Chapter 16

     “So, you got registered at the office?” Heather asked Strufis as he and Phillip came and joined the group as they headed to class. Strufis wore a collared shirt and khaki pants of Phillip’s, which seemed to fit him quite well.
     “Yeah,” Phillip answered. “We told them he was a transfer exchange student.”
     Anastasia abruptly began giggling profusely. They asked her why, and she something about foreign exchange students always being part of some big mysterious secret, a joke which for some reason Drew understood. “It’s an anime thing,” he said, grinning.
     “First class of the day is Chem AP, so this might be kinda interesting,” Heather said as they walked into the classroom, where their teacher greeted them.
     “Good morning, Mr. Brambleton!” Anastasia chimed.
     “Morning Anastasia, morning Phil. Oh, we have a visitor?”
     “This is Rufis Enstrite,” Phillip introduced Strufis calmly. (They had shortened his name a little, since his original seemed a little too suspect.) “He’s from out of town visiting the school.”
     “Welcome, Rufis! It’s a pleasure to have you here. Where are you from?”
     A bit put on the spot, Strufis stuttered, “I’m from a...country called Kansas.” Phillip grimaced at him.
     Mr. Brambleton laughed. “Yeah, it must seem like a foreign country at times. Are things much different where you live?”
     ‘Rufis’ grinned. “Sort of, but in a lot of ways it’s very much the same.”
     “Well, glad to have you! You can go ahead and sit on the side of one of the tables. We’re finishing up a lab today, so you can watch us, and if you have any questions go on and ask me or anyone. Make sure to put on lab goggles and an apron, though!”
     As they went to get the results of their alum lab from the previous lab period, Phillip muttered to Strufis, “And by the way, Kansas is a state, not a country.”
     “Like I was expecting to have a geography quiz in a chemistry class!” he whispered back irritatedly. “Give me a break, I’ve been in this world less than a day …”
     “Just telling you…”
     After they had gotten out the beaker and checked it, Strufis wanted to go use the restroom and this time Drew practically jumped to volunteer.
     As Drew lead the way to the nearest bathroom, he uncorked his bottle of questions in a very lively verbal display. “So what do you think so far? I’m guessing it was more of a one-on-one thing for you, or did you ever attend school? Things must seem kinda boring, I know, cause things aren’t as explosive or exciting or—”
     “You know, I really don’t know what to think right now,” Strufis said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do from here, or what’s going on back home, or what I should be doing now…” He sighed. “Who knows how long I’m going to be ending up stuck here.”
     Drew frowned sadly. “Well, we…can still go back with the translator…can’t we?”
     “And get chased around the country some more?” Strufis retorted. “I think I’ve had enough of playing fugitive for a lifetime or two.”
     “But…what do you plan on doing?” Drew asked. “I mean, I don’t think you’ll plan to just hang with us indefinitely, while hell’s breaking loose back home, right?”
     Strufis took a deep breath. Finally, he replied, “Yeah, I know this doesn’t actually solve anything, but you know, the only thing Professor Enstrite told us to do was to run. Get as far away from the people after the translator as fast as we could. You know what, we did that! Who cares if they can detect us, we’re already long gone.” They reached the bathroom.
     After they came and were heading back, Strufis paused and then looked at Drew. “Even if I wanted to go back right now, I’d still just end up taking you guys with me and getting you all involved again.”
     “All the more reason we’ve got to stick together to the end to figure this out!” Drew exclaimed. “We might’ve gotten together by accident, but we’ve gotten to know each other. You know?” Drew looked ahead of them. “It seems hard right now, but in the end we’re gonna look back and realize what a major thing we’ve accomplished; the first interdimensional travelers of both of our worlds! And by accident! I mean, you’d have to expect some weird bumps along the way, right?”
     Drew looked back at Strufis. “It was from the second you stepped into the lab yesterday. Even if I’m never involved in things like this again, I know all those mysterious things you think are only in books are out there, just waiting to be discovered. Reminding myself of that, how could I ever be depressed?”
     Strufis shook his head with a small grin on his face. “You know, Drew, you might be kind of excitable sometimes, but I haven’t met anyone as enthusiastic or optimistic as you are.”
     Drew, who had suddenly stopped dead and leaned out onto the railing of the second floor outdoor hallway, replied, “Are those guys walking onto the field…who I’m afraid they are?”
     Strufis grabbed the rails and squinted hard at them. Then his eyes widened. “…I don’t believe it. What are Mr. Templehill and his unit doing here?!”
     Professionally and assertively a man with sunglasses and a dark-skinned woman walked onto campus.
     “It looks like the rest of them are waiting at the field,” Drew noted.
     He turned around and saw Strufis whisk back into the classroom without another word. Drew followed.