The Perfect World (The Perfect World Series Book 1) (29 page)

“Maybe,” Scott hedged with a shrug. “That’s not really important, is it? Cyrus is hungry.”

Ms. Linda raised her eyebrow in a fashion that said she was aware of the dodge before turning to Cyrus and saying, “What would you like to eat, Cyrus?”

The question baffled him. He was getting a little tired of feeling baffled by everything, so he just said, “I don’t know. What is there to eat?”

“Anything you’d like.” Scott’s reply earned him a dubious look from Cyrus, and he decided to elaborate. “There’s these places here called restaurants that serve different types of food. They’ve got all kinds of breads, fruits, vegetables and meats you can choose from. You like meat, right?” Cyrus nodded. “Then, there’s a nice katsu shop nearby that I like to go to. We could eat there if you want.”

The idea was met with an expression of distaste. “What’s ‘katsu?’ It sounds like some kind of disease.”

Scott laughed, and Ms. Linda cut in to explain. “No, it’s a pork dish. Basically, they cut the pork into thin strips, cover it in breadcrumbs and cook it. It’s usually served with some rice.”

“I
guess
that sounds okay.”

“Great, the restaurant is just up the street. Follow me.”

The trio started walking together, and Cyrus prodded his companions with more questions. “So, at this restaurant place, we just walk in and they serve us this katsu thing? That’s it?”

“Not exactly,” Ms. Linda answered as they walked up the street. “You go inside the restaurant, and you choose which food you would like. Then, you pay the restaurant money and they make your dish for you.”

“Oh, like a job?”

“Yes, exactly,” Ms. Linda responded and gave him an odd look. “Where did you learn about jobs?”

“From that dictionary you left us.” Cyrus indicated to Scott and smiled warmly at Ms. Linda at the memory. “We put it to good use once you left.”

Ms. Linda looked torn between melancholy and gratitude as she said, “I’m glad.”

Cyrus was about to say more when something struck him. “But, how am I going to pay for this food? I don’t have any money.”

“I’ll pay for it,” Ms. Linda spoke without hesitation.

“Is that okay?” Cyrus asked, feeling a bit guilty.

Ms. Linda gave him an exasperated look. “Of course, it’s okay Cyrus. Do you think I’m just going to let you go hungry?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Cyrus protested. “It’s just, I don’t feel right taking your money.”

“You’re not taking it. I’m giving it to you by choice. There’s a difference,” Ms. Linda spoke to him in the no-nonsense voice he was so familiar with. “Now, I don’t want to hear anymore about it. I’m feeding you and that’s that.”

Cyrus nodded, knowing that there was no arguing with his old caretaker when she was like this. Shortly after, they reached the restaurant. The inside was clean and warm, with other people eating their meals at tables inside the small space. Scott ordered for the three of them, Ms. Linda paid the money and they seated themselves at a square table. The food arrived pretty quickly and Cyrus was pleasantly surprised by how much he enjoyed it.

“Good?” Scott asked wryly as he watched his friend dig heartily into his plate.

“Delicious,” Cyrus remarked, wiping his mouth off.

“Slow down, young man,” Ms. Linda chided. “You’ll choke if you eat all that so fast.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Cyrus said, slowing down his gorging.

The meal was pleasant and relaxing, giving the three a much-needed respite from walking and running errands. When they were finished, they headed back outside into the hot air. Cyrus realized he didn’t know where they were going.

“So, where to next?”

“We’re going to the place that you’re going to be living,” Ms. Linda replied and briskly walked away.

“You didn’t think you were just going to sleep on the street, did you?” Scott inquired incredulously.

“I-I hadn’t really thought about it,” Cyrus admitted. “There’s just been so much else going on.”

“I guess that’s understandable.”

“So, where are we going? Am I going to have some kind of small room like I did back in the perfect world.”

“Yes, only better,” Scott told him as they tried to catch up to  Ms. Linda. The dark-haired boy raised a hand to stop his friend from asking more questions. “I think it’ll make more sense if you just see it. We’ll be there soon enough.”

Soon enough turned out to be a fifteen-minute walk before they turned down a street with many buildings lined on either side. Cyrus admired all the different colors, shapes and decorations, seeing each place as having its own personality. The trio stopped in front of a building with black paint and white trim. It looked like it was two stories, and there was a strange, wide white door that seemed to be attached to the side of the building.  The entire structure gave off a feeling of seriousness and reminded him of Ms. Linda.

“This is my mom’s house,” Scott told him as he continued to look it over.

“Your mom’s house?”

“I mean her.” Scott pointed to Ms. Linda. “She’s my mom.”

Cyrus looked between Scott and Ms. Linda and then asked, “What does that mean?”

