Viti

Chapter five

The next day, as Grace trudged through the halls of the school, she kept her head down and glared angrily at anyone who made the mistake of getting into her path. Well, almost everyone.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Beth said, sounded so cherry it was sickening. "You look like roadkill."

Grace pushed a strand of curly hair away from her eyes. "Thanks. Just what every girl dreams of hearing."

Beth walked at her side, and after another moment, she pulled Grace to the side of the hall. A swarm of other girls quickly fluttered by, but no one paid the two girls any attention and they continued their mindless chatter.

Beth turned back to Grace as the girls vanished down the halls. "What's wrong with you?"

Grace wearily shut her eyes. "Nothing! I just didn't sleep well last night." Truth be told, Grace felt worse than that one time she snuck one of Angela's cigarettes. That was a horrid mistake, one she had no intention of every repeating.

"You look terrible."

Grace opened her eyes again. "I know, Beth. I saw my reflection this morning." She winched. "It wasn't pretty." With dark circles under her sunken eyes, aches and pains in her body, she's certainly looked better before. "It's just a cold. No biggie."

Grace continued to walk again, and Beth rushed to keep up. "Should you even be in school, then."

Grace glanced sideways at her. "I can't take any days off school unless I'm dying."

"Why not?"

Grace didn't give her an answer, and she didn't really have one to give. She just couldn't stay at home. Thankfully, the bell chose that moment to signal the start of first period. Under the threat of getting another tardy, Beth had to either drop it or be late to class again.

Three wired black trays were set up at the front of the room, Ms. Lunn hovering nearby, her hawk eyes watching each student as they trickled into the room. When the warning bell rang, she was quick to close the door, before she returned back to her stony stance.

As the class settled down for the lesson, Ms. Lunn gestured to the wired trays, filled to the brim with loose papers, some stapled together. "Today we move onto some of the popular plays written and performed in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Find a partner, decide on a play. Dissect it. Composition, symbolization, conflict, relationships between the characters. And write about it."

The sounds of chairs scrapping filled the room as everyone moved forward, some eager to find the shortest play in the trays. Other girls stopped halfway towards the trays to partner with friends.

Beth elbowed Grace. "Partner?"

Grace rolled her eyes and quickly stood. "Duh." She almost instantly regretted the swift movement and held onto the desk for balance as the world seemed to move around her.

Beth stopped on her way to the front of the class and glanced back at Grace. "You coming?"

Grace shook her head firmly and shoved the uneasiness from her stomach. "Yeah. I'm coming."

Beth merely shrugged and pushed her way to the now empty trays, the clipped papers now laid scatted over several desks as they were passed between groups. She grabbed a handful and returned to Grace's side.

"So, what do you feel like?" Beth asked, as she flicked through the stack. Bolded headings flashes passed, until she settled on one and pulled it free. "Romance?"

Grace took the play from Beth. "Romeo and Juliet? Seriously? Isn't that a little unambiguous?"

Beth shrugged. "Maybe. But it'd make for an easy A. Or B, I'm not picky."