Summertime Loving

He approached Ms. Bissette, who was sitting at her desk, sipping something from a purple flask. She glanced up and smiled warmly, setting the drink aside.

'Is she drinking wine? This early in the morning? Wow,' he thought, taken aback by the possibility.

"Travis, how may I help you?" she asked, standing up from her desk.

"Oh, about those private classes. I'd love to take them, if you don't mind," he said casually.

Ms. Bissette's face lit up, her happiness unmistakable. "Really? That's wonderful! I'm so happy to hear that. Are you doing it for the reward?"

"Wait, there's a reward? I didn't know," Travis admitted.

"Oh, so you're not interested in the reward?" she asked, her tone suddenly sad.

Travis quickly waved his hand, "No, no! I want the reward too. So, when do we start?"

"We can start today, but you'll need to bring your dictionary, of course," she responded.

"Uh, I lost mine. Do you have any extras?" he asked, hoping for a backup plan.

"That's unfortunate. No, I don't have any extras, but you can find one in the library. I always spend time there when I need to be surrounded by books."

"I'll head to the library this afternoon then. I guess that means we'll start tomorrow."

She nodded with a smile. "Yes, that works. Have a great day, Travis."

As he walked out of the class, he was met by Eve.

"Travis, why are your eyes red? Were you sleeping?" Eve asked as they walked to their next class together.

"Yeah, I worked out a lot yesterday. Now my body's feeling it, but don't worry, I'll be alright," he reassured her.

She nodded and smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her. Eve was glad that Travis was willing to open up a bit about his life; it made her feel closer to him. As they walked, her mind began to wander.

' I should share more about myself as well, she thought' , realizing that opening up could strengthen their connection.

Their next class was Math. Travis and Eve settled into their seats, but to his surprise, Mia chose to sit next to him. The long tables could accommodate three students, placing Travis right in the middle of the two girls—each a beauty in her own right.

Who would he focus on more you might wonder. Well the clear answer is neither of them. Why? Well that's a question for next time.

Travis sat quietly, pulling out his notebook and starting to write down what was on the board. Not that he wanted to—he really didn't like math. Given the choice, he would much rather laze around. However, with two girls on either side of him, each vying for his attention, he had to play the part of a diligent student. It was a clever tactic to make it seem like the other person was blocking their chance to speak with him.

There was an unspoken truth about life: when people desire something, it suddenly becomes more valuable. Both Mia and Eve were drawn to Travis, and it was clear that they cherished his attention. Normally, they were overlooked, but Travis offered them something rare—he made them laugh and engaged with them without hesitation, even when they had to navigate the complexities of strict, religious households. He genuinely listened to their rants about anime, and it all contributed to a unique bond.

Now, with someone—himself—standing between them, they felt the competitive urge stir within them. The need to capture his focus and divert it from the other grew stronger. He could sense the rising tension from both sides, imagining their thoughts racing as they considered their options. A smirk crept onto his face at the realization of the situation.

' I know you fuckers teased me about this before. But honestly, I'm literally Light, Ayanokoji, Lelouch, and Aizen all rolled into one,' he thought, relishing the power dynamics at play.

A couple of minutes later, the bell rang, and Travis quickly packed his things, knowing that whoever spoke first would likely grab his attention.

"Travis, did you watch the new One Piece episode?" Eve asked, glancing at him eagerly. Mia frowned at Eve's question but listened intently, hoping to catch his interest as well.

"Nah, I already read the manga, though. I only ever watch One Piece at the end of the year and start from the beginning," he replied, shrugging.

"Oh, that's nice! Now tell me, Travis. I saw a video yesterday that made me skeptical, but do you think Krillin could beat Saitama?" Eve asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Of course he would," Travis said confidently.

"Why?" Eve pressed, clearly intrigued.

"Well, firstly, Krillin at the end of Dragon Ball Z was stronger than Goku at the start of the series—I'm talking about Z, by the way. If you take that info and consider the people he fought with, it's telling. He was even stronger than Goku when he fought Vegeta in the Saiyan Saga. Saiyan Saga Vegeta was already above planetary levels, and it just keeps growing from there."

Travis leaned back, enjoying the animated conversation. "So, that already tells you a lot. At this point, Krillin's power level is around 20 million higher than most people. Sure, he's not at the level of Goku or others, but that's enough to put him at High Solar System or even Galaxy level if you lowball him. I'm not trying to dive deeper into the DB lore. Not to mention speed and everything else—DB characters are on another level. People should stop putting them in debates. Just because they aren't seen as strong in their own verse doesn't mean they can't rock your verse."

Eve nodded, impressed by his reasoning, .

"Damn, you really do your research. I'm impressed! Now I can sleep calmly knowing that that mf can't do anything in the DB verse," Eve said, and Travis chuckled in response. They made their way to their next class, Art.

Once everyone was seated, Ms. Ross began to speak.

"Good morning, class! Today we'll be doing some hands-on work, so get your hands ready. You'll all be handed some clay, and you can make a sculpture of anything you imagine. Don't be suppressed by the limits you've set in your head—break free! Remember, no one's sculpture is better than the other; this is not a competition. Good luck!"

After passing out the blocks of clay, she went to her desk and took a sip of her coffee.

'Okay, what to make? In the game, I made a giraffe that made her happy, so let's do that.'

After some time, Travis finished his sculpture and beamed with pride as he admired his work. Ms. Ross stood up and began checking everyone's sculptures. When she reached Travis, she gave his back a gentle rub and walked away. He sat back, a smile spreading across his face, but then he noticed Justin looking at him. She smiled, giggled softly, shook her head, and turned her gaze back to the front.

'She's confident today. I wonder what made her change?'

Judith on the other hand ' What was that, he must be thinking , "is bitch crazy" That book I read was a lie, confidence is not key' she thought.

"Wow, I'm so happy with all your results! You've all made remarkable sculptures. Remember, these capture what you were thinking of," Ms. Ross said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

She called Travis to the side, a smile spreading across her face. "I really like your sculpture. It's very long and thick. It exudes character and wildness—something I'm quite fond of."

'It's just a giraffe, but okay,' he thought, a bit bemused.

"Thanks, I guess," he replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Now, Travis, I had a thought. Why don't I give you a partner for your private lessons? Do you mind?" she asked.

"Sure, that sounds cool. As long as it's someone I get along with, then I don't mind," he said.

"Good! I thought about pairing you with Eve, but then I remembered she's busy with Ms. DeWitt's music class. So, I decided on Mia. What do you think?"

"She's great," Travis responded with a nod.

"Okay! Now why don't you ask her? Let me know when she agrees, alright? Now, sit back down."

"Now, I'd like for you all to draw something—anything. It doesn't matter what it is. After that, submit the drawing. This is due tomorrow. Have a good day!"

The bell rang, causing some students to jump as they hurriedly grabbed their bags and left the classroom.

TO BE CONTINUED