Visible Ghosts

23

Getting back into school mode really, really, sucks. Why did dad choose to put me into courses before 10 in the morning? I might be a morning person but I am not a morning person for class. Maybe when I was younger I enjoyed going to school but that was more to get out of the house and away from my family. Looking back at it, I threw myself at school as a young girl to escape my reality. Numbers didn't lie to you, books were always your friend, and science has laws that can't be broken. I absorbed anything and everything my teachers tried to teach me and spent countless hours hiding away in my room with a book tucked in my hands.

Now, as I half zombie walk into my morning class with Axel, I send a couple of curses to Phil in my head. The room is already half filled, even though it's ten minutes till the start of class. I guess Axel's promise of assigned seats was taken pretty seriously. I spy Silas, Corey, North, and Gabriel already in the classroom, back left hand side. North sits all the way in the corner with Silas to his right, an empty seat is in front of North, then Corey sits in the seat in front of that. Gabriel is next to the empty one.

I discreetly weave through the desk, quietly murmuring excuses to students as I go for a vacant seat in the middle of the room. If I sit there, I should be able to hear conversations from everywhere in the room without difficulty. Plus, I won't have to wade through the sea of wooden desks trying to make my way to the back of the room. Before I can drop my bag down, my name is called.

"Oy, Trouble. We saved you a seat." Gabriel waves a hand, beckoning me towards the desk in between them. I suppress the frown that is fighting to break free. It would be rude of me to completely blow them off and just sit down. Other students in the class start to look at me as I contemplate my decision. If I come off as an ice bitch then it's less likely that anyone will talk to me but, if I go and sit with the guys then my chances of getting to know other students significantly diminishes. Leaving me between a rock and a hard place. Grateful Axel is allowing a seat change in a few weeks, I pull my bag up on my shoulder again and pick my way over to their corner.

"Morning, Sang." Corey turns in his seat to greet me. His cerulean eyes are bright as he smiles at me.

"Hi Corey. Good morning." I greet in return, slipping into my seat. Placing my bag under my desk, knocking into some feet. Glancing down, I spy three shoes? Two wear a pair of black boots, scuffed and well worn and another is clad in a navy blue sneaker.

"Sorry, aggele." Silas grins at me, the blue sneaker disappears to stretch into the aisle by my chair. Turning, I see that Silas's legs are cramped under the desk. He makes it look like a child's toy rather than a desk meant for grown adults. He has one leg stretched into the aisle now, his large foot resting on the edge of my chair. His other knee is braced against the underside of his desk so it doesn't encroach into Gabriel's space or the student next to him.

North isn't much better in his space. He has no room to put anything. The wall cuts off one side forcing him to scoot his desk closer to Silas so he can get to his seat. His legs are now scrunched under his desk, making him look a bit like an extortionist.

"You can put your feet back under my chair." I tell North, with a sympathetic look, that can't be comfortable for him. These desks are barely big enough for me and I'm half his size.

The corner of his mouth quirks up in a small smile making him seem so much less intimidating. "Thanks." He gruffs, his two boots once again under my desk and surrounding my own feet. It doesn't give me much space for wiggle room but at least I can stretch my feet out and not hit Corey in front of me.

"Trouble, what crawled up Dr. Robert's ass last night?" Gabriel complains. "Torture isn't accurate to describe what he put us through last night. I'm so damn sore, I can't even feel my ass."