The gate looked far too pompous for what it was.

In fact, gates in general seem to do that, but this one especially so.

Red bricks, black wrought iron and gray plaster, assembled into a whole that didn't feel welcoming at all.

I wondered if it looked like what a gate for a school should look like, but couldn't really decide. Probably no.

Of course I didn't want to get stuck on thinking about the gate for too long, so I entered through it was a brisk pace that felt surprisingly good.

Move forward feels good.

So I walk towards the main building of Vaniville Academy with the brisk pace. I'm alone, as my parents are taking my stuff to the dorms, and there's supposed to be someone waiting for me. 

The grounds are incredible lush, filled with green. 

It doesn't feel like the kind of grounds a school would have, more like a park, with clean walkway going past trees and the smell of fresh-cut grass and all other park-like things.

Words like 'clean' and 'hygienic' pop into my mind. It makes me shudder.

I shake them off. Stay open-minded now. It's your new life. You have to take it as it comes.

That's what I tell myself.

A few big buildings loom behind the leafy canopies, too big and too many for just a school.

Everything seems off; it's different from what I thought I knew about schools.

It's an uncanny valley. Even thought I was told this is my new school, in the back of my head it doesn't feel like one.

I wonder if the feeling is real or caused by my expectations of a school for disabled.

Speaking of that, I don't see anyone else here. It's kinda eerie.

It makes me wish there was somebody here so I could anchor myself to something tangible instead of having this feeling that I stepped into another dimension.

The tree hum with the wind and the green hues flashing all around me catch my attention.

It makes me think about the hospitals again, how they say that the operating rooms are painted green because green is a calming color.

So why am I feeling so anxious, despite all this greenery?

...

Only after I stand in front of the haughty main building, I surprise myself by realizing why the gate bothered me: It was the last chance I had to turn back, even if I had no life I could return to. But still, after entering, there was absolutely no way I could go back anymore.

Feeling nervous and with this realization set in my head, I open the front door.

A tall man with bad posture notices me as I enter. We're the only people in the lobby, so it's only logical.

"You must be....Ket....Ke...Ketchup?" He sweatdropped, he had no idea what my name was.

"Ketchum, Ash Ketchum" I face palmed 

"So you are. Marvelous! I'm your homeroom and science teacher. My name is Professor Sycamore! Welcome."

 We exchange a handshake that is neither firm nor sloppy, and he looks at his watch.

"The head nurse asked you for a brief check-in vist, but there's no time for that now." 

"Oh. Should I go later?" 

"Yes, afternoon is probably fine. We should get going and introduce you to the rest of the class. They're waiting already." He ran his hand through his hair.

Waiting for me? I don't really like being the center of attention, but I guess it's inevitable in a situation like this.

Somehow, not knowing what is waiting for me makes me feel really nervous.

Thinking of this, I almost miss what the teacher is saying.

"Do you want to introduce yourself to the class?" He asked me.

Hmm, should I?

"Yeah, of course! I mean, isn't that normal?"

"Of course. But not everyone likes to be at the center of attention." He raised his eyebrows.

I'm probably one of those people, but I guess I should be the one to give the first impression of myself.

"Right, but it's no problem," I smiled.

"Let's go then."

My heart is pounding in my chest and it keeps me thinking about my condition as I follow the teacher up the stairs.

The third door down the third floor corridor is marked as the classroom for class 3-3.

Sycamore opens the door and enters first.

"Good morning everyone, sorry I'm late...again." 

I hesitate for a split second at the door, freezing on the spot.

Ah, get a grip, Ash! This is a big step, I know that... But there isn't any point to worrying so much about it, at least not this soon.

I took a deep breath.

I follow the teacher into the classroom and looked around, partially so I won't have to meet the curious gazes of my new classmates.

It's pretty spacious; the ceiling is unusually high and there's lots of space left over around and in between the desks. An entire wall taken up by blackboards and the high, old fashioned windows only make it seem larger.

The students' desk are just standard wooden desks with a shelf underneath for books and wooden chairs with metal frames. Simple and efficient.

I stop walking in front of the classroom and face the other students. They all look normal, like students in any other school. But then, why would they be here?

They're probably like me and have something wrong with them, only it's just not immediately obvious. Then, I notice that one of the girls seem to be missing the thumbs of her right hand. It's a little jarring.

Despite the natural tendency to listen when someone's talking about you, I tune out the teacher's speech halfway through while he introduces me to the class.

