It has always been like this.
The way Sarafina spends her mornings sitting at the Student Council table, with an array of tasks before her. It is indeed an early time for such an amount of paper works, but what does she expect? She's the Student Council Secretary, this is her line of job.
She intends to finish half of them before the school bell rings for morning classes, and the rest is before going home.
As she flips through the pages, the door of the Student Council office swung open. There, the Vice President came. She immediately rises from her seat to bow and greet her, but the latter ignored her words, and just merely bowed back.
The secretary is used to this kind of behavior from the Vice President. She is far more silent than snow falling on a winter night, with her menacing demeanor due to the steel mask that covered up her entire face.
As time goes by, The Council members arrived one by one, and they are ready to begin their daily meeting right before the day starts. Sarafina is indeed the early bird, so the others assumed she came here just before daybreak, followed by the hollow Vice President.
"Is the President joining us for today Sarafina?" Ethan, The Student Council Financial Officer, asked.
Sarafina doesn't know what to say, The President isn't always fond of telling others her plans for the day. Except maybe for her, and the Vice President; now, she's not so sure. The President didn't inform her that she's going to be late for today's meeting.
She then glances at the Vice President, who's standing by the left of the President's seat โ Along with her usual Statue-like position, perfect posture, and straight, plain line of sight beneath that mask. She wanted to ask her, but she damn well knows that the Vice President had no intention of answering her.
Matter of fact, she's beginning to question the Vice President's cruciality to the council. She's always been like this, Silent as ever at every meeting in those course of two years. Her presence being neglected by the other Student Council members as if she is a ghost or something. That has been her contribution to the council so far, her eerie silence, and nothing more.
"๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐บ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ, ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ข๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ด ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ญ ๐๐ช๐ค๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต?", Sarafina wonders.
Sarafina lets out a sigh. "Let us just be patient Ethan, I'm sure the President had a valid reason for being delayed." She finally replied. Ethan nodded and continued typing on his laptop.
"I'm sure something's up, that's why our beloved President is late โ She's probably cookin' up something to surprise us again." Claire, a first-year student, and their youngest member spoke, without averting her eyes on her phone.
"Right? Knowing her, I'm sure she's gone bored and want to do something about the Friday Regulation." Maggie, The President of the Restoration Council agreed with a smirk written all over her face.
"How about the rest of you? Yessenia, Ariadne, any bets?" Claire laughed.
"Whatever she's up to, It doesn't really matter to me; as long as she doesn't put the Student Council on the line again." Ariadne, The President of the History Club, responded with such haste.
"Well, I'm with Ariadne on this one. So long as my career is not being affected, I don't really feel the need to intervene." Yessenia, the last Council member, The Head of the School's Public Relations, agreed with Ariadne's concerns.
Sarafina continued to stay silent among the Council members' chit chats and rubbish.
It's already past seven-thirty, and class will begin anytime soon. The President didn't show up, so they moved fort with the meeting without her. Sarafina leading the conference, reports analysis, and everything in-between as the council asks her to precede, for the Vice President's lack of cooperation. The school bell rang, meaning it is time for them to depart, and continue with their usual daily routines along with dreading classes.
"We shall commence here later on again, you know the drill Council members. Have a great day, all of you." Sarafina bowed and bid her farewell, for she will attend her class as well momentarily.
She was about to go when she noticed that the Vice President have no intention of departing from her spot, she stood as if she doesn't bother moving a single muscle anytime soon. Sarafina shook her head in dismay, but she bowed to her before finally closing up the door.
--
Time passed, and Sarafina couldn't find herself concentrating. She's not been with the class all this morning, her mind is drifting from something else no matter how hard she tries to comprehend along with the lessons.
First, The President stood them up this morning. Second, she didn't even bother to tell her. And lastly, Why does the Vice President insist on staying inside the Student Council office alone?
Something is off, and she can feel it. She had to admit, she definitely mirrored Claire's remarks about the President's absence, knowing how her mind really works, she sure has something "cookin' up" as Claire stated. Not to mention, Maggie theoretically involves the Friday Regulation; a weekly activity of their academy that has been going on for One-Hundred and Twenty-three years.
The bell rang for lunchtime, and all students dispersed to mind their own businesses for the time being. Sarafina on the other hand didn't bother to go eat for lunch.
"๐๐ฉ๐ฆ'๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐บ๐ธ๐ข๐บ, ๐๐ฐ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต'๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ช๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ?"
She went straight for the Student Council office. With just a pinch of hope that the President might be inside; waiting for her to arrive, and join her for their usual lunch routine. As she pushed the door open, that hope crushed immediately and suddenly been replaced with surprise. She saw all the Council members gathered around, sitting in their respective seats โ all eyes fired directly at her. She swallows the lump in her throat and bowed before them.
"Good afternoon, everyone." She greeted, and walk her way to her usual post; still doesn't know why all the Council members chose to gather here at lunchtime, which never happened before. It's only her and the President who's present here for lunch every day.
She throws each Council member her usual observing gaze, and it hit her that the Vice President is nowhere to be seen.
"About time Sarafina, we've been waiting," Maggie spoke, breaking through her thoughts. Sarafina doesn't know how she should take that, she's completely left in the dark that they've decided to have the After class meeting at lunchtime.
"๐๐ข๐บ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ด ๐ข๐ง๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ค๐ญ๐ข๐ด๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ?"
She cleared her throat before coming up with a response, "I am not entirely informed that we have such gatherings during lunchtimes, or did I happen to miss out on any discussions about this? Perhaps, this will act as the after-class meeting at the end of the day?" She asked, still baffled at the Council members' strange behavior.
"Oh no, Sarafina. The after-class meeting will still take place later on. We have matters to discuss, and it can't wait until the end of the day." Ethan replied, with ceaseless rigid.
She knows that tone very well. Ethan is very well enthusiastic, and rather sedate when something is going on that might harm the council's control over the school. Forsooth, all the Council members are ferocious when it comes to the council's safety and predicament โ And she is no exception. She, of all Council members, is deeply devoted and has the council and the entire school's best interest at heart.