Chapter 4

Arthur thanked Haru again before he made his way to the cafeteria. Of course he may found his way through clicks, he kept bumping or accidentally stepping close to the other students which they yell or shoved him for being clumsy.

Well, he can't always know what's around him.

His hand-wing was caught by someone's strong hand. He clicked softly and sighed in relief. It was the grey wolf Legosi. And he's not alone.

"Arthur," he nodded at the bat. "Are you heading for the cafeteria for breakfast? We are heading there as well."

"Yes, I am," the Honduran white bat smiled. "So, who's next to you?"

"I'm Jack, a Labrador retriever," Jack gave him a friendly smile but forgot that Legosi told him that the bat was blind. So he grasped the two fingers of the hand-wing and shake. He could see what Legosi meant when Arthur is harmless.

Poor guy! He's going to get eaten alive by the other students in the cafeteria!

As predicted, the students in the cafeteria paused their conversation to stare at Arthur like he was a juicy morsel. Then, the resumed their activities while Arthur tried to block specific sounds to avoid getting paranoid that he would become their breakfast. Then again, Chiropteras are either on top of the food chain or become the meal themselves. Legosi had to tell him which queue was for carnivores and herbivores.

"Don't worry about me, Legosi," Arthur assured him, his ears wiggled a bit. "I can manage. I will meet you at the table you're at."

Legosi wanted to argue but Arthur's unblinking eyes were unsettling even though he means no harm. He figured maybe blind people who have open eyes do have an edge in arguments due to those cloudy orbs. He reluctantly left Arthur on his own to join Jack at the table.

While queuing up for food, the animals behind Arthur were whispering rather too loudly. It's like a hissing of a leaking pipe in the bat's poor ears. He shrugged it off, focusing on the wonderful smells of the cooked food.

"What's he doing?"

"He's feeling up the tray as if he's never seen one in his life."

"Those wings could be his handbag if he wants to!"

"Maybe the rumours of bats are naturally blind are true after all!"

Arthur was almost losing his appetite. Bats are never blind! They can see just as well as any animals, especially in the dark. It was unfortunate that he was graced with blindness when he was dropped out of his mother's womb.

He tried to forget some things but it's going to make him lose his focus.

"Morning," the cafeteria lady greeted him when it was his turn. Arthur may not know what she looked like but her tone was friendly, not in a condescending way. She laid down his meal of the day which is the same as any carnivore:

Scrambled eggs with baked beans, two toasts with butter and a yoghurt served with a glass of juice.

Arthur felt his stomach rumbling from the wonderful scent of the food. He used his two fingers to feel for a fork and a knife, which made the animals behind him irritated.

"Hurry up, will you!" one yelled, almost bursting Arthur's eardrum. "Some of us have early classes and as much as we hate it, our teachers will give us extra work if we're late!"

Arthur was eventually pushed out once he's got the things he needed on the tray. His clicks were inaudible to most animals so from hindsight, most animals assumed he's crazy because his mouth was moving. Like he's talking to himself or has not outgrown the idea of an imaginary friend.

"Hey Bat-freak!" a feminine voice called him. It was that same voice he heard yesterday where he accidentally stepped on her foot by accident.

"What do you want?" asked Arthur, tired of all of this and just want to eat. "I said I was sorry."

"Sorry is not going to save my foot!" the voice was shrilled. "I'm an endangered harlequin rabbit and I can't be tainted by some thing that's not even on the carnivore-herbivore spectrum. I hope you die in eternal darkness like the rest of your kind!"

"And for a good reason too!" another feminine voice added with a snicker.

All of the students were shouting and some were giggling at the scene before Arthur was dragged off. "Are you okay?" a kind voice asked. Arthur knew who it was but he felt guilty that he's making the two canines saved him.

"Peachy," Arthur grumbled before sitting down. He crouched forward and shielded his face with both of his wings as he ate his breakfast in silence. He's going to need more than just chamomile and chai to sooth his angry soul.

...

