chapter 004.
{  real life }
୧ ‧₊˚ 🥣⋅ ☆

✿˖° # ʳᵉᵃˡ ˡⁱᶠᵉ

THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE ROOM WAS VERY DIFFERENT, some were happy that the school year was starting again, others sat in their seats as if they would rather spend 10 years in prison than be here.

Penelope had mixed feelings, she didn't want to start grumpy, but rather with motivation.

The class wasn't completely full yet as there were still 5 minutes until the start. She sat in the middle row, not at the very back and not to the front, she liked it here.

More and more people came in and unpacked their things as the teacher began to write his name on the board for new ones.

Every time she looks up from her book the room is full, just like this time when the teacher closed the door to show that it was starting, her eyes go around the room. She recognized many of the students, but one was missing, which gave her some hope.

Maybe he wasn't in her class after all or he isn't coming. But the thought bursts immediately when the familiar blue eyes meet hers.

The two of them sat exactly like last year, he sat behind her.

"Good morning class" the teacher's voice sounds and she immediately turns away and turns her attention to the teacher. The person sitting next to her isn't there. The two got along well and Nelly was always looking forward to meeting new friends, but not showing up to class on the first day is weird.

However, the fact that she isn't there on the first day gives her a bit of a stomach ache and she hasn't heard from her yet.

"My name Mr. Kennedy" with the chalk he underlines his name, which he has already written on the blackboard.

"For those who don't know me yet i will be your teacher for this class." There were little groans and curious looks. Mr. Kennedy was a mix of strict and nice, which is why everyone can form their own personal opinion of him.

"Welcome back, hope you had good holidays, well thats over now, today is the start of semester 3 for all of you. First lesson, first day, it's not that an important lesson today. However, I still want the lesson to be related to the topic in some way. you guys get to know each other first. I just don't want to hear what is your favorite color. Ask something about the topic. Like what do you want to become afterward? why you want to do the class."

Just as he said the sentence it got a louder and people turning to each other and talking filled the room. The brunette sat in her seat and looked at her book that she got for the course with Mr. Kennedy in front of her.

The lesson was unnecessary, which is why it doesn't hurt to work before, her eyes glide over the pages of the table of contents. The noise around her didn't bother her and never did, Nelly was always good at focusing no matter what's going on, which was definitely an advantage here.

However, she didn't stay calm for long until someone sat down in the empty seat. She wanted to intervene and say that someone was already sitting there, but then she realized that the person sitting next to her wasn't there at all.

Actually there is no seating plan at all, but the couples were already formed last year unless there was an argument or other reasons. She lifts her hazel eyes from the book and expects the worst, but two unfamiliar brown eyes meet her.

She recognizes the boy, he was sitting two rows behind her, she looks back at his seat where you can see that he didn't have anyone sitting next to him, which explains why he is here.

However, the girl doesn't really have the greatest desire to be social and thought that she will now be released, but maybe things will just get worse.

"Move bud" "wha-" the familiar voice sounds and Matt pulls the other boy up from the chair by the sleeve with one swift and sits down on it.

The other boy stands there a little dumbfounded beside them trying to protest before he just gives up as he sees matt turning to her and looks for someone else he could talk to.

Penelope's eyes are instantly focused on the book again, but she feels his eyes focused on her.

"What a surprise to see you here" when is this boy not being sarcastic?

"We've been in the same class since last year" her soft voice rises and her eyes look over at the boy sitting next to her. He immediately made himself comfortable, which means he won't be leaving that quickly.

He's leaning completely against the bench with his legs spread slightly and his arms crossed over his stomach. The arm with the tattoos is the arm that points away from her and he runs his hands through his hair with the other arm, which is why the one silver bracelet on it jingles a bit.

"Oh, she can speak sentences?" He chuckles at his own words and looks sideways at the open book in front of her.

"You actually like reading?" He raises his eyebrows and she follows his gaze to the book. However, he doesn't get an answer again and a little sarcastic scoff leaves him. "And she lost her voice again."

A silence falls over the two of them, she focuses on her book again, but finds the silence a little uncomfortable, as she looks at him through the corner of her eye he looks around, undisturbed and looks calmly through the classroom filled with talking noises and laughter.

"So, what do you wanna do after college?" he snorts after Mr. Kennedy, which is why she sighs quietly and realizes that she won't get rid of him for now. She licks her teeth and pushes the book away a little and looks at matt who was looking expectingly at her.

"I would do more of analysis" "Oh really?" the guy raises his eyebrows. "Although, I could tell."

