Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Owen quickly gauged their identities from their ages and appearances.

Smiling, he stepped forward to greet them, "Hey there, Mr. And Mrs. Cole, I'm Owen Reynolds, Roseanne's neighbor." Roseanne snapped back to the moment and promptly introduced everyone.

"...Dad, Mom, this is Mr. Reynolds. He lent me his lab."

Norris seemed to have an epiphany, "I had no idea Mr. Reynolds was so young, quite the achiever."

Madge was slightly surprised too, but recovering, she smiled, "Thank you for looking after our Anne these past days." "No worries at all, feel free to call me Owen or just Owen, really."

Just Owen?

Was he placing himself on the same level as Anne?

"Uh? This..." Norris noticed something in Owen' hand, a leather-bound item that seemed both like and unlike a book.

Owen explained, "This is a 'Desk Calendar Notebook' I borrowed from Mr. Martin over at Twilight Peak Academy's Physics Department."

Worried Norris might not catch on, he elaborated, "This 'Desk Calendar Notebook' is a tradition within the Physics Department at Twilight Peak Academy. Each professor hands it down to their most outstanding student of the session, based on the current trending research topics, to jot down notes whenever."

"While it originally asks for just notes, these students usually include their own analysis on trending topics and future research directions. The notebook is handed down each generation, typically every four years, from one student to the next after graduation."

"Mr. Martin has compiled the notes made by his students over the years, binding them annually, much like a regular desk calendar, hence the name 'Desk Calendar Notebook"."All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.

Owen had tried to minimize the jargon, opting for straightforward wording, yet it seemed a bit hard to grasp.

Because Norris looked somewhat bewildered after the explanation.

It was as if he was completely lost.

Owen apologized, "Sorry, did I make that too complicated?"

Suddenly, Madge turned to Norris, "That mentor you always talk about, wasn't his surname also Martin?"

Owen was surprised. "You mean Warren Martin?"

"Yes, yes, Warren!"

Owen was even more astonished, "Mr. Cole, re you graduated from Twilight Peak Academy's Physics Department?"

Norris scratched the back of his head with a sheepish look, "Embarrassing, really. Mr. Martin's students are mostly on the research path, now essentially the big names in their respective fields, and here I am. well, not quite as

accomplished..."

He had even kept a direct Ph.D. spot reserved for him.

But he chose to return to Pinehollow, to stay by his parents' side, refusing the kind offer from his mentor.

Since then, mentor and student had never seen each other again.

"How's Mr. Martin doing?"

Owen replied, "Fit as a fiddle."

Norris nodded, "He was always full of energy. As long as he's healthy that's great. Owen, you're also from Twilight Peak Academy's Physics Department?"

Owen clarified, "I studied physics, but I'm from Kingswell University."

Norris brightened up, "Physics, huh? Delving into the endless mysteries. Which specific area are you researching..."

"Alright," Madge quickly intervened, "Mr. Reynolds has to leave; can you give it a rest?"

Norris realized he had been holding Owen up and noticed the bag in Owen's hand: "Sorry about that, I get carried away talking about these things. You go ahead with your

plans."

"No problem at all, I enjoyed our chat. You've just arrived today, so I won't keep you. Let's catch up again after you've settled in."