Minutes earlier...
"Man, I had such a boring weekend!"
A girl's voice rang out as she stretched languidly across her desk, her strawberry-blonde hair falling messily over her shoulders.
The classroom was alive with chatter, tenth graders in Schulerin's uniform milling about in groups, their teacher nowhere in sight. Unbothered by the noise, Sonia Theodore rolled onto her side, her eyes lazily scanning the room before locking onto her seatmate.
"And I couldn't reach you at all. I was so worried!" she whined, her tone exaggerated.
Next to her, Angela Eugene sat quietly, her golden hair falling over her shoulder like liquid sunshine. Her flawless ivory-toned skin glowed faintly under the classroom's fluorescent lights, and her bright blue eyes were fixed on the desk in front of her. She fidgeted with her fingernails, her expression distant.
"Angelaaaa?" Sonia pressed, drawing out her name in a sing-song voice.
Angela ignored her, glancing briefly at an empty seat toward the back of the room. With a soft sigh, she returned her gaze to her desk, her fingers drumming absently against its surface.
"Come on, answer me already!" Sonia persisted, leaning closer.
Angela sighed, clearly annoyed. "Nothing... I'm tired. I just want to rest so I don't fall asleep during class."
"Really?" Sonia's ears perked up. "What did you do yesterday that got you so burned out?"
"Stuff."
Sonia pouted at the curt response, but her curiosity only deepened. "Was that stuff more important than talking to me?"
"Yes," Angela replied flatly, not missing a beat.
Sonia clicked her tongue. "If you were so busy, you could have called me over. I could have helped."
Angela hesitated, her lips parting as if to respond. After a moment, she simply said, "Leo… A couple of his friends came over, so no. I did not need help."
Her tone was dismissive, clearly signaling the end of the conversation. But Sonia was anything but perceptive.
The strawberry-blonde leaned in closer, her lips curving into a mischievous grin. "Sooo… You mean you were the sole girl in a house full of boys, huh~?"
Angela's head whipped around, her cheeks tinged pink. "Huh?! Wha–what the heck?! They played games! I spent the entire time in my room! Stop making that ridiculous face!"
Sonia's grin widened as she leaned back, cackling. She made a series of exaggerated, suggestive noises, causing Angela to bury her face in her hands, groaning.
"God, I hate you!" Angela muttered. "Just let me sleep, pleeeease..."
"What are you two being so jolly about this morning?"
Angela looked up to see a familiar face entering the classroom, her ebony hair pulled back into a neat bun. Her chestnut complexion gleamed under the sunlight streaming through the windows, and her curvaceous figure filled out the Schulerin uniform in ways that drew attention to certain parts.
Maxinha Lamar set a few books down on her desk and offered the girls a warm smile.
"She won't let me rest," Angela grumbled, lowering her head back onto her folded arms.
"Morning, Maxine," Sonia greeted cheerfully. "Kinda rare to see you this late."
"I had to take my siblings to school today," Maxinha explained as she sat down on Angela's right. "My dad's taking my mom for her prenatals, so…"
"Ah…" Sonia nodded knowingly. "Guess number six is coming soon?"
"That's the plan," Maxinha replied, arranging her books.
"Lucky you," Sonia said wistfully. "I wish I had younger siblings."
Maxinha scoffed. "Trust me, you don't. Sometimes I really want to snap their necks, all four of them—maybe add the unborn one too as a precaution."
Sonia burst into laughter, while Angela couldn't suppress a small chuckle despite her exhaustion.
"At least you get to boss them around," Sonia teased.
"I wish," Maxinha muttered ruefully. "The only thing they get right is telling on each other. Little gremlins..."
The group's chuckles rang out, drawing the attention of a few nearby students. Some joined in on the conversation, while others simply greeted them in passing.
As the classroom slowly filled with students, Angela became silent again, her head resting on her arms. The energy around her was palpable, yet she felt detached, as if watching from a distance.
"Hey," Maxinha nudged her gently. "What's up? You seem exhausted."
"I am…" Angela groaned. "Didn't get much sleep."
"I couldn't reach you over the weekend. Did something happen?"
Before Angela could respond, Sonia butted in. "Threesome, I think. Maybe more. Wild Sunday night—"
"Shut up!" Angela bolted upright, slapping her hands over Sonia's mouth. Her face was a deep shade of red. "My God! What is wrong with you?!"
Sonia giggled behind Angela's hands, while Maxinha burst into laughter.
Their commotion drew the attention of several other girls around. One of them, a girl with glossy black hair and piercing blue eyes leaned over the back of her chair, a sly grin on her face.
"You should totally tell us about it," Adelia Brandt teased, her voice dripping with faux curiosity. "I incest."
The group went quiet for a moment, then suddenly erupted into uproarious laughter.
"If I had him as a brother, I would totally incest!" another girl chimed in, barely able to contain her mirth.
"Right? Have you seen those eyes? Those lips? That hair?"
"Not to mention that voice—like, how is it legal for someone to sound that good?"
Angela's face turned scarlet as the girls continued their teasing, their laughter echoing throughout the room.
"You're all sick! Crazy sick perverts!" Angela shouted, burying her face in her arms.
"Oh, come on, Angie!" Adelia giggled. "We're just joking! Mostly."
The teasing continued for a few more minutes, with Angela growing more flustered by the second.
By the time the girls finally calmed down, Angela was resting her head again, her ears as pink as a tomato.
"Yo, Angie—" Maxinha began, nudging her shoulder gently.
"Don't talk to me. I hate you," Angela muttered, her voice muffled by her arms.
"Awww..." Maxinha cooed, leaning closer. "Alright, I'm being serious now. What happened?"
Angela sighed deeply, lifting her head slightly. "I didn't get much sleep because… I had a nightmare."
"A nightmare?" Maxinha repeated, her brows furrowing.
Angela hesitated, her fingers fiddling with the edge of her sleeve. "The kind that makes you wake up screaming and hyperventilating..."
Maxinha winced sympathetically. "That bad? What was it about?"
Angela's face darkened, her voice barely above a whisper. "The world ended… One of us orchestrated it, I think."
Sonia stifled a laugh, only to freeze when Maxinha shot her a glare. Clearing her throat, Sonia said, "Sorry. That wasn't funny."
Maxinha placed a comforting hand on Angela's shoulder. "That sounds awful. I'm sorry you had to go through that. If you want to talk about it, we're here."
Angela managed a small, grateful smile, though her eyes remained clouded.
~~~
The classroom was bustling now, students greeting each other and sharing stories from the weekend. Laughter and animated gestures filled the air as the trio settled back into their seats.
Angela lowered her head again, trying to block out the noise. She felt a soft nudge and glanced up to see Maxinha watching her with concern.
"Don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Maxinha said gently.
Before Angela could respond, their grade advisor, Mr. Collins, entered the room, wiping his face with a hand towel. His presence immediately drew the students' attention, and the chatter gradually died down.
"Alright, settle down," he said, his tone firm but not unkind. "Let's get today's attendance recorded. We've already wasted enough time."
As the students took their seats, Angela glanced at the empty chair near the back of the room, her heart heavy.
"I guess he won't be coming today too."