His eyes moved quick, scanning the crowd. The morning bell was about to ring and the students rushed to their classrooms. Compared to the silence in his locality, the school grounds were always full of life and color, and the sound was not a nuisance but, it gave him a sense of peace and belonging.
Suddenly, he feels a touch on his shoulder, a gentle tap.
"You're late." the words escaped his mouth like a habitual slip
Hina grinned, "Oh I'm right on time, but you just seem to become lost in the environment. Where are your parents kiddo? " she says with a deep voice.
(chuckle) "Ok gramps, shall we go now?"
They walk through the hallway, his eyes straight ahead, while he nods his head, listening to her. The teachers hurriedly shuffle sheets of paper, while students rush in the corridor. Some stand in a corner, gossiping, while others are seen reading books. They reach their classroom, it was exam day.
"Oh shit! I totally forgot! we've got history today, right Arata??"
"Yeah"
"So you studied?"
"Nah"
"How can you be so nonchalant! If you did not want to study, you could have reminded me at least. I could not revise unit 4.. TwT" (sob)
"Yeah, you're so done for, totally you did not revise enough" He's not annoyed, just used to hearing such ridiculous statements when he barely goes through a unit even once.
(TEACHER ENTERS)
"Ok now, close your books and keep your bags in the front, You all had plenty of time for revision".
His frustration was visible, his smiling face had changed into a stone carved idol within a second. A thought came to her "I wonder why",
"He seems to be really mad when we are interrupted like this.. or wait, DID HE ACTUALLY STUDY?! Did he lie to me, and has actually become serious now?!
The air felt cold, although it was around 30 degrees. The sound of rustling paper, pen strokes ran across the room when a sharp tick from the wall clock broke the atmosphere. It was around half-time, the students were occupied with their papers, while the invigilators spectated carefully.
"Hey Hina", a whisper, "You know the answer to 13A right?"
"Oh, ya sure its option B. (OKAY HE HASN'T STUDIED)". (Wait.. this question, 23A..) Her heartbeat shot up, (this is from the resource box activity we did in class, THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL HE WILL KNOW THIS ONE).
She frantically moves her head back and forth (OH GOD, this is a 6-marker too, will he get this?).
Curious, she peeks over her shoulder, a slight gaze only.
"WHAT?!!!" She almost screamed. (He borrowed the answer sheet of that weirdo Nancy sitting behind him! and OF COURSE she'll give it, she is head over heels for him!). She muttered to herself, "that idiot! the invigilator will turn soon, this is too risky."
The pen strokes stop. (Ok, finally he's done)
He picks the sheet and with a pleasant *or grateful* expression on his face, turns back to return it to Nancy, but what happened next was undeniably the most unexpected and unfortunate event that could have happened at that time. He lost his grip, the sheet of paper floated with a gust of wind, before settling on the ground right next to Hina's table"
(HE'S ABSOLUTELY DONE FOR!! DIABOLICALLY COOKED!!), Her eyes opened wide, as she grinned with anxiety, (WHAT'S HE WAITING FOR?) "Pick it up! "
She whispered, but he remained in suspended animation from the sheer shock, then, lightning struck. He looked up, a chill ran down his spine.
"Miss Minase! care to explain what you are doing?"
She stood right in front of him, the sheet of paper clutched in her hand. Turning quickly she places it on the table and stands right in front of it *thud*,
a gesture with two fingers pointing backward brought Arata back to this realm, and he quickly slips the sheet back to his classmate.
"Oh I'm really sorry sir, I was just-"
"No Excuses! you'll get detention after school."
She sat down. The silence resumed but those words echoed in his head. He dared not ask another question throughout the entire examination, but as soon as the bell rang.
"Why?"
"Um hello? to help you dummy"
"No, why did you do it? I would've been caught, you weren't even involved".
"Oh come on, it happened in an instant, almost instinctively. I thought maybe I would be able to pick the paper and be back at my seat quick enough, guess I'll have to train". (chuckle)
He wasn't convinced. "Fine, I'll just wait for you outside"
"Noo, I heard that the teacher just needed help for some work in the library, so this became the perfect excuse. You should go home, I'll just get it over with quickly"
"As you say".
He walked away, his steps heavy. It was the same atmosphere, the crowds, the voices of the children, the school bell, yet it all felt lifeless. He walked through the traffic, following a monotonous rhythm. An important lesson,
It is NEVER the worst day ever, or the best,
so be prepared for a bad day, and make it through,
So you can see a good one
*The Scene Shifts*
The chaos unveils
The first sign was the sun disappearing. It was only around 3 pm in the afternoon, but an ominous sheet of darkness blanketed the area and soon after all sound went void. "Bad weather? A storm out of the blue?" Panic was quick to rise.
The temperature dropped quickly, soft winds, now began to lash violently. With a thunder, nature came alive, the world now painted with a green tint. The situation communicated way better visually, verbal description could barely describe it.
What followed was something, which could not be comprehended
Some felt warmth, while others the opposite.. it could not be told what was happening on this earth,
whether monsters were roaming free, or gods had descended.
-----------------End of part. I (Ch-2)------------------