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Chapter 2 - Unexpected Nose Bleed

"Thank you for your introduction Annabelle, now let's see," Ms. Beckett said, glancing over the room, "Ah, you can sit next to Kaori," She pointed to the empty seat next to me.

"Looks like you get to talk to the new girl," Jack whispered in a happy tone while turning around in his seat. I simply rolled my eyes. "Go get 'em, tiger," he continued.

When Anna started to approach me, I began to feel uneasy, as though I was going to perform surgery for the first time, and that's when it happened. When she was only a few feet away, I felt what seemed like runny mucus going down my nose, only to realize that it was blood when I pressed on it after it had gotten to my lip.

"Are you okay," Annabelle asked, holding out a handkerchief she pulled out of her skirt's pocket. What kind of high school student carries one of these around, I thought, as I took it from her and used it to cover my nose.

"I'll be going to the nurse's room," I informed Ms. Beckett and walked out of the room. When I arrived, I found Ms. Valenty, checking inventory, "Miss Valenty, I have a nose bleed," I struggled to say.

"Already," she questioned, moving closer to inspect my nose, "didn't class just start, don't tell me you got in a fight."

"No, It just happened," I explained.

"Well, you might be sick, did you eat this morning?"

"N-No."

"You should eat in the mornings, you're still growing," she insisted.

"Just give me my ice pack already," I said, what annoyed.

"Pinch your nose here," she said, guiding my hand to my nasal bridge, "the bleeding should stop in a minute." After the bleeding stopped, I walked back to class, although I was able to Jack's voice from the hallway. When I opened the door, I heard Jack yelled out "objection," to Rose, who was now at the front of the room.

"That's just too bad," she smugly replied, "every class representative needs and assistant."

"But why me," he shouted, exaggeratedly moving his hands in front of himself, "you know I'm unreliable, come on, chose someone else." They all turned their attention to me after Jack noticed me walking through the door. "How's your nose," he asked.

"It's fine, just a random nose bleed," I said, going to my desk. Jack and Rose continued bickering over Jack's position, and on my desk was a sheet of paper reading, "Elective's sheet."

"Crap, I have to do my art requirement," mumbled Eric, "Hey Kaori, take an art class with me!"

"You, taking art," I questioned.

"Yeah, man, it's one of our requirements," he said, getting up from his seat and coming to my desk, "and if I remember correctly, you haven't taken yours either."

"Why don't you just join the art club," interrupted Jack, "that also counts for the requirement."

"Great idea, assistant boy," Eric added.

"That's not funny," Jack claimed.

"Hey," said Rose, walking over to us, "if you guys are joining the art club, then I might as well too."

"Weren't you two just arguing a moment ago," I asked.

"Yeah," sighed Rose, "but Ms. Beckett made us stop."

"Is-is it okay," Annabelle interrupted nervously, "if I join the art club too."

"Yeah, just turn in the sheet when you're done filling it out," I responded.

"Hey Jessica," Shouted Eric across the room, "You wanna join too, we all know you haven't done yours."

"No way," she said, "I would much rather take the class then be with your little friend group."

"That's so unlike you," He pointed out, "you would so take a club rather than a class."

"Alright, everyone back in your seats," interrupted Ms. Beckett. We all complied, and class resumed as usual. Once our first break started, most of us turned in our elective sheets at the front of the room, and once I got back to my desk, Annabelle asked, "Hey, could I get my handkerchief back?"

"It got dirty when I used it," I answered, "don't worry, I'll wash it."

"I really don't mind."

"Trust me, it's no big deal," I insisted.

"No, really," she pressed on, now standing up, "I'll handle it.

"It's only right if I clean it," I continued, "I made the mess."

"It's my property, so it should go to who it belongs to, you don't want this to be a misunderstanding do you," she threatened, whispering the last part while moving in closer.

"Ah, sure here you go," I said, nervously handing her the bloody handkerchief.

"Ah, I'm sorry," she responded nervously, noticing my reaction, "I don't know what came over me," now slightly turning her head and looking down with both her index fingers touching each other.

What a weird girl, I thought. "It's okay," I reassured her as I sat down. After that, classes continued, with nothing eventful happening other than the fact that I had to show Annabelle around the school during lunch.

"Kaori," Jack said, "let's go get some snacks at the convenience store before going home."

"Sure," I said, shrugging my shoulders, following him out of the classroom.

"Hey, Anna," said Rose, "what part of town do you live in?"

"I live in the South-East residential section," she answered.

"Nice, do you wanna walk home together?"

"Sure," she grinned. On the walk home, Annabelle had somethings she wanted to ask. "Hey, why did you force Jack to be your assistant, even after he denied it multiple times?"

"Well, he was ignoring me earlier," she answered, "so I was just getting back at him."

"Well, how do you feel about him?"

"Hmm, I don't know," she explained, "my feelings are very complicated, I'm sure you understand, you must have had weird feelings for another."

"If we're talking about romantic feelings," she said, noticing Kaori through a window, attempting to deiced between two different chocolates, "then there's been one on my mind for a long time."

"What are you looking at?" She asked, looking in the same direction. "Oh Kaori, yeah, he lives in the same area too, Jack should be with him. Although," she said, continuing to walk home, "I don't want to see him right now." After a couple of more minutes of walking, they had reached Annabelle's house.

"This is my stop," She said, waving Rose goodbye as she opened her front gate.

"I'm just down the street," she added, pointing to her house, "you see, the light blue one, just knock if you need anything."

Annabelle nodded with a smile and headed inside towards her room. Once there, she set the bloody handkerchief on her study desk, mumbling to herself, "this time for sure, you will be mine."