It was the morning break as Sandy stood at Ariel's desk, watching the bespectacled blond girl suck on a lollipop. It was much more interesting than sitting at her own desk, quietly waiting for the next lesson. If she waited long enough, certainly something fun would occur sooner or later.
Then the curly-haired Esper walked over with an impish expression that promised excitement. It looked like the wait was about to end.
"You know, that's not really an efficient way to fill up the Air Blimp," Esper teased as Selina joined them at Ariel's desk.
(The girls still had not learned their lesson about teasing Ariel.)
Ariel nearly spat out her lollipop. "You really know how to spoil something good, you know that?" She wrapped up what remained of her lollipop and slipped it into her skirt pocket. "Can't I put anything in my mouth without either of you two reminding me of that!?"
Sandy chuckled openly. Teasing her blond friend with that nickname was always good fun.
"Gosh, do you girls really get a kick out of doing that?" Ariel asked in exasperation.
(Yes, it appeared that they still do. They were still giggling about it in any case.)
Ariel's tirade continued, "Can't you girls find"-.
Suddenly, there was a crash of broken glass as something small and dark green smashed through the window and hit the opposite wall. It bounced onto the ground behind a desk.
"Grenade!" Selina shouted.
Sandy glanced in the direction of the object. Was it really a grenade?
Then Sandy felt hands on her shoulder pushing her down to the floor. "Everyone, get down!" she heard Selina's voice above her.
There was a little panic and uncertainty. Eventually, the students in the classroom were on the ground and/or hiding behind desks and chairs. No one moved or breathed as the clock at the front of the class ticked the seconds by.
Nothing happened.
"Is it really a grenade?" Randy asked as he slowly got up.
"Stay down," Selina barked sharply.
More seconds passed.
Finally, Selina ordered, "Randy, leave the room. Go and tell the teachers."
After the boy had left, Selina continued, "Roger, Jordan, slowly make your way out of class." In pairs, the tall girl sent her classmates out of the room. "Ariel, Sandy, you're next."
As Sandy crawled towards the door, following behind Ariel, she risked a glimpse at the dark object. It was certainly shaped like a grenade, like those she had seen before on television. However, she dared not approach to examine and confirm it. What if it really was one? It could explode in her face.
"Sandy, move!" Selina urged her. "Darla, go... Darla?"
Sandy looked back. Darla was cowering behind a desk, shivering with fright.
Selina crawled closer to the dark-skinned girl. "Come on, Darla," she said gently, "We've got to go." She took the girl carefully by the shoulder and pulled her out of hiding. Then she saw her brown-haired classmate. "Sandy! Go!" she ordered the girl firmly.
Sandy finally obeyed and gathered with the other students in the corridor outside. Selina came out of the classroom shortly after that with her arms around Darla. The latter was trembling.
"It's okay, you'll be safe here," Selina was saying soothingly to Darla. She looked at her classmates. "Let's move further from the classroom."
Her classmates started moving down the corridor. Students of the nearby classes popped at their doors to see what was going on.
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