NEW LIFE : A SECOND CHANCE

**Flashback**

The Sage Class was located at the Administrative Building and on the same floor as the Principal's Office. Since it was a special class that comprised of both lower and upper secondary students, it was felt that it was best that its location was not in either Cherry or Blossom Wing.

It also made it easier for the Principal to monitor the students. Ideally, it would have been near the library but there was no empty classrooms nearby so this location was its next best place.

Sage Classroom was truly unique.

First, it was as big as two classrooms combined. It did not have a teacher's desk and whiteboard in front with rows of tables and chairs of the students facing the front. Instead, it had 10 L-shaped desks and office-type swivel chairs scattered around the room. There was a computer on top of each desk and on its right, a 3 tier bookshelf on it and right underneath, a small cabinet.

These desks were actually on the outer parts of the classroom while the middle had beanbags on a carpet. In front of the classroom were a small sink, a water dispenser, fridge, microwave oven, and a kettle. There were 11 sets of cutlery (spoon, forks, knife, chopsticks etc), plates, bowls and cups. It was like a mini apartment-slash-office.

When everyone first entered the classroom, they thought they had entered the wrong room. THIS was a classroom?

After checking the big sign over the doors that proudly proclaimed 'Sage Class', all of them entered eagerly. There wasn't much of a fight over the tables and the Elite Five let the others choose first before taking theirs.

The Elite Five were the only first-year students who were childhood friends and obviously close, so things were a bit awkward at first since the other five were practically strangers to everyone else. After everyone had chosen their seats, they were looking at each other awkwardly until Kyle flopped onto the beanbags and shouted, "This is the LIFE!"

Ali and Xing Han looked at each other and without another word, plopped right next to Kyle while Sam just sat down properly.

Kyle pulled Kay's hand and she fell inbetween his legs. He put his arms around her waist from behind (as she fell with her back facing him) and his chin on her shoulder. He grinned as he looked up towards the rather shocked and frozen members of Sage Class.

"As you know, I'm Kyle and this is my twin sister, Kayla," Kyle said, "And to set the record straight, we're very close and this is normal. If you find it weird ... tough. Get used to it."

Kyle figured that with such exceptionally intelligent people, he wasn't going to beat around the bush with them. The last thing he wanted was to pretend around them about how he acted with Kay and he did not want to have to put up with any weird looks and so forth.

Kay smacked Kyle's head and pinched his nose hard.

"OW KAY!" Kyle shouted, rubbing his now reddish nose, "Why did you do that for?"

"Don't be such a bully," Kay admonish him then she looked at the others while giving her sweet smile, "Nice to meet everyone. I hope we can get along."

"Muhammad Ali, but you can call me Ali!"

"Xing Han, best friend of Kyle here," said Xing Han with a wave.

Kyle turned to him with a smirk, "What sort of introduction is that?!"

"Hey, I need to declare it! BFFs!!" Xing Han replied with a huff.

"What? Do you think we're still in Primary school? As if they're going to steal me away or something!" Kyle said then his eyes went wide open before he quickly disentangled himself from Kay to escape. Alas, he was too late.

Xing Han tackled Kyle, who then fell and he sat on Kyle while starting to mess up Kyle's hair. Kyle put up his hands to tickle him but Xing Han held it in and rubbed his hands even more on Kyle's hair.

"Sam," said Sam curtly then looked at the wrestling pair in front of him, "That's another normal thing, by the way. You can ignore the little kids there."

Xing Han and Kyle stopped 'fighting' then stared at Sam, before laughing and getting up, "Hey! You're the youngest among us, you know. Your 12th birthday is only next week!!"

Sam snorted while the others were shocked again. Kay used her fingers to help smoothen back Kyle's hair while she explained that Sam had skipped a grade in Primary school so he was a year younger. When Beatrice heard this, she was flabbergasted. He neither looked like a pre-teen nor acted like one. If they hadn't said it, she wouldn't have known!

"It's only my biological age, not my mental age" Sam countered, "And to think the next President of the Student Council is so .... I don't know?"

"Playful? Cute? Adorable?" Kyle said helpfully.

"Childish," Sam replied.