I notice a flash of honey blonde hair and see that someone is looking at me. A girl with really long, straight hair that is pretty eye-catching. As she sees me looking back at her, she covers her face with her hands as if it will make her invisible.

"Please welcome our newest classmate." Sycamore exclaimed.

He claps his hands and so does everyone else, expect one girl in the first row who has only one hand. I cringe a little, but hide it by bowing in thanks for this applause that I did not deserve.

"So...I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town back in Kanto." 

And after that?

"My hobbies are reading and soccer. I hope to get along well with everyone even though I'm a new student."

And after that??

I'm being so boring. This is exactly like every self-introduction ever, I should say something more. Something more exciting.

I end up saying nothing, and the teacher picks up from there.

Everyone seems to be satisfied even with what little I said, though. A few girls are whispering to each other, throwing glances at me. It could've gone worse.

...

"We're going to be doing some group  work today, so that'll give you a chance to talk with everyone. Is that okay with you?" Professor Sycamore asked.

"Yeah, it's fine with me."

"That's good, you can work with May. She is the class representative." He said.

The teacher passes out the day's assignments and announces that we will be working in groups of three.

Shame I don't know who May is.....

The Teacher eventually locks on.

"Oh, right. Bianca is right there. Bianca!"

As he calls out her name, the cute, bubble looking girl with brown hair and blue eyes waves her hand at me. I take a seat next to her, by the window.

"Hey, I guess you're Bianca, right? It's nice to meet you." I smiled at her.

"Hahaha~!" She laughed loudly.

What? I'm caught off guard by her laughter

"It's nice to meet you, too! But~!, I'm not Bianca! I'm May! This is Bianca~!" She laughed, damn she's really off putting.

 Giggling, May points to the girl next to her, the one I saw using sign language before. It looks like she has been staring at me the whole time. She nods once nonchalantly to show that she acknowledges my presence....but only barely.

She has kinda short, yet carefully, neatly brushed blonde hair, a pair of oval-shaped glasses balanced on the tip of a dainty nose, and bright green eyes that seem to alternate every few seconds between analytical and slight bored.

"It's nice to meet you." I smile at her

Nothing in response.

She immediately looks at May, who smiles and makes a few quick gestures with her hands.

May nods and makes a few gestures of her own.

I start to wonder if the teacher was messing with me, saying things like 'You'll be able to talk to people' and 'Who better to explain things to you.'

"You're confused, right?, right? But, I understand why you would think I was Bianca!~" May chuckled.

"You see, Bianca is deaf. So I'm the person who translates things back and forth for her." She smiles at me.

 "She says it's nice to meet you, too!~" May goofy smiles.

Bianca does some more hand movements.

"She also says you're the new student, aren't you?"

I nod.

"Well, Bianca, of course he is! If he wasn't, he would have been standing up there for no reason, right? Right~!" She smiles at me.

May turns to Bianca, forgetting I was even here.

"He seems like a very interesting person, doesn't he~!" May put her hands on her hips.

She looked back at me, "We knew there was going to be a new student, but we didn't know you would be here today. So soon! Ashie, right?" May smiled.

Ashie....?

"Yup~! It fits, doesn't it?" She give an even bigger smile than before.

Did I say it out loud? It's just a surprise. I don't like that nickname....

"I don't really see how." I sweatdropped.

"It fits~! You look just like I imagined!" She laughed.

Bianca did more hand gestures.

"Hahahahaha~! Yeah, you look just like a Ashie!" May told me what Bianca said.

"I wonder why everyone seems to think so...." I scratched the bolts on my cheeks.

Bianca taps her finger son the desk to get May's attention. They gesture back and forth to each other excitedly, their hands a blur.

May seems a little overwhelmed.

"Ahaha~! Er, sorry about that!" May said out loud.

"Bianca wants you to know that she's the class rep, so if there is anything you need to know, you can feel free to ask her." May closed one eye while holding up one finger.

"Do you like the school so far? We can show you around a little if you haven't had the time to walk around and....familiarize? Yourself with it!~" May smiled.

May stumbles with the hard word a bit, making it stick out in her otherwise fluid translation.

"Thanks, that would be pretty helpful. Yeah, I just kind of came straight to class today." I scratched my nose.

Bianca did some hand movements...again.

"Hahaha~!" May laughed, not for the first time today.

