Exceptional

The Blood

        Crap.

        Crap crap crap.

        Not even a month has gone by, and I have already missed my first homework assignment.

        I've just been so stressed out over Safirah that I haven't been sleeping, and I, I just haven't been myself. It's always been like this,  I always care too much about what others think of me. I love people, and I want to get to know them, but I don't want them to not like me... if that makes any sense at all.

        So now I have detention. For one missed homework, I have detention. Stupid private school discipline system. And what's worse? I have to serve it under that creepy Jonason guy, the tall one with the scars and the little-too-long hair, who always looks paranoid. Jeese, he's so creepy. I'm not even good at history, so maybe he already hates me, and he's just... waiting....

        Blargh, see, there it is again. Caring too much about what others think about me.

        I walked up to the closed door of Jonason's classroom. I sighed. Calm yourself. So what if it's your first detention in the history of forever? Stuff as tiny as this won't affect you in the long run, right? I knocked thrice. The door opens, revealing Jonason standing over me.

        "Come in, come in," He says, ushering me into the classroom and slamming the door behind me. "You're the last one left we're waiting for."

        Last one left? I look around the classroom I thought was empty, but I find one desk occupied.

        "Safirah?" I blurt out, surprised.

        She scoffs. "Yeah, dork. I missed my assignment, just like you did. You never notice anything," she added, which is mostly right. Sometimes I notice little things no one else sees, but I have issues when it comes to big ideas.

        Jonason coughed and made an odd, pointing gesture with his hands. "Er, you're not really supposed to be talking? So, er, maybe I'll just get you started on what you're supposed to do, then." He slammed a heavy worksheet pile onto our desks. "Just complete the homework you missed and you can go."

        How the heck did we miss this? The pile was a thick as a 21st century laptop! But the type was big, and the papers weren't double-sided, so it shouldn't take too much time to finish.

        I started working in silence. I work much better when there's some kind of music going on, but most people don't get that for some reason. I don't really get it either, but it works. Can't argue with what works. Sometimes I would look up and catch Safirah looking at me. She wasn't staring menacingly, or copying my answers, or even zonking out, as I tend to do. She was just looking, and she'd turn away as soon as I looked up. I wonder...

        But no, now is the time to focus on work. Worry about girls later.

        An hour or so passed, with only a few coughs from Jonason to break the silence. I scribbled down answers that sounded correct, but I was pretty sure this was just being graded for completion. Also, I had accidentally deleted my history textbook from my iPad, and it was taking a while to re-download. But still, I was concentrating hard.

        Until some loud noise jolted me from my trance. Jonason was coughing much louder now. Like, obnoxiously so. Even Safirah, who never looked up for any previous interruption, save staring at me, was casting many annoyed glances Jonason's way.

        I looked around, then spoke up, asking stupidly "A-Are you okay... sir...?" Stupid! My mind shouted at me. Of course he's not okay! Listen to him!