the butterfly effect // stray kids

chapter three

tick tock... tick tock...

. • ~ ^ 🦋 ^ ~ • .

you spare one last glance to the smug looking felix, turning on your heels and making your way to the door. you bow apologetically to professor auclair.

"sorry, professor. i'll excuse myself." the professor nods at your declaration, seemingly understanding as he waves you off. so you turn, out into the barren hallways of the labyrinth this school called a building. with a sigh, you reach into your pocket, preparing to pull out your class schedule. you could at least get a head start on searching for your next classroom.

but as your hand goes into your pocket, you find it to be empty. in a panic, you quickly search your other pocket, even your back pockets. but they were all empty.

"what the..." you mumble to yourself, crouching to the floor to rummage through your bag, wondering if you'd put it in there. but after a good five minutes of practically tearing your bag apart— your class schedule was just not there. a wave of realization washes over you, and you suddenly realize why the boys were looking at you the way they were when you stepped around them to go to class. you couldn't exactly pinpoint when it happened, but you had a good feeling that you knew which one of them had taken the schedule from you.

you recall the one with longer black hair, a couple of facial piercings. the one who had picked up the schedule when you dropped it, the one you snatched it back from. it had to be him that stole it from your pocket when you weren't looking. you couldn't go anywhere without it, you had no idea where your classes were, and you didn't even have them memorized, so you only had one option. to try and find the long-haired pick-pocket.

so you quickly reorganize your bag, standing up and slinging it around your shoulder as you retrace your steps, all the way back to the staircase that led to where they gathered. you weren't sure that you were going the right way until that same smell hit your nose once again. you could only hope they'd still be down here, but as you descended the staircase, the halls were empty. the only sign of their presence being the lingering smell of their joints.

with a huff, you decide to look around. maybe you had dropped it, and no one had taken it. that was entirely possible, right? so you slowly search around the staircase before making your way over to where you fell, but there was nothing. and just when you were about to give up, retreating back to the student help office to get a new one printed out, the sound of a low, tantalizing whistle fills your ears. it was one of those whistles that called for your attention, so you whirled your head around to the direction it came from, your eyes landing on just the man you were looking for.

"looking for something?" he cocks his head to the side, his long hair following the motion.

"i know you took my schedule. give it back." you huff. he cocks an eyebrow in amusement.

"that's a little accusatory, don't you think?" he replies, feigning innocence.

"am i wrong?" you challenge. he chuckles at your assertiveness.

"i didn't say that." he smirks, pulling a folded up piece of paper from his pocket. your class schedule. "though you figured it out a lot quicker than i thought you would." there was a sense of surprise in his tone as he spoke.

"will you just give it back?" you huff in annoyance, crossing your arms over your chest. the man laughs, pushing himself off the wall as he steps closer to you, innocently holding out the schedule to you, but just as you go to grab it, he yanks it back.