Chapter 2: The Walking Disaster Has Returned—Repeat, He Is Back!
When Elias and Eve arrived at school, they went their separate ways. Elias headed to his first class of the day: English.
As he stepped into the room. It seemed he was the first student to arrive, he could only spot the tiny figure of his teacher, Mrs. Alden, busy writing a list of vocabulary words with great focus across the whiteboard. She hadn't even noticed her cardigan slipping off her shoulders or Elias walking in.
"Morning, Mrs. Alden," Elias said as he approached.
Startled, she jumped—clearly not expecting anyone yet. Her black glasses comically flew off her face, though she managed to catch them mid-air before they hit the ground. She hurriedly slipped them back on and squinted at him.
"Elias! I'm so glad to see you've returned," she said with a gentle smile. She smoothed down her disheveled brown hair, slightly embarrassed at being caught off guard.
Elias politely pretended not to notice the minor spectacle. "Yeah, I'm back. I'll probably need a bit of help catching up on the stuff I missed."
Mrs. Alden hummed in agreement, then paused, her brow creasing in concern. After a brief hesitation, she asked, "Are you doing okay? I heard a bit from the principal... about your parents. Are they still missing? Are you sure you don't want to take a little more time off?"
Elias gave her a small, reluctant smile and ran a hand through his fringe. "I'm okay, thank you. For now, we're still not sure where they are, but… hopefully, they'll turn up soon."
"There's still 30 minutes before class starts. Let's go to my office and grab the materials you're missing," she said, gesturing toward the door.
Elias agreed, and the two headed for her office.
When they arrived, Mrs. Alden quickly grabbed a stack of documents clearly prepared ahead of time and handed them to Elias.
"Here's the work you missed. Let me know if you're having trouble with anything," she said, adjusting her glasses. Then, after a pause, she added, "Even if it's not school-related. You and your sister can always come to me. I know I'm just your teacher, but with your parents gone... if you guys ever want to mooch a meal off my husband and me, feel free."
Elias smiled in gratitude. "Thanks. But for now, I'm mostly trying to avoid spontaneous combustion or falling pianos."
Right then, a loud clatter echoed from around the corner.
Elias stiffened. "And there it is."
Mr. Carver's unmistakable bark followed. "Who the hell left a mop bucket in the middle of the hall?!"
Around the corner stormed Mr. Carver—gym coach and reigning king of overreactions. His perfectly polished shoes were now soaked, and his pants clung wetly to his legs.
He was already pointing a furious finger before he registered who was standing in front of Mrs. Alden.
"You!" he barked, then paused. His eyes landed on Elias.
Elias gave a casual wave, trying his best not to break into giggles "Hi, Mr. Carver. Rough morning?"
Carver's fury short-circuited. His muscle-for-brains body locked up like a startled statue. He stared at Elias as if realizing he'd just spilled salt while walking under a ladder—during a black cat competition.
"I— No. I was just saying…" He cleared his throat and took a large step back, as if mere proximity might trigger another disaster. With stiff composure, he adjusted his tie, cleared his throat again, and muttered, "I'll… handle this. Myself."
He spun on his heel with as much poise as one could manage with squelching socks.
Elias turned back to Mrs. Alden. "He thinks I'm cursed, doesn't he?"
He covered his mouth with one hand, lips pressed tight as he tried to keep it together. His shoulders trembled, and he felt like his lungs might burst from holding in the laughter.
She didn't answer right away. Her lips pressed into a thin, guilty line as her fair face turned bright red. Her shoulders shook slightly—she couldn't set a bad example by laughing, no matter how tempted she was.
"…No?" she offered, not very convincingly after a few seconds.
Elias chuckled at her sad attempt to protect Mr. Carver's dignity. "It's okay. I've seen how the staff reacts when I sneeze. I'm pretty sure someone once crossed themselves."
Mrs. Alden shook her head with a tired but genuine smile. "You're not cursed, Elias."
"Tell that to Mr. Carver's dry-cleaning bill."
---
Mr. Carver cleaned up the scene and bolted down the hallway. His black hair nearly stood up in fright.
"Damn it!" he screamed internally. "That walking bad luck charm is back! I thought I'd get at least a few more peaceful days!"
You could hardly blame him. Nearly every day that Elias was around, something weird happened. Students landed in the nurse's office, and Carver himself had racked up more freak injuries than he cared to count.
There was even that one time a peacock—yes, a literal peacock—somehow wandered onto the outdoor field during Elias's P.E. class and scratched up half the students. It had been cornered and caught before it could touch Elias.
As he passed other teachers, he delivered a grim warning: "The walking disaster is back."
Several teachers paled.
It might've seemed cruel for a teacher to speak that way about a student, but in this school, Elias had a reputation. Only Mrs. Alden seemed immune to the superstition.
---
Despite the collective dread, the day continued, and lunch break rolled around. Elias headed to his usual spot by the courtyard fountain.
He sat at the edge, sipping juice through a crooked straw. His shoelaces were neatly tied. His bag stood upright. The sun shone brightly. Somewhere above, a bird cawed ominously.
A second later—SPLAT.
Elias turned to see a freshman shriek and dash off, flailing, bird poop streaked across their hoodie.