"You just look like you'd do it." he shrugs. "I'd go more into therapy" he continues talking when he notices that she stays quiet and won't ask him what his answer was.

The silence between the two becomes loud again and she hears him lightly chewing on his gum while looking around. Her eyes are also wandering, she doesn't feel like opening the book again.

Her eyes land on people who are laughing or talking in groups, a small sigh leaves her and she sinks more into her seat while making sure her tank top doesn't slide down.

"Sturniolo" Mr. Kennedy's warning voice brings Penelope back to reality.

"Did I say something about moving seats?" The teacher raises his eyebrow at the boy who is licking his teeth obviously trying to find an excuse for this.

"She was sitting alone, just wanted to be nice" matt shrugs. The teacher shakes his head slightly chuckling when he sees the facial expressions of Matt's actual bench mate. "And leave your poor friend all alone?"

"Ladies first they say."

The brunette next to him listens to the conversation. As far as she's concerned, he can go back to his friend.

But when she sees that Mr. Kennedy waves it off and turns back to his computer, she keeps these words to herself.

From then on it doesn't take long until the lesson ends, her eyes keep wandering from the clock that was hanging on the wall in front of the teacher between the rows of seats and tables in front of her. 20 more minutes.

She is surprised, but not showing that on the outside, the hour went by too quickly for her, what did she do in her for a little more than an hour to go by? Maybe because Mr. Kennedy came a little later.

"What are you doing after class?" "homework" she answers undisturbed to the boy next to her to ruin any plan he might have had.

From the corner of her eyes she sees him sinking a little further into the chair and looking at her. "You're not much of a talker" it sounded more like a state than a question. If you looked at the other tables, these two were the quietest, even Matt's seat neighbor found someone else.

"You more of a listener or you're just not talking to me?" This time it sounded like a question, but the brunette had no urge to answer it. The last thing she wanted was to start a real conversation with him.

Matt's eyebrows raise and he licks his teeth at her nonresponse. She notices how his eyes scan her more and she turns her head a little more away out of reflex, earning a chuckle from him.

"What? c'mon don't tell me i make you nervous Vespertine."

"yeah... for my safety"

She was now expecting a perhaps offensive reaction, but he raises the corner of his lips and a short genuine laugh comes out.

"look at that, she talks" after realizing what she said she feels a bit stupid and irritated as to why she even bothers with him.

Her hazel eyes slide back to the clock on the wall. 5 more minutes. She doesn't understand how time moves so quickly when she's so bored and someone she can't tolerate is sitting next to her, usually the time should be going deadly slow.

"So" mr. Kennedy's voice makes the room almost completely silent. "The lesson is almost over, everyone get back to their places real quick, I want to clarify some organizationally stuff"

The last few minutes passed quickly, the teacher explained the plan for this subject for the year, what grades/projects look like.

Nelly doesn't think too much about it, she didn't have a problem with the subject in the last year, so it will continue to be that way.

It's getting louder again, which pulls her out of her thoughts because the conversations started again and people started packing up their stuff, which is a sign that her class is over.

She quickly joins them and starts packing her things, fixing her top before she puts her bag around her right shoulder and slides out of the row of seats into the aisle.

She walks quickly down the easy little stairs, she wanted to get out as quickly as possible. It collects a bit at the door and she pushes her bag, which had slipped down a bit from the hectic rushing, back onto her shoulder before she finally had space and could continue walking and go out.

Somewhat cooler air meets her in the hallway and a few other students are there too. Most of them are probably still in class because Mr. Kennedy finished a little earlier.

Nelly stops for a moment and looks if a certain person is already done with class too, which she then found at the snack machine. The brunette gives her surroundings one last look before rushing over to Nat.

"This bitch just scammed me" nat kicks the machine once when she put in her coins to get her capri sun and nothing happens. The school itself is not that new, but the snack machines scattered around the premises are different, which nat should know because it's not the first time she's fallen for it no matter how often Nelly tells her to not do it and just get something from the cafeteria.

When she heard a male chuckle, Nelly knew that her best friend was not alone and had to suppress a sigh. Leopold was leaning against the wall next to the machine, which is why she couldn't see him, but his interest grew when Nat hit the machine and moved next to her to look at it too, revealing himself.

The two of them haven't noticed Nelly yet, too focused on the broken machine. She doesn't really want to be around more than one person right now, even if there are only two of them. Which is why she could just leave now, they didn't saw her, so it wouldn't be rude or anything like that.

