Illusiveone
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29 : Redoing my Life, Daniel goes back a year
🕑 Added 2024-02-10 14:27:10 +0000 UTCI was walking through the crowded hallway with Matt, John, Lucia, and Joanna, both Matt and John ribbed me about the unusual situation I faced.
"Hey, Danny, if someone tries to bully you, tell them you're friends with some sophomores," Matt teased.
"Ha Ha," I replied with a mocking laugh.
"Guys, come on, lay off him. It's not his fault the school messed up his records," Lucia said, her voice laced with a mix of annoyance and concern.
"Yeah, besides, it's just a history class. It's not like he's repeating the year," Joanna chimed in, offering me a sympathetic smile.
"Thanks, guys," I muttered, appreciating their defense.
"Well, kid, this is where we leave. Don't worry, we will be right here to pick you up when it's over," John said, taking my hand into his.
I watched them leave and I looked for the class.
I hesitated at the door, taking a deep breath before stepping inside. Mrs. Thompson, the World History teacher, spotted me immediately.
"Ah, Mr. Adler, I have been expecting you. Why don't you come up here and introduce yourself?" she suggested, gesturing towards the front of the room.
Great, just what I needed. I made my way to the front, turning to face a room full of curious freshmen.
They began whispering among themselves when they saw me.
"Is that Daniel Adler…?"
"What's he doing here…?"
"Did he fail…?"
"I thought he was a genius or something…."
"Hey, everyone. I'm Daniel Adler. I'm actually a sophomore, but due to some mix-up with my homeschooling credits, I'll be sharing this class with you for a while," I explained, trying to keep it brief.
There were a few murmurs and nods of understanding.
"Alright, let's settle down. Daniel, why don't you take that seat over there?" she suggested, pointing to an empty seat.
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[Haley's commentary]
"Oh great, this guy again."
"Look, I didn't have anything against him at first, other than the fact that he was a prick to me at the party."
"Then mom saw me in the video of him dancing and grounded me for sneaking out."
Cut to the video where Haley is watching Daniel doing the now-named Adler with a look of bewilderment on her face from the sidelines.
"Also Alex won't shut up about the guy… So, I really don't want to be near him now."
"The one highlight was beating him at soda pong, though. That felt good."
"Why didn't anyone get that on video… wait, no… that would have been worse."
[End Commentary]
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I made my way to the seat, and as the class began, I looked to my side to see a very familiar girl looking at me.
"If it isn't the dance machine himself," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
I was puzzled by her greeting. What did I do to deserve that?
"Oh, you must be a fan. Glad you enjoyed the video," I retorted with a smirk.
She rolled her eyes, clearly not amused. "Fan? More like a captive audience. It's hard to avoid when everyone's talking about it and witnessing it firsthand."
Firsthand… Wait a minute. I remember this girl; she was at the party. She was the one who beat me in the end.
"You were at that party," I realized aloud.
"Oh, you remember. How does it feel to be bested by little old me, the king of pong?" she teased mockingly.
"Do we have a problem? I feel like you have a grudge against me or something," I inquired.
"Oh please, as if I have time to think about you," she shot back.
Okay, I give up. I don't think I will ever understand women.
We continued this back and forth and I started to find her strangely endearing.
Eventually, I redirected my attention to the lesson, which was about the Renaissance. Towards the end, the teacher started to engage us more directly.
"Can anyone name an important figure from the Renaissance?" she asked, scanning the room.
Silence filled the room as everyone avoided her gaze, suddenly finding their textbooks infinitely interesting. I saw Mrs. Thompson's eyes focus on Haley.
This should be interesting, I thought.
"Miss Dunphy, perhaps you'd like to answer," she suggested. Haley, caught off guard, glanced around as if the answer might magically appear in front of her.
She leaned closer to me, whispering, "Hey, genius, give me a hint here."
Trying to stifle a laugh, I whispered back, "Leonardo da Vinci."
Haley's eyes lit up with recognition, or so I thought. She turned back to Mrs. Thompson, confidently announcing, "Leonardo DiCaprio."
