I pant as I reach the front door and find my eyes unconsciously shifting towards my wristwatch. 

TEN MINUTES LATE.

I am TEN MINUTES freakin' late.

With my eyes fixed on the ground, I nervously push the door open with my trembling hands. I regret it the instant I hear the chilling change of mood.  The whole class drops silent and I try not to shrink under the startled glances they were giving me. I close the door silently behind me squeaking a small apology. 

I muster enough courage to look at the professor.

"Eline,  you're late! " he exclaims, half in shock and half in disbelief.  Soft murmurs erupt in the class. I meet his old grey eyes demanding quick explanation.  I look down at my feet but immediately straighten my back as he clears his throat loud enough to interrupt my thoughts.

"Sir, I spilled my drink in the canteen and had to wipe it all up," I say purposely sounding dutiful so as to make it a good excuse. Instead, he eyes me up and down before folding his arms and shaking his head. 

"You need to be more careful and responsible.  You know how many people look up to you,'" he says,  sighing and extending his arm to the class.  I take it as my cue to sit down and waste no time in standing there.  Ducking my head low,  completely  embarrassed,  I walk towards my seat at the usual front.  Instead, I see a new kid that I have never seen before comfortably write his notes down, sitting on my chair.  I tap my floor impatiently,  worried that if I prolong any further,  he might surely kick me out again. It's not always that my topper card works out. 

The clueless boy takes no hint as he speaks to me,  "Um , you're blocking my view.  Can you move to your seat? "

I gape at the guy who again is clueless. Sighing loudly, I decide to deal with it later before walking around the class. If Mr. Syed notices me simply loitering around,  hell will break loose. As my eyes scan around the students, a sight catches my eyes. 

A few centimeters away, a girl with blonde hair waves frantically at me, motioning to the empty seat besides her. I stop in my tracks.

Why do I end up running into them one by one? I am sure that I never even noticed Emma here in math class before now. Fate sure has a twisted way on it's path to destiny. The locks of her hair bounce up and down and her blue irises glimmer under the light beaming besides her, from the window. I look at her and it might seem from the outside that I am currently blank. Instead, deep inside is a havoc of decisions that are still waiting to be picked. 

After that encounter with Astra, the least I want to do is to let down someone else who I wants to help. But on the same time, I want to prevent any communication with them for the sake of my friends back in home science. 

As I stand there, I hear the raspy cough of Mr. Syed behind me. As a reflex,  I jump slightly, turning back and noticing his deadpanned expression.

"Any problem? " he asks, eyeing me and then Emma. The shimmer in her glacial eyes melt and she ducks her head in awkwardness.

I look back at him, looking down myself and slowly shaking my head sit next to her.  As I plop the bag down, he eyes me further before nodding his head slightly and clapping his hands. 

"Class, stop daydreaming. Next sum is up on the board." He walks forward, his eyes calculating every student's notebook in scrutiny. I take my book from the bag,  now in relief that his intimidating presence is no more.  As I flip the pages,  I realize that I was absent for some minutes and had to take notes from someone. And that someone was sitting just next to me.

I look hesitantly at her, the strands of blonde blocking her face from my view. Some light falls on her notebook, highlighting all the sums and problems. As though noticing my sudden stare, she abruptly turns her head to me, smiling slightly and offers me her notebook. My heart sinks. If I didn't feel bad before, I now do. I want to just ask it out loud.  I just want to know why they are immediately so friendly and helpful. It's extremely hard to ignore someone when they are super helpful. 

I felt mentally paused. I didn't know whether to trust them or not. My mind screams at me not to put down my guard down too soon. But I just can't. Sometimes even when you know that someone is fishy, when they're at their best behaviour, you just feel the need to be better with them.

I feel stuck, slowly taking the notebook and flipping the neat pages and copying down my work. She doesn't even haste me. Instead, she hums softly and doodles on the table.  I keep writing my notes as though writing it at a speed might wipe away my confusions as well. I look at her again, noticing how quiet she has been. I have heard of her as a talkative person but it seems that she is quiet during classes. 

As I write, something strikes me. I notice that taking the whole notebook to myself will make her notes incomplete.  I took her notebook to complete my notes, making hers incomplete. And for the first time,  I felt something warm in my heart,  something pleasant about the small action. 

Forcing myself, I pass the notebook to her, muttering a small thank you.  It's hard to miss the flicker of surprise in her eyes. 

And someone suddenly enters the class without any warning,  panting hard and sweating buckets.  I freeze as I notice Alma, my mind unconsciously thinking of her reaction to me sitting in her place. 

