*Laura's POV*
After quickly eating my breakfast, (which was a little burnt) I leave the house and start walking to school. Because my mom talked for so long this morning, I might be a little late to school today.
Since my house and the school are both located in the same outer suburb, I'm usually never late to school, even if I sleep in a bit longer than usual. The walk to school usually takes around 10 minutes not including the time waiting at pedestrian crossings. The repairing of the main highway into the city has caused a lot of people to drive through are area to try to get around the construction. Just last week I had to wait an extra 10 minutes every day for the traffic to die down in order to cross the street.
About hallway to school, I'm both confused and creeped out. Although there have been way more cars than usual the past while, there are no cars on the streets this morning.
{Did the highway get fixed? No, I'm sure that there was another month of construction because they had to fix the bridge as well. Why is there no one on the street then…}
There have always been at least a couple cars on quiet days, yet as I look around, I can't see a single soul. Even the Weber's dachshund, Müll, is quiet rather than barking at people who pass by in front of their house. Feeling a bit weirded out, I hurry my pace to the final crosswalk to get to the school while thinking to myself,
{Why has this morning been so odd? It's almost too good to be true. Except learning those things from my mother.}
Finally getting to school safe, I can finally relax. I look at the front courtyard and see that the buses have begun to arrive, and the other students are laughing and pushing each other off of the bus.
{I guess that I'm the crazy one thinking that there's something wrong this morning…}
While I look at the people getting off the bus, someone runs up behind me and jumps on my back, hugging me very tightly.
"Laura, Laura, Laura, Laura, I need you right now." [???]
Recognizing who it is and get upset by her hanging off of me, I push her off while turning around to give her a stern look.
"Rufina. Why are you jumping on my back like a kid? What is wrong with you?" [Laura]
"Wahh, Laura's so mean. C'mon. I just want a little hug from my bestie… is that… no good?" [Rufina]
Giving me her signature puppy dog eyes, she's looks up at me from the below and looks like an adorable puppy that you just want to pick up and pet.
{NO. LAURA. Don't fall for her tricks. Even if she is adorable and your best friend, you have to have boundaries…right?
Seeing that I'm hesitating, Rufina ups her game a notch and gives me her finishing move. A tilt of her head followed by what should be a physiologically impossible wobbling of her eyes seems to make even the impossible, possible.
{Ahh please don't give me that look, it's a fatal blow.}
Just as I'm about to give in, help appears in front of me, steeping between me and Rufina.
"Rufina, you should stop bothering her with your harassment." [Linda]
Seeing that Linda just blocked her critical hit, Rufina scowls at her and says,
"Linda, you're just jealous that Laura gives more hugs to me instead of you" [Rufina]
"Laura and I don't hug. So, I don't really care." [Linda]
"Ah I pity you who hasn't been blessed with the bliss and passion one feels when entering her sweet embrace. Compared to some of the lesser developed people, Laura is soft to the touch and squishy which…" [Rufina]
Halfway through her sentence, both Rufina and Linda feel a strange pressure emitted by the other person present. They both look at Laura and what they see is an extremely fake smile hiding real anger.
"RUFINA. Are you trying to say that I'm fat? No hugging for a year." [Laura]
"Please forgive this one's selfish imposition and insults which have tarnished your beautiful image." [Rufina]
"Nope. Not this time." [Laura]
Pinching the bridge of her nose and staring at the ground, Linda sighs then speaks.
"Why am I friends with you strange people. Can I not have some normal friends?" [Linda]
Hearing her muttering, Rufina and Laura both cease their arguing and turn towards Linda.
"Wouldn't that be hard for you with your social awkwardness?" [Rufina]
"Don't you have trouble talking to new people?" [Laura]
Like a bolt of lightened striking, Linda's body seems to have physically felt the impact of those words.
"I'm not socially awkward, I just get embarrassed by people staring at me and I can talk to new people if I want." [Linda]
"Hmm…" [Laura & Rufina]
*Brrrrring*
Saving Linda from more embarrassment, the first school bell rings meaning 5 minutes till class time starts.
"Getting off of the ground, Rufina shakes the dirt off of her skirt while saying,
"I have to go. If I'm late for class again, Mr. Novak said I'd have to go to after school detention. I don't want to spend anymore time with that perv than possible so I'm leaving, bye." [Rufina]
Taking off in a storm of dust, Rufina rushes off to her class, leaving behind Linda and I.
"I'll probably head to class to. I don't want to be late." [Linda]
"Okay then, I'll see you and Rufina at lunch then. Is Sandra coming or does she have club activities?" [Laura]
"She should be there; she was taking care of stuff early this morning in the gym." [Linda]
"Alright good, I'll see you then. [Laura]
"Yeah, see you later." [Linda]
I take off in the direction of the secondary building where my morning classes are.
