NOVEL WEB The Strange Dream [1]
Oblivious to the hidden truths of the show, Evan, who was in his apartment, had just emerged from the bathroom after changing his clothes and began preparing to return for lunch.
He was quite elated, as the sole problem that had been troubling him was resolved, and he was now free from any issues that could arise while residing there.
"Okay, so after lunch, I'll study a bit for tomorrow and attempt to go through the syllabus with the help of the notes Rey and James sent to my phone," he murmured to himself as he stepped out of his apartment and headed towards Rossy's place.
Upon reaching the ground floor, he approached the door of their apartment and knocked.
Rossy was expected to answer, moving towards the door.
However, when the door swung open, it wasn't Rossy who greeted him, but Jason.
"Oh, you're back from school, huh?" Jason remarked, concealing his earlier act of spying in the hallway as he spoke with the girl.
"Yes, Uncle, I arrived a little while ago and met Aunt Rossy, who told me to join you both for lunch," Evan replied without hesitation, having grown accustomed to Jason's behavior.
"Are you two going to chat outside the whole time, or are you coming in for lunch?" Rossy called out from inside upon seeing them talk at the door.
"Coming!" they responded in unison and headed inside, with Jason leading the way and Evan following.
They took their respective seats at the table and waited for the food to be served.
"So, what were you both talking about?" Rossy inquired as she handed them their plates.
"Oh, nothing much. I was just asking him about his day at school," Jason interjected quickly before Evan could speak.
"Is that so, Evan?" she pressed, eager to know the true nature of their conversation.
"Yes, Uncle was merely inquiring about my day at school, nothing more," Evan confirmed, shielding Jason from Rossy's suspicion.
"Oh, then it's okay. But if he asks you anything else, tell me immediately. I'll take care of it," Rossy said with a smile, though Jason knew there was something hidden behind it.
"Okay, don't waste time and eat your food before it gets cold," Jason said, attempting to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"Okay," Evan replied, beginning to eat his food, and thereafter, no one spoke further.
After lunch, he sat back in his seat, comfortably rubbing his stomach with satisfaction.
Rossy was pleased that Evan enjoyed her cooking and ate without any fuss, as evident by the joy on his face. She began clearing the plates from the table to the sink for washing.
"Okay, Evan, I wanted to ask you about that letter I gave you this morning," Jason inquired, noticing Evan's drowsiness post-lunch as his eyes fluttered open.
"Oh yes, I almost forgot about that," Evan said, straightening his back and turning to face Jason, perhaps ready to disclose everything.
"Is something wrong, dear?" Rossy asked as she returned from the kitchen after washing the dishes.
"No, just asking if Rick had mentioned anything or not," Jason said, while Rossy also became interested, knowing Rick's manner of speaking and ready to intervene if he had said anything suspicious to Evan.
"Did your stinky old principal say or ask you anything bad, or mention us?" Rossy inquired, not wanting Evan to be upset by anything Rick might have told him.
"Oh no, Mr. Rick didn't say anything bad, and after reading the letter, he had a teacher escort me to my classroom," Evan replied, concealing the words Rick had told him due to the promise he had made.
"Okay, then which section are you in?" Jason asked, having mentioned in his letter that Evan should be placed in a good section that wouldn't cause any issues for him.
"It's Section-A. Today it brought me many problems; every teacher who entered the class looked at me as if I were some kind of zoo animal, fixating their gaze on me for half the period, and one even went to the principal to inquire about me," Evan recounted the day's events to Jason and Rossy, caused by his presence in the class section.
"So, nothing else happened, right?" Jason asked, his expression unchanged.
"No, nothing. They just told me to do extra work to catch up with the class, that's all," Evan responded, as Jason and Rossy nodded, aware that Evan needed to study hard to keep up with his classmates.
"Alright, go and study some work that may help you later," Jason suggested, and Evan nodded, walking towards the door and reaching it, but...
"Ah yes, he mentioned that your idea is perfect, and you all can meet up once you and your friends are ready," Evan relayed the last thing Rick had told him before leaving the cabin.
"Alright, I'll check with everyone to schedule the gathering," Jason replied. Evan nodded and departed the apartment to study in his room.
He glanced around the hallway and noticed it was deserted.
"Seems like everyone's resting in their apartments," Evan muttered to himself as he began ascending the stairs.
Upon reaching the first floor, where his room was located, he saw that the girl wasn't there waiting for him.
He breathed a sigh of relief, unlocked his door, and entered his room.
Initially, he considered taking a nap but decided against it, realizing it might prevent him from sleeping later and disrupt his morning routine.
Instead, he opted to study, pulled out his bag, and began to complete his notes, delving into a few chapters of literature and mathematics.
He really likes those subjects and can quickly get up to speed with them.
As he studies, we see Jason and Rossy sitting at the table, just as Evan leaves the apartment.
"Argh, I told him to place him in a section that wouldn't cause problems, but now he's in Section A, and the problems are starting," Jason said, visibly angry with Rick and wanting to scold him over the phone, but Rossy intervened.
"Do you really think that guy, who badmouths everyone to their face, wouldn't say anything to Evan? I don't buy it," Rossy remarked, her own frustration mounting because she felt Rick should have warned him, especially after reading Jason's letter, which should have prompted him to keep them out of it.
"I know he should have, but there's nothing we can do about it right now," Jason replied, noticing Rossy's puzzled expression.
"But why aren't you also upset that he didn't warn Evan about things like adoption?" Rossy pressed, her face showing her readiness to confront Rick.
"Yes, I am, but let's not be hasty. We can deal with him at the gathering, letting him bask in the false belief that Evan hasn't told us anything," Jason suggested, and after considering it, Rossy agreed.
"Okay, I'll get some work done, and you take a rest," he told her before leaving to attend to his secret tasks, known only to him and Rossy.
Left alone, Rossy shrugged her shoulders, settled on the sofa, and began watching TV.
Sometime later...
In Evan's apartment, he was still seated at his desk, having just stretched after finishing his studies.
"Let's call it a day and take a break," he said, glancing out the window to see the sun beginning to set, signaling the evening's arrival.
"Oh, it's already past six. Time flies," he mused. "I think I'll take a walk outside to pass the time before dinner." He remembered Rossy mentioning that dinner would be ready by eight.
He packed his notebook into his bag, stored the bag in his cabinet, then unplugged his phone, now fully charged, and started to leave his apartment, locking the door behind him.
Outside, he noticed many people strolling on the street and took the opportunity to greet his new neighbors, who were surprised to see him, as they hadn't noticed him before.
After conversing politely with everyone, he began walking downstairs to go outside.