Flowers to Transcend Time || Professor Membrane

8 // Crocus

"He's still in the classroom?"

Your eyebrows knit together as you stared at the floor. Your 6th grade teacher had told you that the little goggled boy was still in class, despite that it was lunch and most of the other kids were on the playground. It had been less than a week since you'd saved him, and you kept trying to make friends with him. Although, every time you tried to speak with him, he was terrified of you. He'd stiffen up and just stand there with his eyes shut behind his goggles the whole time until you walked away. It was kind of hurtful, but you understood why. After all, you beat up a couple kids on the first day there.

That didn't stop you from wanting to be friends with him - well, then again, that was mainly because everyone else was avoiding you too. Apparently the two kids you'd thrown hands with were the playground rulers and everyone kept their distance from you ever since. Even the kids who didn't like them wouldn't talk to you. It seemed as though everyone was scared of you and the trouble that you were paired with.

"You can go visit him if you'd like, but please don't touch anything inside the classroom, ok?" You nodded to the teacher and without hesitation, you rushed to the class. Maybe if you could corner him you could at least ask why he was so scared of you - wait, maybe you shouldn't corner him? Oh man, making friends was hard sometimes...

Opening the door the classroom, you walked in to see the goggled kid with his back turned to you. He was hunched over the back table near the sink and had what looked like the janitor's cleaning supplies and more around him.

You could hear him mumble here and there, and when the door slammed close behind you, he jumped up. He turned around, expecting to see your class's teacher, but it turned out to be you, and he froze. You couldn't really tell, but at the same time you could, his mouth was open, his eyes were wide, and his hands which were holding the bottle of rubbing alcohol were open, causing the bottle to drop.

You rose an eyebrow at him, but walked over and picked up the bottle of alcohol. Some of it was spilled on the floor, but you placed the bottle and whatever left over contents on the table before grabbing some paper towels and helped him clean it up. He was hesitant at first, afraid to even get near you, until he realized you were trying to help.

No words were exchanged between the two of you until he finally spoke up. His voice seemed way too deep for a 6th grader. "Y-you're not supposed to be here. Students aren't supposed to be in class without an instructor." He mumbled.

"Then why are you in here by yourself too?" You asked, although it was a very monotone and plain question with no hostility behind it. Membrane found that strange. He found it strange how well he could read you without even trying. Usually he'd always had such a hard time connecting with his other classmates because he could hardly empathize, but it was easy to tell what you were thinking. Maybe it was the way you never lied to yourself like everyone else.