Triple Threat

Chapter 2

Anya's alarm woke her up the next morning. She grumbled under her breath and moved to sit up, startling the cat and turning her stomach into a launch pad. Butternut dove under the bed, only deciding to come out when she was coerced with the promise of treats.

She then got dressed, and stuffed her suit into the bottom of her backpack, making sure to cover it with her books and folders. She laced her shoes, - the same ones she generally wore with her suit, and managed to drag herself into the kitchen.

Still being in a fog, she made a cup of crappy, instant coffee, and quickly threw a breakfast sandwich into the microwave. Her eating habits had really gone downhill in the last month or so, mostly due to her full schedule. Between studying for the SAT's, patrolling at night, and taking care of her cat, she didn't exactly have the time to be meal prepping.

She grabbed a microwaveable noodle cup out of the cupboard, threw it in her bag, and packed her "breakfast" up into last night's burger bag. It wasn't pretty, but it was functional. She gave Butternut a quick goodbye pat on the head, practically throwing food into her bowl as she left.

Thankfully, webs weren't needed to get to school on time today. She had actually made it to the bus station on time for once, and boarded with a few other students, most of which she didn't recognize. She had never paid much attention to her classmates, or to other students in general. The one person she interacted with on the daily was her best friend, Benji, who would be boarding at the next stop.

She slid her earbuds in, and a familiar sense of calm washed over her as she stared out the window. This ten minute bus ride, believe it or not, was her favorite part of the day. Just her, ignoring the other passengers until Benji boarded. The outside world was just a blur of warm light and vague shapes. She was completely tuned out.

Then, a voice interrupted her. "Hey, An!"

She looked up to see Benji waving at her, headed towards her seat. She threw her bag down by her feet and took her earbuds out, feigning a frown and a little wave as she tucked them in her bag's front pocket. Benji sat down next to her. He was way taller than her, even sitting down, and his head brushed the handles used for standing passengers though he was seated.

"Hey, how's it going B?" she asked.

"Eh, the usual," he answered. "Crappy. Got a shift at the deli later, think you can stop by?"

"Aw man, I wish I could. Got a massive pile of work waiting for me at home tonight," she said. This was a lie, as Benji didn't know her true identity. She felt bad for ditching him, but she had responsibilities of her own. Someday she'd tell him, but today was not that day.

He grimaced. "Fair enough, I feel ya." The two carried on like this until they arrived outside their school. They made it to their homeroom well before the final bell rang.

Anya hauled her bag down the hall, finally reaching her room. She entered, and found that she was one of the first to arrive, so she tucked her bag under her seat and sat down, patiently waiting for everyone else to get to class. Her phone sat in the front pocket of her bag, buzzing frantically, unbeknownst to her.

It was a Friday, and students wasted no time filtering into the room. Everyone was desperate to finish out the week and be home for the three day weekend they'd been promised. Monday was a grading day, and not only that, but they had free periods for three quarters of their day to make room for testing, a monthly tradition at her school.

Ms. Carrie, her English teacher, entered the room. "Good morning, class, I hope you've all remembered your papers from Tuesday."

The students hurriedly found their papers in their folders, handing them to Ms. Carrie as she walked down the rows of desks. She was incredible. One of those teachers who had her students' respect; mostly out of fear, but also because she managed to make the material genuinely interesting. Her lessons held your attention, unlike many of the math or history classes she went to. She was Anya's favorite teacher.