2 days left until the Light blesses the children of the world.
I woke up before my alarm even rang. Guess I'd passed out last night.When I looked to my right, I found Rex sleeping upside down like a fallen bat, and I couldn't help but laugh.My mom knocked, stepped inside, and burst out laughing too the moment she saw Rex's position. Her laughter woke him up, though he still looked half-dead inside.
"Come downstairs and eat something," Mom said. "You'll think clearer at school."
As soon as she left, Rex bolted toward the bathroom and locked the door.Of course he did.How the hell did I let him steal the shower spot when I woke up first?
While waiting, I scrolled through my phone a bit. When His Highness finally came out, the entire room felt like a sauna. I hate heat, so I jumped straight under cold water.Rex never showers cold. Probably weak to it.
By the time I got dressed, he was already ready—showing me random pretty boys he found online and whining, "Why don't guys like this ever show up in my life?"
On the stairs I nudged him with a playful "Gay," trying to piss him off, but honestly, I don't think I've ever seen Rex genuinely angry. He shouts sometimes, but I've never seen him in a fight. Same with Emre. Those two avoid fights like the plague. Unlike me.
At breakfast I noticed Rex and my dad actually getting along. At least they weren't clashing. Good enough.When we finished eating, we grabbed our bags and headed to school.Just as we reached the entrance, Emre appeared.
"What are you doing here? Your school is literally on the opposite side of town," I said.
He shrugged."I'm not leaving you two idiots alone, so I transferred here."
That actually made me happy. My whole friend group was finally in the same school.
The principal walked us to our classroom.Every head turned the moment we walked in—classic reaction to new students.The teacher asked us to introduce ourselves, and we did, one by one.
Then she asked why we transferred.Emre said, "My friends came here, so I followed."Rex added, "My old school was a public one. I came here because I thought I'd make more friends."
When it was my turn, I considered lying, but I knew I'd slip eventually."I got into a fight," I said.
Emre instantly jumped in."It wasn't a big fight."Rex followed up smoothly, "The principal's son was involved, and the school blamed Arda to cover up their kid's part."
Two minutes in and they were already fabricating lore like professional liars.
The teacher sighed and told us to sit.We took the very back.First period was math—Emre's favorite, and basically nobody else's.I didn't like any subject, to be honest. My grades reflected that.Rex hated school but somehow always managed to score well, even though he was the laziest person alive.
Emre only studied the subjects he liked. His grades were wild—one subject 95, the next one 30.The teacher's slow explanation made my eyelids heavy, so I hid behind Rex and slept.
I woke up when Emre shook me.Class was over. They were heading to the cafeteria.
Rex got there before us.When we walked in, he was surrounded by a whole crowd of students, chatting like he'd known them for years.As soon as we approached, the others glanced at me and quietly dispersed.
"What the hell was that?" Emre muttered.I had no clue either.
We sat and started eating. Rex finished fast, stood up, and we told him to wait.He waved a hand. "I have something to do," and walked away.
Ten minutes later he came back and said he'd figured it out.
Someone had spread a rumor about me.
And of course, we all knew who.
The rumor:Apparently I had beaten Ahmet while he and Esma were "studying together," and when Esma tried to stop me, I took her down too.Both supposedly ended up in the hospital.So now everyone was terrified of me.
When Rex finished explaining, he added,"To be fair, they were studying."I glared at him, and he grinned:"Studying the human body, obviously. Ever heard of biology?"
I couldn't help laughing.
But the fear had already spread.People were scared of Emre too, just because he was next to me.Emre didn't care about what others thought, but I did.I wasn't the most social guy, but I liked talking with people.Now nobody wanted to talk to me at all.
Rex placed a hand on my shoulder."I'll do what I can to clear the rumor."
We were about to leave the cafeteria when two wannabe tough guys approached us.
"Is it manly to hit a girl, huh? Are you two fags or what?" they barked.
Rex calmly raised a hand."I mean… I am gay. But we didn't hit anyone."
The whole cafeteria laughed.
Emre and I knew a fight was coming. We got ready, but Rex stepped back.
"I don't fight unless necessary. You two can harvest them yourselves."
Honestly, he wasn't wrong.Those guys looked like they'd break if you sneezed too hard.Probably trying to impress girls on the first week.
Right when things were about to escalate, the principal walked in.The tough guys evaporated instantly.We went back to class, and I chose the only thing I was good at: sleeping.
When I woke up again, everyone was heading downstairs.But as soon as I joined the hallway… people shifted away from me.Like I was contagious.
Whispers followed me:
"That's him…""They say he almost killed two students…""He sent his girlfriend to the hospital…""Don't make eye contact. He's crazy…"
Each step felt heavier.Nobody asked me what really happened.They just believed the lie.
When Emre, Rex, and I sat down to eat again, those two idiots showed up once more.
"I'm curious," one of them said loudly,"Are you gonna hospitalize random people in this school too?"
Emre and I stood up. They immediately backed off, but kept talking.We were suddenly surrounded by a circle of students.
"Everyone who knows me knows I wouldn't—""Kanka, don't talk too much," one of them interrupted, laughing nervously. "He might hospitalize us too!"
Rex appeared next to us.Emre was about to swing, but Rex stopped him.
"No, wait. I'm actually curious how long two chimps can keep talking," he said.
The tough guys grew visibly angry.
Then they made the mistake of turning on Rex:
"Don't interrupt when grown men are talking, nerd. Or what? Gonna cry for your boyfriend?"
Rex's voice dropped—calm, cold, dangerous.
"You really don't want to see me angry. Who exactly do you think you are? You're not even worth standing in front of me."
They tried to talk back, but Rex continued:
"You have no talents. No skills. You're failures. Give it a year or two, you'll be no different than beggars on the street."
That was the last straw. They lunged at him.Rex grabbed both and slammed them to the ground like they weighed nothing.
Then he faced the crowd:
"Do you idiots even have a brain? How can you believe something this stupid? Look at him. Does he look like someone who'd hurt anyone?"
Silence.
Rex wasn't done.
"I'M TALKING TO YOU! WHY ARE YOU QUIET NOW? WEREN'T YOU WHISPERING IN HIS FACE TEN MINUTES AGO? DO YOU HAVE ANY PROOF THAT THE GIRL WAS HURT? OF COURSE YOU DON'T, YOU MORONS!WITH A BRAIN LIKE THAT, THE ONLY THING YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT IS NOT STICKING YOUR FINGER IN AN OUTLET OR FALLING OFF A HIGH PLACE!"
His voice echoed through the entire hall.
People finally started muttering again—but not what we hoped.Instead of believing me, they said Rex must be guilty too.
Rex clenched his jaw.
"If I ever fight any of you, you'll understand exactly what's true," he said, and stormed off.
Emre followed him.I wanted to go too, but my legs didn't move.
Everyone stared at me like I was cursed.Disgust on their faces.Hatred.
For a moment, I wanted to wipe them all out with a single move.
But I walked away instead—fast, without looking back.
I didn't want to see any of their faces ever again.
Why were they blaming me for things I didn't even do?
Just a little while ago, I had friends everywhere.Now I was completely alone.
Hospitalizing someone?I only punched Ahmet, and apparently his nose didn't even break.My own hand probably got more damage.
Thinking about all this, I found myself at the classroom door.
But after everything…Did I really want to go back inside?Face those people again?
No.They'd just gossip louder this time, pretending I couldn't hear.
I grabbed my bag and bolted out of the school.By the time I reached home, my lungs were burning.
I locked myself in my room and threw myself onto the only place where I could forget everything—my bed.