Wisps of the past

Chapter 4, Think before you speak

   "Really?" It was the first word that popped out of Rio's mouth in the otherwise dead silent classroom.

   Well, minus the screams of thirty fourthgrader's minds.

   I think I can move Rio, Asurli, and Draven up to seventh grade. They know ratios, fractions, and can write fluid paragraphs, with great word choice. I wonder who taught them that. However, would they be able to handle the social aspect? They seem pretty delicate.

   "I'm not that delicate." Rio objected with a slight huff of irritation.

   Rio caught the gaze of Asurli, and noticed that she was giving Rio a pointed look. The teachers were also staring at her disapprovingly.

   Oops. Said that aloud, huh? Rio flushed, looking down at her hands.

   "Do you want to share that thought with the class, Rio?" Miss Barsolou asked, throwing her copper curls over her shoulder, giving her a kind but dangerous glare.

   "Um, I was talking to my imaginary friend." Rio replied. "We were talking about how..."

   Asurli had her head in her hands, sighing. "She's just replying to a note I passed her, Miss Barsalou. It's my fault. Sorry." Asurli saved the conversation.

   To Rio's surprise, there was a crumpled ball of wide - ruled notebook paper half unfolded on her desk with Asurli's uniform drawings. It read,

   Don't read the teacher's mind in class, or you'll get in trouble.

   Or, at least, that is what it said to Asurli and Rio. It was one of Asurli's ciphers, so to everyone else, it looked like a picture full of colored flowers.

   In neat, English printing, it also read, Draven told me at recess to tell you that you look like a delicate flower, so I decided to make you a drawing. We can be flower buddies!

   Rio glanced at Asurli, whose hands were fluttering under the table almost too fast to see. Draven was watching her carefully, then signed something slowly under his desk to Rio. It appeared to be stay calm, Rio.

   Asurli had made a point in teaching Rio the flower cipher soon after they had met. Asurli claimed that they needed a system to communicate to each other over ten - foot distances, since their desks were spread far apart, without attracting attention.

   The teacher smiled down at the paper.

   "That's very sweet Asurli, but I advise you to not pass any more papers, okay?"

   "Yes, Ma'am." Asurli replied, almost sounding militaristic, but very gentle at the same time.

   "Thank you for your honesty, Asurli. See class, this is an example of integrity, or in simpler terms, doing the right thing. When you do something wrong, you need to admit it, because it helps others understand, and forgive." Miss Barsalou congratulated Rio as well, " and I think that you were trying to protect your friend, too, Rio, so good job for that. However, she should learn from her own mistakes. We need to learn how to stand up for each other, but tell the truth, too."

   Draven's face tightened as if in pain, and he got a distant look at the words tell the truth.

   The teacher noticed, and called him out on it. "Right, Draven? It's okay to talk, you know. We're all really nice here, honey."

   Anger burned in Rio's chest. The teacher wasn't helping the situation, but she didn't know any better. Rio just decided to forgive, and then talk to Draven at recess.

   Draven stared at his desk, sitting on his hands while swinging his legs. It was comparable to how a speaking person would clamp their mouth shut.

   Asurli's body was perfectly relaxed, but she had her head tilted ever so slightly, and her pinkie finger of her right hand was ever so slightly tense. If Rio hadn't talked to Aven the other day, then she wouldn't know that those were the signs that Asurli was irate.