Aeon Nether & Idol Effigy

Chapter 61- Lunch

Aster hands covered mine, as soon as she saw my hands try to pick up the plastic gloves on the table and try to hover over the steaming pile of poop in one of the containers on the desk. I looked up to find her shaking her head at me disapprovingly.

Other people seemed to have noticed my fidgeting too. For one reason or another the classroom became calmer and everyone stopped trying to prod some of the powders or other things on their desks. Embarrassed at the prospect of everyone stopping only to show me a good example of what I should be doing, I looked at the desk that was slightly higher than everyone else's.

Almost if on cue, Sir Eustace meets my gaze with a wide smile.

"We'll be getting onto the materials later on in the lesson. I'm sorry to say that I'll be talking through them for three hours today before you'll have to eat your lunch in this room and then build small models to accommodate some dolls that will soon be needing some shelter from their environments."

Sir Eustace's words were met with small groans at the idea of eating in this off-putting scent that now fully occupied this room. All of the sounds of unwillingness was just met with his taunting smile. He did end up opening the windows to let in the sunny and slightly windy weather from outside though. A short relief by offering some hope that the room would be aired out at some point.

My hands brought up a pad of some white lined paper and some stationary from my worn backpack, after Sir Eustace opened the window. The white lined paper soon had a title and date written in purple ink for the class. Below I started writing in black ink and highlighted the sub-titles in different colours depending on the materials the lecturer pointed out. I should point out that I didn't do it to make my notes look pretty, but so that my notes were more helpful to me. In general my handwriting changed or was too messy to be seen as pretty notes.

Next to me Aster's notes were all uniform and were written elegantly in three different colours. The colours being black ink and yellow and green highlighters. A world of difference from me.

Most people in the room used their laptops, but every so often would note something's down on some pieces of paper when the lecturer would allow us to have some breaks in the three hours. I guess that everyone didn't want to get any material on their laptops or tablets later on if they needed information.

"Okay, class!"Sir Eustace enlarged his voice to draw our attention, "It is now lunch time. We've already gotten our lunch orders, so feel free to take a paper bag from the trolleys to eat in this room. If you need to go to the toilet you'll have this lunch time to go do so, but remember that you must come back!"

Aster put away her notes and stationary like everyone else when I had already finished packing up. A habit of mine that makes me unable to contain my excitement at class ending and pre-pack my things before the class officially ends. It's not something that causes the teachers any annoyance since I always only do it once they are done with the lesson and don't need me to take any more notes. In that way I guess I also have the habit of being the last person to pack away too when the teacher continues after their lesson officially ends.

When the rest of the class had finished putting away their stuff, I'd already used the sink and hand wash in the classroom to wash my hands. Currently, I was once again preoccupied by my limited lunch choices. Eventually I chose a plain tuna, mayo and sweet corn sandwich, a ready salted crisp packet, some orange juice, an apple and a huge oaty chocolate chip cookie.

I smiled as I ate happily without noticing anything else that was going on around me in the hum of voices that were caused by everyone talking to one another. On second thought, maybe I'm the only one spending lunch correctly. The classroom still smells and I probably will be part of one of the only few that's able to eat.