Another Classroom Story

They hurried up the stairs. Rushing each other. Grumbling, they started cursing their luck as they headed towards their new class. This was messed up, they had been put in another section. This messed everything up big time. This was not what they wanted at all.

"What the.. WHY does this happen to me!? That section was good enough. It was terribly, terribly fabulous.", Shania said, stomping her feet on the ground. She looked like a blown up version of a little girl throwing tantrums. "What.. now I can't even see him. Ever. A whole different floor. That ain't fair.", she said, pouting.

"Whoa now.. I guess it's for the better. Now you won't get distracted. Right?", Whitney questioned her. She knew how her friend could be. She had to learn how to adjust to stuff. "Uh.. well, you know I had friends there. Old friends.. but what the heck! We'll settle. Calm down, calm down."

There were some changes to be done with their schedules. They had to be given a timetable that had to be scheduled with the respective teachers. It was a hassle. It was a problem, indeed. The librarian was usually the incharge of all this and when she screwed up and it wasn't so unforgivable, they had to oblige. And hence, after a week of wandering around the campus due to consequently, "free" periods they had to head to their new class. How long can fun last?

Stopping a few feet away from their new classroom, Whitney pulled Shania aside and said, "Look, don't be too sad. I'll talk to the headmistress. To see if she can get us back to the old class. Just endure this class for a day or two." Shania nodded. "Well, that's okay. I'll try."

She pulled herself together but broke down again. With sad eyes, mimicking crying she said "But I want to be distracted.. I want to be distracted, or else how am I supposed to study?" They grinned at each other.

"Look who's inside. We better go in now."

"It's their class teacher I guess. She's new. Supposed to be pretty strict."

"Whew.. here we go!"

They went inside and looking around Whitney saw an assortment of faces. New and old. Most of them she didn't know and that's saying a lot, she had been in the same school for well, quite a long time. Some old friends smiled at her. Some nodded. Some waved out a friendly hi. Shania pulled at her sleeve. The teacher had turned to talk to them. She ignored, still scanning the room while Shania jabbered on.

The teacher nodded, "Yes, I know, take your seat. We'll talk later." She turned back to the blackboard but then turned around to face the girls again, "Oh, and welcome to the class!" She said brightly. And returned to her work.

They found an empty desk at the extreme right corner, the front bench. No surprise. They sat down quietly and discreetly looked around. Yeah, most of them were new. That's no fun. No fun at all. A single "new kid" is fun. Even two. But here they were.. feeling as if they've come into a completely different school. Now THEY felt new, instead.

Time went on slowly. The front bench wasn't so good.. nah. They couldn't even look to see who was in their class. Whitney looked out the window. It was July. There were rainclouds in the sky. The grass was a beautiful green. The world seemed fresh. She felt Shania leaning on her. She turned to her and she said "Whitney, how much time's left for the bell to ring?"

"I have the time but I have no idea about the timing."

"Ahh.. you've been in this school for like a million years."

"So what? You've been here.. for like a few thousand yourself."

"Shut up." Shania stuck out her tongue at her. And turned around to ask whoever sat behind them. Whitney just resumed her nature appreciation.

"Uh.. excuse me? What's the time?"

She sensed him looking up from his work, clearing his throat, he said, "11:15".

Shania turned back around. She sat still, tense, and then grinned. Foolishly.

The bell rang just then. The pushing and shoving of the desks and chairs drowned out the teacher's voice. And she was forced to just leave. Some idiots made a run for the door, others hung around. Chatting and eating.

"Did you see that.. did you just see him?" Sensing no response from Whitney she said, "The guy behind us, you know. Wow, that's cute! He's cute. I mean like, oh-my-god." She looked ahead of her, grinning, looking at nothingness.

Whitney smirked, she shrugged her shoulders as she leaned back into her chair and calmly replied, "Well, yeah, and you come to know that now?"

Shania looked at her, wide-eyed, mouth open, hands coming around to push her. Whitney smirked. "Oh, you're slow." Easing her legs out under the desk, Whitney sighed.

She kept sitting where she was. And Shania got up as the Guy-with-the-Time headed towards the door. Someone called him and he looked back. And he smiled at something. His hand moved towards his neck as he stretched it and turned again towards the door.

Almost out of the class, he paused, turned around as he stepped out into the corridor, and looked at Whitney, just a tad too long. His eyes, just a bit too bright. His smile just a tad too wide. With a spring in his step, he looked down, glanced again at her and moved away. Whitney's heart skipped a couple of beats.

And she could almost see the cartoonish hearts floating around Shania's head and she had closed her eyes and was smiling like a doofus. Whitney shook her head and leaned back a bit more into her chair and lay her hand across her heart.