THE TEENAGER JANE WEARING HER SUNNIES entered her classroom as a senior, which was now on the 2nd floor…

‘… play-along… Janey, you can do it…’

She came straight to ‘her’ usual-seating which was the front row, where Paul sat behind her on his wheelchair – but his-seat was vacant… 

… and so-was the seat at the right, that was Alicia’s.

‘… where are you guys, I’m EAGER-TO ‘SEE’ you both…?’

The class was filling-up, and Jane was keenly-recognizing the voices that she heard-around, her desk – as she knew all-22 of her middle-school classmates of 5 years ago, coming to SHS as a blind-tween. But what she-heard now were of ‘strangers’ with the girls, and Jane was ‘not’ sure of the boys – who would-have a voice-change, in their coming-of-age.

She sat and applied eyedrops to her smarting eyes, and observed with fascination the looks-of-people, who varied by colour, shapes and sizes – after 17 years of total-dormant darkness, as a blind-girl, who…

… ‘only’ used her sense of hearing… and, finally she ‘could’ see-today…

“Hey! Why are you bloody-sitting at ‘my’ desk!”

Jane heard a ‘familiar’ boisterous voice of Charlotte Thompson coming from her-rear…

‘… how is that possible? She was blinded by the phone-bombing… and I even visited her in the hospital with Alicia…’

Jane turned her head to see a beautiful blonde-girl with an-attitude, pointing and questioning her. Without a thought, Jane shifted to the next seat – but she was yelled-at again…

“Oii! That is ‘Alicia’s’ desk, are you finding for trouble!!? Go back to your ‘trouble-making kind’ with the losers at the back-there! And, leave us alone… to study in peace!”

Jane was shocked but remained seated – as she ruminated her THOUGHTS OF ‘WHAT’ she had just had-heard…

“Hey-you pig-head, did you hear me – GET-LOST!!? And, why are you wearing your-sunnies? Do you have pink-eyes!!” Are you trying to-deliberately trying to spread your eye-disease on us, while seating at our-desk!!”

“No! I don’t have pink-eyes!”

“Hah! Do-you even-know what pink-eyes are, you moron!!?”

“Yes, I know-what pink-eyes are – I’m a DOCTOR’S DAUGHTER!”

Then entered the 3rd blonde into the-mix – of an Asian-girl, who spotted a crew-cut platinum-blonde hairdo – Charlotte complained the incident to her ‘BFF’…

“Ali, this-filth is trying to INFECT OUR SEATS with her bloody pink-eye-disease! We should report her to the principle!”

“Why you bloody-bitch! Why you always FIND TROUBLE WITH US, Jane Wilson!!? Do you want me to break your-face!!?” The yelling-angry Alicia brought her clenched fist, near-to Jane’s face…

… shocked, Jane was arrested-mentally of what saw-and-heard in the spur of that-moment – with the realization of her best-friend – was HER-FOE in this teenaged-realm…

While her heart sank-further, ANOTHER FAMILIAR VOICE broke the fight and dragged Jane’s arm to the rear of the class – with the 2 blonde-girls cussing away-at them…

“Hey-Janey, what were you thinking?”

It was Zoe Williams, speaking to the still-confused, former blind-Jane.

“… that’s Alicia…?” The tangled response, that came at-top of Jane’s head…

“… yea-she will break-your face like she said – if you cross her path, the next time!”

“Why?”

“Are you playing-stupid, or what…? She is a sore-loser, that IS WHY! She still has ‘not’ gotten over of you winning the school’s SPORTS’ GIRL OF THE YEAR award… while she did ‘not,’ for her martial-arts winnings – anyways, tennis is MORE POPULAR than taekwondo, for a fact…”

Clarified Zoe Williams, who-too was-then her adversary in the ‘other’ Perth -- and called Jane-as ‘blind-school’ in her tween-realm, but WAS HER-FRIEND now…

… just-as SIMY had told her recently – that ‘LOGIC’ DON’T-APPLY in the Underworld, and-maybe that was also so-too, IN THIS REALM…

… or were-they both-of THE SAME PLACE?

“Have you taken ‘your’ medication this morning, Janey?”

The still-dazed Jane nodded to her – the school bell rang, for their first period.

“See you later, at recess, girl – just play-nice.”

