Nebula

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Everything the instructor told us went in one ear, but out the other. All I did was stare ominously at the people around me. I couldn't seem to focus, and my head was starting to hurt.

"Daria? You ok? You seem a little- off..." Stella tapped my shoulder.

I looked up at her, "I'm fine!" My voice cracked, loud enough to garner attention.

The crowd turned towards me.

The instructor leaned closer to the captain. "What's her name?" he whispered.

I saw his expression change drastically as the captain responded. How had I heard that? He was on the opposite side of the room - did anyone else hear that too?

"Daria." The instructor said sharply.

"I'm sorry sir."

Taya looked at me with a dead expression.

Everyone eventually turned back. Taya finally opened her mouth to say something. "My god, Daria, want to get expelled? Respect over your superiors is like the number one rule!" she whispered.

"Why though? Respect won't help us in space."

Stella rolled her eyes, "getting expelled won't either."

Taya giggled and turned her attention back towards the instructor.

"That is all the basic info, now - your schedule will be listed outside of each room. The classes will be divided into smaller groups. But there will be exceptions, during tests and such." He took a step back into the line of people that had appeared behind him.

"We are going to be your instructors for the next years," they all took a step forward. This must've been planned beforehand.

"Since none of you will remember our names now, there is no point in introducing ourselves. You'll get to know more about us when you have your first classes," the first instructor clarified.

But there was one who seemed out of place, while all the others were more bubbly in a sense, he looked quite the opposite. Dark and broody... But hey, first impressions don't count, as Cera had proved me.

"Sheesh! How the hell will we remember where to go? Five Duros on that I'll get lost by tomorrow." Taya was laying in her bunk studying the map we had gotten handed out.

"Ha, you don't have any Duros to give." Stella chided.

Taya sighed. "No shit dumbass."

It made me think of when I was younger, when we learned about Duros. It was the universal currency used by all humans. They figured it would not be practical to have more than 1 currency when expanding to new planets. Furthering the union of all the earth's countries.

The girl under me laughed. "You two really get along don't you?" She giggled.

I leaned towards the end, peeking my head under the edge so I was looking at her upside down. "What's your name?" I asked her. "Ella," she smiled back at me. I was amazed over how she managed all those curls, I could never.

Taya jumped down and slid right onto Stella's mattress.

"Hey- stop it!" Stella exclaimed.

Ella almost fell out of her own bed laughing. I got back up in my own bed, I leaned my head towards the wall. I didn't focus on Taya and Stella's quarrel, I was more worried about Travis - I didn't want him to hate me.

Earlier that day

"Do you think I should say sorry?" I whispered to Taya as we were walking