"3 points"
I turned and saw my mates fully deep in the game
"That's not fair how is it possible that you have already got 3 points, you must be cheating!"
"Why don't you just admit that your ass in this game?"
"Excuse you?"
"Ragazzi, please stop shouting"
The history teacher said with a quiet but annoyed tone.
I turned back to the window looking at the beautiful scenery; the Alps, what an incredible view.
Some of the tallest mountains in the world spanning for kilometers and kilometers.
The freezing feeling of air in your lungs, I didn't think so but maybe this trip might be fun.
At least I hope so
"Glueup" right next to me, Marco, throws up on me.
"The hell Marco"
"Scus...glueup"
My face transforms slowly in an angry frown... disgusting
"Prof!!!"
"What is it, Nathaniel?"
"Marco throwed up on me!"
The teacher got up and forced my mate to go and sit in the front, he didn't even complain and left me.
While I clean my self up I notice a ray of light through the clouds hitting the deepts of the forest; it was, magnetic, I couldn't bringy self to look away until the bus enter into a tunnel.
We got out of it and finally arrived at Val Susa.
I wait for everyone to come down before I do because if not it always becomes a competition with Mattia and Jackie, I have learnt to stay in my place.
After that I go to the boot of the bus and get my things, fortunately my auntie knows how to do light and well packaged luggages.
After everyone got their stuff we get going ,the residences isn't that far.
The streets are quite narrow and the floor is made of sanpietrino, and fron the main road is pretty much uphill from here.
"Prof, are we there yet" Marco says breathing heavily.
"Just another 6 or 700 Metres sweetie "
Every one starts complaining, something I personally consider a waist of precious breath.
The gals randomly stop half way for a *break*, the teachers tries to get them back going but the ultimately fail.
We decide to have ten minutes break.
I look around and all I can see is a rundown-the-mill low water town, we aren't even that close to the Mount to see the perennial snow line, "sigh" I'll have to stay a full week in this godforsakened mountain town, if only my aunt didn't force...
I turn around and look at my class mates, most of them aren't used to living in the mountain side, so they are sitting and drink water, Vanessa and her following randomly entered in souvenir shop, Mattia is playing on his phone, history teacher is taking pictures, I keep turning my head, I see a local woman walking in our direction with high Hills and a lot of make up, kinda makes you wonder...
I feel a tap on my shoulder, I turn, it's Marco "I'm truly sorry for before" he says with a low voice, "it's fine, but I told you to sit on the front" "yeah, I know" "but you never listen to me" "I know" he says covering his face.
I genuinely wonder how he got safe and sound to the 2nd year of middle school.
"Ok, you guys rested enough, let's get back going!" The math teacher shouted and everyone lazily got up.
While walking up (even though I think it's more correct to say climbing up) I over hear the discussion between Jackie and Mattia.
" So that how time travel works, every time you go to the past and take and infinity stone, the timeline branches, creating a new reality"
"Wait" Mattia says "if going to the past doesn't change the future, what's the point of time traveling?".
Huh that's peculiar, I am not used to hearing common people speaking about the many world interpretation of quantum mechanics, even though it's in movie logic.
I simply can't resist butting in when someone talks about quantum physics so I try getting a lil bit closer.
Suddenly I lose my balance and find my face rushing towards the floor, instinctively I cover my face with my arms.
Hell! A sharp pain hits me on my elbows, I clench my teeth and look backwards.
Marco.
Marco was on my back; "sorry...are you hurt" he says with his lousy voice.
I get back up in a rush of rage, " why the f#ck do you keep hanging around me!" "But" "no buts, I am tired of your rubbish" "stop preying on Marco Nathaniel!" The math teacher shouts.
"Preying, what?" I ask dumbfounded "tone it down Nathan, we are in public" the history teacher says.
I see the judging eyes of my classmates, Ali see them whisper between them, I can feel I am the escape goat here; fortunately I learnt how to act long ago "sorry prof, it was a bit much, right?" I turn before he can answer "here, lemme help you out", I help him get up and I check if he is wounded, but he had quite a soft cushion during the fall so he is fine.
I quickly last my gaze on the teachers faces, they have calmed down, good.
"Come on everyone, the baita is right in front of us "
We finally got in front of our destination, it was a nice and sturdy, as I was walking I didn't notice but we actually left the town (even though I would much rather call it road with 4 houses on it) and walked the last 300 Meyers in the green of the mountain, reaching a sort of little field with low reaching trees guiding us to the entrance.
The math teacher entered first, followed by the students and then the history teacher and the science teacher.