The dark-haired girl Zoe waved, as she went on to sit at the middle-row. Jane realised she was a backbencher and she sat beside to an ‘unknown’ talkative-boy, who was chatting aloud and pranking with his fellow-classmates, seated at row ahead…

‘Pauly, where are you?’

Seated at the far right, of the backbenchers’ row, at beside the window of bright-light behind the blinds, which smart her eyes even-more despite wearing her sunglasses…

… Jane stared at the 2 blondes at the front of the class, where Alicia was chummy with Charlotte… it irked her.

And, before-long, a teacher walked in and he started his Geography class – he was ‘new,’ as Jane did ‘not’ recognize his voice nor could she remember – ‘who’ taught her Geography back-then in her middle-school as a tween, 5 years ago…

… nor could she REMEMBER WHAT SHE HAD LEARNED back-then, as her memory had blurred since – of ALL THE SUBJECTS AND LESSONS were forgotten too – when-where she had-then excelled to be the Top-student in their class with Alicia, and with her study-aids of her both AIs – SIMY and Boyyo – after coming to Stamford High School, from her former school-of-the-blind…

‘… where are you, Pauly…?’

Students were taking notes on their notepad – in pretexts, Jane decided to follow-the-crowd…

… despite she doesn’t know ‘how-to’ write – as she can’t recognize alphabets and numeral-digits. Jane’s strategy of participation was to memorize, the facts of the teacher’s spoken-words…

Mouthing silently the ‘words’ by watching the teacher lecturing on the subject of China, while on her paper notepad, her pencil drew a circle – the pencil-nib was rotating on it – over and over and over…

‘… where are you, Paul…? Hope and pray YOU ‘EXIST’ IN THIS REALM…’

-O-

10 minutes later, Peter and Paul entered the classroom – and the Geography teacher ignored his backbencher-students who were tardy and – he-focused on the students in the front-rows.

Both twins were shocked and were traumatised to see a 3rd dead-person alive-today – when they saw the TEACHER WAS JIM HATCHER…

… who died-after jumping-off the rooftop, of the Graylands mental facility recently.

As they were finding their seat, at the back of the room, Peter whispered to his twin…

“Isn’t Jimbo supposed to be dead, Poe?”

Paul too noticed that Alicia with a new-hairdo was seated in the front row. She didn’t make eye contact, as she was busy taking study-notes. He noticed Jane, was sitting at the back – wearing her dark-glasses and was wondering if she was still was blind in this-realm.

Jane saw 2 boys approaching to the rear whom SHE DIDN’T RECOGNIZE them. Both of them look kind-of identical in looks, but she ignored them as the-Paul she-knew, was wheelchair-bound. Until…

… the talkative boy beside her teased one of the boys…

“Poe-pee-po, g’day to you.”

He then-high-fived the ‘other’ boy…

“Yo, Peter!”

Paul saw the TERRY DONOVAN WAS HIS CLASSMATE who knew him and his twin. But he did ‘not’ see his brothers – who used to ‘terrorize’ him, on his wheelchair before.

Peter noticed the teenaged-Jane sitting at-the corner, and he teased her…

“Hey Janey, glad you bit on the humble-pie – and joined us over here.”

Jane was stunned to make out PETER’S VOICE, as he sat beside Terry – as the ‘other’ boy said…

“Hi-Jane…”

Instantly Jane was aware it was PAUL’S VOICE, without hearing his squeaky wheelchair – she grinned-wide at him – and removes her sunnies, and whispered…

“Pauly, I can see.”

“Wow!”

Paul gave-a thumbs-up – and sat at the far corner of the back-row. He was glad despite having an uneventful day so far, at least the Cursed-trio were ‘cured’ of their physical disabilities in this altered-reality.

He was also rapt that Alicia was ‘here’ too – the last time he saw his girlfriend was ‘yesterday,’ where she was in the hospital, recovering from a coma.

‘Why is that she did ‘not’ acknowledging me, WHEN I PASSED-BY her, a moment ago?’

He self-justified his own thought…

‘Maybe I was late for class just now and she was angry with me for my tardiness, like the time I was late for the Mayor’s Cup Challenge, where the Perth’s famous couple played.’

He chucked to-himself, and he intended to apologise to her later, after the geography class.

