Half-Past Twelve

Chapter Three

The girls made it to class safely, after being stopped by a couple of teachers along the way. "Slow down!" one had said. The other, not so nicely, said, "Stop or I will take you to the Headmaster's office myself!" Johanna had ignored the rude remark but had slowed down her pace. Dana, however, had taken this very seriously and began to walk.

In class, Johanna would have died of boredom if she didn't hear her teacher talk about Exceptionals. "Exceptionals are one of the most important and powerful people in the Society," her teacher said. "They are granted a wonderful life in return for their service."

"Teacher must be a Hopeless is he was stuck with us," a boy snickered. Johanna looked to see Bentlee whispering this piece of gossip to his friends. To his dismay, Teacher heard him and shouted, "I am a proud borderline teaching you future Hopelesses."

"Well," Bentlee shouted back, "this is going to be on your record! Soon enough you're gonna be a Hopeless!"

The argument would have gone on forever, if the speaker didn't interrupt. "Ahem!" the Speaker began. "Teacher of classroom 445 and Bentlee must report to the Headteacher's office... NOW!"

"B-b-But.. sir, who is going to watch the class? I simply can't go!" Teacher said.

"You have been let go of the penalty," the Speaker said. "But, after class, you will come to the Dome to be presented in front of the Committee." Teacher's face flushed and Bentlee kept staring into space, trying to figure out what he was doing. "NOW!" the Speaker yelled.

Startled, Bentlee leaped out of his desk and waddled towards the exit. Dana and Johanna stared at each other with wide eyes. Johanna lifted and eyebrow then reset it. Teacher, still stunned, said, "Class... dismissed," while his voice was wavered.

***

The girls met up during the recess. Dana started the conversation with, "Hi!" Then, "Dang it, Johanna! Where's my bow?" Her long hair blew in her face, while Johanna's was grown barely past her shoulders.

"I don't know, actually," Johanna said bluntly.

"Dang it, Johanna!" Dana cried again. Her eyes were filled with slight fury.

"Sorry," Johanna said blankly. "In my defense, you were the one holding it." Dana fumed silently.

"But... my bow!" Dana shouted. Everyone looked at her including the supervisor. Then, she said sweetly, "Sorry!"

***

They walked home together in spite of their argument. They both had time to cool off since First Class was the only class they had together. In the First Years, Dana and Johanna had met each other in an awkward encounter. They were both polar opposites but they were somehow attracted to one another.

Johanna had been late to school. Dana, on the other hand, was on time and clean. Dana had begun saying "Dang it." They were both plopped on the floor together.

"What is this number?" Teacher asked. He gestured to the writing that looked like a spring.

Johanna was quite an intelligent girl and blurted out, "Three!"

With a straight face Teacher commanded, "Go to the Headmaster's."

Then, a little too loudly, Dana said, "Dang it!"

Again, Teacher said, "Go to the Headmaster's." That Teacher had no tolerance for First Years.

The girls had to sit outside the office, since the Headmaster was busy. "Hi!" Johanna said.

"Hello?" Dana replied. She was shy and blushed.

They conversed for a while, sometimes arguing. "Is a hotdog a sandwich?" Dana asked. "I say yes!"

"I say no!" Johanna said. "It's a hotdog!"

"Yes."

"No!"

They repeatedly went on, saying opposite things. They both disagreed, and their argument finally ended in laughter and "Dang it."

They girls remembered the day they met each other.

"Hey, is a hotdog a sandwich?"

***

The Almighty swirled around. It swirled and looped. "Once she walks out of that door, I shall sca—no. Ambush her. It smiled. Johanna's mother screamed and the Almighty replied with, "Keep your lips shut."

Johanna arrived at the house. The first thing she saw was her mother curled up in a ball. "Mother? Are you alright?" Abruptly, the Almighty grabbed Johanna. "You again?" Johanna seethed.

"Hello, Johanna," it said.

She was swirled into blank darkness and she opened her eyes. "W-w-who?" The spirit in the dream seemed familiar to her but she didn't recall anything coming after her. She took a deep breath. And she took another. Her breathing was rocky. "Who are you?" Johanna shouted into the gloom.

No one replied. It was only her, in the midst of all the darkness.