Overcoming the systems

One week later

Samantha and Luan spent a week training with Snaider. Until he had to return to his post, as he would have to handle the paperwork for the expeditions.

The white-haired boy with a body full of wounds.

Despite training until midnight, with the president I knew my body would not adapt quickly to what it learned in training. The only thing I had to hold on to was my ability to react and he wanted to continue training on the side and had gone to a remote area to train and arrived early to his room. Suddenly someone opened the door and it was Alison coming back from suspension time.

-You look strange," she said.

She approached him and put her hand on my forehead.

-Alison, you're too close.

-You have a fever, you're too hot, you look like you want to die.

-All those wounds, how did you get them," Alison asked.

-I was practicing with Snaider.

-Really? He's not someone who's good at teaching, he's pretty tough.

-Why do you say that, he's your brother, well you're both top students for a reason.

-We're not, we're both adopted. When I joined his family, he trained in a dangerous way, he almost tortured himself to improve, he was sick to be the best and leave everyone behind. One day from so much training he tore his left arm.

-And how did he go to classes?

-He did it seasonally, and as the school saw his progress they didn't tell him anything. He stopped doing that when he saw that he was superior to everyone and was almost a year above his class, that was at the beginning of his last year of high school. I see some wounds got infected. Why didn't you go to the infirmary?

-I preferred not to go, because every day I got a new one and since they report everything here, they would have followed up on what had happened.

Luan lay down on the bed and from one moment to another his companion gave him a strange kind of vial and gave it to him. He didn't hesitate to receive it and took it, but he asked a few questions.

-Alison, why did your brother become obsessed with being the best?

-He wanted to be strong enough to defeat this social system, it was a madness he had since he was a child.

-Was he going to join a group? 

-No, he wanted to do it in a political way, like his biological father was.

-I understand," answered Luan, who began to fall asleep little by little.

[...]

After healing Luan, Alison went to talk to Snaider in the student council room.

The president was in his office looking at some papers and his brother arrived.

-Why did you volunteer to train Luan? I thought you didn't like him.

-Let's say it's a way to thank him for risking his life, besides he needed to level up a bit for the expedition, even though he's weaker than all the first years. I thought so but look what he did to my shoulder.

-Did he do that to you?

-Yes, but it was partly my fault, I underestimated him and I said something to provoke him, when I reacted he was already so close that I couldn't avoid being hurt, and the worst of all is that I did it to my arm.

- What did you say to him?

-Ah, Alison, I don't have all night to talk to you.

-If you don't tell me you'll stay that way until the expedition.

-With his mother's death.

-How did Luan's mother die? -Okay, what I know.

-Ok, what I know is that he was in a car with his mother, and they were in the middle of a dispute between the military and one of the groups. That left sequels in the nerves of his spine, to be more clear, they received an attack in the back of the car, both were in the front, in the co-pilot and pilot seat.

-You can't play with someone's death.

-Alison, it was just a comment, it wasn't that big of a deal. 

-There's something I don't understand about your words, because you said "he died because you were so weak".

-His mom was taking him to the hospital because of a fight he had at school, he lost it and ended up hurt, and what I told you happened.

Snaider leaned back in his chair, waiting for Alison to leave the place to continue with his activities.

-I just hope no one else knows that you know how to heal through your energy, it would be more paperwork to explain to the government.

-I'm not that reckless, the only ones who know are Luan and Liz, no one else.

-Liz? That girl is much weirder than Luan.

-Why?

-She lived in the city that was destroyed, she was one of the few people that was saved. Interesting and even more interesting that you trust them so much. At last you like a girl and you've stopped illusioning women.

-I never get women's hopes up, they imagined everything.

-Alison, stop being so stupid. You're a good looking guy, obviously some girls like you, but what you did last year was crazy. Get a hold of yourself, it's only going to get you in trouble.

-Let's not talk about it anymore.

-At some point it'll pass, and I hope that reputation as a heartbreaker doesn't affect you.

-You talk as if you know everything, but why don't you have a girlfriend?

-It's... a little difficult to explain, I'd better see for once I have things to do.

[...]

There was only one day left for the expedition, the first years were a bit excited about the first group trip. We were all counting down the hours, but at the last minute they made an announcement during class time. Saul the group leader stood in front of everyone and spoke.

-In this case, the groups would be a and b, class 1 and 2 would be a, and b would be 3, 4, 5," Saul said.

Everyone was upset to hear that, because they still had certain differences with those in that class, especially Alison.

Some of the students in that class murmured and asked to change groups, but Saul said that it was not impossible because the decision was to try to eliminate the friction that both classes had, so we were obliged to accept the decision.

-Is it mandatory to go? -asked Alison.

-Yes, because it is a class activity and the only way to miss it was with a valid excuse.

After finishing that class, Luan and his small group of friends met to receive information in the cafeteria, while we were walking they started to look at them from other classes, apparently they already knew the news of the expedition and were attentive to what was happening.

Everyone had to try to act as if nothing was happening, so as not to attract more attention.

For the first time the four of them sat at a table away from the rest, and started talking about what we would be doing on the expedition. It was rare for Luan, as he was usually only in the company of Alison was his roommate. Now all of a sudden, Liz and Samantha were with them. Although the four of them were a one subject group.

The girl with the red hair Samantha, kept a serious attitude, a little more than Alison. Luan at times felt that there was an attitude of rivalry with the rest of the people in the room, as if he was in a competition. As he thought about her. From one moment to another the girl began to speak.

-Please don't do anything stupid, while we were on that trip, and don't get carried away by the provocations of the freshmen- Samantha commented.

Liz also gave her opinion 

-Yes, Alison, take things calmly, we are all classmates.

In the middle of this conversation, Alejandra appeared to speak to everyone.

-Hello, classmates, I know that even though weeks have passed since that incident, many are still upset, but, please, as we are all part of an institution, we should leave our differences behind for our own good.

-Alejandra, well, in this situation the women in my group agree to iron out the differences with you and maybe we can change the men's minds, don't worry, before the middle of the year this will be solved," said Liz.

Alejandra smiled a little at her partner's positive response. Maybe that kindness between women made them help each other, besides it must be hard to be the representative of a class with so many men.

Luan began to see her in a different way and called her attention a little. He thought about talking to her the day he invited them to the party, but he felt it would be stupid to talk to her. His condition made him less than everyone else, and the worst prospect among the rest of the men. The girl would never notice someone like him. So he remained silent, he didn't give his opinion at any time while she was there, he only listened to Liz. 

After Alejandra left, each one of them got up from the chair and went to a different place, but I followed Samatha and wanted to talk a little more with her.

-Eh....companion.

- Do you need something?

-I wanted to thank you for helping me in those moments when we were training with Snaider, I don't think I could have survived that without you.

-Don't worry, it was fun, there's just something I'm confused about. You take a lot of hits, don't you?

-Eh... Sometimes....

-Well it's just that he hit you pretty hard at various times, I got a little worried. Are you feeling ok?

-Yes, it's nothing complicated.

-Well, bye.

The girl's somewhat smug attitude dropped a bit, but she was still elusive, with the rest of the people, so Alison didn't want to talk to her anymore.