But once again nothing goes like plan when she hears her name being called from the persons she just wanted to sneak away from.

"I dont know I just heard she got pregnant and thats why she dropped out" Natalia shrugs as the two sit in the kitchen, "oh" Penelope's face falls a little as the hot water clicks to indicate to her that it's ready and she can make her tea.

"You don't have this from me but people say it's from elliot" "elliot?" Nelly furrows her brows as she pours herself the hot water into the cup with the tea bag already in it. "The one that's throwing the party this weekend, I told you already some days ago"

"Ohh" the smaller brunette mumbles and sits down at the table opposite nat, who is arrowing her nails with furrowed eyebrows showing that she's concentrated. "kinda expected it tho, not gonna lie"

"You did? I thought she was really nice" Nelly mumbles before she takes a small sip of her tea to see if it is still too hot but quickly realizes that its still steaming and puts the cup back on the kitchen table.

"This has nothing to do with her being nice babes, I just expected that she was messing around" nat unbothered clicks her tongue. "Wasn't she your seat neighbor in one of your classes or something?"

"She was! I was confused why she didn't show up" Nelly tilts her head a little down to her tea, realizing that this meant that she probably needs to get a new seat neighbor, or she just sits alone, which doesn't sounds so bad at the moment.

"Well now you know" her best friend puts the nail arrows away before looking around. "Where's Abby?"

"I don't know? Probably still in class" "I hope for her, this would be the 5th time she'd got lost this week" Nat's glossed lips let out a little chuckle.

"She's new" Penelope tries to find a reason to defend Abby. "Yeah, but not even I got lost that often"

The conversation between them went on for a little longer about their new roommate. After a week, the two brunettes have already gotten used to the bubbly new girl. She brings in something new. The two of them always had a pleasant atmosphere, but the third brunette brought something new into the mix and they are so happy that it turned out to be someone funny and not a complete weirdo.

Surprisingly, Penelope quickly got comfortable with Abby, or rather got used to her. Which usually takes a little longer, but with the new bubbly brunette she would have no choice but to get along with her anyway because of her quick openness and niceness, which actually wasn't a bad thing.

It only took a few days for her to understand bee and knowing how to handle her, which actually is a thing Nelly is really good at, some people even pointed that out. of course in a positive thing, how she can put herself in other people's shoes and deal with them differently depending on how she perceives them.

And Abby's been there for a week now and Nelly can call her her friend already, of course it wouldn't be the most comfortable situation if you didn't get along with one of your roommate you see everyday for how long your studies are for, but Nelly always has talked to a few people in class and they were never really called or seen as friends for her, for whatever reason.

The two are in the middle of a conversation when they hear the front door open.

"guys?" Abby's voice calls out to check if anyone is there. "yeah!" Nat calls back and you hear a relieved sigh and her taking off her shoes before she goes to them, at least that's what she thinks.

"Where the fuck" they can her how she mumbles as she runs into the wrong room twice and finds it empty. "kitchen, bee" nat chuckles lightly and the third brunette finally appears with a grimace in the door step.

"Guys" she looks from right to left with raised eyebrows, "mood, at the moment, mischievous" her lips bend up into a grin.

Nat and Nelly both raise their eyebrows, "why's that?" nat asks suspiciously, while nelly sits quietly there but turns a little too bee because she was sitting with her back to her while she is still sipping her tea carefully so as not to burn herself.

"That cute guy studies the same as me" the girl beams and sits down next to Nelly.

"So um who's the cute guy?" The two know who Abby means but want to be sure that they're thinking about the right guy, the happy girl stops at that for a moment and thinks while her smile slowly drops back down into a thin line.

"I forgot his name" Bee mumbles and presses her lips together with a small grimace as if she's embarrassed. It wasn't the first time the two of them had spoken to each other and she still couldn't get herself to remember his name.

"Chris?" Nat carefully asks and tilts her head as Bee's face instantly lights up again.

"Yes!" "oh lord"

"He sits next to me" abby smiles while nat just nods. "An opp's low-key sitting next to me but you know"

Natalia shrugs with a grimace, "what about you nells?" Nelly looks up from her tea and scans the two of them. "mhm?" "Who's sitting next to you now? You know when your old neighbor is unfortunately gone now." Nat gives her a fake empathic shrug.

The brunette makes a small grimace and gives the two of them a look before turning back to her tea. Natalia caught her gaze and made a little face, "alright.. let's move on!"

"Did you guys hear about the drama with Maxine, one semester under us"

marie speaks! 𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔

wait.. why r they my favs lowk