“It means that she’s the one who chose to take care of me as a child. She gave me food, shelter and helped me live a good life here. It means that she treated me like I was her family, even if we’re not related.”

Cyrus gazed at Ms. Linda thoughtfully. He had always been fond of his caretaker, and he suspected she was fond of him as well, but he also didn’t want to impose. Still, he supposed it couldn’t hurt to ask.

“Can I call you mom too?” The young man asked with a touch of meekness.

Any fear he had of overstepping himself faded at the warm look on his caretaker’s face. He thought he spotted a hint of tears in her eyes, though he couldn’t be sure.

“Of course you can, Cyrus, if that’s what you want.”

“It is,” Cyrus replied quickly before he turned back to the building in front of him. “So, this is your house?”

“This is our house,” she corrected firmly.

“Ours?” Cyrus repeated.

“Mine, Scott’s and now yours.” She smiled at him as he gave her a small look of shock.

“Mine?” he repeated, this time to make sure he had heard the word correctly.

“Yes, yours,” the small woman responded patiently. She waved a hand at him to follow her, and he did. Ms. Linda pulled out a small key, stuck it into the front door and opened it. The inside was spacious with wide stairs, white walls and a bright chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The inside was comfortable, warm and had the smell of vanilla permeating the air.

“This way,” Scott said as he dashed up the stairs. Cyrus followed behind with Ms. Linda taking up the rear.

Scott went down a long hallway and stopped at the last doorway on the left side of the hall. His friend gestured for him to go inside, so he did and he stopped abruptly. Inside was a large room with blue walls, a long bed covered in fluffy blankets and a brown desk with plenty of space on its surface. A lamp sat on top of a big, black dresser with four drawers going down the side. Cyrus stared at all of it with a sense of disbelief.

“This—what is this?” he questioned as he continued to look around.

“It’s your room,” Scott answered him as he leaned against the door frame.

“My room?”

“Yes.” Scott’s response was firm as he pointed to the room that was next to him. “My room is here,” he pointed to the biggest room across the way, “and Ms. Linda’s room is there.”

Ms. Linda walked up and stood beside Scott in the doorway. “This is your home Cyrus,” she explained in a voice that removed all of his doubts.

“My home?” he said slowly, letting the words process in his head. He felt an odd warmth in his chest and a bit of water started forming in his eyes. Ms. Linda walked forward and wrapped her arms around him. It occurred to him now how much he’d outgrown her, this little woman who used to pick him up when he was a little boy.

Scott walked up beside her, and she lifted one of her arms to wrap around him. Scott wound his arms around them both and leaned against them. Cyrus’s own arms wrapped around them both and they just held each other.

Home.
The word resonated through Cyrus as he clutched two people he once thought he’d never see again.
I have a home.

Though he had signed up for classes, Cyrus still found himself with two days before he had to start school. Scott and Ms. Linda, whom he was still getting used to calling ‘mom’ or ‘mother,’ bent over backwards to try to make him comfortable in his new environment. Cyrus knew they were doing everything they could, and he was grateful for everything they did for him. However, he knew they couldn’t erase his fears or apprehensions completely. He also was afraid he might be bothering them with how much time they were spending trying to help him adjust.

Thus, it was that in the early evening before dinner on his second day in his house, he decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood. Scott offered to go with him, but Cyrus politely declined. He wanted some time alone to think. Ms. Linda, perhaps sensing his mood, told him to go ahead and go, but to be back for dinner. He told her he would be and left.

It was an odd thing for Cyrus, coming and going whenever he pleased. It was even odder to step outside and hear the sound of cars driving on the street and people of all ages walking up and down the sidewalks. He placed his hands in his pockets and started walking back towards where they had eaten lunch two days ago.

Cyrus scanned the buildings as he went past, amazed at how each one had its own individual differences. It wasn’t just the buildings that peaked Cyrus’s interest though. Everything was so different from what he was used to that he had a hard time knowing where to look.

He kept on walking until he reached the street with several different restaurants and a grocery store in a cul-de-sac. There were two different bakeries, a pizza place, a burger joint and a Chinese restaurant. For a moment, Cyrus stood and enjoyed the various smells wafting around him. It was then that he realized a lot of people were staring at him. In fact, most everyone who passed by him on the street was giving him an odd look. Like they were trying to place him or as if he were very strange to them.

Cyrus did his best to ignore it, but eventually he started feeling self-conscious as every person he passed stared in his direction. Suddenly, the noise of the people talking around him, along with the bustle of people moving in and out of the restaurants and stores became a bit too much for him. He walked around the cul-de-sac, where he stood outside of a restaurant with a light brown facade and the letters, “Greenwald’s Bar and Restaurant,” and took a deep breath. There weren’t many people around, so he was able to calm his nerves.