"Another one takes the fall," Elias muttered, stroking his finger through the air like he was writing a tally mark.
"Elias!" called a breathless voice. A delicate-looking boy with freckles and medium-length hair jogged over with his usual sheepish smile.
"Syler, hey buddy."
Syler glanced nervously at the scene of the incident. "Did that bird almost get you?"
"Almost?" Elias smirked. "Please. Nature respects the brand."
Syler blinked. "The… brand?"
"'Walking Disaster,' remember?" Elias sipped his juice like it was a vintage wine. "But only for everyone else." Syler lightly flicked Elias's head as if flicking away his nonsense.
Before Elias could respond to the flick, a girl with a short, boyish black haircut and striking Eastern features flopped onto the bench beside Elias. She held a sandwich in one hand and waved the other dramatically.
"Elias," she declared, her eyebrows raised in awe, "you deflected bird poop. I saw it curve mid-air. Your disaster field has physics."
"I'm a natural talent, Mina," Elias said, deadpan, rubbing his forehead."Newton would be proud."
Mina rolled her eyes and also flicked his forehead, much to his dismay. These two were Elias's only real friends. While the rest of the school kept their distance, they stuck around.
"It's like the universe wants you alive," Mina muttered, "but makes everyone else pay the insurance."
Syler chuckled. "Your life is Final Destination with a laugh track." He broke off pieces from his generously sized lunch and placed them into Elias's and Mina's hands, which they both accepted gratefully. Compared to Syler's homemade meal, their cafeteria prepared lunches looked pitiful.
Mina wrapped her arms around Syler's neck and squealed, "You cook like this every day and still won't marry me? Rude. Will you be my bride?" She grinned at him playfully.
Syler gave her a flat look, then gently pushed her face away. "Yeah, no thank you. You just want a free chef. Also–why am I the bride?!" he asked, the edges of his mouth twitching.
Elias also moved in for a hug, but Syler blocked him with an outstretched arm before he could get close.
"Don't worry, bro," Elias said, batting his eyelashes dramatically. "I won't ask you to be my wife. I'll make the sacrifice and be the wife. I'll even become a girl for you. Won't you consider?" He winked and blew a kiss, all in good fun.
"Definitely no thank you," Syler gagged, making a face.
Mina and Elias giggled, patting Syler on the back like proud clowns. They looked ready to continue the bit, but Syler stuffed more food into their mouths to shut them up.
After a long pause to chew, Mina turned to Elias. Her tone was no longer joking. "Still no updates?"
"Sympathy casseroles, awkward questions, and thoughts and prayers. Exactly what you'd expect," Elias said with a shake of his head. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
Mina elbowed him. "You know we've got your back, right? If the ceiling fan tries to murder me again, I'll die with honor."
"Hey," Elias said, "at least it missed and hit Kevin's lacrosse stick instead."
Syler nodded quickly. "Seriously, anything you need. Homework help, snacks, emotional support in the form of dry sarcasm…"
Elias stretched his arms. "You guys are too good to me. I don't deserve this level of moral support. It's like I'm the cursed anime protagonist and you're the supporting cast doomed to tragic ends."
Mina pointed a finger. "If I die in your flashback, I'm haunting Sy's lunchbox."
---
At the end of the day, Elias walked to the front exit. Eve had stayed behind to meet with a teacher.
Near the door stood a hulking blonde figure with a buzz cut. Kevin. He spotted Elias and grinned.
"Well, if it isn't the chaos gremlin and his merry band of misfits," he sneered. "You sure the school's structurally sound enough for you, Elias?"
Elias didn't stop. "You're right. Maybe you should take cover, Kevin."
Mina snorted. "Bold talk from a guy who got hit by a rogue basketball during chess club."
"That was sabotage," Kevin snapped. "And none of you deny the curse thing."
Syler flinched, adjusting his backpack like it was armor. He said nothing.
Kevin leaned closer. "Looks like your bad luck finally caught your parents too. They ghosted you hard, huh? Can't blame them."
Mina opened her mouth, but Elias gently touched her shoulder. "Not worth it. Besides, if karma's real, Kevin'll step on every LEGO ever made."
Kevin laughed coldly and turned away. "Watch the ceiling tiles," Elias hollered as Kevin left through the door.
"Absolute sphincter," Mina muttered.
"That's oddly specific," Elias said.
"I like to be accurate."
Syler looked uncomfortable. "Sorry I didn't say anything. I didn't want to make it worse."
Elias shrugged. "No big deal. Guy's built like a vending machine. Not everyone wants to get flattened."
Mina gave Syler a look, but let it go. They all exited the school and started their daily walk back from school.
Down the street, a figure in plain clothes watched them carefully. They didn't notice.
He was furious—he hadn't found the target item he was looking for in the house.
The man squinted. "Wait… that one… they're from that family?"
He gritted his teeth. "Damn it. If that person's around, I can't make a move."
While he fretted, the one he referred to turned suddenly, eyes locking straight onto him.
They furrowed their brows. "That better not be what I think it is."
"What was that, Mina?" Elias asked, turning his head towards her.
She smiled lightly. "Nothing. Thought I saw a bug."