Broken

.32.

One week later

I stared at the board at the front of the class, trying my hardest to focus. I could only understand a few sporadic words, more than when I first started but most of it was still gibberish. The symbols across the board were the same, I could only recognize a few of them. It felt like class was dragging on. Mr. Dahgme's voice was practically a dial tone. One continuous monotone sound that droned on and on and on.

I wondered how close to the end of the day we were at. It had to be fairly close because I was positive that we had been there at least six hours. It was a long time to try and absorb something in a language you didn't understand. I looked away from the board and from my quick cursory glance over the class, I could see that many people shared that sentiment with me. I could see at least four Orrians almost falling asleep, their heads bobbing slightly towards their chests or their desks.

Ani was looking like she was ready to join them. Her eyes were glazed over slightly and she looked half dead from boredom. I glanced over and spotted Kher staring at me, his grey eyes narrowed intently. I swallowed and looked away just as quickly as I had spotted him. He was especially... weird today. He always stared and glowered and spat curses under his breath at me but now I saw him literally everywhere. If I was somewhere I could guarantee he would be there as well.

I wasn't sure if Ani had noticed or not but he was reaching levels where I was starting to get severely creeped out and borderline worried. I could still feel him staring so I focused on the board once more. However it was still just as confusing as the last time I looked so I buried my face in my arms. That was better than staring at the symbols that were now hurting my brain and fighting the urge to look at the crazy asshole who was, as Ani put it, trying to melt my face with his eyes.

"Do not die on me, Liv!" Ani grabbed my arm and gave me a frantic shake. I peeked at her over my arm and she winked at me before pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. "For if you die, I too shall perish! For I cannot survive with the painful shards of a broken heart that would linger in my chest!" She had discovered Shakespeare and so everything she did was even more dramatic but with the added flowery language that bordered on hysterical in use. I ducked my head back into my arms, my cheeks flushing slightly. If she was loud enough she was going to garner attention.

"Pray! Tis not true! My love has perished in this room of horrors, her mind broken by the four walls of injustice that surrounded her. Monotony! Boredom! Insanity! Thou art the cause of her death!" She touched my head with a fake gasping sob. "Sleep well, my sweet princess. For I shall join you in the morrow. When twilight seizes the air and when the injustice is fixed within the heavenly eye! Sleep well. Sleep well." She stroked my hair and I fought back giggles at her rather impromptu, and rather well done, monologue.

There was a gruff bark from Mr. Dahgme that let me know he did not appreciate Ani's theatrics. I peeked over my arm again as Ani crossed her arms over her chest and retorted something in a tone that looked to me as not entirely being polite. To be fair, Mr. Dahgme had been an incredible asshole to Ani since I joined the program and her disrespectful attitude was a consequence of his treatment of her.

There was an even more gruff response from him that Ani shot down with one of her own. "Can you believe this guy?" She gestured at him with a look of distaste as he raised his voice once more. "He just will not stop." I could see the utter dislike she had for him and it was an unusual experience for me because Ani was always super positive about everything, she never let her mood drop down into a low. I lifted my head higher as Mr. Dahgme stormed closer. I could see everyone staring at us with wide eyes as he approached and Ani crossed her arms over her chest and snapped something at him in Orrian.