It was only a few minutes before he felt eyes on him again, coming from the direction of the restaurant behind him. Cyrus turned to see a young woman around his age staring at him with an intense gaze. Their eyes met, and she glanced away for a brief moment to tuck a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear. When she returned her gaze to him, Cyrus saw that she was studying him. For what, he wasn’t sure, but he was tired of being stared at. Just as she took a step towards him, he turned and started walking back towards his house.

Do I look strange? he wondered as he kept his eyes focused on the sidewalk as to avoid eye contact. Does the perfect world leave some kind of mark on you that I can’t see? Or is just that I’m behaving strangely? It’s not like I’d know if I was …

When Cyrus arrived back home, dinner was being set on the table. Ms. Linda must have sensed that something was wrong because she asked him as much. Not knowing how to explain his situation, Cyrus said he was hungry from his walk. He ate and listened to Ms. Linda and Scott talk about mundane things before he went back to his room. He knew he should turn in early that evening as he was going to start school tomorrow.

I wonder if everyone in school is going to stare at me as well, he thought pessimistically as he lay his head down on his pillow. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.

When Monday morning arrived, Cyrus was woken up early via his alarm clock. It was 6 o’clock in the morning, and he had to be sure that he was in time for his morning classes. He got up and put on his new clothes, courtesy of Ms. Linda. It was odd for him, not being assigned what clothes he should wear every day, but he was getting used to it. He threw on a green T-shirt and some khaki pants before leaving his room to get some breakfast.

Ms. Linda was already up and preparing to leave for work. After she had made it to the Pittsburgh Dome, she got a job as a secretary to help pay for some technical classes in accounting. Once she finished school, she took a position at one of the local banks and was now the manager of her own small credit union.

Before she left, she asked Cyrus if he had everything he needed for the day. Scott was going to walk him to school before heading to his own internship at a computer company, so he didn’t have to worry about directions that day. He reassured her that he did, and she wished him good luck before heading to work.

Cyrus got ready quickly and was ready to go with plenty of time to spare. Scott was ready a few minutes later, and the pair left the house together. The air was warm and a bit muggy as they made their way to the school. Scott and Cyrus chatted amiably as they walked down the street.

“So, is there anything I need to know before I start these classes?”

“I can’t think of anything,” Scott told him as they drew closer to the building. “It will be a lot like school in the perfect world. You’ll sit in a chair and listen to your teachers talk to you. You’ll have homework. The only difference is that you’ll actually learn something.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Cyrus said as they reached the entrance. “The way you were talking, I was beginning to think I was going to spend my mornings bored out of my mind all over again.”

Scott laughed. “It isn’t all going to be interesting all the time, but it won’t be as skull-crushingly dull as you’re used to.” He clapped Cyrus on the shoulder. “As long as you put in some effort, they’ll be happy with you. I’m sure you’ll find some things you’re interested in as well.”

“I hope so,” he replied as he moved to go inside.

“I’ll come around later to walk you to the psychiatrist for your appointment.”  

“Oh, right, that,” Cyrus said with little enthusiasm. “Um, thanks.”

“Meaning ‘no thanks.’” Scott smiled. “I told you before, it won’t be so bad. Now, get to class before you’re late.”

“See you later, Scott.”

“Later!”

Cyrus turned away from his friend and pushed open the doors. The same musky smell greeted him, followed by the familiar scent of coffee. This time, however, there were quite a few people inside the building. Some were a few years younger than he was, others looked to be around his age. Many of them turned to glance in his direction and stared at him for a moment before turning away again. Some whispered and pointed at him as they walked away. Feeling self-conscious, Cyrus made his way to the reception desk he’d been to previously.

The same woman from the last time was sitting there, sipping at her coffee. She smiled a big smile at him as he walked over and held out a piece of paper with his schedule.

“Hello, my dear,” she said cheerfully. “Do you need some help finding your first class?”

“Um, yes,” Cyrus replied, not really sure of where to go in this building.

“Here, let me see your schedule.” The plump woman held out her hand, and he handed her his schedule. “Okay, so you have mathematics first in Room 101 A. If you walk to your right, you’ll come to a long hallway. This is where we have our tutoring rooms. It will be a small room at the end of the hallway to your left. You also have your science class in this room. Your other courses will be done in Room 101 B, which should be right next to the first room. Do you understand?”

“I think so,” Cyrus said uncertainly.

The woman gave a small chuckle. “You’re an honest one, aren’t you? Let me know if you can’t find it.”

“Sure. Oh and thank you!” he added as he started walking in the direction she told him to go. He was moving quickly, trying to weave his way through all the people without bumping into them. He didn’t want to be late on his first day.