He was then into his people-watching mode-and – his first person…was Jim Hatcher…

… ‘who’ had perfect-set of teeth, unlike the late Jimbo-of-his-world… who had rotten meth-teeth. Paul did the head-count of familiar-faces from his middle-school classmates – with the exception of Terry Donovan, himself, and his Cursed-trio counterparts, there were only 3 girls among the strangers – who were his girlfriend Alicia, Zoe Williams and Charlotte Thompson.

The rest of the 15 of the 22 classmates were all-strangers – whom Paul had ‘not’ seen before in Stamford High before.

‘… enough of daydreaming, Poe…’

He wanted to study hard and graduate – because his other-Mom told him just now… that he would be thrown out from his stepfather’s house if he flunked high school. So, he focused on Jimbo talking about the geopolitics of China and ‘Australia’…

… Paul noticed that Jimbo was referring to Perth-as-country and ‘NOT’ AUSTRALIA. So, he put up his hand, to interrupt the class – and asked the teacher…

“Sir, why is that you are saying Perth, and ‘not’ Australia as a country?”

The confused Geography teacher reply…

“WHAT AUSTRALIA? Where the blood-hell is this imaginary place?”

Everyone laughed. Then 'Jimbo' said…

“Were you referring to AUSTRIA IN EUROPE?”

Before-long, Peter stuck-his-head into the healthy-argument…

“What do you mean that Australia DIDN'T EXIST? It is Downunder!”

“Downunder-where, you galah? Come educate me – point-me your-Australia in the world map.”

Peter whispered to his ‘minion’ – twin-Paul…

“Poe, ‘you’ go – and educate that Bogan.”

... Paul stepped up to the front of the class, with sounds of giggles and sniggers behind him...

Paul was confident as he remembered his late-grandfather – who, used to have a rotating-globe on his desk at the house when they visited him – where ‘pee-paw’ told…

… him war-stories and pin-pointed the LOCATIONS OF THE PLACES where-he fought as a soldier in World War 2, and-where he stood-brave against the Japanese in the Pacific – and that was ‘why’ Paul-too played combat-video games… and-he ‘had’ played both-Great World Wars-games of their-times.

Paul faced the world-map on the board… and Jimbo interrupted…

“First-Paul, point me ‘where’ Austria is-at?”

Paul found the Continent of Europe – and turned around to see Alicia who-was giggling, and – HE WINKED AT HER – and his ‘girlfriend’ suddenly-blushed, and was back in-angry-face.

Charlotte joked…

“Stop wasting our time – the weirdo doesn’t even know WHERE HE LIVES, on earth!” Everyone laughed.

… Paul spotted the country Austria in the map…

… and he was shocked that Germany was ‘not’ called by its name – but of Naziland...

‘… Nazi-land??? That rhymed like New Zealand…’

… Paul turned his head-left to the Americas…

…. to discover Canada was still-Canada – and-below it, the large The United States was named-as New-Mexico – while Mexico-itself was called Los-Angeles…

He scratched his head…

The even-more curious, Paul turned his head-right at THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE and to the his-own continent – the Australasia…

… the smaller-New Zealand had its-own kiwi-name – but HIS-OWN COUNTRY was etched on the map as ‘PERTHLAND’ – AND ‘NOT’ AUSTRALIA…

Everyone laughed at Paul, as he returned back to his desk…

… but Paul did ‘not’ feel that he was humiliated – because this was ‘NOT’ HIS REALM and ‘not’ his Australia – where things were out-of-place in here – just-like the Sydney Opera House…

… was ‘smacked’ in-the-waters, of the coastal Perth City.

Jane saw Paul coming back to his desk and heard his long-sigh, the moment he sat.

Jim Hatcher continued to teach his-realm of Geography of China – and when Jimbo stated the diplomatic relationship mainly, the imports and exports between China and Perth, as he mentioned that THE PRIME MINISTER OF PERTH…

… AS BEING JOHN BLAKE…

… Peter immediately exclaimed-out, in disbelieve…

“WHAT!!? That sleazy, no-good politician IS YOUR PM!!! THIS COUNTRY WILL SURE-GO down-under!!!”

“Are you ‘being’ a comedian, Peter?” Asked the annoyed Geography teacher.

Before Peter could make a comeback at-Jimbo – the bell rang…

-O-

Jim Hatcher left the class, but Jane at the back-row did ‘not’ notice him go – while she was marvelled and mesmerized by the splendour of colours that enriched her surroundings – where she was blind-before, and ‘where’ saw her-world in black…

… then she was ‘cursed’ with the gift of the 3rd-eye – where she had ‘partial-sight’ with her 2 beacons, who ‘glowed’ in red-and-blue – where she-herself was golden-yellow…

In this realm, Peter and Paul did ‘not’ glow… and neither did she.

