Nowhere to go, no one to be

dirty pieces

After five pm the corridors were mostly empty. Students either have been attending extracurricular classes, or already heading home. The second was also a part of my plan. When the school's building was desolate like this, its unusual cleaness and sterility could finally see the day (or rather evening) light. It was old, yet greatly kept, in a way that probably was supposed to help students with focusing. Yet for me, those temporarly deserted corridors caused anything but focus. Mainly agorafobic feelings - I never liked too much of a space.

 Besides, my stomach was hurting. Julie was a box trainee, and it was easy for her to make others suffer. I knew that, and I was still wondering why the hell did I let her punch me nevertheless. I could not quite wrap my head around it.

 I stopped for a moment and leaned towards the floor, hoping that the glorified "deep breaths" would help me to maintain my subjective stability.

 "You don't look so good"

That characteristically hoarse voice could not belong to anyone else but professor Wallace, I didn't even have to raise my head.

 "Should I also confirm that?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Do you need help? From what I know, the nurse is still in her office"

"Thanks, I'll manage without"

 I tried to pass him, but apparently "leaving someone alone" was not on the list of his abilities.

 "But it woudln't hurt you to get some help. What have happened?"

"The tiger has bitten my spleen out and I'm dying"

I knew I was being childlish, but the man was irritating me. I couldn't help it.

 "I saw a person with similar injury once" he answered, almost cheerfuly "It was bloody. You are not bloody"

I send him a murderous look.

"Well, it should be obvious I'm okay then."

I stopped, as I thought about Ruka for a moment. Poor Ruka. Had she already left the bathroom? Or was she still crying in there?

"And, if we met, I shall tell you something actually. The test, you know, this extra hard test you made us do, I cheated on it or whatever. What I mean by this, I would never solve those problems myself"

He was looking at me with a blank expression for around fifteen seconds, and then he burst out laughing. 

"Oh, well" he finally said after getting back to his order "and it is totally unrelated, that you're curling up in pain now, right? I should just belive you?"

"I'm not sure if i care" i answered bluntly. I felt worse with every word I was saying. 

"You should get more manniers, Edison"

I wanted to snort with disapproval, but there was another wave of nausea to flood me. It occured to me I've never fainted before. Walter Wallace came closer to me, trying to help me not to collapse on the floor.

"Maxinne, you should really go to-

I brutally stopped him with puking on his suit. 

The office I got as part of my teaching vacancy was in fact a small cliqueshell, yet it was enough to keep my things in order. Luckily I also had some clothes there. 

"Here, wear this" I said to Max as I handed her one of my Nine Inch Nails shirts. She looked at me without understanding.

 "What are you waiting for? You're all dirty. Wear this."

She hesitantly took the clothing from me and started to undress herself. I silently took off my shirt and wrapped myself in huge, almost ancient hoodie. I involountarly galnced at the girl. She was creepily attenuate and petite, and a bruise was blooming on her ribs. 

"What has happened to you?" I asked again.She sent me another killer look. She was good at them, I appreciated her expressiveness. 

"With all due respect, please fuck off" she snapped at me, covering herself with shirt I gave her "Pedophilia is punishable by law, you know"

"And you're insolent. As a defense mechanism? You act like a jerk so nobody will like or respect you?"

"What a great analysys, why do you work as a mathematician? Maybe you should help the poor kids like me instead"

I didn't want to answer to such an obvious badgering. I started looking painkillers in my unpacked boxes, but when I found them, Max was already gone.

 "Thank you wouldn't hurt you! And remember about the task on tomorrow!" I snapped laudly.