Broken Faith ✓

Chapter 8: Annihilation

"Ok so class today I want you all to create a poster about what themes we have looked at in A Thousand Splendid Suns and I want you to make character profiles too on this poster, that is today's task. You can stand up and create your posters so you and the person sitting next to you can move about and contribute to each part but I want it done today for the most part. Okay?"

"Yes Miss" we all sang in unison.

"Okay, I'm actually so excited!"

"Of course you would be, anything to do with A Thousand Splendid Suns and you are all over it!" Ryder scoffed.

"True, but hey mister be thankful it's a poster and not some character analysis of 500 words that we are having to complete" I replied with a knowing smirk.

"When you put it like that, let's do this" he winked.

HE WINKED. I know this shouldn't have me reacting the way I did but was it normal for people to wink so casually? Was I supposed to wink back? Was there a winking protocol? If one existed in our modest library, I would have to get myself acquainted with A Dummy's Guide on Winking.

I laughed at the mere thought. No but seriously I was a senior in high school and I had never been winked at before, especially not by a guy. What did it mean? Stop the damn wheels turning on this one Faith! I mentally scolded myself.

As we began to work on this poster we had decided it would like a mind map but with some illustrations from Ryder to make it look engaging. As we got to discussing the book and teasing each other too we were making good progress.

"Hey! We could totally say something like the ruin of Miriam was being mirrored through the war with her losing her freedom just like the war was taking it away from her country!" Ryder exclaimed.

"Wow you're actually really good at this" the surprise evident in my voice.

"I mean I know my face is pretty hot, but hey I have brains too!"

"Are you sure you didn't steal that analysis off the internet?" I asked in a playful tone.

"You are now insulting my intelligence"

"Really? I wasn't aware you had any" to which he passed me a mock hurt look.

"But that's a good point let's get it down!" I said excitedly

"No but ruin, that's not the word I was looking for"

"Okay, destruction?"

"Not quite but closer"

"Damage?"

"Nope"

"Shatter?"

"Nada"

"Break?"

"No"

"Then what?" I asked evidently annoyed.

"If I knew wouldn't I have said it by now?" he asked in the most bored tone.

"Okay you got a point. But think!"

"I am trying to, it's on the tip of my tongue but I can't get it. Damn this is annoying!"

"Oh my goodness" I raised my palm to my face.

"Do the rest and I will try and remember"

"Hell no, I'm not stupid. You aren't getting out of doing the rest of the work so easily" I said with an eyebrow raised in defiance whilst looking at him and my arms crossed across my chest.

He rubbed the back of his neck "I was kinda hoping you would fall for it especially with my puppy face".

"Well that distorted puppy face, if you ask me, might work on the rest of the female population but it will never work on me" I said rather proudly.