Jane saw Paul-who was ‘attracted’ by platinum-blonde Alicia – who had got-off her seat in front of the class, to stretch herself before the next class-commenced.

Before Jane COULD ‘WARN’ PAUL, he ‘had’ already left his seat, to walk-up to her…

“Alicia…”

The Chinese-girl saw the boy who had ‘winked’ at her just-now, who-was calling her from her rear…

The lovestruck Paul hugged her, and kissed her in-the-mouth…

… and before long, he was kneed in his groins, and dropped-next to the floor, with the martial-arts taekwondo move delivered by the plucky Asian-girl. Paul cried in pain as he crouched, into a foetal-position below…

‘That is bloody-sexual harassment!”

Alicia said wiping-her lips in-disgust – while everyone laughed – but ‘not’ her outraged BFF, Charlotte Thompson-who also kicked Paul on his back, crying-out…

“This is too much! All happening to innocent-girls in broad-light… we should report this inappropriate criminal-behaviour TO THE PRINCIPLE!”

Which drew more-laughter from the senior-class…

The 2 girls stormed out the classroom, with Paul staggering to chase-behind them…

“… wait, Alicia-wait…”

The classmates were laughing-aloud and hooting – especially Peter who had a belly-laughter, with Terry Donovan…

… but ‘not’ Jane…

… as she FELT SORRY FOR HIM – with Alicia ‘not’ being-her BFF ‘nor’ Paul’s girlfriend in this ‘CURSED’ ALTERED REALITY.

-O-

“Please… Alicia wait – I’m sorry…”

The injured Paul was holding his crotch, walked unsteadily and pleaded behind the marching girls, who both were relentless – as-they were striding straight to the principal’s office.

They reached the principal’s office and opened the door, and entered… the door closed before the staggering Paul arrived – but as he neared, he could hear both Alicia and Charlotte pitched-voices complaining the ‘crime,’ which he had committed…

… Paul opened the door to see the backs of the SHS-uniformed girls – angrily grouching the peevish-behaviour that had been-committed. They-both turned back when they ‘heard’ the door-open, to-point at the culprit…

“Paul Walker, what have YOU DONE THIS-TIME, in my school!!!” Shouted an adult-female voice, from behind the desk.

Paul mouth gapped-wide to find-out that Mrs Ann Burnell was THE PRINCIPAL OF STAMFORD HIGH, in this altered-realty realm.

-O-

Meanwhile, the 2nd period started – the backbencher-Jane saw a dark-haired, young woman-teacher in smart-tailored pants, stepping into the classroom. She didn’t who she was until the teacher ‘spoke’…

… Jane was delighted that it was Miss Constance Bloom, HER MATH TEACHER – who had taught her in her realm, and made Math as JANE’S FAVOURITE SUBJECT, which had aspired a-wannabe blind-girl to be Mathematician-scientist ‘some-day’ like – her maverick Uncle Jack Turner, the inventor of cutting-edge technology…

… her smiling mouth curved turned-downwards to being sad, as she now-realizing that she could-do Math as a blind-girl – BUT ‘NOT’ NOW as she regained her sight in this realm, where she could ‘not’ recognise written digit-numbers.

Furthermore, Jane couldn’t recall the ‘basics’ of-what Ms Bloom had taught Math to her, in middle-school... as it all blurred in her memory…

Both the blonde-girls walked into the classroom, and rest of the girl-students clapped and cheered as JUSTICE’ WAS SERVED, while the boys laughed recalling the ‘incident.’ Even the curious Ms Bloom asked what had happened and both the girls whispered to the teacher, and were-pointing over to the rear of the class, to the empty-desk of Paul’s.

Jane was worried that Paul did ‘not’ come-back from the principal’s office – while the laughing Peter, shrugged his shoulders at Alicia, who-was pointing at his direction…

‘What-cha pointing at ‘me’ Chinatown-Wong – want-me to hit you in the head again?’

Ms Bloom resumed her Algebra class and wrote on the whiteboard, which was gibberish to Jane – but the teenager focused on the teacher’s SPOKEN-WORDS…

… below her desk, like a kindergarten-student, Jane Wilson was learning to identify the numbers-spoken – with her-10 fingers, pointed-and-closed.