I don't know which is her place but thinking logically, it makes sense that she will sit only with Emma.  She doesn't seem like someone who really likes new people. Alma's short breaths can be heard till here, the extreme last of the class. She tiredly slouches, pressing her palms to her knees and gasping for air. Her tan skin is now reddened, the long sleek hair tied in a bun. The class turns silent again, all slowly observing her exasperated figure.

The professor slams his book down on the table and I wince as the sound echoes through the class. He raises a brow quizically at Alma before opening his mouth.

"What is up with you kids trying to miss math these days?" His mouth forms a snarl as he looks down on Alma, who though tall is shorter in comparison.

She draws a deep breath, her cheeks burning and shakes her head.

"Sir, I didn't want to be late. I had to do some work for the sports teacher. Sorry, won't let it happen again."

Mr.Syed softly laughs humorlessly, "You expect me to believe that?"

I immediately notice Alma's jaw clench at that, her eyes shut in an attempt to block out what he said. She opens her eyes again, looking at him straight in the eye.

"I. Said.That.I.Had.Work," she pauses after every word, spelling them so clearly that it is hard not to flinch at the sudden anger in her voice. The dark pupils of his widen as a reflex towards her sudden change of behaviour. But he puts a facade of bravery, I suppose.

"And that work so happens to be on math period, Alma?" he asks, moving a step closer to doom. A vein pops in her neck, her eyes soon losing patience.

She is going to snap.

And she does. But I had no idea that it was going to be aimed at me.

"I told you I had work! You didn't even take this long for Eline! You saw her, told her she could sit and there she is, happily ever after!" She points her arm frantically at me as the whole class turns and observes my face. My black eyes settle uncomfortably on my notebook, my fingers fidgeting so as to avoid the discomfort. It doesn't help. Thankfully, she speaks again, resuming the silence and the heads that snapped to my direction.

"I saw her. I freaking saw her in the canteen cleaning off the mess when I was rushing around doing the work. I knew that she came a minute earlier than I did. You let her in! What is the damn problem with me entering your class?"  Alma is now standing close to the professor, his ballooned stomach nearly touching her. His eyes change their calmness to fury, his fists are clenched and the tension thickens in the atmosphere.

"Alma, you have gone over your limits. Get. Out," he screams, tiny spit drops falling all around.

Gross.

Alma doesn't take any second more, with a killing glare thrown in my direction, she storms off the class, banging the door that is now resonating. I see Mr.Syed mutter something to himself as gasps fill the classroom. With two hands kept madly on his head, he walks up and about around the classroom,not saying anything to anyone. It's hard to visualize him being this frantic. He was no stranger to rebels but he always managed to keep his cool. But today, he has reached a new level of fury that none of us had witnessed. It's not something pleasing, let me tell you.

As I accept the silence as a method to keep me away from sprouting conversations, I manage to look at Emma, whose eyes are now creased and are keenly observing the text. She doesn't look at me, instead attempts to look away.

Getting the sign, I look down scribbling something on my notebook and then pausing to think. I know just what Alma is thinking. I guess the fact that I know it is majorly due to Max.  When we still used to talk,  he used to say how often he is treated biased compared to the other well-off students.  I couldn't even tell him anything.  After all I fell in those well off category.  any word of comfort I would've said would've been easily sensed by him.  He is too smart for my liking. 

Maybe that's why he despised me?  Because I was everything that he hated in a person?

God, I hate this so much.  I hate the fact that I have to connect each and everything of my life to something of Max's.  It's like I still don't want to ignore him.  It's hard to accept that it I'd painfully the truth.  I was never the one to let go and forget people easily.  I still am.  That's just why I hate myself in certain situations. 

You need to be able to forget people,  to forget stuffs. 

I sigh, combing my hair in frustration.  Why did Alma even bring my name into this whole mess?  If there is one thing I hated the most,  it's when people tell it openly that I am being treated better than the others. It makes me feel guilty even though it's not my fault.  What am I supposed to do anyway?

Stand up and admit she is right and lose all the respect and pride I had earned?

It's hard to do that. It's hard to get that kind of heart to stand up for what's right.  I can't even stand up or myself,  how will I do it for others then?

I tap my book,  checking my wristwatch again;  something that has become a habit of mine.  And as though my prayers are finally heard,  the bell rings sharply.  And this time,  it's I that steps out of the class first.

📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hello! It's been long since I updated and hence I updated twice :D. I know that some people would scoff at Eline's statement and decisions in this chapter. But I am reminding you once again!

PEOPLE THINK DIFFERENTLY! Eline is a person with her own thoughts and ideas. I want to keep it that way. The same goes for all my characters.

With that said,

Splashes.