Vivamus, Moriendum est (Rorschach x oc)

2. A Friend is All You Need

After rinsing my battered hands and face off in the sink, I headed off for my last class of the day. Literature and English. My favorite class. At least this could help prove to lift my spirits.

I plopped down in my usual seat. Observing quietly as all the other students filed in. It seemed my little stint had cut recess short for everyone. Excellent, something more to boost my social standing. 

Glancing out toward the windows had proven to be a mistake. Louise Halter's seat was off in that direction. She smirked at me. I decided not to engage and grimly turned away with no reaction.

A smile broke across my face as I turned to face the front once more. The little red-haired boy stood at the front of the room. He appeared nervous. The verbal and physical assaults of Louise Halter had not been enough to rattle him. But now standing in front of the room trying to choose a seat he appeared terrified. His eyes darted about the room in a panicked sort of way. Never focusing on one thing. His hands clenched and unclenched in a sort of rhythmic fashion.

His struggle resonated with me. I recalled my own first day here three years ago. The same panic had fallen over me. Standing there wondering where I belonged. There hadn't been enough desks. I ended up on the floor in the back of the classroom for my first week here before anyone noticed and took action. 

Determination not to let that happen to this boy set over me. Sitting straight up in my seat I waved fanatically at him. He could sit behind me. Who cared if the seat was usually occupied? Whoever usually sat there could find somewhere else. I waited till his eyes fell my way. Allowing for his to meet mine. It happened and his eyes went wide. His face paled.

He quickly looked elsewhere. I wished I knew his name. Suddenly, his gaze was diverted elsewhere. Somewhere more permanent, for once his eyes landed on this area they stayed there. Following his gaze, I found where he was looking. An empty desk at the back of the room. A seat as far away from me as you could get.

The little red-haired boy made a start for that seat. Though his journey there was harshly disrupted by another student all but shoving him out of the way. Thus, claiming the seat for his own. The boy's posture shrunk, and he once again stood at the front of the classroom looking terribly lost.

Once more I waved him over to the seat behind me. In resignation and having no other options he came over and slumped into the seat behind me. He couldn't look glummer about it, I thought bitterly.

Still, I turned in my seat to face him. Offering the brightest smile, I could muster.

"Hey there! I never quite got your name before. I'm Marya. But you can call me Mary. Most everyone else does anyway. When they see Marya they usually mistake it for Mary. So, if you wanna call me that, I don't mind."

I awaited his answer. He just kind of stared awkwardly at his desk. 

"Miss Maddox, I expect you to be facing forward. Unless you have eyes in the back of your head that is not an optimal learning position." 

Sister Jane, the teacher for our grade, strode into the room. Out of all the nuns at the Charlton home, I liked her the best. She tolerated me and did not seem to hate my guts like the rest of them. Despite her policy of no nonsense.

I gave the red-haired boy one last smile before turning round and folding my hands in front of me on the desk. 

Today's assignment was journaling. We were to write a journal entry using the new vocab words we had learned earlier in the week. To my surprise I found myself journaling about the boy behind me.

Met a boy in the school yard today. He does not talk much. Something seems to have scared him into silence. He has seen deep horrors. Wonder what they were. His eyes held a deep sadness...

Sadness? No. What had been the vocab word? Melancholy. Did that work in my sentence?

I crossed it out and restarted it just in case.

His eyes were melancholic. There was a story behind them. Though if he was silent, how did one read the story? It was as if it were in a different far off dying language. He had a story, and his eyes were the key to it. If I could learn to read his eyes...

The pen didn't leave my hands the entire period. Scribbling fiercely. Pondering deeply of him. He seemed the perfect candidate for friendship. Perhaps, I could make him my friend. He didn't seem to fear Louise Halter. Which was good. That had been the obstacle each time. The fear. Or perhaps I was just unlikeable. We'll have to see.

As shrill as ever the ring of the bell signaled the end of the period. A line formed for the students to present their work to sister Jane before they could be dismissed. Time for afternoon mass.

I approached and passed off my journal to her. Sister Jane took an awfully long time to read it over. Her mouth tightened more than usual. For a moment I worried I'd have to stay behind and rewrite it until it met her expectations. That's what would happen should you did not complete the assignment as expected of you. And if you missed mass? I shudder to think of it.

But I didn't need to worry of the consequences as Sister Jane passed my journal back with a nod of approval. I went back to my seat and packed up my things. Though seeing that the red-haired boy was the last in line I took my time doing so. Once finished I stood off to the side of the doorway to wait for him.

Finally, he approached sister Jane. Who proceeded to give the most show of expression that I'd ever seen from her. Typically, she had a straight face. Never displaying anger or any other emotion. Her voice was even but stern. She never smiled, though she never scowled either. Though today as she viewed the boy's journal her mouth curved up the slightest bit and her brow raised in the slightest. Though it still moved.

For a moment I worried. He hadn't been here all week. Today being his first day. He hadn't learned the vocabulary words. It'd be terribly unfair if they punished him for not properly completing the assignment. I steeled myself. Getting ready to vouch for him. Should it be necessary.

Though it appeared that today it would not be. For sister Jane handed his journal back to him after a few words.

He shuffled back to his seat to pack up his things. I noted he did so rather slowly. So, did sister Jane.

"Mr. Kovacs, your journal entry being rather impressive I assume I could teach you another word outside your lessons. That word being haste. We do not accept dawdling here at Charlton. Especially not when it comes to mass."

Kovacs. At least I knew his last name now. Could I perhaps drag his first name out of him? 

Sister Jane filed past me. Though she gave no warning to me. Instead, I could have sworn she winked at me. Subtle but unmistakable. She marched into the hallway without a further word.

As she left the Kovacs boy came to the door. 

"Impressive. You got a reaction out of Sister Jane." I remarked. I was indeed impressed.

He didn't answer and shuffled into the hall. I followed him. 

"May I ask what you wrote your journal on?"

He kept his eyes set ahead. Not looking even in my general direction. Though I had noticed that he slowed his pace to match mine. We walked besides each other. A start at least.

"Alright. Keep your secrets. I won't pry. Though can I be privy to your first name, Mr. Kovacs? I doubt you want me to address you as the nuns do."

Kovacs was silent for so long, I believed he was going to skip out on telling me his name as well. Just when I was about to give up, I heard the faintest uttering from him.

"Walter." 

Had I not been giving him my undivided attention I would have missed it. I smiled at my small triumph.

"Well, Walter, care to sit with me at mass?"