By the end of the lesson, she managed to learn 6 digits which were 1, 2, 5, 7, 8 & 0. Jane was pleased to-had learned and memorized ‘those’ today – and would diligently LEARN ‘MORE’ TOMORROW – as she had-no-idea, how long would she remain…

… in this teenaged realm, and therefore, she had to learn-and-adapt…

… before she could REENGINEER-HERSELF to do the next-level complicated Math, which also required her to learn and familiarize with alphabets-first…

… anyway, she did ‘not’ come from a blind-school to Stamford High to quit, but to study – with-or-without the aid of artificial intelligence.

<>

AFTER THE PRINCIPAL EXCUSED THE 2 girls to resume their lessons, Paul remained in the office to face the disciplining lectures of Mrs Ann Burnell – where-back in his Perth-realm, this woman was feared by all-troublemakers alike of Stamford High, for her no-nonsense, strict disciplinarian punishments…

… so-much-so, they gave her a cursed nickname of ‘Burnell-Burn-in-Hell.’

“Paul Walker, explain yourself – why did you molest your classmate, in front of everybody? Were you thinking it’s fun-or-funny to humiliate the weaker-sex, and what do you think of the poor girl is going through mental-anguish from now on, whenever she faces you?”

“Ma’am, I did ‘not’ molest her… I… just pash…”

“Then, is she YOUR GIRLFRIEND, for you to kiss her?”

‘Now – this is a kind-of a ‘trick’ question… whatever answer I give…

… would-be dead-wrong, in this wrong-realm – which is ‘NOT’ MY-PERTH.’

“No-Ma’am, she… is ‘not’ my girlfriend…” Paul whispered, looking down with a heavy heart.

“Then, why did you do it? Tell me, are you a sex-fiend or a bloody-pervert? You come from good family background, with your mother being a police-Sargent, and all – then, why is that as-her son, are you having such depraved-mentality and do-things of ‘not’ caring of its consequences which is wrong in the eyes of the law? Don’t you think your uncivilized actions would hurt your mother’s feelings, and her career too?”

… Paul was quiet as he listened to the principal talking about the teenaged version-of-him – and he gathered intel, in HIS FIRST DAY, OF TRESPASSING into the altered-world, which a-place he called the ‘other-Perth.’

“Your-brother Peter isn’t an angel either… every week, I have to call your mother and tell her some horrendous stories of-both her-sons had done wrong things against the laws of the school, where it is disgraceful to the reputation and the good name of this prestigious school.

“Last week, you and your brother and your underaged classmates behaved as fools… and-took your unruly behaviours into the streets, where all 4 of you were drunk, smoking and being ruffians – where the police had arrested you that night.

"I don’t know how that-case was resolved but as students, of Stamford High – it is a disgrace having you study in this good-school! By right, all 4 of you-fools SHOULD BE EXPELLED because we expect nothing of you – and we are ‘not’ hard-up for the school-fees, that your parents pay-us… nor-you 4… are ‘not’ even good students, by being here-too…”

The angry Mrs Burnell pulled a paper from her file – and brought it close to Paul’s face, for him to see – it was the STUDENT’S SCORE RANKING of their class of 22 students.

... Paul glanced from the TOP NAMES … TO THE LAST academic-achievers:

1) Charlotte Thompson

2) Alicia Wong

…

19) Peter Walker

20) Terry Donovan

21) Paul Walker

22) Jane Wilson

Paul keenly-observed but he was ‘not’ disappointed…

… because this was the ranking of this-Perth, but where-else in the other-Perth, from-where he had come from – he was 9th in class, Jane was 2nd and his ‘girlfriend’ was the top-student – where-else Peter was the ‘last’ in class, and Terry – he was ‘not’ even in-his class…

In the reference, of drunken behaviour ‘of-the-4-fools’ which Mrs Burnell mentioned – Paul then recalled the shared-video that he watched on his iPhone this-morning… of 3 of them singing the school-song, while trashing public-property in-antisocial manner, where THE 4THFOOL – was Terry…

… shooting the video of that unruly-incident, that happened last weekend.