The room erupted into a mixture of gasps and stifled giggles. Mrs. Thomson, trying to maintain her composure, remarked, "Well, that's closer than I expected from you."
Unbothered by her blunder, Haley shrugged and shot me a look of mock gratitude.
I had a look of utter confusion on my face. How dumb can a person be?
"Thanks for the help," she said sarcastically.
"Well, I did realize you would be this dumb," I bit back.
"Hey," she replied, taken aback.
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I was at John and Joanna's place for our first D&D session of the year, and this time Jack, Joanna and John's brother, was there as well.
"That was amazing, Daniel. You are way better at this than me," Jack said as we finished the game.
"Thanks, Jack. I try my best," I replied modestly, packing up my notes.
Matt, Joanna, John, and Lucia were still seated around the table.
"Hey, everyone, before we call it a night, Joanna and I have something to share with you," I announced, catching their attention.
They looked at me curiously.
"We've finally finished the song we've been working on," Joanna added, her voice tinged with excitement.
"Really? That's awesome! Can we hear it?" Lucia asked eagerly, leaning forward.
Joanna nodded, fetching her laptop from the other room. "Give me a second to set this up," she said as she opened her laptop and connected it to a small set of speakers.
Though I helped with the song, it was mostly Joanna who wrote it. I only helped her along with the melody.The song was inspired by "Runaway" by AURORA.I did't even remember the lines properly but that was no problem as Joanna did most of the work.
There was a hush of anticipation as Joanna clicked play. The room filled with the haunting beauty of the song brought to life by Joanna..
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I was listening to the whispers,
I saw a vision in the clouds.
But when I reached out to touch it,
It faded into the mist.
I had a dream, I was fearless,
Finding my path in a world so wide.
I saw a light of courage,
Waiting with doors open wide, as my guide.
And I was stepping out bravely,
Would I find my place under the sun someday?
………………………………..
………………………………..
I was sketching my future,
The picture was a portrait of me.
And for a moment, I believed I was there,
But now, it's time to truly be.
And all this time, I've been finding,
Finding the truth that lies within.
I've been placing fears behind me,
On the furthest shelf, it's time to begin.
……………………………..
……………………………..
But yes, guide me forth,
Guide me forth to where I shine.
I have no reason to stay low.
Yes, guide me forth,
Guide me forth to where I shine.
I have no reason to stay low.
Yes, guide me forth,
Guide me forth to where I shine.
I won't hide it anymore.
But I kept searching for a place to be bold,
And I kept searching for a place to be bold,x 3
I won't hide it anymore.
(I might change this song i just changed some lines from the original by Runaway AURORA)
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As the song played, Joanna and I watched everyone's reactions. Their faces reflected a range of emotions from awe to admiration.
Lucia was the first to break the silence as the last note faded, clapping enthusiastically. "Wow, that was incredible!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement.
Everyone else erupted into applause as well.
"That was incredible! I knew teaming up with Daniel would be a great idea," John exclaimed, wrapping his sister in a congratulatory hug.
"Seriously, that was really good," he continued, turning towards me.
"I did't do much your sister here did all the work"I replied truthfully.
"You guys should definitely post it on YouTube," Matt chimed in enthusiastically.
"That's exactly what we're planning," I responded.
"Wow, how did you manage to get her on board with that?" Lucia asked, playfully nudging me.
"Well, I can be very persuasive," I replied with a smirk.
Jack, who had been quiet, finally spoke up, "I'm not surprised. I've always known Joanna had this in her, and Daniel, thank you for helping my sister."
"Oh, it's nothing. Like i said she did most of the work," I said, looking at Joanna.
Joanna blushed at the compliments, a mix of pride and bashfulness evident on her face. "Thank you, everyone. This means a lot."
The group continued to discuss the song, and we uploaded it to YouTube and other social media then and there. I had already promised we would work on another song; this time, I was planning to have her sing a Disney song outright with no changes.
Joanna could be a huge star she had all the skills but she was very self-conscious and self-doubting, so she only needed a little nudge in the right direction.
