Ben immediately dug into his food, talking between bites.
"Dude, 1-D is chaos. Someone threw a paper ball at the fan and it flew around like a weapon."
Ethan raised a brow. "You okay?"
"Barely."
Ethan shook his head, amused.
Oliver ate quietly, listening with wide eyes. "Our class is nothing like that."
"Good," Ethan said.
"You fit in fast," Oliver added. "With everyone, I mean."
Ethan paused. "Not really fast. Just taking it slow."
"And it works," Oliver said. "You make people feel calm."
Ben choked on his juice. "CALM?! Ethan? Calm?!"
Ethan stared at him flatly. "I am calm."
"Yes," Oliver said with a shy smile. "You are."
Ben groaned. "I guess you ARE calm. I'm chaotic enough for the both of us."
"That's true," Ethan said.
They finished lunch without incident, talking about teachers, homework, and which classmate had already fallen asleep twice today. The conversation stayed light, normal.
After school ended, Ethan packed his things and stepped out of the building. The sky was bright but the air cooler than earlier.
"You heading home?" Ben asked.
"Yeah."
"You wanna go check out the basketball club room? Just to see?"
Ethan shook his head. "Not today."
"Tomorrow?"
"No."
"Friday?"
"…No."
"Monday?"
Ethan nodded. "Yeah."
Ben fist-pumped triumphantly. "I knew it!"
Ethan smiled. "You're too excited."
"It's my job," Ben said proudly.
They walked down the street, talking about nothing in particular—games, snacks, which teacher was secretly terrifying. Halfway home, Ben peeled off toward a convenience store.
"See you tomorrow!" Ben called.
"Yeah," Ethan replied.
Ethan continued the last few blocks alone. When he reached home, he kicked his shoes off and entered the living room. Lucas was there, sitting cross-legged on the floor with a stack of papers.
"You're back," Lucas said.
"Yeah."
"How was day two?" Lucas asked.
"Feels normal now," Ethan said. "Classes are fine. Classmates are fine."
"Good," Lucas said, flipping a page. "You decide about basketball?"
"Monday."
Lucas nodded approvingly. "Perfect. The team will have gone through the messy early-week sign-ups by then."
"That's what I thought," Ethan said.
Lucas grinned. "Mom's making roast chicken tonight."
"Oh," Ethan said, instantly more interested. "Nice."
Lucas laughed. "Excited for food. Classic Ethan."
Ethan didn't deny it.
He went to his room, dropped his bag gently by his desk, and lay back on his bed. The faint hum of city life drifted through the window.
High school wasn't dramatic.
Wasn't overwhelming.
Wasn't magical.
But it was settling in quietly, comfortably, like a new rhythm he could learn to move with.
Monday would come soon.
And the court would be waiting.