"But a cute childish President," said Kyle with a grin.

Sam rolled his eyes while fixing his glasses then they all looked at the others to introduce themselves as well.

"Ingrid, 3rd year"

"Natasha, 4th year. Next year is my final year," she said sadly as she looked around her. If only Principal Godric had come sooner. She could have enjoyed this class for longer.

"Stanley, but please call me Stan. 3rd year."

"Terence, or Trent. 2nd year," said the only second year in the group. He had felt rather out of place at first but after seeing Kyle's antics, he began to feel more comfortable. Perhaps his new classmates wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Beatrice, third year," said Beatrice curtly, and unlike the others, was not smiling. She found the whole scene to be completely new and utterly inappropriate behaviour for the Elite students of Sakura Academy.

Kyle saw Beatrice's eye twitch and he grinned. Beatrice just couldn't quite reconcile the Kyle she was looking at right now, with the Kyle that had effectively taken down the previous Student Council. Was he like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Which was the 'real' Kyle? Either way, both 'Kyles' was rather intriguing though this Kyle was slightly more annoying.

Just then, Principal Godric came in and everyone got up. He waved his arms about, indicating that they could continue whatever they were doing.

"Well, nice to see everyone settling down," Principal Godric said as he stood there, "What do you think about the room?"

Everyone clapped with a smile. Godric was happy. The room had been designed by him, with some great feedback from Kyle. The concept was self-learning and thus, there need not be any teachers monitoring them. Each desk was an 'island' on its own so that they could conduct their own research comfortably.

Of course, all work and no play would not be conducive, so there were the 'lounge' area and a small place for them to be able to eat and have snacks. He had even wanted to put in a television but Kyle said it was a waste of money. There was always Netflix if they truly wanted a break and watch something.

"The idea of Sage Class is simple," Principal Godric began, "To get into a good University after you graduate. All of you are more than qualified to already obtain good grades in the O-Levels*, so that path is rather set. What you should do is to pad up your CV# so that your future is much more secure and bright."

"Thus, on top of ensuring that you keep up with the finals, you can do your own research and work. Kyle is the Class Representative, so if you need any materials or even a mentor, you go see him. He'll get it done. It's part of his duties as the President of the Student Council as well," Principal Godric explained.

All eyes - except the Elite Five, of course - went straight to Kyle who then just gave a grin and a victory smile.

That person was in charge? Although skeptical, they took it in their strides. Among all of them, Beatrice was the one that could adapt the best although she was also the quietest. The others took some time to accept Kyle as their 'leader' - or rather, as someone to turn to should they reach a stumbling block. After all, how could you rely on someone so much younger than you?

However, Kyle slowly convinced them throughout the time they were together, starting with organising Sam's surprise birthday party. Now, you might think that doing such a thing was quite simple, right?

The thing is, Kyle managed to not only get food, but he had also done it within five days. Plus, everything was sponsored by the people who provided the food AND he actually sneaked it all in without anyone the wiser!

Not only was Sam surprised, but the others were also. When they (that is, Natasha, Trent, Ingrid, Beatrice and Stanley) first entered Sage Class, they just looked at their decorated classroom in shock. When did the long table full of food come? When did the balloons and ribbons be put up?

Kyle was just bouncing around those party poppers on their table while Ali's face was turning blue with all the blowing he was doing on the balloon.

"Wha-a-" Beatrice stammered.

"Sssssssh," Kyle said, "Quickly, close the door. It's Sam's birthday today."

"How-"

"Sssssssh," Kyle whispered again, "It's a secret."

Kay and Xing Han were in charge of stalling Sam, so the moment he walked through the door, they all shouted, "SURPRISE!!" then started popping the streamers. Sam just stood there, unmoving while the streamers covered him.

The celebration lasted for a few hours, and it also served as a good way to break the ice among all of them. The thing is, as Sam sat among them and watched everyone warming up, he noticed that Beatrice was still rather stiff. She did sit with them but she never initiated any conversation and merely listened to the others being rather boisterous.

Then again, who was he to judge when he, himself, tended to be quiet? Perhaps she was like him who just liked to sit back and experience everything.