The School's out forever

Day 1 - Section Stem 12 20

Day 1

Monday

1 : 25 PM

Senior high school Building

Evelyn Crane - 18 years old

Biology class was its usual brand of boring—at least for the boys. Kevin Hugo and Kit Hollis sat at the back, more interested in sketching random doodles than in mitochondria. Loberic Greer and Marco Grey were already dozing off, heads drooping as they tried to catch a nap, while Emerson, Ztirf, and Marlo had vanished—probably off to the canteen.

Despite the fact that class had barely begun, it was clear most of the boys had already checked out. Well, except for JB Ashford, the one boy who was actually disciplined enough to pay attention. He sat at the front, diligently jotting down notes, eyes fixed on the teacher as if nothing else in the world mattered. And, of course, there were us girls: me—Evelyn Crane—Shirleen Rayes, Grecyl Gilmore, Aria Larkwood, and my best friends, Isabella Wynn and Amelia Watson.

But something felt off. I glanced at Amelia's empty desk. Where is she? Amelia was never late. She was always the first one here, like clockwork. I chewed on my lower lip, trying to shake off the worry creeping into my mind. Maybe she's sick, I thought, losing focus on the teacher's lecture entirely.

My wandering thoughts were quickly cut short when our Biology teacher's voice rang out across the classroom, sharp and scolding.

"Boys at the back! Please listen!" she barked, her tone seething with frustration.

The boys immediately straightened up, Loberic jerking awake from his nap, eyes wide. Marco, on the other hand, was still dead to the world, not even a shout could wake him. His head drooped further onto the desk, oblivious to the teacher's growing irritation.

"Alright, since the boys aren't paying attention, we'll have a pop quiz. Fifteen items, all identification!" the teacher declared, her voice tinged with smug satisfaction.

Gasps filled the room. Everyone, except us girls, looked at the boys like they'd just cursed the entire class. Not that we were worried—we knew we'd pass easily.

"All of you," she continued, glaring at the boys, "come sit in the front where I can keep an eye on you."

Loberic, Kevin, and Kit groaned in protest, dragging their feet to the front. The teacher wasn't done though. "One of you was cheating last week, using his phone. But he's not here today. Is he absent?" she asked.

"Are you talking about Emerson, Ma'am?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. Is he absent today?"

I hesitated. "He just stepped out for snacks, Ma'am."

"Well, in that case, he's getting an automatic zero for the quiz," she said with a smirk, and the class erupted in quiet giggles.

"Alright, everyone, take out a quarter sheet of paper. We're starting now."

The teacher was just about to announce the first question when—
BOOM!

The ground beneath us shook violently, the windows rattling in their frames. The fluorescent lights flickered for a moment before bursting, one by one, plunging the classroom into semi-darkness.

Screams erupted from all around. Some students bolted for the door, their panic taking over. I could barely hear myself think through the chaos—the shrieks, the pounding footsteps, the groans of students shoving past each other. My head felt like it was about to split open.