He’d made it. He’d made it through to Stage Two. From what Noel had understood from those he still shared some classes with and those who had gone on before him, it was supposed to be even harder from here on out. Not only were they required to continue with what they’d started from Stage One, but they were to gain more knowledge, and learn more control over their powers, and have more of a workload than they had before. Noel didn’t think that would be too difficult. He didn’t think the courses would be what broke him, if he broke. If he broke, it would be from forces outside himself that he couldn’t overcome. As much as Noel told himself that he wouldn’t break, that he wouldn’t fail, that he wouldn’t bow down in defeat, he knew that it really wasn’t up to him. It didn’t matter how strong he was, how much he wanted it, how hard he worked, if someone decided he wasn’t worth the time, he wasn’t worth the time. He’d heard that, too, and he believed it.
Sighing, Noel finished adjusting his uniform and brushing his hair. It was early, earlier than he needed to be up, but he chalked it up to nerves. It was like starting a new adventure with his grandmother; when he’d been little, she would tell him what they would be doing on a particular day or week and he would hardly be able to sleep because he’d been so excited. But the ATC was different than home, and the excitement here was tempered by trepidation and uncertainty.
Okay, enough, Noel told himself, tightening the tail he’d put his hair up into. There wasn’t much more he could do to prepare for the day anymore. He would just have to go and live it and see how the day went.
He left his dorm and headed toward the cafeteria, hoping to get some breakfast before his day really got underway and he discovered if he’d have time to eat a decent meal or not, or if he’d have to just grab snacks as he went along. There was another reason for him heading to the cafeteria, too. It was where they had promised to meet that morning, to go over their itinerary to see if they shared the same time blocks for classes, and to see if there would be any time that they could eke out for each other. Noel smiled, remembering the first day they had met in Stage One. They’d become friends because of that, and had watched out for each other. With any luck, they would remain friends throughout the rest of their time here, and beyond it as well.
Noel slowed his pace as he approached the cafeteria, seeing something that could be a potential obstacle. A group of older boys, dressed in the same uniform as he, were hanging out in front of the doors to the cafeteria. It seemed innocuous enough - Noel was sure that others were just as nervous as he was and were up and moving around to burn off that energy - but he recognized a few of the individuals in that group. Recognized them and knew that they recognized him when they saw him. Noel didn’t stop, but he checked his pace to be more cautious in his approach, knowing that one wrong move might spell doom for him today.
“Well, well, well,” began one, the apparent leader, “what do we have here? It’s the wheezer. Fancy meeting you here, Wheezer.”
Noel didn’t respond, but was forced to stop because the group blocked the doorway, preventing him from moving past. “Look,” Noel said at last, “it’s way too early for this. Can we do this later?”
The leader grinned and shoved Noel backwards into the tall frame of another boy, who grabbed him and held him fast. A third boy quickly rifled through Noel’s pockets, despite Noel’s struggling, and pulled out Noel’s inhaler.
“Hey!” Noel cried. “Give that back! I need that!”
The leader took the inhaler and held it tightly in a fist, as if he were threatening to break it, and laughed. “I know. Little wheezer that you are. Something like you shouldn’t be here. It’s a miracle you even made it to this stage. You should have disappeared in Stage One. Why don’t I help you disappear now?”
Noel growled and stamped his heel into the foot of the boy holding him, then rocketed his elbow into the boy’s face, snapping his head back. He wrenched himself out of the boy’s grip and threw himself at the leader, grabbing for his inhaler. He managed to grab it back seconds before the boy rammed his knee into Noel’s chest, driving all the air out of him. Noel dropped to the floor, gasping, and clutched his chest. His eyes screwed shut and he curled in on himself to prevent the group from taking away his single lifeline, which he clutched in a tight fist.
“Bastard!” the leader growled, kicking Noel again. “I’ll teach you your place!”
Noel curled tighter, pulling his fist close to his chest, and keeping his eyes closed tight. He could hear others moving past, doing nothing to stop the tormentors. That was fine; he wasn’t expecting them to. Eventually, the boys would tire of beating him. So long as he could still breathe, Noel didn’t care.
