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Vivienne's hesitant steps echoed softly across the weathered linoleum floor as she was about to enter the classroom, the subtle shuffle of her shoes harmonizing with the distant murmur of students settling in. The air, pregnant with the scent of aged wood and well-worn textbooks, enveloped her like a familiar embrace.
Rows of neatly arranged desks stood in silent anticipation, each one a potential sanctuary for a day's worth of learning. Dust motes, caught in the gentle rays, pirouetted around the room, momentarily distracting her from the task at hand. Vivienne's gaze flitted across the room, searching for that elusive perfect spot ─ a balance between proximity to the front, yet comfortably nestled in the background. The shuffle of her classmates, already ensconced in their chosen domains, created a symphony of rustling papers and hushed conversations.
Annick and Vivienne were the last two people to enter the classroom, leaving a slim choice of available seats. There was only two places left to sit and both already had someone sitting there. One was occupied by Henri Pichon ─ he was sitting in the first desk. Vivienne knew who he was, considering his family was rich. The Satre's and Pichon's often had dinners together when Vivienne and Henri were little. They haven't really seen each other since then, although Vivienne did keep in touch with his sisters. Pichon sisters weren't really her first choice of friends per se, but her parents would say how they were a 'respectable family', leaving her no choice but to hang out with them sometimes.
Second available spot was near the end, in the same middle row. Whereas she knew Pichon, Vivienne had absolutely no idea who the boy sitting in that desk was. He had curly hair and he was wearing a yellow shirt. The boy, engrossed in arranging his notebooks, seemed oblivious to the dilemma unfolding beside him. Logically, she should've sat next to Pichon, but he was sitting in the first desk and Vivienne hated sitting in the front.
Annick was the first to choose her spot and luckily for Vivienne, she sat next to Pichon. Vivienne had to stiffle her laugh ─ Pichon got flustered the second Annick sat.
Vivienne made her way over to her designated seat. With a calculated nonchalance, she lowered herself into the chair beside him, her every movement echoing the weight of a decision made against the backdrop of societal constraints. The boy next to her didn't react whatsoever just looked her but then reverted his eyes to the front. To his left, in the row closest to the door, was sitting the guy from earlier; the one who smirked at her when she was entering. Vivienne mentally facepalmed herself.
The sharp cadence of the teacher's footsteps echoed through the room as she looked at both girls, a stern furrow etched into her brow. The air seemed to tighten with the unspoken tension as the classroom collectively held its breath, a captive audience to the unfolding drama.
"I am miss Giraud, your homeroom teacher," she introduced herself. "Both of you, stand up", she was talking to Annick and her. "What are your names?"
