Monday morning, all students were returned to the regular classroom. The floral dissection project was over, and Liville was relieved she didn't have to keep going to the laboratory. It was noisy there, cold, and more crowded.
The classroom was nicer, more spaced out. And Liville liked the fact that she could start the day by sitting next to Sejanus again.
Oh, Sejanus.
She adored the boy. Adored the way he laughed at every joke she'd made on the way to school that morning, the way he listened to all her ramblings, the way he never cut her off the way her parents and siblings always used to when she talked too much.
He was so...interested in her. In what she was saying, in who she was. She couldn't believe she'd gotten through life without him physically being there. She lived for his letters and now she just lived for him.
It honestly felt like life hadn't truly started for her until she stepped off that train. When they truly met each other face to face. That was the first day she felt like a real individual.
Now that she had this feeling of freedom, she could never return to that life she lived before Sejanus. The kind where she was to be silent, where she was alive but not allowed to act like it.
It felt so surreal knowing she'd never have to go back to it all.
Her and Sejanus were the first couple of people to arrive at school that day. They were both discussing the recent snowfall when Coriolanus arrived.
Well, Liville was discussing the snow. Sejanus was just listening, not particularly interested in the subject, but flattered she was interested in discussing it with him.
Coriolanus headed up the rows of desks and took a seat next to Liville. "I got the grade back for our rewrite," he said, interrupting. Her attention turned to him.
"Already? How? I turned it in on Friday, I thought it'd at least take until Wednesday."
Coriolanus shrugged. That cocky smile came back. Fast and easily, like it was the expression he wore all the time. "The ladies in the office like me."
She blinked, processed what he said, and then let out a short laugh. "What?"
He had a humored smile as he told her, "They like me. They'll process my assignments faster, if I ask them to."
"I didn't know you had so many admirers, Coryo."
He rolled his eyes, but she watched as that smirk of his grew.
When the professor came in, she announced the newest project. A math based assignment. Liville internally groaned at the description of it, already feeling bothered by the work.
"Clemensia's beckoning for me to go up to the top row," Sejanus said to Liville. She didn't realize he'd gone silent when Coriolanus entered the room. "I'll meet you at lunch."
"I'll be counting the seconds," she joked. She was thankful to receive a small smile from him before he left.
Liville was about to take out her workbook, but paused as she realized Coriolanus was still looking at her, like he was waiting to say something.
He had been, apparently, because the second he saw he had her attention he told her, "I got the office to print out the newest class rankings too."
"Didn't they just update them on Friday?"
"I had them do it again. Had them factor in our new grade."
"And are you gonna tell me what they are, or are you gonna make me guess?"