Next came the Christian-preaching… although Stamford High wasn’t a Christian school – but Mrs Ann Burnell who-was a divorcee and also was a religious Protestant-woman, who wore a big crucifix around her neck. And, she gave him a long clucky-sermon in her office, where Paul heard 2 school bells-ringing in-between that hour before she let him go – after adding more baggage to his-own Catholic-guilt.

Paul summed it up-that the main-reason that the 4-LOSERS WERE NOT EXPELLED from school was that because Mrs Burnell wanted to GIVE THEM A 2ND CHANCE to save their young-souls from disintegrating into the corrupted society of evil men, who were cruel to women and children… and furthermore, the young souls were ‘NOT’ READY to face the harsh-and ruthless world yet.

And, no crime can escape its punishment…

… where both the Walker and the Wang families would be notified of the ‘sexual-harassment’ incident – and they would meet-up in school – where Paul had to…

… apologize to both Alicia’s parents for his wrong-doings to their daughter.

Paul also has to go for 3-month counselling, after school, on respecting the fairer-sex. He wasn’t given details on it, but was curious to know what-version of Ms Diane King would he face, because she was the SCHOOL’S STUDENT COUNSELLOR – and was-also, the secret cabal advisor of the Cursed-trio, in his-realm of Perth.

He was finally let-go after more than an hour-long of lectures of moral and good-conduct and behaviour. Paul walked over to the principal’s door, limping from the pain in his groins – then – a brief loud knock was heard, and an excited filled middle-aged-man barged-in…

… it was Tom Harris who passed him, WITHOUT RECOGNIZING HIM – where he was also an opportunist 2-faced principle – who was dating his widowed mother… back where he came from…

‘Mrs Burnell, THE FOUNDING FATHER would be coming, after all, to celebrate the 131st ANNIVERSARY OF THE SCHOOL with-us – this information came directly from the Prime Minister department!!!”

“Praise-be! We have ONLY 3 MORE DAYS for His Eminence to arrive – Thomas, we must prepare the event fast… and make it more-grand and outstanding in-this year’s celebration!” Mrs Burnell exclaimed in euphoria.

Paul closed the door – wondering what had-just happened 2-seconds ago – AND ‘WHO’ was this prominent and famous founding-father who-WAS COMING IN 3 DAYS… that-both the principles were speaking highly of, which even – had John Mayor’s PM department MENTIONED IN this celebration.

Is Stamford High really a 131-year-old school? Because the school that he attended, in his realm…

… was less than 60 years old.

<>

JANE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THE 3RD PERIOD next was – and she was observing the clamouring-teens when the bell rang, with the Math teacher leaving. She can’t identify all those new-voices and presumed they were strangers, who were ‘not’ her classmates of middle-school.

She needed ‘not’ to wear her sunnies by-then, as her eyes were ‘not’ smarting any more.

Her cellphone in her-pocket buzzed a loud-notification and she was surprised by-it – she took the phone-out and was shocked at the wallpaper where she was HUGGING A BLONDE-BOY. Another loud-notification came and it startled her further, who did ‘NOT’ KNOW HOW-TO turn it off, as she fumbled further with her device…

… she accidentally swiped into-the PHOTO-FILES GALLERY – and there were a-hundred more selfies of ‘this’ blonde boy-and-her. Jane was horrified that in some photos… were of them kissing.

She managed to turn her phone-off as she was blushing… and was afraid that her ex-Peter would-know of this-boy, as she was looking-around if the blonde-boy in the photo WAS HER CLASSMATE – but all the teenagers in her class, in front of her were dark-haired.

She was looking forward to Paul who still had ‘not’ returned to class since end-of-the Geography period – and Jane wanted him to FIND OUT WHO ‘this’ blonde teenager was.

An ‘unknown’ male teacher entered the classroom – and before-long, Jane recognized his VOICE AS HER ENGLISH TEACHER Mr Fredrick Bailey, who gave an objective pop-quiz. Looking at the question paper, Jane could ‘not’ read as the texts-sentences, which were seemed-gibberish for the former blind-girl.

After 15 minutes, students were marking each other's question paper, while the teacher was telling the answers to the 10 questions. Jane got back her question paper from the front-row student and hid it, the moment she got it, with all ‘X-ed’ – as she got a ‘zero’ score-result because she had just-now learned to identify the digit ‘0’… in her Math class.

For the rest of the English lesson, she was depressed in sad thoughts – of how she used-to-be the 2nd Top-student in middle-school-class and was now reduced to a ‘zero’…

… who just can’t read and write in high-school… maybe she must quit high-school altogether, and be home-schooled instead – or-else…

… the-CLASSROOM STRESS would eat-her-up.

