So I'm John Lawrence's son

The next few weeks were a whirlwind for Jack. He still wasn't used to the school routine, but something about Reseda was starting to feel less strange. Despite keeping his distance from most of the students, two boys in particular seemed determined to break through his barrier: Eli and Demetri.

It was during a science class that Eli decided to strike up a conversation with Jack. He turned in his chair, looking at Jack with a hesitant smile.

— Hey, new guy — Eli said..

— Yeah? — Jack replied, without looking up from his notebook.

— I'm Eli, and this is Demetri. — He pointed at his friend, who nodded.

— Jack. — He said, finally looking at the two of them.

Demetri, always the most relaxed one, decided to join the conversation.

"So, Jack, where did you come from?

" "From many places," Jack replied evasively.

"Ah, a man of mysteries. I like that." Demetri joked, with an ironic smile.

Jack didn't answer, but something about their unassuming manner made him relax a little. They didn't seem to want anything from him—just to talk. And somehow, that was… nice.

Over the next few days, Eli and Demetri began sitting near Jack at recess. At first, he was quiet, just listening to their conversations. Eli would drone on and on about crazy theories and science fiction movies, while Demetri would make sarcastic jokes about everything and everyone.

"Have you ever heard of the theory that aliens built the pyramids?" Eli asked excitedly.

"Of course not." Jack replied with a half-smile.

"He's a skeptic, Eli. Leave him alone." Demetri intervened, laughing.

Little by little, Jack began to open up. He didn't tell them much about himself, but he listened to their stories with interest. Eli talked about how hard it was to be the skinniest kid in school, and Demetri talked about his failed attempts to fit in with the "popular" kids.

"I just want to survive until high school is over," Demetri said with a dramatic sigh.

"Me too," Jack agreed, for the first time feeling like he was part of the conversation.

It was on one of these afternoons that Jack decided to explore the school. He went up to the terrace, a place that seemed forgotten by most of the students. It was there that he saw her—the blonde girl he had seen on the first day.

She was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, with headphones on and a notebook on her lap. Jack hesitated for a moment, but decided to approach.

"Is this your place?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

The girl looked up, surprised to see someone there. She took off one of her headphones and looked at Jack with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

— It depends. Did you come to annoy me? — She replied, with a defiant tone.

— No. I just wanted a quiet place. — Jack said, shrugging his shoulders.

— Then sit down and be quiet. — She replied, looking back at the notebook.

Jack sat a few feet away from her, staring out at the horizon. The silence between them was uncomfortable, but he didn't care. There was something about this girl that intrigued him, and he was in no hurry to leave.

In the following days, Jack returned to the terrace. Tory was always there, and little by little, they began to exchange a few words.

— Why do you come here? — Tory asked, one day.

— Because it's the only place where no one bothers me. — Jack answered, with a half smile.

— Fair enough. — She said, going back to drawing in her notebook.

Over time, the conversations grew longer. Tory shared that she liked to draw and that the terrace was her refuge. Jack, in turn, began sharing small details about his life—nothing in-depth, but enough to create a connection.

"You're weird," Tory said one day.

"And you're a fighter." Jack replied with a smile.

"At least I'm not quiet all the time." She replied, laughing.

That's how they began to understand each other—two people who didn't fit in anywhere, but somehow fit together.

Meanwhile, Jack's friendship with Eli and Demetri grew. They began to spend more time together, sharing stories and laughing at each other's misadventures.

"Have you ever thought about doing something besides staying at school?" Eli asked one day.

"Like what?" Jack replied, curious.

"I don't know. Something that makes you feel alive." Eli said, his tone more serious than usual.

"I just want to survive." Jack replied, shrugging.

"Everyone wants to survive. The question is how you do it." Demetri added, with a wry smile.

Jack didn't respond, but the conversation stayed in his mind. He began to think that maybe there was more to life than just surviving.