polaroids

| help is always here |

June was worried out of her mind. It had been an hour since Rue had left her and she hasn't come back. Fidgeting with her long fingers, she thought of all the possible places where her friend could have gone.

That's when it hit her.

The classroom, of course.

Rue sat curled up against the board, her arms around her knees and her face pressed against her legs.

'Rue? Rue!'

She looked up, the tear streaks on her cheekbones glinting silver in the faint moonlight.

'June...' she could barely bring herself to say anything.

Thankfully, June wasn't dense at all. One look at Rue and the torn photographs was all she needed to deduct what had happened. Fury flaming in her eyes, she asked in a whisper, 'Do you know who did it?'

'How does it matter? It's gone! And I need something for tomorrow, otherwise I'm not passing this year...'

June clutched Rue's cold hands in her own and stared into her eyes with such assurance that her words weren't even required. In that moment, Rue thanked every god in the universe for letting her find a friend as loyal and brilliant as June.

'You stay right here. I'll be back. And don't you cry any more, okay?'

Rue nodded.

In the short expanse of fifteen minutes, June returned with four other half-asleep, but determined students, all of them tiptoeing into the classroom. The thrill of not being caught by a teacher ran in their heads and the motivation to help a friend was strong.

Sienna looked furious, her anger aimed at the stranger who had ruined Rue's collage.

'Okay, kiddos. Let's get to work.' June said pulling something out of her backpack, which Rue hadn't noticed before.

Avery appeared at Rue's side. She looked up at him as he gave her the most comforting smile that she had ever received. He stretched out an arm to lift her up.

'You're going to be alright, sunshine. C'mon, we're here for you.'

Rue shakily stood on her feet, Avery wrapping an arm around her waist, holding her so that she won't loose balance. June revealed the contents of her backpack to them: all the hidden polaroids that Rue was too shy to actually submit in for her assignments.

Rue smiled.

'Let's get to work then!' Eddie exclaimed as softly as he cold, giving Tom a nudge.

It took six sleepy students, the entire course of the night and a lot of jokes and effort to finish the project that they had taken upon themselves.

But when it was done, it was beautiful.

As beautiful as these people are, Rue thought, smiling blissfully at her friends. They laughed in soft whispers, poking each other and packing up the mess they had made.

The laughter died when the footsteps arrived.

Rue stood in front of all the others, in a defensive stance. This was her blame to take.

The door opened to revealed Professor Blyton.

'What in the name of God are you all doing here at six in the morning?' She asked dumbfounded and confused.

Rue gulped.

'And wait... do I even teach the rest of you, apart from Mr. Black?'

'Ummm...' came a voice from behind her.

'It's my fault. They came here to help...'

'She was sabotaged.' Sienna's voice rose from the back. The thin faced woman raised an eyebrow as Sienna held out the torn bits of Rue's photographs.

'What is this, Miss Hawthorne?'

Rue sighed, certain that she was screwed. But she might as well tell the professor everything.

Rue expected a shouting or even a suspension.

She received something much different.

And she received it much later, when the results of their projects and examination came in.

Sitting there, in the middle of her report card was a bright, red A grade on her final project, from the very impressed Professor Blyton.

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A/N hi guysssss i am terribly sorry for the long gap of waiting. thanks for being so patient with me and for commenting and voting on my chapters! i can't believe that this story even crossed 800 reads. sadly, i came here today to tell y'all that this is the third last chapter of this story and i hope you enjoyed it so far! as always, i love you.