Tears flowed in her blue-eyes, and she needed someone to talk to… she looked out at the closed classroom door, for Paul to come-in. While listening to both her-fellow backbenchers – the excitement of Peter and Terry – who both scored 3/10 after stabbing-in dark with-their guessing-game – like a TV money-game show, but-with their ‘payoff’ much better than her-zero.

Maybe this version of her being a teenager, WHO WAS ‘NOT’ GOOD AT-ALL her studies – because, she was stupidly-in love with a the-blonde boy in school, and was ‘not’ smart-enough focus in her studies…

… she had-decided to DO THE WISE-THING that she should break up WITH ‘WHOEVER’ THIS blonde-boy-was… and-to FOCUS IN HER STUDIES, from now-on…

… as her brother Samuel-too had earlier had told her, while driving to school – that she would be a DISAPPOINTMENT TO HER PARENTS…

… if she does ‘not’ graduate in high school.

-O-

He walked-funny… as he hobbled to the water fountain for a drink, as he was dehydrated. The pain below his-hip was there on-and-off, for every step he took… to move to the end of the hallway.

He could levitate as a cripple, in his realm – and do so much-more with his superpowers. Paul sighed that he WAS-NOW IMPRISONED in this realm, where he was overnight fast-forwarded 5 years to be an able-bodied teenager, without any superpowers in this world – but-who was ‘stupid too’ in school-studies and would ‘not’ graduate in the next 4 mounts to-come – and-yet…

… was rebellious get into trouble in school, and in the streets…

… THIS SHOULD ‘CHANGE’ – more studies and no-more trouble-making – as he had ‘NO’ IDEA HOW LONG…

… was his prison-sentence was, in this teenaged-world…

Thirsty, he was gulping water at the drink-fountain – and eavesdropped staff and teachers were overly-excited to the news of ‘founding father' arrival soon. With the puzzle of words in their chattery, where Paul-had pieced, that the person who was coming ...

... was some ‘Lord Stamford from Manchester.’

‘How was ‘he’ a founding-father who-was ‘alive’ – when the school was 131-year of age? Was it his son – Lord Stamford Junior?’

He doesn’t give a damn ‘whoever’ was coming, at that moment – as tiredly he walked back to his classroom, although he wasn’t in the mood to study today. The throbbing pain came and went… then-he saw the boy’s toilet room – and stepped into the stall and locked himself up, from the outside world…

…for some-Me time…to think…

…. in no time he was daydreaming, like he was home-alone in a his-own realm in the Walker House’s sitting on his own-dunny – thinking how he missed his beloved tween-Alicia, of Perth in Western Australia.

‘… what if I’m stuck here for-good – in this ‘prison-country’ called bloody-Perthland?’

In heavy heart, he sighed before he made a declaration…

‘… Alicia, I’ll come back back to you…”

-O-

Jane sat-sad, at her desk beside the blind-shut window, at mid-morning. Her stomach was rumbling in hunger despite she had 2 pancakes for brekky, and recess-time was a lesson period-away… before she had her gastric-pain problems.

She was on a-lookout for Paul’s return from the principal’s office…

‘…where are you, Pauly? 2 bells have-already rung…?’

She was ‘not’ motivated, knowing for a fact that she had to go away to the drawing board – to learn THE BASIC-KINDERGARTEN… in reading, writing and counting, before she could tackle her advanced-studies of high school.

Jane saw a young, friendly male-teacher in t-shirt and jeans entering – and all the excited-girls to see-him and they spoke casually to him, and even called him by his first name-Bruce. This teacher was ‘new’ to Jane, as she can’t recognize his voice.

The informal teacher was Bruce Spencer. The gay teacher who-taught the class Arts and Craft – and he was the girls’ favourite teacher, while their counterparts, the group of boys – who-were sniggering silently to-themselves of Bruce’s way he-spoke and the way he-moved.

When Jane self-realized that it was Arts-class, she was relieved that she would ‘not’ have to deal and stress on a class-period of alphabets-and-numbers. She could-DO-IT thoughts-of motivation was all over her… as she had DONE-ART BEFORE…

…when she was ‘curious’ as a blind-girl, to learn ‘WHAT’ WERE COLOURS… with-her BFF-Alicia, in her-realm – who had classified her paintings AS ABSTRACT-ART. And, ‘she’ even joked it could be sold-online, because…

… Janey was one-part of Perth’s Famous Couple.