I had a weird morning, but I guess I'm just overthinking things because Rufina and Linda re the same as always.
…
"Ahh"
Reaching the class and sitting down. I stretch my arms and hands so I'm ready for Ms. Garcia's class. Even though we aren't the elite class, we can be considered the second from the top when it comes to our school. Our subjects are much more in-depth and rigorous than the rest of the other classes material. This, of course, means that the note taking is tremendously important and if you don't take notes, you'll most likely fail the weekly tests that are handed out.
When the door opens and Ms. Garcia steps into the room, the entire class sits up straight and quiets down. The fear that the entire class emits is palpable as people begin to sweat in her presence.
"Sorry, I'm late. I had some problem's with getting the hand outs for this morning's class. I'm going to go down to the photocopying room and politely ask them for my handouts. You don't mind, do you?" [Ms. Garcia]
"Not at all." [Everyone]
"Well, aren't you just the nicest students. I'll be back in 5 minutes so make sure to behave, okay?" [Ms. Garcia]
Smiling to the class, Ms. Garcia closes the door, and her footsteps echo down the hall.
After waiting for a minute, the tension in the class finally clears up as people begin to talk with each other, the topics ranging from music to movies to gossip. A sound makes my ears perk up and I turn towards the hallway. Different footsteps can be heard walking towards the classroom. Confused for a moment, I try to think about who it could be until I remember the conversation, I had this morning with my mom. My anxiety shoots through the roof as
{Crap is that really him? I hope he ignores me, please ignore me. Please...}
The footsteps stop at the front of the door. My classmates, now realizing that someone is on the other side of the door, all quiet down thinking that it's Ms. Garcia.
{They don't know that it's someone eve more dangerous than her though.}
When the door opens, a tall and fit looking guy stands in the doorway. My first impression of him is, "he's scary". He seems to be emitting an air of hostility as his sharp, piercing stare seems to inspect every inch of the class. Even though my classmates only really listen to Ms. Garcia, they seem to be aware that angering him would be a bad idea as they are all sitting upright and staring ahead, not saying a word.
After finishing his inspection of the class, our eyes meet, and he smiles. Or tries to at least, but to me, death incarnate lurks within that smile.
{Oh no. Why did I look at him. Will I be punished? Please at least spare my mom…}
"Where's the teacher?" [Shin]
{Oh god, he's talking to me. Please Laura, don't ruin this and speak with respect.}
"Umm...she just went out to get some papers for class?" [Laura]
Hearing this, he frowns and seems to be thinking something.
{He's not thinking about ways to off me is he? I tried to be as polite as possible but was it not good enough?!}
As the fear that I offended him somehow fills me up inside, he breaks the silence.
"Oh okay thank you. Since she's not here right now where can I sit in the class? Is there arranged seating or can I just sit anywhere I like?" [Shin]
{Is he trying to see where the most prestigious people sit? I don't know how to respond to him. Can you please ask other people please. This anxiety will kill me. I guess I should answer honestly because if he notices a lie, I'll be done for}
"No... there's nothing like that...you can sit where you like..." [Laura]
"Thanks, then is that seat next to you taken?" [Shin]
Huh? What?
"You want to sit next to me?!?!?" [Laura]
{Oh no. Is he going to sit next to me to keep an eye on me because he suspects something. I'm innocent, I swear.}
"Uhm...yeah, you seem nice so I thought I would sit beside you. Is that no good?" [Shin]
Surprised by his answer, I unconsciously repeat what he said out loud.
{Oh, God. I hope that he didn't hear me.}
"I'm sorry I didn't hear you. What did you say?" [Shin]
"I said it's fine. Please sit if you would like" [Laura]
"Oh, okay thanks, let's get along." [Shin]
"Yes, I look forward to working with you Sir Okamoto." [Laura]
After (unwillingly) talking with him for a bit and him asking me to use his name, (which was both frightening and embarrassing) Ms. Garcia returns to the class and he turns his attention towards her, saving me from any more of his questions.
{Thank you, Ms. Garcia. Although you seem angry at the moment, I hope you stay this way if it means that Sir Shin ignores me. Well, after talking with him for a bit, he doesn't seem as scary as my mother made him out to be. He's actually…nice. No. No. No. It could be a trap to lower my guard and be disrespectful to him. I heard that nobles often used this technique to commoners they didn't like which gave them an excuse to execute them. Ohh, now I have a headache.}
{I knew that something was wrong when I woke up early this morning.}