"I see something's bothering you"
"Uh, no, it's--" she quickly turns around and try to wipe her eyes but remembered that her sleeves are dirty, her handkerchief as well.
"...Here"
"Thank you"
She clumsily retrieves the object from behind her without looking back and began wiping her eyes.
After she finishes she turns around, with better complexion; just slightly from before.
"...Did Morima do something to you?"
"Mm, no, he didn't", Shin did not engage in any way with her at all except looking at her from time to time.
"Oh, that's great. Then...perhaps Steelford?"
"Ms.Steelford didn't say anything either, it was more like she just accepts me being there and leaves it at that"
"....Oh, its her then"
"....."
Taking Laura silence as confirmation, her companion nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, unless you've dealt with someone like her before then you will feel hurt about it when she opens her mouth"
Laura was surprised at the way the speaker is describing Alaine in a blunt way but didn't say anything as if those words are true.
"I was seriously surprised she's even related to Aerina as well, I mean who would have imagined someone that nice and polite to have a twin who is the complete opposite of her"
Laura remains silence.
"I even felt like throwing her to the dinosaur just then and there for the sake of peace if you will"
Silence.
"I would pay money just to see her trash-talk a dinosaur any day now"
"Pfft!"
A short burst of laughter interrupts the silence.
"....."
"....!!!!", realizing that it came from her, Laura's face began to turn red out of embarrassment.
(Don't laugh at someone like that) she scolded herself, but couldn't stop her mouth from turning upward.
"So you felt the same way!"
"What?! No!" Laura defended herself suddenly raising her voice.
"You were laughing at my idea just now though"
"I didn't mean to"
"So you did"
"Ah. ...
"I'm glad to have someone with a shared thought, Ms.Bernard"
"No, I'm not like you...."
"Your laughter is my confirmation"
"Please stop..." she begged him.
"Okay. So, what did she say that hurts you? Don't mess this up or something?"
"...."
Laura got back up and slowly took her time before nodding.
"Ah...That's harsh, especially to you. ....Some people really bring it up whenever they feel like it"
"....."
"Truth be told, if I were in your shoes right then and there I would have used the same spell as well"
Surprised by the words, Laura looked at the figure with confusion.
"Why?"
"Well, Waterball or water blast is a good spell after all"
Taking out a want the student conjures a small water ball.
"It's versatile, not too heavy or light, easy to form in most environment,s and when it exploded it became small drops of water that only sting your eyes a bit, better than that Fireball she used"
"But I could have used the same spell as well"
"Yeah, but at least you take other people into account, like me and those two nearby"
Laura could have used the same Fireball spell as Alaine and made it damage the t-rex without a problem, but she thought about the people nearby who might be affected by the AOE of her spell.
"I'm probably be fine, that guy and Stellford as well, but you think about us that way as well so...", dispersing the ball of water into the air casting a faint glow illuminated by the city's light for a moment before it falls down below to water the plants.
"Thanks for thinking about me and everyone else" turning to her, the classmate said.
"...But I messed up"
"That's normal"
"That's not really my strongest spell"
"If it did then the forest would have blown up instead"
"I caused trouble to everyone around me"
"Yeah, and they weren't bothered that much to leave you, they helped you just like you did for me and everyone else"
"I...I could have hurt you"
"When?"
"...." she couldn't come up with an answer.
She tries to point out her bad traits to the person besides her watching the city landscape as well, but that person quickly shoots down all those traits with reasoning and facts.
"Even if you did hurt me I know you did it because you wanted to help or prevent something bad from happening to me"
"..."
"I also messed up in the past as well, and other dark history stuff that I am not proud of....But...I'm glad I could use my experience to help you"
She gave up.
Laura tilted her body to the side, slowly feeling the arm of the person beside her.
She gave up on trying to be better since that incident.
Her arm slowly wraps itself around that person's arm, feeling the cloth colliding against each other.
She would normally rely on her parents for help whenever she is stuck on something, she can't rely on other people because she doesn't know much about them other than what they show to her in their brief interaction or short conversations.
But for some reason, a person she never met came into her life, helps her back then during the hearing, and eve now. Even when she doesn't know much about this person she couldn't help but wanting to ask for help.
"Can I.....lean on you?"
"No problem"
And that person's name is....
_____________
1st Day of House Arrest.
"Yes?" she answered the door of her house.
"Hello, Ms.Bernard"
"Hello, you're the principal's assistant?"
"Temporary, but yes, and also your classmate"
"I'm sorry, I don't remember you"
"I meant as in classmate from the same Academy not class"
"Oh...." she was quiet for a moment, the speaker's logic is a bit....different from her after all, and probably anybody who hears that.