Rasazy's Fundamental Paper Education AU 2.0

Rough Start

Abbie was in a state of absolute disbelief as he walked out of math class, feeling like he'd just been handed a miracle. It was true. The rumors on Paperbook were real—Miss Circle was genuinely in an unusually good mood because of 'Oreos'. For the entirety of class, she hadn't so much as glanced at him or Claire, not a single snide comment, no intense stare-downs, and, shockingly, she hadn't even demanded anyone's head's to be rolled for execution. Instead, she'd remained seated, munching through pack after pack of Oreos, a faint smile on her usually Cheshire face.

The most astonishing part of it all? Miss Circle hadn't subjected the class to her typical tortures of relentless quizzes, lessons, or that infamous "surprise test." She'd merely scribbled an assignment on the board, waved them off, and gave an early release.

"Unbelievable," Abbie muttered to himself, nudging Claire, who was equally speechless. "Do you think she even noticed us?"

Claire shook her head, her eyes wide in amazement. "No. I don't think she noticed 'anyone'. That must have been the happiest I've ever seen her, considering I'm pretty new to Paper School."

Abbie laughed incredulously, still processing the reality of it. "Oreos... all it took was Oreos? This feels like something out of a dream."

Suddenly Edward seemed to materialize out of thin air behind Claire and Abbie, making both of them jump as he chimed in with a mischievous grin, "Welp, she's high on Oreos, alright."

They both spun around, catching their breath and glaring at him. Just then, Engel emerged from the bathroom, giving them a quick wave, while Rasazy stood a little ways off, engrossed in a manga, a rare sight since she usually stuck to novels. Her eyes darted across the pages, clearly fascinated by the storyline—especially considering it was her first try into romance manga.

Claire shot Edward a look of pure annoyance, crossing her arms. "What are you even doing here, Edward? Weren't you supposed to be helping Zip clean up the mess from yesterday?"

With a smug grin, Edward shrugged, leaning casually against the wall. "Nah, I'm good. Besides, I was in the nurse's office during the whole fiasco, remember? That technically makes me exempted from it." He flashed a triumphant smile, clearly proud of having found a loophole in his punishment.

Still buried in her manga, Rasazy chimed in with a deadpan tone, "Won't Zip be mad if you just leave her alone even though you're exempted? I'd assume she won't forget something like this, right?"

The smug confidence drained from Edward's face as her words sank in, his eyes widening in realization. Without a word, he bolted down the hallway in a mad dash, his footsteps echoing as he sprinted to rejoin Zip before her irritation with him for not helping a friend reached critical levels.

Claire and Abbie couldn't help but exchange an exasperated look as Edward's figure grew smaller in the distance. Suddenly, with a resigned sigh, Bubble muttered as she got out of the math classroom, "Honestly, that guy is a good inventor and smart too, but too bad he has the survival instincts of a brick. Zip's probably going to make him scrub floors for hours for not helping her."

Engel chuckled, shaking his head. "She'll have him picking up every last scrap from yesterday's mess while she rests comfortably on a chair. I wouldn't be surprised if she saved the worst bits for him as payback."

Suddenly Rasazy glanced up from her manga, then turned her attention to Engel, who was standing close by. Without warning, she reached out, grabbing his arm and tugging him forward to check the watch strapped to his wrist. Engel winced slightly, muttering an "Ouch" as his arm was stretched forward, but Rasazy was entirely focused on the time.

After a brief moment of studying the watch, Rasazy gave a small, satisfied hum. "I think we should get moving. Miss Thavel's class starts in fifteen minutes," she stated, releasing Engel's arm.