lost in your feathers (i hope they don't fall)

anger

Duolingo didn't notice that his English grades were falling for a while. In fact, it had been 4 weeks since he learnt his top spot had been surpassed when Mrs. D'splora pulled him out of the lesson and told him that, if he didn't step up his game, he might have to get a tutor.

Duolingo didn't process what she said until after break time. And when he did, he simply brushed it off as her accidentally pulling the wrong student aside.

He didn't realise that it, in fact, wasn't a mistake until German, last period.

Following his normal routine, Duolingo was standing in the languages corridor outside the German room, when a familiar stranger with brown hair walking with a swagger was standing by the classroom opposite his. Surrounding the stranger were a group of friends who looked like they were more trouble than good.

"Dude, you're almost D'Splora's favourite!" said one.

"Not just almost - she definitely doesn't like that languages nerd anymore. He isn't top of the class - in fact, after I took that spot, I swear he isn't even average in English anymore. I'm definitely her favourite now," the brown haired kid replied.

This made Duolingo pause. Then it made him step forward. And then, he talked in a voice he had never heard escape his mouth before today. "It was you."

The brown haired kid seemed taken aback at Duolingo's unwavering glare. Breaking eye contact, the boy spoke in a sensible tone Duolingo didn't know boys like him were capable of using. "Sorry, what?"

Duolingo was a bit surprised by this unseen side of the boy, but continued nonetheless, "you were the one who became top of English. You were the one who stole my spot."

An unreadable expression crossed the boy's face, but it was quickly replaced with anger. He opened his mouth to speak, and...

...it was time to go into class. Duolingo never heard what the boy was about to say, and maybe, thinking about it later as he stared into the ceiling of his bedroom, he didn't want to.