There was no wind on the day Arthur had disappeared, there was no one to mourn him, no one to remember him, and 29 other had disappeared along with this anomaly.

  Arthur sighed for the umpteenth time today. He had been forced onto a school trip as a student of the acclaimed International Diplomatic Academy. But his situation wasn’t like the others. Political Prisoner. A word foreign to most that attended. And yet it described Arthur Smith’s situation with a flowery embroidery. He didn’t have a choice in attending this prestigious school, and he didn’t like it one bit.

  Arthur, sighing again, leaned against the bus window.

  “Aw, cheer up buddy.” said a towering youth, who would’ve been mistaken for a lumberjack in most settings, sitting to his side. He nudged Arthur a bit and flashed a bright white smile.

  Gustav was a fast friend of Arthur’s and never seemed to leave his side. Even now when Arthur was mopping about at the back of the bus.

  “The trip won’t be nearly as bad if you embrace it just a bit.” said another youth, sitting off to the edge of their seat. Jeanne, another student of the school, but not a member of their class. He had been put onto their bus when his original bus overfilled and had opted to sit next to the only people he knew. Sitting only one seat ahead of them were the remaining two members of their merry band. One of them, a redheaded girl asleep against the window and the other a tall, stern looking girl that kept a frigid stare pointed directly ahead. Neither of them had spoken this entire trip, and the other three expected it to stay that way.

  Their group was formed haphazardly for this school tour when Arthur and Gustav fell into the pool of leftovers. So they didn’t have the slightest idea of what to say to them, not to mention that they hadn’t known their names until they were grouped together. An awkward situation for the four of them, with an additional foreign member tacked on for good measure.

  This was par for the course for most of Arthur’s academic career. Even though he wasn’t particularly bad at sports or academics, the elite groups that made up most of the school never accepted him. And Gustav was met with much of the similar treatment for hanging around him. This was the reason they funneled almost by instinct to the back of the bus with the other two social rejects. He didn’t like the status quo by any means, but he still accepted it in silence to keep the peace. A trait he learned well from his father.

  Arthur drifted away from the conversation as it lulled into small talk and glanced at the two girls in front of him again. He had wanted to give an introduction at least, but for one there was never a scant moment where Deidre, or at least that was what he vaguely remembered her name to be, wasn’t asleep. And the much taller girl with the frigid face, Mikoto, wasn’t about to leave any openings for him to speak.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Just a few meters away from their sorrowful corner of the bus was a much livelier and

  adolescent scene you’d expect from any bumbling field trip. Although many of the students were wearing brand bags and watches you wouldn’t ever see on the financially aware. They were still like many students you’d see anywhere, watching movies, reading books or having frivolous conversations. As mundane as a rich kids’ travel bus could be.

  Arthur abandoned his hunt for new conversation partners and went back to leaning on the window.

  I really shouldn’t be forcing a conversation. I’ll just let it play out naturally. We’re together whether or not we like it, anyway.

  He groaned inwardly at his overly self conscious monologues. Looking up from his self lecture, he was face to face with Mikoto. A bit too close as well. Her glasses could’ve swiped the edge of his nose if they were to fall forward. And she didn’t seem the least bit concerned about their sudden amicable distance.

  “Yes?”

  The girl wouldn’t break eye contact. An arbitrary reversal to the group state, and he was now in an impromptu game of staring chicken, and Arthur was more than willing to lose. He looked back out the window.

  “What’s so special about you?”

  Her question was a surprising punch of nonsense to Arthur.

  “My father mentioned you… As a notable man of sorts, but he must’ve meant your father.”

  And she finished him with a kick to the back of his head. This girl had brought up land mines in her conversation opener and set them off in the same breath. She had even kept her signature gaze steady throughout. He couldn’t tell if she was more straight laced or socially inept. An unsavory concoction using the worst aspects of its ingredients. She didn’t seem to mind, though.

  “So? Are you hiding anything?”

  “Hey there, sorry to cut in-”

  “No. Not you.” Jeanne’s attempt at mediation was cut to ribbons. The frigid queen was uncontested.

  “I wouldn’t say I’m hiding anything, but I’m not giving it my all. Does that work for you?”

  She nodded and turned around. Gustav could barely hold in his laughter when Arthur started blushing. As Arthur went to punch him in the gut, Gustav’s face went white. He couldn’t turn around fast enough to see what he had reacted to. A semi-truck running through an intersection. Directly at them. He only heard his classmates begin to scream before everything went black.

  #

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