A Secondary School Survivor; Year One...

Know your enemies

I think this is the part where I apologize for taking too long. I hope this makes up for it. Enjoy.

Duna sat on her locker desk during the short break and properly took in her class and the inhabitants. It felt strange that she knew these people but had almost nothing to do with them.

A few girls sauntered in and out of the class as though they came to survey the environment. One of the girls, Duna addressed as Fey, particularly interested her. As they were in the same hostel, Duna could not do without seeing her every day but they hardly ever spoke.

Her attention went back to her classmates.

Imagine that we have never seen each other before and now we're forced to be classmates forever!

Well, six years, but who was counting?

Love had just returned from wherever she went to, and Duna watched with marvel as all gazes fixated on her, some of the boys trying to play some form of maturity whenever she seemed to breathe in direction.

At least they aren't looking at her like she's weird.

In that moment, Duna allowed herself to feel just a little bit sorry for herself; the girl whose haircut was lower than all the boys'.

And then the moment ended when the siren wailed, Danny, running in just in time for music class.

Ah, she almost forgot Danny, AKA "Counselor's boy," "Delia's spawn," or "Trouble's caricature."

Duna felt a twinge of shame for being happy that someone was having it a tad rough like she was, maybe even more so. He was the son of the junior guidance counselor. That position was almost as tasking as being the child of the principal. Worse still, he looked just like his mom, and she was the helicopter type.

She decided she felt indifferent when it came to him.

The next teacher came in and Duna perked up.

Mr. Khun strode in and gave the already familiar command, "Put away everything unconnected with social studies." There was also the familiar wave of response to his instruction just as the class captain went to clean the whiteboard.

Mr Khun taught in clear English, making social studies quite an easy subject for Duna.

Quite boring too, she thought.

Alas, the less her brain was tasked to, the heavier her eyelids became until she found herself struggling for control she lost from the second the classroom went silent. Desperate, she read to herself from the whiteboard.

The idea seemed to be working, but only for a moment because three paragraphs later, the teacher demanded that she be on her feet.

Confused, Duna delayed in answering Mr Khun. A rookie mistake.

"Are you pregnant?" He asked, too cold for comfort.

"No sir," said the young student.

"Why did it take you so long to stand up?" Came Mr Khun, voice dripping icicles. Duna felt the temperature in the room drop by a few degrees, no thanks to the three air conditioners that were working at the moment.

Perhaps he's the vampire and not Mr. Apah, she thought.

"And why were you sleeping in my class?" He added to his questions. To this, Duna withdrew into defense.

"Oh, I wasn't sleeping sir. I was listening-"

"I am not done talking," he cut in. Duna flinched when he appeared in front of her. She lowered her eyes.