"That's no good! You should always try to learn as much as you can about where you're going before you go there. Not just with school, either~! Always! Even if it's a trip to the convenience store! Really, Bianca? Hahaha~!" May said.

Learn about where you're going? I guess I didn't bother to do that, or just didn't care enough to do so. I didn't look forward to this, even if I committed myself to go along with it half-assedly, but anyway. I don't say anything, and May signs something that ends in a shrug. What was that? It seems like it was about me?

I feel like slumping over in my seat. Both of them are smiling, but that shrug hit me unexpectedly deeply.

"You look down, are you okay?" May asked.

Bianca did some signs again.

"Don't take it the wrong way, please~! I hate it when people are afraid to ask questions! That's how people learn things, by asking~!  Asking for help is perfectly normal, as much as needing help! Stop looking like you just failed a test!" May told me what Bianca said,

"Wahahaha~!" May laughed.

"All right" I chuckled at May's laugh.

....

"After class, we can take a walk around the grounds together. It's a nice day today! Okay~?" May suggested.

The assignment is actually very challenging to get through, combing aspects of being both difficult and unnecessarily long.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Still, we finished it a few minutes earlier than anyone else in the class, despite our late start. May and Bianca are really capable. They're quite different, though. The class rep is as clam and professional as she looks, while May is a lot more playful and girlish. Not to mention a little more easily distracted.

To be honest, the two of them did most of the work. I feel guilty about that.

The clock tower bell rings, signaling the end of the period. Time for lunch.

Without knowing what else to do, I follow May, who is beckoning me into the hallway and down the stairs.

We descend even below the lobby where I met Sycamore, down to the bottom floor.

Just like everything in this school, the cafeteria seems too spacious and oddly modern in contrast to the classic exterior.

Its big windows open to the courtyard, towards the main gate.

"It's the cafeteria~!" May took me by surprise with her loud voice.

Her enthusiastic statement of the obvious makes people around us stare, but May doesn't seem to care so we proceed to the line.

There is a rather long list of menu options, which seem great until I realize that many of them are to accommodate students who need special diets.

How nice. It almost feels like I'm back at the hospital, eating portions measured with scientific precision to meet the needs of the patients.

I pick something at random and follow Bianca to a table, sitting opposite of her.

As I nibble indifferently at the food I'd rather not ear, May pokes me in the side to get my attention and points to Bianca.

She does some hand gestures.

I don't understand sign, so the point escapes me.

Maybe looking at a person who 'talks' to you is proper and polite?

"Do you want to know something?" May caught my attention.

"What?" 

"About anything! We're your guides so you should ask if there is something~!" May said really loudly.

Damn does she talk loud.

I'll ask about the library.

"Oh, yeah. Is there a library in this school? Lately I've gotten into reading a lot so I'd like to check it out." I smiled.

May gives the kind of frown that makes it clear she doesn't consider reading a healthy hobby, but then picks up her smile again,

"There is~! It's on the second floor, we can show it to you sometime!" She smiled.

"Thanks"

I return to my food while the girls talk between themselves.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------We arrive in the classroom early, but we're not the first.

That honey haired girl I noticed before is slumped over her desk at the back row.

She jumps a little when May crashes into the room with elegance of a rhino.

She shrinks deeper into her seat. I can feel her tension all the way from here, as if she were slowly turning into stone just from our presence.

May and Bianca took their seats, completely oblivious to that girl.

I'm left wondering about her, even when the classroom slowly fills with other students and finally, the teacher.

Getting into the rhythm of school feels stronger; it's as if my brain remembers how this is done, but my body doesn't.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Towards the end of the class I start yawning and counting the minutes left.

I shouldn't be this tired on my first day of school. Maybe it's the long time spent in the hospital that made me like this. I'm even feeling physically week and lifeless.

Before long, the final bell rings.

School is FINALLY over for the day.

I look over to the side of me and May and Bianca are having a conversation, after a bit of deliberation, May turns to me.

"Unfortunately we can't stay and show you around today, Ashie. We've got to hurry already, since there is a lot of work for us to do. You'll find your way around here, I'm sure of it" She smiled normally.

"Ah, wait! The teacher said I'd have to see the nurse. Where do I have to go?" I questioned the two before they left.

"Is that so? We can at least show you that much~!" The huge smile returned.

We join the flow of students making their way down the stairwell and outside, with the girls pointing out other senior classrooms in the same hallway as ours.

