"Uh, where do I seat...ma'am?" Adeleine chuckled nervously as she turned to Miss Nora.
"Any spot available."
She scanned the room. There are some empty spots and she started striding towards the nearest one, beside a girl with short ginger blonde hair. But before she could take a step past the front desk, her foot was caught by the base of the stair she failed to notice. Losing her balance, she ended up sprawled on the floor with a 'thud' that caught everyone's attention, if their eyes weren't fixated on her already.
Her face smacked the floor. Adeleine felt the rush of heat spreading to her cheeks. Why is it that she keeps face-planting on the floor these crucial times very often?
She quickly rose to her feet, ignoring the fact that her nose feels a bit flat and her forehead is a bit pinkish and swelling from the impact. She caught sight of a leg stuck right in front of her and her face contorted into a frown.
Just pretend nothing happened. She assured herself. But a person snorted, followed by the booming laughter of her classmates. Ignore them.
She briskly walked towards the seat, avoiding the people's gazes due to the prior incident. Out of all the things, she has to flunk her first impression. Covering her face with her hair from embarrassment, she flopped next to the ginger-haired.
This time for sure, she's going to give a nice impression. Right now, everyone thinks badly of her and she can't afford that. She has to survive. They say if you're a loner, you're a goner.
"Hi!"
The ginger-head didn't even spare her a glance and kept her eyes at front. Her face sprinkled with light freckles and eyes in color of dark teal.
"Alright, since everyone is here." The teacher scanned the students, meeting their eyes. "Let us now start our topic for today."
One of the students raised their hand. "Ma'am, there's still one missing!"
She hummed. "Who could possibly be this late?"
As if on cue, someone slammed the door open. "Sorry for being late!"
Adeleine perked up, seeing a familiar face. Dirty blonde hair and emerald eyes. He was one of her capturers.
"Hayden." Miss Nora sighed. "Again? Two weeks since school started and you're still lost." She shook her head disappointingly. "I'll let this slip for the last time but the next one will result to a penalty."
The teacher looked at him pointedly and he responded with a nervous laugh as he scratched his head.
"Yes, teach~"
Hayden made his way to one of the vacant seats and the whole class' attention shifted to the front. Adeleine has never felt this awkward in her entire life. She could feel stares burning holes in her back.
"Returning to our previous lesson—"
The teacher wasn't yet finished when the door opened abruptly. "Miss Nora."
"What?" the teacher snapped at the male student who suddenly burst through the door, interrupting her for the second time.
He was covered in sweat and panting heavily, as if he ran a great distance.
"Miss Nora, someone broke a bone when practicing in the court yard." His voice held urgency and you can visibly see him panicking.
"The infirmary."
"The healer went on a leave and Miss Nora is the only near one I can find."
She sighed. She turned to the students and said, "Do an advance reading by pair, reflection paper will be passed tomorrow. As for your partners, choose whoever you like...as long as it's in this class." She then went into a whisper, but still loud enough for the students to hear, as if on purpose. "I don't want someone dragging their crushes from another grade."
You could see the evident disappointment in some people's faces.
After her announcement, she left with the guy and the class erupted into cheers. They started standing from their seats, chatting with the other and making groups of two.
The girl eyed them bitterly as people conversed. Her attention shifted when Hera beside her stood up.
"Hi." She waved at her and held an awkward smile.
"Don't talk to me."
"I'm Adeleine." The girl offered her hand for a handshake, unbothered by the other's cold remark.
It wouldn't hurt if she tries to tolerate this expected behavior. She's basically invading their territory and it's generally common for an Adhelian to hate her. Lashing out would only result to a backlash. She can't afford for people to think even worse of her current image now.
"I said don't talk to me, monster!"
The blonde swatted her hand away leaving her shocked. She could've understood their hatred, but was she even deserving of this even when she clearly has done nothing wrong? Just what has she ever do to them?
She frowned upon the girl's lack of manners. She stood up and leveled with the other. "I was trying to be nice."
"What did you say?" she asked grimly. "Nice? When were letherians nice?" She roughly shoved the girl. "You're just here to spy on us."
The girl lost her balance from the sudden force and her shoulder bumped into the corner of the desk beside them. She hissed as pain struck her.
"Asshole," Adeleine muttered under her breath. Moon would have scolded her by now if she was here.
The word did not fail to pass the ginger-head's ears and she turned around furiously.
"What did you say?! You little piece of—!" Hera grabbed the girl's hair, quite harshly. She started pulling and dragging her while she screamed. Adeleine tried to pry her off, also grabbing her hair and putting all her efforts to push her but the ginger's fingers tangled with her locks, making it hard to separate herself.
Students around them were either shouting, betting on who will win or watching, enjoying the two women have a cat fight. It made the letherian girl want to puke from hypocrisy, she doesn't know whether she or it was them who was the monster.
She gritted her teeth in disdain. No one's going to help.
She was surprised when someone pulled her away. She whipped her head behind her to see a blonde girl. It was one of the people she met at the forest!
She can feel her slender arms and tiny hands encircled in her waist. The girl was short. Her long rose-gold hair tumbled on her back like subtle waves, reaching past her waist. She was cute, and radiates holiness like an angel.
Adeleine felt a bit disappointed and pissed she couldn't strangle Hera more.
Her brown eyes expressed worry. "Are you alright?" she softly asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Adeleine responded with heavy pants. She looked over to the other woman, who was just crazily dragging her like a rug doll a while ago, waving her arms madly in the air. She was being held back by other two men who were having a hard time suppressing her strength.
"Silence!"
The voice boomed and all of the attention turned towards the door. It was Amalia. Adeleine was able to breath in relief that someone superior came. People gasped in shock.
"You five—" she pointed at the students involved— "go to the office. Now!"
She turned to the rest of the class. "All of you, do not move."
~~
Adeleine found herself looking at her leather boots, as if it was the most interesting object in the world right now. She dared not to meet the pointed gazes sent her way.
She heard a sigh that made her wince.
"I was gone for just a short time and something already happened. And it wasn't even past ten minutes! Do you hear me? Ten minutes!" Miss Nora rubbed her temples, clearly annoyed and everyone went silent while the dean leaned forward from his desk.
"The people involved in the act of violence shall be punished accordingly. The two of you shall do community service for fourteen days. As such, you will be cleaning the arena for the whole two weeks, do you understand?"
"But—" Hera tried to object.
"No excuses. And as for you, despite being new…" he shook his head, looking at Adeleine disappointingly that made her grimace.
"Why am I cleaning the arena?" Hera pursued. "To let a mir ranker-"
"I think you misunderstood what a mir ranker is supposed to be." Dean Helios cut her off. "Being one of the top freshmen, you are to set an example, not the root of problems. I shall see to it that it will not happen again, or an even heavier punishment shall be set."
Everyone stayed quiet.
"No objections. Good," he firmly said. "I expect for everyone to be in their post, no tardiness. Punishment will start today every afternoon after school. If that is all, then dismiss."