So far everything had been going well. No one came and bothered Casper and no one talked to him. As he had hoped, the boy easily disappeared in the crowd, but with the massive amount of people surrounding him, he felt his appetite leaving him at a rapid pace. It was okay at first, he managed to get a few bites in but after that, it was getting too cramped and too uncomfortable. He needed to get out of there, to go somewhere safe and quiet. If someone he didn’t quite get along with bumped into him here he’d be in a lot of shit. He’d rather not cause a scene, not that he could, but the mass of people didn’t help in calming his mind. Finding Mason was something he had completely given up on and now sat poking his food absentmindedly with his fork. 

Suddenly, a little girl came and sat in front of him. Wait, what? She was like, a [i]kid[/i]. How old was she? This girl couldn’t have been older than [i]five[/i]. They let five year olds run around on their own in a sea of people where they could be trampled to the floor? She smiled at him with a polite expression and Casper returned it, a faint and gentle smile crossing his lips. This was getting too hard to maintain, however. He felt out of place and exposed to everything. It was as if he stood in a bush of thorns and moving even an inch would get him cut. 

Without another word, the boy stood and grabbed his plate. Now that he was standing, the scene appeared clearer around him. He could see the various little groups packed together and immediately noticed a tall blonde girl talking to an asian girl. Yeah, the popular kids. Casper moved to where he could dispose of his plate and saw a table by the wall with a few people gathered. Adam was also there, the head of this whole thing. Honestly, he looked like a big, bad president of some kind of super power. Maybe he was? Damn, it’s ironic when you can’t even [i]think[/i] these things around here without someone hearing you. That was the worst part of the academy, nothing was a secret. Casper didn’t have much to hide, not in his past at least, but sometimes he liked [i]having an opinion[/i]. 

Adam was talking to someone, [i]something[/i]. What the hell was that? Moving slightly to get a better view, Casper saw the fleshy creature and raised an eyebrow. Wait, he had been here last year, too. Oh well, apart from that a hooded person was sitting besides him and some other guy, along with some more people. Alright, it was time to leave. 

Trying to avoid everyone the best he could, Casper eventually managed to get out of the cafeteria and took a deep, deep breath. It felt almost like he had just emerged from a deep ocean after having held his breath for the past twenty minutes. 

Okay, if he could find his dorm, that would be great. The teachers had however not given them that information, yet. Damn it. Well, at least he could drop down in the garden. It was empty there apart from…guitar sounds? Wait, was it the guy from the boat? The guy with the guitar? Yeah, he still had the guitar, didn't he? Sure, he looked rather intimidating but Casper would honestly much rather be alone with a dude who could beat him into the ground than hang out in the crowd in the cafeteria. With another breath, the boy softly moved towards the sound and peeked behind the tree, his steps naturally light and quiet against the grass. That confirmed it, it was him, smoking. Not wanting to be a bother, Casper moved a slight distance from the tree and dropped down on the grass further away and produced his Playstation Vita from his shoulder bag. This was the original. Saving your progress on a copy wasn’t very effective when you wanted to actually get [i]further[/i] into the game. 

Turning the device on, Casper plugged his headset into it not to destroy the serenity of silence in the garden. He had always loved it there, it was peaceful and incredibly beautiful. He knew the way to the garden from anywhere on the school and could easily make his way there from the cafeteria without any complications. Lowering his eyes to the screen, Casper sighed slightly and started clicking the various buttons on his device. Tomorrow class would start, and his gaming device was probably going to be his best friend in the spaces between. Slicing monsters up with a katana was always fun, after all. The thought was honestly rather funny. Imagine little Casper with a katana, cutting through monstrous creatures. That’d be the day. 

After people finished up in the cafeteria, the garden would probably get crowded too but luckily Casper knew of a few secluded places where he could hang out until it was time to go 'home'. He couldn't wait for his dorm number to be assigned. So far he felt like he was drifting at sea with but a plank to hold onto. This would all be over soon.