Not Your Average Family

'Till School do us part

Hector's POV

With a sigh, we begin taking notes about the new experiment she starts talking about.

"What do you like to do in your free time," Rhea half-whispers as we take notes.

"Well, I'm an art student, and I play the keyboard. Most of my free time goes into honing those skills, but I also do try and read. I read just about anything literature. Anything but reality is my genre. Do you prefer a certain type of literature?"

"Well, I haven't explored many, but I know fantasy, dystopia and teen fiction are my first choices."

"Interesting. Do you want to hang out sometime this week? After school? Just to know about each other a little more. It may be too soon, seeing as we've only met today, but I really feel like I should be knowing you. I only asked because you said you felt the same way," I ramble to her. "You don't have to agree."

"I'm busy this week, but we need to buy some stuff for this term's art project soon. We're paired up for that class, don't ask my how and why. The teacher just picked two chits at once from the pile and made chose the partners. I was thinking we could go tomorrow because I've got to stay back after school today."

"Oh, okay. Yeah sure, that would not be a problem. Let me just check with my mom, though. She might have planned something since we literally just moved in three days ago."

"Cool. By the way, we've got art after History, so I'd better brief you about the class now while we have the time." It is only now that I notice the teacher leaving the class, saying she'll be back in about five minutes.

"Wait, were you serious when you told me we both have the exact same schedule?"

"Yep," she nods. "We're stuck together, 'till school do us part."

"uh...'till school do us part...?" I repeat, not quite sure as to what she wanted me to understand. I doubt it sounded like how it did inside my head, because Rhea indicates to her notes and returns to doodling little sketches in them.

"Stop staring at me and my notes. I know I am weird, but you're stuck with me, so better get used to it."

"I'm not staring because you are weird. Those doodles are cute. Why are you making them though?"

"Helps me memorise better. When I'm reading or studying, I read thrice, observing every doodle the first time, going through the key words the second time and actually reading every word I've written on the third time. This way, I can just go through the doodles whenever I am stuck and I'll be fine for the most part."

"Interesting. I write down everything I remember first, give my notes one or two readings and write down everything I recollect again."

"Isn't that a waste of paper?"

"I use a whiteboard. I just take pictures when I'm done each time, and every topic is covered in just a single mind map. I revisit the pictures whenever I need to."

"Oh, okay. If that works for you then this works for me."

The rest of Chemistry is spent in near silence, except for when we ask each other for points we missed. So far, I've been to the Math and Chemistry classes, and I've more or less liked both of them. On the way to the History class, we had to take a small detour to get to our lockers. I noticed that the inside of Rhea's locker was all black and gothic, with dashes of royal blue, electric blue and a deep, rich purple. It almost looked like a galaxy, except with too much of the dark parts. "Aesthetic." (A/N: @myhearttaeche, this is for you, darling.) Rhea turns to me, a look of utter confusion and uncertainty on her face.

"What?"

"Your locker. It looks aesthetic. Really good. I really liked the colour scheme. Looks like I've got a goth friend now. My very first goth friend ever."

"Oh, I can help you with your locker if you want. You may have to stay back for about an hour or so after school to get it to look as good as mine, but I can help you." It is my turn to look at her.

"You'd do that? You'd stay back with me and help me personalise my locker? Why would you do that?"

"Why wouldn't I? You're my friend, you're new. It's not like I've got anything better to do anyways, so why not make good use of it and help a poor, lost soul like you?"

"Haha. Very funny. Look at me, I'm laughing so much I'm not able to laugh," I say, trying to keep the grin off my face. Rhea just give me a weird look that looks comical from my angle and turns around, walking towards history, after making sure her locker is properly secured. I do the same and run up to catch up with her, elbowing her side lightly. She just rolls her eyes, smiling a really goofy grin and we walk up to History.

The rest of the day is uneventful, as none of the other teachers came to class. Apparently some emergency faculty meet, and instead of letting us just go home, this wonderful new school of mine decided to keep us locked inside. Rhea and I sit beside each other, and I skim through the notes from the classes I missed here as she catches up on her submissions and tasks. Neither of us disturbs the other and we are lost in our own bubbles, aware of each other's physical presence, but not mentally present ourselves. 

At the end of the school day, as I am putting away my books in my locker and actually arranging it, Rhea proposes something.

"You remember the art task I told you about, right? Tell your mom about it. We'll go to the art store together after school tomorrow. It's just a couple of blocks away. I'll ask the admin to let us in so we can leave the supplies at our workstation and not worry about lugging it everday."

"Okay, sounds cool. How much money do I have to bring, though? I don't want to bring more than what I'm going to spend because I am bound to lose it."

"Don't worry about that. I know the girl who runs the place. We can get all the stuff we need tomorrow and pay her in the next three days. Come up with ideas on what you want to do, and we'll discuss tomorrow."

"Okay cool. I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Rhea nods.