The next morning, Vivian slipped out of the house before anyone else woke up. The sky was still dark, and the air was crisp with the lingering coolness of dawn. She plugged her Walkman into her ears, letting the music drown out the echoes of last night's horrors. As she walked down the empty street, she felt an odd sense of peace wash over her. It was as if stepping out of that house allowed her to leave behind the chaos, if only for a little while.
By the time she reached the school, the sun was beginning to rise, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange. The calmness she felt was almost surreal, a stark contrast to the turmoil of the previous day. Vivian was used to these moments of escape, these brief reprieves from her reality. She didn't care much for her family, but she didn't wish for the constant mess either. Being away from the house, even just for school, was her only solace. But lately, even this refuge was under threat, thanks to Emily's growing hostility. Vivian had always sensed Emily's animosity, but recently it had become too obvious to ignore.
As she pondered over what might have triggered Emily's latest outbursts, something small and light hit her head. She looked up to see a sparrow fluttering above, and when she glanced down, she noticed a baby bird lying motionless on the ground. She bent down, gently scooping the tiny creature into her hands. It was still alive, its fragile body warm against her cold fingers. A small smile tugged at her lips as she cradled the bird, feeling a rare flicker of tenderness.
Without hesitation, she carefully placed the bird in her shirt pocket and began climbing the nearest tree, her only thought being to reunite the baby with its mother. She was almost at the nest when a voice suddenly called out, startling her so badly that she nearly lost her grip. Heart pounding, she steadied herself and continued her ascent, ignoring the voice.
When she finally reached the nest, she gently placed the baby bird inside. The mother bird, who had been anxiously chirping above her, immediately quieted down, as if reassured by the sight of her offspring. Vivian watched the scene for a moment, feeling an unexpected sense of accomplishment before descending the tree.
Back on the ground, she noticed a boy standing nearby, staring at her with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. He looked decent enough, but she didn't care to explain herself. Without acknowledging him, she turned and started walking toward her class.
But he began following her. Vivian quickened her pace, a sense of unease creeping in as she realized the school grounds were still empty. She glanced at her watch—it was only quarter to six, too early for most students to be around.
As she reached the corridor leading to her classroom, she stopped abruptly and spun around, confronting the boy. He halted, surprised by her sudden move.
"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice edged with irritation.
"What?" he replied, genuinely confused.
"Why are you following me?" Vivian's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Me? Following you?" The boy looked amused, a small smile playing on his lips.
He stepped closer, and she instinctively took a step back, her suspicion deepening.
Who are you??? Vivian asked
You are joking? He replied
and then seeing her grown suspicions he exclamine....
"I don't believe you don't know me."
"Really? You don't know me? What a joke," he said with a surprise and a smirk, then casually walked past her into the classroom.
Vivian stood frozen, her mind racing. She turned and looked at the classroom board—it was indeed her class. She slowly followed him inside, still trying to process the situation.
As she sat down at her desk, she couldn't help but glance over at the boy, who was now arranging his things on the table.
"You're in my class?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"Yes, unfortunately, for the last seven years," he replied with another chuckle, his tone light but tinged with familiarity.
Vivian felt a flush of embarrassment. How had she been so oblivious? But then again, she had too much on her plate to pay attention to the people around her.
The morning classes passed by in a blur—first period, second period, third period. Everything felt calm, almost too calm. It was as if the storm from the previous night had left a strange stillness in its wake.
When recess finally came, the classroom emptied quickly. Vivian stayed behind, lost in thought as she stared out the window. Her gaze drifted toward the house across the street, where she often saw a woman going about her day with a peacefulness that Vivian envied. But today, the woman was nowhere to be seen, and Vivian felt an unexpected pang of loneliness.
As she was lost in her thoughts, Emily approached and sat down in front of her.
"Vivian," Emily said softly, but there was an edge to her voice.
Vivian didn't respond, keeping her eyes fixed on the window.
"Vivian," Emily called again, a bit more insistently.
"Yes," Vivian finally replied, her tone short and composed, still not looking at her.
"I'm having a party. Will you come?" Emily asked, her voice laced with something that Vivian couldn't quite place—was it desperation or something else?
"No," Vivian answered flatly.
"Why not?"
"My parents won't allow it."
"Tell them Emily said it. They know me, right?" Emily's tone was persuasive, almost too persuasive.
"No, they won't allow it," Vivian repeated, her eyes still avoiding Emily's.
"What if I talk to your parents?" Emily pressed on.
"I don't know... but even if..." Vivian trailed off, unsure how to articulate her reluctance.
Before she could say anything more, the bell rang, signaling the end of recess. Emily stood up abruptly.
"I'll call your house tomorrow. I'll talk to your parents," Emily said firmly before returning to her seat, leaving Vivian with the sinking feeling that she had no control over what was coming next.
Vivian wanted to protest, to say she didn't want to go to the party even if her parents allowed it, but the words stuck in her throat. The teacher's voice cut through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present as the class resumed. She turned back to her work, trying to push away the growing sense of dread that was settling over her.