Can You Keep a Secret?

Chapter 18 "Holes"

I drummed my fingers against the wooden table, my chin resting on my left palm. Tonight was Christmas Eve, but we were required to stay here and listen to boring lessons all day because Jin-jin said so.

Jinno-sensei is the worst teacher you could ever have. He's about in his mid-fifties, with mud-brown hair and eyes. What is peculiar about him is that he always carried a frog with him. Yes. A frog. The slimy green amphibian always sitting on his shoulder.

I shuddered. I'm wasn't really afraid of frogs, but there was something about Jinno-sensei's that sent me away, utterly, utterly disgusted.

"Sakura Mikan!" his big, deep voice called out. I flinched upon hearing my name.

"Y-yes, Jin-Ji – uh, Jinno-sensei?" I stutter, hoping that he took my 'Jin-Jin' nickname as part of the stuttering.

Sensei's mud brown eyes looked at me in discern. "I have been calling you for seven times already and it's only now that you notice?"

I swallowed. Seven? Was I THAT deaf?

"I'm … ehrr … I'm sorry Jinno-sensei. I was just …" - I paused, thinking of an excuse - "I was just cold, that's all."

That wasn't entirely a lie.

I was cold.

And whenever I was cold, my mind had the tendency to wander.

Jin-jin's eyes narrowed. "I'll be seeing you in detention after class," he said through his gritting teeth.

And almost like a cue, the bell rang.

"I can't believe somebody's stupid enough to doze off during Jin-Jin's class."

My hearing suddenly perked up at the attempted insult.

"Ignore her, Mikan," one of my closest friends, Nonoko, said as she shook her head slowly.

I poked my carrot, scoffing. "As if I'd take Permy's opinion seriously."

"As if you'd take who's opinion seriously? Hmm?" I heard somebody say behind me. I've been paying enough attention to figure out that it was Sumire, but I didn't really care.

"Permy's – duh. Are you deaf?" I said nonchalantly, pretending not to realize it was Permy herself that I was speaking with.

Whack!

I quickly lift my hand to my head in sudden pain.

"WHAT DID YOU HIT ME FOR, STUPID PERMY?" I yelled, pointing an accusing finger at her.

Sumire's right eye twitched in annoyance. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING STUPID YOU UGLY PIG?"

"WELL YOU INSULTED ME FIRST!"

"WELL YOU REACTED, SO THAT MUST MEAN YOU'RE GUILTY!"

Whack! Whack!

I lifted my hand again and glared at Nonoko who had her hands on her waist. Sumire did the same, since Nonoko hit her in the head first.

Sumire's best friend, however, (whose name I forgot) started hovering through the cafeteria, looking for a bag of ice.

"If you two don't stop arguing, I swear – like swear – to make you eat Anna's cooking," she dared, eying the two of us seriously.

My face twisted in disgust.

Nobody ate Anna's cooking.

Her cooking was …

… poison.

I mean, literally.

My eyes flashed at Sumire's olive-green eyes before I held out my hand.