The entrance was adorned by lilacs and clovers, for thier spicy smell field the room.
"Benarrivati, benarrivati" è young woman in her twenties keepth repeating, giving off the vibe of being paid quite well for an easy job, a catch in a good forgotten town forgotten in the middle of the mountains.
The teachers talked to the attendant as what I presume the owner came in for the registration.
He was a well built, bulky and hairy unc who forgot what a full set of hair was two decades ago.
As he shooked the teachers hands I could visibly see thier flinch from the strength of his grip.
Happy I don't get to do the formalities.
The school personally booked the hole place for us and they were clearly ready to receive us so the checkin went smooth.
As I get to my room I can see behind me Marco following me.
I turn "Are you going to givee a rest?"
"I promise I wont mess up anymore"
"Rule n1, don't touch my things, rule n1 don't disturb while I study and rule n3, no crying"
"... Ok".
We entered and left pure lougeges, when we just finished dropping bthe things the history teacher enter our room like a little birdy looking for food.
Her short brown locs where as bouncy as ever and she was wearing a light grafic white tshirt and a long red skirt and a green kitsch hand bag.
"Guys, it's time to go" she whispers."la
"Go where?" I reply.
"In the woods, where else?"
Oh no no no no no no no no; no no no no no no no
"Wait is the escurtion starting now?" Marco mumbles.
"Yes, darling "
"We literally just drop our things, after a long bus trip we should get at least one hour to gain back our strengths".
"Sigh... Your are right but... Prof Torecchi and prof Francoforte are adamant".
Great, I guess we will pass the next six hours of our life in the alpine forest studying the random birds we will see and maybe some toads and heres.
The Sun was slowly reaching the earth, and the color of the forest were becoming pastel like and vibrant.
The airis starting to become cold and light, while every one is wearing t-shirt and three-quarters me and Marco in raincoats and boots.
Everyone was looking at us with laughter while exploring the neighbouring fields.
"Ok guys, you have 30 Min of recess then we get going to our accommodation" the math teacher shouted with his booming voice.
While everyone was scattering around I looked towards the clouds, just fifteen minutes ago the sky was clear, now some heavy rain was in coming.
In the middle then I see the ray of light I noticed on the bus.
It's... Hypnotic, I start stroking towards it.
"Ahm... Nat, where a you going?"
I keep walking a and the trees become taller, the path steep and the undergrowth thicker.
"Ehm...wait...wait for me!"
Deep in the forest the rain drops where blocked by the the trees; I walk calmy, I have a strong sense of direction, I never get lost, but even do I walk as straight as possible, the mysterious Ray of light is completly out of sight.
I have basically lost all hope..."tpp pp phis place looks magical..." Marco says; "I thought I saw... Never mind, let's get back".
Just as I said that a rabbit that looked like snow spawned from a bush.
"Ahh, I need to take the picture"
Immediately it disappeared back in the woods, "I am not gone miss it" Marco states.
I look at him, he looks at me"you got five minutes, after that I am leaving you" I say as I try to scare him, ."ok, wait for me".
I look at my phone, 7:00 on the dot.
I wait, 7:02...7:04...7:05.
No trace of Marco, I hate it when he acts like this...
7:07...7:09... At 7:10 he runs my way shouting "a kid, there's another kid in the forest!"
"Stop spitting lies, why did you take soo long?!"
"Long, I stayed five Minutes just as you said"
"You are such a bad liar...and friend"
"No look!"
He showed me his phone, it was 7:05.
"What the..."
Did he change the setting in his phone just for this... No it do6make sense, it's not a watch, it can only switch time zones...
"Wait lemme try something, what's the time now?"
"7:07...why?"
"I'm going in"
"Your going to look for that guy?"
"...yes, that is exactly what I am going to do... Put a five minutes timer"
"Ok, please be careful..."
I start walking at steady pace , trying to make aech step eqal, as I proceed I see something trembling in the over growth as the raindrops start getting heavier.
The rabbit.
I follow it, deeper and deeper.
Then, suddenly, it disappears , like a ghost... It probably just went back in its borrow.
Then, I saw him out of the corner of my eye... I saw him: a guy roughly my age wearing a black raincoat like...me.
I go towards him but he keeps moving back and then gets out of my sight.
It can't be...
I run back towards Marco but it's strange, it's as if I came out the opposite side of where I went.
It is now raining heavily, I look at my phone's clock, 7:11, I stop right in front of Marco.
"What's the time?"
"7:15... The cronometre stopped three minutes ago."