When we got outside, the girls make their way to the smaller building right next to the school.

It's built in the same style, so it looks like it's actually a part of the main building.

"Here it is!All the nursing staff facilities are in there, the head nurse's office is on the first floor" May held one finger up.

I nodded.

"You'll be fine from here, right~? We'l be off then! Seeeee ya~!" The two girls walked off, May didn't even give me a choice to answer.

I walk in, hoping that this really will be only a quick visit like the teacher said. On a white door on the left is a green cross with the text 'Head Nurse' and a nameplate.

A voice from the inside responds to my knock almost immediately, but I can't quite make it out.

It sounded like an invitation to open the door, so I invite myself further in.

The room is not large and it smells strange. A friendly-looking man turns around on his office hair to face me as I enter.

His desk is neat and tidy, but the bin under the table is overflowing with used medical utensils and there are at least a dozen coffee-cup rings lingering on the desk.

"Hello there. What can I do for you today?" He smiled.

He is young-looking and sort of rugged, but the dimples in his cheeks wash that impression away when he smiles.

"Erm, are you the nurse?" I asked nicely.

"Why yes, I am. It says so on the door, no?" He chuckled a little.

"You can call me by my name which is Brock, or just 'the nurse' like everyone else." He continued to smile.

Of course. I shake off my confusion, realizing I probably should grab his extended hand.

His handshake is rather firm and friendly.

"Right, I'm a new student and my homeroom teacher told me to come and meet you. My name is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town b-"

"Back in Kanto" He finished my sentence, I like this guy he's pretty cool.

He snaps his fingers.

"I was just reading your file this morning." He winks, but I could hardly tell because he squints.

"Some kind of chronic Arrhythmia and related congenital heart muscle deficiency, right?" He put his hands on his hips.

He gestures me to sit down in a vacant armchair.

"Eh, yeah" I sweatdropped.

"I can tell you're tired, so I'll just go over this quickly" He smiled.

"We have all kinds of facilities available, mostly physical therapy and such."

"There's always someone from my staff around, even at night, so never hesitate to call us if there is a problem" 

The famous 'twenty-four-hour' nursing staff.

"Wow, this is like a hospital" I chuckled.

"Well, not exactly. For instance, we don't do brain surgery here." 

We both share a laugh.

Smiling, the nurse draws a thick file from a stack of similarly thick files and opens it.

"So, you already have medication for the Arrhythmia, just remember to take your pills every morning and evening or it won't be much help..... Apart from that...do you do ant sports? Rash stuff like....I don't know, boxing?" He asked.

"I eh, well. I played soccer occasionally with some classmates." I shrugged.

"Hm, I'm afraid I'm going to have to recommend you refrain from doing that. At least, for the time being." He did a half smile, one cheek moving.

"Oh"

My lack of reaction makes him raise an eyebrow, but really, I'm not too bothered by him forbidding me to kick a ball around. I guess I never did it out of burning passion for the sports. Just to have something to do.  I was always determined to win though when I did play.

"Any kind of concussion might be very dangerous to your heart and risking another attack is not a good idea." He smiled

"You need to keep your body healthy so some exercise would do you good though, just get some light exercise regularly." He added on.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Brish walks or even light jogging, jumping rope, that sort of thing. Swimming, maybe? There's a pool here." He suggested.

I nodded, I liked the thought of jogging.

"At any rate, and I'm sure you've been told this before, you just need to take care not to overexert yourself." He looked at his watch.

He wags his finger to emphasize the point. No need really, I've heard this a thousand times already.

"Okay, that's all I wanted to talk to you about, you may go now" He walks over to the door and opens it.

"Thanks" I walk out of the door and into the hallway.

I realized that it was a quick visit, indeed.

The weariness in me only grows as I trudge towards the dorms, I had to go outside then into the a building that was set a little way apart from the main building complex.

The dorm building is big and made of red brick. Like the others, it feels way to pompous for what it is, so I push forward, going inside.

It takes more time than necessary to fish out the key I was given from my pocket.

"Room one-one-nice..." I mumbled to myself.

Despite the ornate exterior, the inside of the dorm is farily new, functional, and boring.

Just like in the main building, the halls and doors are wide to accommodate wheelchairs. The same goes for the elevators at the end of the hallways.

I poke my head around the corner of the common room door.

Inside a few students are watching something on the television.