Arthur went to his first class without a word. All the second year students were seated according to their names in the alphabet. Because Arthur can't see, he had to rely on his clicks to locate at least an empty spot and carefully listened to the names of the students.

"Bats, your seat is over there," a student shoved him forward.

"Nope. Wrong place pal!" another student failed to hide his laughter told him.

Arthur drooped his ears, planning not to hear his 'classmate's' little game of reverse Blind Bat's Bluff. He clicked rapidly again, trying to get away from his tormentors before he was caught by the wing.

"Hey, stop picking on him," a firm voice told the tormentors. Arthur blinked, hearing how velvety it sounded, he assumed it was from an avian student. Arthur used his free wing to feel around slowly, finding out that this student was tall. "It's his first day too. Cut him some slack."

"Tch! Whatever, you eagles just want a piece of him to yourself. "

"Yeah," another tormentor added. "We heard from the seniors that predatory birds like you eat bats like him for lunch."

The footsteps of Arthur's tormentors faded, leaving him alone with the avian that has his arm. He swore that his heart was about to be digested by his own stomach acids from total fear. This bird could might as well tear the membranes of his right hand-wing.

This made the Honduran white bat worried.

"Hey, it's okay. They're not going to bother you at this point. Your name is Arthur, right?"

Arthur hesitated but nodded slowly.

"You're sitting next to me. I'm Aoba. I've heard about you in the cafeteria and saw you sitting with Legosi. We're both in the drama club."

Aoba led Arthur to where he was sitting. He was still a bit shaken up from his first class torment. The bat's instincts were right to say that no matter where he goes, it's kill or be killed. So far, Aoba seemed alright but no harm in being cautious.

"Thank you...I'm sorry to drag you into that."

"It's not problem," Arthur could hear him smile. "I'm glad to have meet you. Come on, class is about to start."

Most students either took out their notebooks with stationary or their laptops. But Arthur took out what looked like an old typewriter machine that goes 'clunk' when he placed it on his desk. It had two giant buttons on the left and right hand side of it, six keys with a space bar in the middle and a few papers that were hard enough to make graduation certificates.

When the teacher started teaching, Arthur began typing, his ears perked up to listen.

'Click...Click...Click...Ding!'

Out came the paper with various punctured holes where dots were formed.

Aoba, and a few other students watched him with fascination. But some found it weird and out of place!

"Hey grandpa, the Great War is over," one of the girls in front of him teased.

Arthur ignored some comments and continued writing notes. Aoba now understood why Legosi is sort of comfortable around this bat. He is quiet but those cloudy eyes seemed to stare straight ahead, like it was seeing something supernatural or extraterrestrial in the auditorium.

Now Arthur, doesn't mind Aoba's presence. So long as he doesn't relax his shoulders, he should be safe. He reminded himself that he has the same class as this student who suddenly helped him. Some sounds in the auditorium echoed in his ears so his brain felt like it's been cramped so the bat had to block out some sounds.

Aoba was writing notes as well. He can't help but glance at how Arthur was writing his. His hand-wings were very steady and meticulous. With his posture in a crunching position, it was as if the bat was conducting a very important breakthrough like a scientist.

He wouldn't mind bring him to the drama club, unable to comprehend why he felt that.

...

Arthur almost collapsed in the bed of his dorm. What a day!

He wouldn't dare do his homework in the school's library so the comfort of the room sounded better. The bat kicked off his shoes before hanging upside down at the gap of the bunkbed again. On the top bed, he had a few instruments he brought from home.

Music soothed and comforted him when he was alone.

He hoped his dad was doing alright in his new workplace, the reason why he exchanged to Cherryton Academy.

Trailing his fingers along the keyboards, Arthur decided to play a song before starting his work. His mind was exhausted and his heart was close to bleeding from the shit he had to endure today.

His window was opened and people around campus could hear the notes being played. They were enjoying the sounds that were being composed. Who was this student that's been playing all of the melodies that brought hope to the carnivores and peace to the herbivores?

Arthur had his eyes close but he sang a song that was one of his mantras growing up:

"Smile..." he whispered. "Though your heart is aching..."