Introducing Cassie

Titration States

"Your first assessment for the year shall be completed in pairs, or on your own. No threes." Mrs Burrs snapped. For once in her life, Keira knew she would be one of those in a pair, not on her own, although Keira often preferred to work on her own, she was sick of getting left out. But this time she had a friend to work with, she had a partner. Cassie caught Keira's eye and gave her a small smile, indicating that she was happy to partner with her.

"Miss... can we have a three?" Brittany wailed from the back of the classroom.

"No."

"But miss!" Courtney protested.

"No."

"Please?"

"Pretty Please?"

"Pretty Please with a cherry on top?"

"No."

Brittany puffed her chest out, crossed her arms, stuck her nose in the air and huffed, irritably.

"Miiiiissssssssssss!" Lucy's voice rang out from the back of the classroom.

"If your asking for a three, the answer in no!"

"I'm not asking for a three, miss..."

"Then what!" Mrs Burrs snapped.

"Can I be excused from class? My head is hurting again! I think my brain is on strike..."

"No!" Mrs Burrs huffed, and stomped back to her desk, slamming her text book down onto it.

"Right. So. Has everyone picked their partners? I will be recording your choices, so that no one can change their mind halfway through. So, when I come to your desk, simply tell me your name and your partners name, and then I will write them down and move on. Now. Maddison, who are you going with..." Mrs Burrs continued around the classroom, scribbling hastily on her clipboard, and sighing irritably whenever someone hadn't yet made up their mind. By the time she reached Keira and Cassie, an unspoken agreement had already been made between the two of them, so Mrs Burrs question startled Keira.

"Going on your own again, Hunter?" She scowled.

"Sorry...?" Keira stammered

"I asked you whether you were going to be completing this assignment by yourself. Seeing as you haven't latched your self onto any one like the rest of these leeches. You usually work by yourself anyways, so shall I put you down as a single?"

"But..." Keira thought it was obvious that she wanted to go with Cassie, Mrs Burrs should have been delighted that her new student had made a friend so quickly. Keira indicated to Cassie, trying to get Mrs Burrs to understand, but the woman just stared at her blankly. It was then that Keira looked over to the empty desk beside her and saw that Cassie, along with her school books and chair, had gone.

Keira sat through the remainder of the lesson in silence, working through her Titrations assignment. The questions flashed in front of her, and her pen hovered over her worksheet, but she couldn't think straight enough to answer any of the questions. 'Where had Cassie gone? Had she gone to a music lesson? Dentist? Doctor? Had she gone home sick? Was her mother sick?' The un-answerable questions bounced around through her mind, and she was bothered that she couldn't answer them. But the thing that was bothering her the most was the reason Cassie hadn't told her, or mentioned anything prior to leaving. Keira reasoned many explanations, but deep down, Keira knew why. She could feel it. A deep hollow feeling in her icy core. The bittersweet ache of loneliness.