Morning Rush

Juan Carlos dreamed of sailing paper boats in the fountain at Plaza del Ayuntamiento when loud knocking jolted him awake.

"Juan! Juan, you're late for school! Wake up!" His mother's voice echoed through their apartment.

He blinked at his alarm clock. Eight-thirty. School started at nine.

"No, no, no!" Juan scrambled out of bed, his wavy dark hair sticking up in all directions. He threw on his blue t-shirt and khaki shorts, grabbed his red backpack, and jammed his blue cap on his head.

His father waited by the car, keys jingling. "Hurry, son!"

They raced through Valencia's morning streets. Juan pressed his face against the window, watching familiar cafés and shops blur past. His stomach twisted with worry.

At school, he sprinted to his classroom and slid into his seat just as Señora Martinez began writing equations on the board. Her sharp eyes found his immediately.

"Late again, Juan Carlos," she said coldly.

The Dancing Light

Señora Martinez turned back to the board and began explaining fractions. Juan Carlos tried to focus, but his stomach rumbled loudly. He had skipped breakfast in his rush.

"Juan Carlos," Señora Martinez's voice cut through the classroom like a blade. "Since you're so eager to make noise, please solve this problem."

She pointed to a complex equation on the board. Juan's mind went blank. The numbers swirled together like alphabet soup.

"I... um..." he stammered.

"Stay after class," she said coldly. "Again."

The morning dragged on. Math turned to language arts, then science. Finally, the bell rang for lunch.

As Juan packed his red backpack, he noticed something odd through the classroom window. A shimmering blue light danced between the oak trees in the schoolyard. It pulsed gently, almost like it was breathing.

Other students rushed past him toward the cafeteria, but Juan couldn't look away. The light seemed to beckon, growing brighter when he stepped closer to the window.

Without thinking, he slipped out the back door. The blue glow floated just ahead of him, leading him away from school toward the old part of town.