Fortunately, he was able to navigate the building without any trouble and found Room 101 A. He pushed open the door and inside he found a tall, lanky man with grayish-brown hair and thick glasses. He was wearing a loose blue dress shirt and black dress pants. He seemed engrossed in something he was doing at his desk, his pencil moving frantically across the page.

Cyrus stood awkwardly in the doorway before he cleared his throat and said, “Um, excuse me?”

The man looked up, blinking his blue eyes and staring at him as if he didn’t know why he was there. He checked the clock on the nearby wall and looked back at him with an expression of surprise.

“I’m afraid I lost track of the time. You must be Cyrus Wright.” The man’s voice was very mild, but there was some energy behind it. “I’m Mr. Davis. Pleased to meet you.” He held out his hand, and Cyrus hesitantly took it. The man shook it, released his hand and gestured to the chair across the table, “Please sit down.”

Cyrus did as he was told, and Mr. Davis began clearing away his book and notebook. “Sorry about this mess. Geometry is my favorite recreational math, and I tend to get a little caught up in it whenever I do a problem.”

“Uh-huh,” Cyrus said in reply. He wasn’t actually sure what Geometry was, so he didn’t really get it.

“Do you not know what Geometry is?” Mr. Davis asked as if reading his mind.

Cyrus blushed. “No, sir.”

“Well, that’s all right. That’s quite normal given the situation you’ve just come out of. Nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Thanks, sir,” Cyrus said as he met the man’s eyes again.

“You don’t need to worry about it anyway. We’re starting at the very basics today, just to test what you know. Here, let’s start with some addition. Do you have a pencil and notebook with you?”

“Oh, right.” Cyrus hastily fumbled with his backpack and took the items from his bag. When he placed the rectangular, black device Ms. Linda had called a student’s notebook on the table in front of him, Mr. Davis raised a hand in protest.

“Not that one. You’ll use a paper notebook for this class. It’s too easy for those blasted things to do the work for you, otherwise.

“Oh,” Cyrus felt a knot form in his stomach, “I’m afraid I’ve only got this one.”

“That’s okay. You can use one of mine,” Mr. Davis reassured him as he pulled a spare notebook out from his stack of math books and handed it to Cyrus. The young man took it and thanked his teacher. He placed it on the table in front of him and waited for further instruction.

The rest of the period passed quickly with Cyrus proving himself to be quite capable at the basics of mathematics. Mr. Davis looked pleased at his work as their session drew to a close.

“Well, suffice it to say, you know your basics. That’s better than a lot of people we get out of that system. Hopefully, this means we won’t have to have you re-learn certain methods, and we can move on to Algebra.” He looked up at the clock and closed his math book. “That’s it for this lesson. You’ve got ten minutes until the next class starts. If you need to stretch your legs or get a drink of water, now would be a good time.”

Cyrus got up to stretch his legs, having enjoyed his first lesson. Science was next, and he was also taught that by Mr. Davis. The man was clearly very smart and had a passion for both subjects. They started the science lesson by talking about hypothesis, theories, and scientific methods. He had learned a bit of this in the perfect world, but much of it was incorrect, so Cyrus had a lot of questions.

Once science class was ended, he moved to the other room for history and English. He sat down and waited for his next instructor to arrive. A few minutes later, a man with bushy brown hair and a mustache entered the room. He was wearing a vest over his dress shirt and carrying a bundle of books in his arms. Cyrus wondered how he could stand wearing a vest during the summer.

The man smiled at him and said, “Nice to meet you, Cyrus Wright. My name is Mr. Schumacher. I’ll be your history and English tutor.” Somehow he managed to shift the books in his arms around and hold out a hand for him to shake. Cyrus took it gingerly, hoping the movement wouldn’t cause all the books to fall to the floor.

Mr. Schumacher took a seat and, though he said nothing about it, Cyrus felt a wave of intelligence coming from this man. He informed Cyrus that they would be studying both world and American history. Not knowing quite what the latter was, Cyrus merely nodded his head to show he had heard.

The next two hours went by in a flash. Cyrus found history far more interesting than he ever had in the perfect world. It was also the most overwhelming subject. The history he had taught had been completely skewed to fit an agenda, and Cyrus realized he was going to have to learn everything from scratch. Anticipating this, Mr. Schumacher was very patient with him, and Cyrus found himself grateful for it.

Since Cyrus had to learn both world history and American history, his session was two hours instead of one. As he explained this, he asked for Cyrus’s black electronic notebook, which he promptly handed over. Mr. Schumacher downloaded the texts he was going to need for his two history courses and his English course, which he would be taking next.

In spite of the long lesson, he found he didn’t notice the time, and the session was over before he knew it. As soon as the world history book was downloaded and he clicked on the maps in the front of the book, he was hooked.