I climb the stairs to the upper floor.

Here, small corridors branch off from the main hallway.

Each of these minor halls seem to have a toilet and shower, as well as four rooms.

About halfway down the hall, I spy room 119.

The name plates on the room adjacent to mine are blank. I guess there are just two of us here.

Light shines from below the door of room 117, so I knock lightly.

"Hello, is anyone home?" 

From inside, I hear a few movements, then the clicking of way more locks than I thought these doors had. After a moment the door squeaks open.

A bespectacled boy is standing in the doorway. He is looking at me very intently though his extremely thick glasses.

"Who is it?" The brown spiked hair boy asked.

Hm, Blind? No, at least not completely, why would he have eyeglasses if he was?

He leans closer to me until our noses are almost touching. His breath stinks of garlic.

I could barely see his eye through his glasses, he had dark blue eyes.

"Ash Ketchum! I come from the Kanto region, I'm moving into the next room. I though I should introduce my.."

His face suddenly brightens in realization, and he stands back upright, thrusting his hand out in a smiling greeting, almost straight to my diaphragm.

"Oh, 'sup dude? The name is Gary" Gary smirked.

"Ah, hi" I said ever so plainly.

I take Gary's sweaty hand and shake it, still a little rattled by the sudden change of attitude and vehement welcome.

"There were some suspicious-looking people going in and our of your room earlier." He pointed out.

My parents, they're probably on their flight back to Kanto.

"It was probably my parents." 

"Your parents? You sure? 'Cause they could've been some other people, too. You can't judge a book by its cover." He raised an eyebrow.

'Judge a book by its cover' I hated that saying.

"I'd say the chances are high enough." I chuckled.

He shudders and makes some exaggerated hand gestures.

"You're a brave man, Ashy boy" He randomly says.

"Me, I don't think I could trust the chances." He gulped in fear.

"The only one I trust is myself!" He overcome the fear.

"Does that mean I shouldn't get to know you, either?" I laughed.

He stands there in thoughts for a while.

"A wise decision." He smiles.

"Damn, you're smarter than you look" He fist pumps.

"Probably"

"Wait"

"What do you look like?" He sweatdropped.

He squints his eyes and leans closer again, but I lean backwards and dodge it.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter" He gives me an annoyed look.

With that, he turns, fumbles around for a moment in search if the door handle, and shuts the door behind him.

I slide the key into the lock of the door marked 119.

Bleak beige walls, white lien, a desk made out of birch wood. Ugly curtains.

It's no one's room; impersonal, like my hospital room was.

My bags are sitting at the foot of my bed, looking a lot emptier than they did this morning.

The closet is sitting open, stocked with my clothes.

Also, it seems that there are a number of school uniforms hanging there as well.

Now that I think about it, I was wearing my own clothes today. I had a red and white hat along with a blue and white jacket that was short sleeved. Grayish pants with red, black and white trainers.

"I must've stood out" I chuckled to myself.

A note is pinned to the sleeve of one of the shirts.

Hey sweetie, we've unpacked your things and made your bed. We left you your laptop which is under the bed. They said that if these don't fit then you should go to the office tomorrow. If you have any problems, you can always call us.                                                                                   Love, Mom and Dad x

Well, at least I don't have to worry about unpacking.

I kind of hoped I would have, then there would be something to do.

It's still too early.

I threw the note onto the floor and jumped onto the bed, feeling drained. Lying there makes me want to red something, but I have nothing with me.

I wonder if the hospital conditioned me for wanting tor ed whenever I have nothing to do.

The restless urge just keep growing until I have to stand up.

Maybe it's stress or something?

I sighed.

I'll get some books tomorrow, but for now.

I stood up and walked over to the desk

The bottles of medication neatly arranged on my night table.

I just started at them until I decided to pick one up.

I shake it just to hear the contents rattle inside, and then read the glued-on pharmacy label.

'Ash Ketchum, Two tablets daily to stay alive'

"What a nice way to put" I rolled my eyes.

It's kinda twisted, having your life depend on chemicals like this. I resent it a little, but what choice do I have?

With a sigh, I begin my new daily ritual of taking the right number of pills from each bottle, being careful to check the correct dosages.

I lie down again, feeling hollow and uncertain, and after that I keep staring at the blank, unfamiliar ceiling for a long time.

I keep drifting further away from the world I knew.

Thanks for reading! I'll see you all next chapter! :)