Thursday, September 1, 2011

Handful of Sand Chapter 38 Page 1

Nearly seven weeks had passed since that night when Sandy had been attacked in her own home. Time had passed peacefully with no more attempts to kidnap her.

(Likely because there was a shortage of incompetent criminals. In the cutthroat business of crime, the incapable ones would be weeded out quickly. Of course by that logic, that meant that the next attempt on Sandy would be a more serious threat.)

(Not that Sandy realized that. Especially when faced with a very real difficulty that was just round the corner. Final year examinations, while not as life-threatening, was a large concern in the life of a high school student. Especially for a person who dreaded questions she could not answer. Lots of questions on neat pieces of paper. Over the duration of three days.)

Sandy arrived in school by police patrol car on that clear, windy morning as she always had. It was the first day of the week, the first day of exams. She went straight to her class where she found Ariel seated at her desk, reading her notebook. Sandy stepped up to her.

"You didn't forget about the exams this time, did you?" Ariel asked without taking her eyes off her notes.

"No, I'm ready this time," Sandy announced, "I've got my pens and pencils ready!"

"Okay, but have you studied?" Ariel asked.

"Studied? Well... I did, a little... I did finish all my homework, though! ... (eventually)..."

"Looks like you won't be in my class next year," Ariel commented, eyes still on the notebook in her hands.

"What do you mean?"

Ariel rolled her eyes up to Sandy. "If you fail, you'll be held back a year."

"What? Really?"

"Even if you do pass, you're going to end up in the 'special' class," Ariel added.

"'Special' class?" Sandy repeated.

"For those who don't do well," Ariel said, "Gives you a chance to catch up."

"You still hate me, don't you?" Sandy asked directly.

Ariel put her notebook down and frowned at Sandy. "After what you put me through, yes," she said.

"Hey, you tried to kill me!" Sandy threw back.

Ariel turned away sadly.

Oops. Maybe Sandy had hit a little too low.

Sandy was vaguely aware that a few of her closer classmates were listening in on her talk with Ariel. Those classmates each had an ear directed at the girls' conversation. Awkward...

Just then, Esper and Selina entered the class. Esper went straight to Sandy and Ariel.

"Why so gloomy?" Esper asked cheerfully, "A few days of exams and then it's the summer!"

The two girls remained silent.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Esper noted Ariel's notebook. "Haven't finished your studying?"

Ariel gave her a dark look.

"Well, excuse~ me." Esper hurried away.

***

(Exams might mean the world for the teenager facing it but to the casual observer, it was just hours and hours of students seated at their desks, writing their answers or composing essays. Or staring blankly outside the window into the sky.)

(It was terribly boring to watch. Maybe in the future, someone might come up with a fun way to grade students. Something like Final Exam Extreme Challenge! Students have to answer questions while skydiving or balancing on a tightrope or something similarly physical.)

(Someone would probably try to make a reality TV show out of it too.)

The exams did eventually end for Sandy. But school lasted a little longer. There were still two days left in the semester. That Thursday was the first of the two.

Homeroom was on the first period of the day, instead of after lunch. Once the attendance was taken and the announcements were made, the students were free to do as they wished. Which left Sandy bored with nothing to do.

(That was why students joined clubs. Those gatherings of teenagers with similar interests were places where a person could hang out and do fun stuff. The two free school days were usually used to plan summer activities or start holiday projects. Or to collectively goof around.)

The bespectacled Ariel had unsurprisingly joined the Culinary Society. Esper and Selina were with the Drama Club.

Sandy was left sitting alone in the cafeteria. With a few of the seedier students of the school. There was a group of them drinking and talking loudly at one of the tables. Drinking soft drinks of course, since they were underage. Other than the students and the cafeteria vendors, there was a man in overalls who had entered the cafeteria carrying a toolbox.

The day was hot. Sandy wished she could afford a cold, sugary drink. Once her fortune came true and she inherited her money, she would be able to afford a can of ice-cold fizzy drink everyday. She could even buy her own vending machine. For that moment, however, she had to settle for a cold drink from the drinking fountain.

Sandy turned and saw that the man in overalls was dismantling the drinking fountain. What a time for him to perform maintenance! When Sandy got rich, she would buy her own mobile drinking fountain!

Annoyed by the inability to have a cool drink and finding the voices and the laughter of the students a little too much, Sandy decided to take her schoolbag for a walk.

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