The Art-teacher ‘had’ given an assignment to bring a family-photograph where they were doing family-portrait in class. Jane ruminated her backpack for the photo – and found none…

… Jane cursed her teenaged-version-self of this-world – by-calling ‘her’ lazy…

She then observed Bruce was at the chalkboard drawing and explaining how to draw a human face – where he drew an-oval figure, and separated it with 3 disproportional horizontal-lines, and Bruce then drew the-eyes, the-nose and the-mouth…as he explained.

… Jane copied the style, on her white-art block-paper – and she smiled at the result. where she had learned something ‘new’ today. Now, it came to painting-with-colours…

With no-photograph, she decided to free-style in using her imagination... as she transported herself-back to her ‘world’ – when she was at her home…

… ‘after’ the Aurora Australis where she fought Blackstar with, below was the-zoo, where her kidnapped baby-brother was hidden. After the aerial-battle…at home the next day, she was safe-with Alicia and baby-Samuel where they were painting pictures, sitting on the marbled floor.

Jane has a muse to paint of herself, her brother and her BFF – as her family-portrait – for the art-assignment. She remembered a small-mirror in her pencil-case, and used it to ‘draw’ the reflection of herself on the art-paper… she bit her lips, smiled, moving her pencil-nib, as she drew…

… but she sketched herself wearing dark-glasses, with her Boyyo headset, and her 3 strands of her blonde-dreadlocks. Her best-friend-Alicia was carrying Baby Samuel.

The art-class was a-30 minute of therapeutic too, to her-before-stressed mind of uncertainties. She finished by the painting of the 3 figures with separate skin-tones, as different 3 racial complexions. Jane left behind her wet-painted art at her desk – and then-followed students to the washroom, to clean their painting-brushes.

In the washroom, Jane was washing her art-kit… and noticed in mirror-reflection. of Alicia was laughing with her-chummy buddy Charlotte, and she-felt jealous at that moment… soon she snapped-out from that negative thought – as she self-reassured that this-version of teen-Alicia, was ‘not’ her BFF, from back-home. Jane then-returned back to her classroom…

… to realize 6 boys were crowded at her cornered-roomed desk. She heard… at the centre of the crowd, was the talkative-Terry commenting on her artwork…

“Hey-look mates, Jane ‘drew’ her zoo-visit – with her a-dark-haired someone is carrying what seemed to be a long-legged koala-bear – and the koala seemed-to has an-Afro hair…”

The annoyed, Jane threw her brushes that hit his head, and everyone laughed at Terry instead. Then a boy by the name of Kenny corrected him…

“That’s her brother-Jaheem, you-drongo!”

Jane smiled – as ‘someone’ knew ‘what’ her artwork was… finally – and they even ‘knew’ her brother Samuel… like he ‘was’ someone-famous…

Those-male classmates then high-fived Jane and praised her art, and they dispersed to their sittings. Jane realised ‘not’ everyone wasn’t bad in this realm – and decided ‘not’ to take herself ‘too’ seriously… and stress-out…

Another boy by the name of Stan picked up Terry’s stick-figure art and criticized…

“At least Jane’s one is better, than what you had-done – which is your mother and father? They both have boobies! Yea-mate, we know your fat father have man-boobs!”

Peter had been quiet since Geography class, as he was ‘troubled’ in thoughts, recalling his uneventful visit in this realm, to-go-to his father’s house to SEE HIS FATHER ‘ALIVE.’ He then-cranked his neck to see, what the hoo-ha was in front of him when Janey threw paintbrushes at Terry…

… he recognized Janey’s artwork since she had REGAINED HER SIGHT – it was her baby-brother, Alicia and herself holding a tennis racquet…

… from their tween-world…

… where Janey had used her AI Boyyo – back-there, where the Perth’s famous-couple played their infamous-Rematch with Doug-and-Zoe – when they had ‘almost’ had their-victory and ‘would-have’ beaten the rivals for the 2nd time…

… but – until JANE-HAD ‘SABOTAGED’…

… by running-away from-the-court, during the winning-moment of that match – which was humiliating for ‘his’ PFC-brand…

… of-being TELECASTED LIVE, on the telly back there…