Word Count : 1576

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Grian was standing in the center grounds to his high school, Akademi High. He was standing near a tree next to his friend Taurtis listening to some other boys of the group they had joined ramble on about how crappy homework was. There were 3 other boys with Grian and Taurtis.

"I wish homework wasn't even a thing man!" One of the ring leaders friends said.

The ring leader of their group, Tyler scoffed and nodded in agreement. "I know right? It blows."

Tyler's second buddy nodded in agreement. "Mhm, got that right."

Tyler then went and clapped his hands together. "Anyways, besides homework, anyone got any of the latest information and news?"

Eyes turned to Taurtis, who spoke. "Well, there's apparently a new kid coming to school later today. People say their a genius though."

"Odd for someone whos intelligent to return to school." Grian let out a huff. "If the persons a genius why are they coming here?"

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Any comments on the persons appearance? Like, what do they look like?"

Tyler's friend went and punched him in the arm. "Bro, a new kid comes to our school, you haven't even met the person and you're already trying to size them up?"

"I'm just scoping everything out!" Tyler replied, dramatically putting a hand over his chest.

Taurtis shook his head. "Some of the appearance comments I've heard of is that they have black hair and their tall like an Enderman. They also dress really fancy all the time."

Grian sighed. "Oh boy, another rich kid. Like we don't have enough of those." He said sarcastically. "Ouch, that hurt to say. The hell did I say that for?"

Tyler and his friends all laughed while Taurtis merely gave him a look. "Grian, you don't even know the person yet. It's wrong to make judgments about them now." Taurtis gave him that kind of look.

Grian said nothing in response to the look and his facial expression didn't change either. "Yeah... I deserve that look, I know."

Tyler spoke up again after his laughter died down. "Aw man, that was good, G." He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.

One of Tyler's friends, Thomas, the one that punched Tyler, spoke up. "So, male or female?"

Taurtis gave a heavy sigh. "People are hoping the kid's a female but that's unlikely."

Grian sort of tuned everything else out as he thought to himself before the bell rung to signal that it was time for classes to start.

Time Skip
"Hey G!"

Grian paused and turned around, seeing Taurtis running up towards him. He smiled and waved. "Hey Taurtis, what's up?"

The black haired boy gave a smile back. "A lot of students are saying that the new kid is in the office now checking everything out."

Grian perked up slightly. "Oh really? Have you gotten a look at them yet?"

Taurtis shook his head. "Not yet. I came to see if you wanted to see the person with me!"

Grian chuckled slightly. "Sure, why not."

With that, the black haired boy grabbed Grian's wrist and headed off. "Come on then! Quickly! Or we might miss them!"

Grian jolted, following his friend down the hall towards the office.

Once the two got near the office, they could see a fairly large amount of students crowding around the office window in the cafeteria. Grian could just barely see the office staff greeting two men. One with black hair and another with graying brown hair. The person with black hair towered over the man with brown hair and most of the staff.

"That tall person must be the new student then." Grian thought.

Taurtis was struggling to see everything. "I can't see Dude!" He said, using Grian's shoulder to try and boost himself up while jumping.

Grian flinched. "You're one to talk Taurtis! At least you're taller than me!"

Time Skip
A week after the huge hype about the new student, all the halls seemed to whisper about was the guy. People were trying to figure out how he ticked, who he was and what the hell he was doing here.

Grian honestly didn't mind the guy since he didn't really have to put up with him but still. From rumors floating around the school, the new kid had already graduated several times and he lived in this huge house with a bunch of other people.

Grian didn't pay much attention to any of it. The guy didn't seem to be very interesting from an outsider's perspective looking in. All Grian knew was that the guy, Mumbo, had five classes with him. Math, Chemistry, Redstone, Gym and English.

Currently, it was after school on the weekend. He was sitting with Tyler and his two friends, Thomas and Peter and then his friend Taurtis at a their favorite cafe in a mall where most other students also hung out. The five of them were sitting by the entrance of the cafe, watching people come in.

The five were just hanging out and talking, also giving each other challenges and such.

"Ok ok ok." Grian started. "Peter, out of any of the girls in here which three would you take out on a date?"

Peter thought for a second before pointing over to a group of girls. "Trish, Alana and Carmen."

Tyler scoffed, laughing. "Nice."

Peter grinned, looking proud of himself. "I know right? Anyways, Taurtis, I challenge you to go out on a date with someone. Anyone. Male or female."

Grian gave a smirk at his friend, watching as Taurtis' cheeks went pink. "Hey! I feel called out!"

Thomas laughed. "Hey man gotta try!"

Taurtis gave out a huff of air. "Fine. I'll try." After a second, the black haired boy looked out at the entrance to the mall. "Huh... not a lot of people have walked through yet."

Tyler gasped. "Holy shit, Grian next person to walk through those mall doors, you have to go up to them and become friends with them and hang out with them for the entire next month!"

Grian looked at Tyler, hesitating for a second. "I... fine. But if I do make friends with them, that person gets to hang out with us for the entire next month. No complaining." He smirked as he watched Tyler's face fall to consider his options.

Tyler paused before replying. "Deal."

The five then all looked towards the mall entrance, waiting for someone to walk through the doors.

"No way."

"Oh shit!"

"Grian! You have to introduce yourself to him!"

Person Switch
"Chin up MJ, Wels would want you to keep your head up."

Mumbo stared at the floor of the van, his hands twitching in his lap. "I don't think I'm ready yet, Egg-Suma."

Xisuma sighed, his eyes softened behind his visor. "I know Mumbo, but we all have to keep pushing forwards... even if its without Wels..."

Mumbo could feel the tears welling up in his eyes but he sucked it up and shut his eyes, taking a hesitant nod. "... Ok..."

"Hey..."

Mumbo looked up and over to Xisuma, who continued once he had the younger persons attention. "It'll be ok... we're all gonna get through this together. School is gonna be great and I'm sure you'll meet a lot of nice people with the experience you have now."

Time Skip
"There's an empty desk in the back by Taurtis and Grian's table, Mr. Jumbo." The teacher said with a smile. She seemed nice.

Mumbo gave a silent nod then ducked his head and crept along the side of the classroom by the wall, feeling all the eyes following him until he sat down. "Don't look back at them, don't look back at them, don't look back at them." He mentally said to himself before turning his head up ever so slightly to listen to the teacher. "Breathe, they don't know. They don't know, they don't know."

Mumbo went from class to class, memorizing the fastest routes to all his classes and taking note on students and their faces.

After the first week, going down the halls was a nightmare. All he could hear were whispers and their eyes following him where ever he went, looking up at him and making confused faces. Mumbo ignored them because that was all he could do. Simply stare straight ahead and not make eye contact with anyone. His height helped him avoid eye contact with people but still, all he felt were their stares.

Time Skip
Mumbo was simply walking around, trying to map out different areas of the town in his head. He had a bit of money on him that he had earned from working with an electric company but it wasn't much.

As he continued to look around, he spied a mall. Becoming curious, Mumbo walked toward the entrance and entered, instantly his ears got blasted with noise. And he felt eyes on him again.

Mumbo glanced around warily before someone came up to him.

"Hey! Your that new kid right? What was your name again? Mumbo... Jumbo?"

Mumbo flinched slightly, he turned to his left and looked down, seeing one of his classmates from Akademi. "Um... yes... that's me..."

The person who had come up to him had blond hair, blue eyes and was very very short, or at least to him. "Cool! I'm Grian, wanna hang out with my friends and I?"

"Wai what?"

Fin