As he entered the classroom, Mr Harris called for the attention of the students, their chatter slowly fading away. He stood at the podium with a paper in his hand seeming quite upset.
"Listen up, everyone!" he announced, his voice firm but composed. "We have a situation here that needs to be addressed. Your mathematics teacher has expressed his concerns about your behaviour during his class. We must create an environment conducive to learning."
The students exchanged glances, some looking guilty while others seemed indifferent. Mr Harris continued, his gaze sweeping across the classroom. "To ensure a productive learning environment, we will be rearranging the seating assignments. You will no longer sit with your friends. This change is necessary to minimize distractions and maximize your learning potential."
A murmur of protest rippled through the classroom, but Mr Harris maintained a stern expression. "I understand that change can be uncomfortable, but it is essential for your academic growth. I expect your full cooperation in making this transition."
He started naming names telling them to swap seats and the students began to shuffle their belongings and move to their newly assigned seats.
"Kilin move to the back. Swap seats with Arwen," he said and while Kilin packed up her stuff, Keele raised her hand to complain.
Mr Harris sighed before saying, "Yes Keele."
"Sir, I am allergic to boys. Can't you make an exception," she said holding on to Kilin for dear life.
"No, Kilin move back," he said and Kilin grabbed her school bag before walking to the back of the class. She sat down in the fourth row from the back and Arwen sat next to Keele.
Kilin felt very uncomfortable sitting this close to Wyatt. He was two seats behind her and she could only hope he would be moved too.
Mr Harris shuffled everyone around including Myan, Lance, Ross and even Wyatt. Luna was the only one who got special treatment but she also secretly wanted to move to the back of the class.
Kilin thought Wyatt would be moved somewhere across the class but he was moved one seat diagonally behind her.
Mr Harris had just finished rearranging the class when he noticed the girl who had said was allergic to boys was now cosying up to Arwen and she was already causing trouble.
"Keele... swap seats with Miguel," he said and Keele couldn't help but protest.
"Stop wasting time and pack up please," he said and Keele packed everything before going to the back of the class. She was forced to sit right at the back.
When she passed by Kilin's desk she crossed her fingers forming a heart shape. Kilin chuckled softly but Lance said, "Weirdos."
Keele stuck out her tongue at him in a daring move and Lance was a little taken aback and didn't even know how to respond to her childish behaviour.
Mr Harris seemed satisfied with the new arrangements. By the time he was done the bell for lunch rang. They had wasted the entire class period moving.
After he left Keele went over to pick up Kilin and dragged her to the cafeteria. When they got there it was barely busy as most students would rather buy something from the classy restaurants nearby, especially during the first few weeks of school.
Kilin took a bite of her sandwich, her eyes fixed on the screen of her phone. She scrolled through her social media accounts, her fingers dancing across the screen as she absorbed the latest updates from her virtual world.
Meanwhile, Keele's attention was captivated by a familiar face across the room. Arwen, with his nerdy glasses and cascading auburn hair, was engrossed in a book, completely unaware of Keele's gaze.
She couldn't help but stare at him from afar thoughts unknown. Finally, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Keele turned to Kilin, breaking the silence. "Hey, Kilin," she called out, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you... Do you think Arwen is cute?"
Kilin glanced up from her phone, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Are you having another boy craze phase?" she asked and Keele gasped exaggeratedly while holding her chest.
"Pssh no... I am just saying. I think he is good-looking," she said while twirling her stray strand of hair on her finger.
Kilin's eyes flickered to her phone resting on the table when she saw something. Suddenly, her face contorted in surprise, and she choked on her sandwich. Wide-eyed, Kilin glanced at the screen of her phone, her heart racing. It was a message on one of the platforms she live-streamed from yesterday, and the name that flashed across the notification caught her off guard. It was from Reckless25, the big tipper from yesterday.
Before she could fully comprehend the contents of the message, Kilin felt a rush of air as Arwen hurriedly approached their table. In his haste, he dropped his book, which clattered to the floor, drawing the attention of nearby students.
His fearful eyes locked on Kilin, Arwen's instincts kicked in, and he swiftly moved behind her. With practised precision, he performed the Heimlich manoeuvre, his hands firm and confident on her abdomen. Kilin's breath hitched as she felt the pressure, and suddenly, a piece of sandwich dislodged, allowing her to breathe freely once more.
Relief washed over Kilin, and she managed to gasp out, "I'm fine, Arwen! Thank you so much!"
The commotion had attracted a small crowd, and unbeknownst to Kilin and Arwen, someone in the crowd had filmed the unexpected heroic act. The video was quickly uploaded to the school forum, where it would soon garner attention, comments, and shares. Instead of it being a video of saving a life it was now about the weirdo who asked Wyatt to be her boyfriend already moving on the next day. Everyone knew that she was probably choking but it was more fun to think that they were being inappropriately intimate.
The teacher on duty rushed over to check on her but Kilin insisted that she was fine. The small crowd dispersed and Kilin's attention returned to her phone.
She opened the message from Reckless25, her eyes widening in disbelief. He had sent her a substantial amount of money with a request, but she hadn't noticed it until now. She turned to Keele who was still mortified.
"Do you remember Reckless25 from yesterday?" she whispered but Keele slapped her shoulder several times her heart still hanging on her throat.
"Are you freaking kidding me? I was scared out of my mind. Oh my gosh Kilin... you are something else,' she said her heart still beating hard in her chest. She was so terrified watching Kilin choke like that. Her soul literally left her body for a split second.
"I am sorry. I was just stunned. Look look look," she said showing her the message. Arwen who had just picked up his book felt a little awkward standing there. He pushed his glasses up and he was about to leave when Keele grabbed his hand and pulled him back.
"Sit with us," she said before gasping after reading the request. Arwen was a little startled but he obediently sat opposite them seeming very uncomfortable.