— Thomas?

A soft voice reached Thomas's ears. He felt a slight breath on his cheek, which woke him from his sleep. He shyly opened his eyes, but the light on the ceiling forced him to close them.

— What time is it ? he asked

— It's 5:30 a.m. Wake up, you know very well that today we absolutely have to be early.

Thomas felt the presence of a hand on his right shoulder, he turned to avoid the light from his bedroom overhead light, then opened his eyes once again. He then saw a figure grow sharper and sharper as he emerged, then smiled at her. Alicia was standing in front of him, dressed simply in a little black nightie with satin highlights. The clothing was still quite loose, which made it difficult for Thomas to distinguish the teenager's curves. She smiled back at him and then approached the door.

— Go take a shower, it will do you good, she said. I will go after I eat.

— Ok, see you now, answered Thomas.

After Alicia left the room, he got up from his bed, not without difficulty. Outside, the daylight still struggled to break through the darkness of the night. The few days that have passed since her arrival had allowed her to bond with Alicia, but also to familiarize herself with the habits of her host family. He had gradually taken his marks, and now knew the rules of the house perfectly.

In order for him to discover Orlando, other than through the window of the school bus that will take him to high school each day, James and Tracy suggested that he travel around town when Alicia attended her evening classes. Thomas, although surprised, was not averse to this idea. This will undoubtedly allow him to see the city from a new perspective, far from the hustle and bustle of the school, and, alone, to be able to soak up at his own pace. He would remain reachable anyway and wasn't the type to take reckless risks anyway, especially in a place he didn't know.

Today meant a new step for Thomas. The day he had waited for so long, the day of a dream that finally came true, the day a new adventure began. Today he was about to have an experience that many young people his age envied. Today, he was ending a life of proxy to fully embrace what still seemed unimaginable to him some time ago.

His head still a little in the clouds, Thomas took some clean things from his closet and then left his room. In his pajamas, he walked up the upstairs hallway and opened the bathroom door. He put his things on a small stool by the shower, well turned the door latch.

About fifteen minutes later, Thomas came out of the bathroom, dressed in a white shirt and freshly ironed black jeans. He walked up the stairs and ran into Alicia on the downstairs.

— Here’s someone well dressed, said Alicia. I will stains next to you.

Thomas didn't have the repartee to respond to what seemed like a compliment to him and a criticism for her. Instead, he could only smile stupidly as he continued down the steps.

When he got to the kitchen, he saw James cleaning the countertop.

— Ah, there you are Thomas, he exclaimed. I've been on a big round of pancakes, don't hesitate to serve yourself.

Delighted with this delicate touch, and just as happy that he didn't have to make his own breakfast, Thomas went to the fridge, opened it, and took out a large bottle of orange juice. He poured himself a drink, thanked James, then picked three pancakes from the pile in front of him. He took a high stool and came to sit in front of the central kitchen island. Finally, he doused his plate with maple syrup, picked up fork and knife, and began to eat. Seeing the syrup dripping, Thomas remembered the caramel he used to put on hot pancakes. The color was similar, but the syrup was more runny, almost honeyed.

Thomas gobbled up his meal in a matter of minutes, urged not to be late as much as he was excited about what to expect. He put the cutlery, glass and plate in the dishwasher, put the bottle of orange juice back in the fridge, then headed for the bathroom to finish getting ready. Arrived at the door, he heard only a slight sound of flowing water.

— You have a long time to go, he asked after knocking on the door.

— You can come, I'm almost ready.

Thomas walked into the bathroom and saw Alicia in front of her mirror, brushing her teeth.

— Sorry to disturb you while you get ready, he apologized.

— No worries, she mumbled, her toothbrush still in her mouth.

She spat in her sink, then resumed a more audible conversion.

— No problem, we mustn't be late.

As Thomas grabbed his toothbrush in one hand and toothpaste in the other, Alicia opened a drawer and pulled out a hairdryer. She cranked it up to maximum speed, and quickly her wet brown hair turned dry. She then glanced at her reflection, and picked up one of the cosmetics scattered around her sink. While Thomas gave last strokes of waxed hands through his hair to perfect his hairstyle, Alicia took care to put on eyeliner, black eyeshadow and lipstick “nude” effect. At this moment, Thomas only had eyes for his sooty gaze.

— I'm going to get my backpack in my room, he said.

Visibly focused on the last details she applied to his face, Alicia didn't respond and just stared at Thomas in the eyes through the reflection in the mirror.

Thomas took a few seconds to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, then walked out of his room, his backpack slung over one shoulder. At the same time, Alicia came out of the bathroom, and closed the door while pulling on a burgundy red bomber jacket with white sleeves. When she turned to Thomas, he noticed that she was wearing a simple gray t-shirt underneath with black jeans. His gaze then fell on the initials HB embroidered at the heart. Thomas didn’t have to think too long to understand its significance since, letting Alicia come down before him, he read "Harvey Benjamin High School" written on his back.

She grabbed her backpack at the foot of the stairs and then the pair made their way to the garage, where James was waiting.

— Are you ready for this first day? he asked.

Alicia and Thomas nodded at the same time.

— So, by car!

The high school was located about half an hour from the Walker family home. If, usually, a school bus will come to pick up Thomas and Alicia and all the other teenagers in the neighborhood every day, today it was different. Thomas and Alicia had decided to go to school earlier so that the latter could give him a quick tour of the school. Thomas remembered his return to high school in France, in second grade, and the difficulty of finding his way around in a new environment, much bigger than he had known until then. Having a guide by his side and a few minutes in front of him was therefore no objection.

* * *

The SUV slowed down as it approached a huge building, the facade of which was partially lit by the light of a few street lamps and the rising sun. Considering the early hour they arrived, James had no trouble parking nearby.

— Here we are, have a good day, he exclaimed.

Thomas and Alicia got out of the vehicle and waved their hand at James, who gave them back and drove in the opposite direction.

Now alone with Alicia, he followed the latter who was advancing at a good pace, obviously determined not to lose a second of the precious lead they had before a crowd of teenagers gathered more or less happy to return to high school. . The rising sun was beginning to reveal the contours of the large building facing Thomas. As he walked in her direction, walking down a path through freshly mown lawns and tall palm trees, he made out a sort of sharp-edged arch glued to the building. The sun began to strike her with its rays, and Thomas could read the inscription engraved on it, tens of meters above his head: "Home of the Panthers".