School was over.
It was Wednesday. The middle of the week had just passed for Sandy. Two more days of school were left. Two more days until the quiet, relaxing weekend. She just had to survive that long.
At that moment, all Sandy looked forward to was home. Outside the classroom's windows, the day was not too warm. The clouds were up in the sky, screening the sun. The branches of trees and bushes were swaying with the light breeze. It was the perfect weather to ride her bicycle home.
Sandy really wanted to go home, lie on her old bed and listen to music. The thought of it had lifted her spirits, had given her the strength to endure the tedious last period.
But though the last bell had rung, her desire was still out of her reach. Her departure from school had been delayed for the teacher had pressed her into service as a baggage mule to carry the class' homework assignments to the staff room. And the teacher was walking ever so slowly with no hurry in the world. Sandy had to politely follow behind with the stack of papers in her hands.
She wanted to get home quick! Ah, the trouble of having her own transport to school. Simply because she could leave whenever she wanted, she was the perfect choice for after-school duties. There was no parent waiting or bus schedule to follow. Thus, she could always leave school a little later. So the teachers thought.
After the assignments were delivered, Sandy walked briskly back to class, somehow resisting the urge to just run. She arrived to find the class nearly empty - her classmates Roger and Jordan were just leaving.
Sandy quickly stuffed the textbook and stationeries from her desk into her bag. Once her schoolbag was packed, she sprang to her feet. As she dashed out of the front door, she fished for her bicycle key from her pocket. So intent was she in looking for her key that she did not notice the girl passing just outside the door until she crashed into her.
The other girl was smaller than Sandy. She hardly impeded the larger girl's forward motion. Thus, the smaller girl easily gave way and the both of them fell onto the floor in a tangle of bag straps and hair.
"Ow! Watch where you're going, you idiot!" the other girl snapped. "And get off me!" She pushed ineffectively against Sandy, who had fallen on top of her.
"Sorry," Sandy apologized as she tried to get up.
The other girl gasped as Sandy laid a hand on her flat chest in her attempt to push herself up. "Watch where you're touching!" She slapped weakly at the offending limb.
"Ah, sorry." Sandy rolled away from the other girl.
"Jeez, can this day get any worse?" the smaller girl complained as she sat up and rubbed the sides of her head. She untangled the straps of her handbag and schoolbag from her arms and arranged the bags beside herself. When she brushed her black hair out of her face, Sandy recognized her as the girl who had given her the coins for the vending machine weeks before.
"First, I'm stuck in school," the girl complained, "Then I'm knocked down and molested by a girl!" She beat her little fists against the floor and stared at Sandy, the closest person she could pin the blame for all her troubles on.
"Sorry," Sandy apologized yet again. She studied the other girl. The little black-haired girl had a trendy outfit as she always had whenever Sandy saw her. Sandy liked the way the thin red scarf around the girl's neck matched her red stockings extending out from below a cute yellow skirt.
The little girl took no notice of the apology as she pulled herself to her feet. She picked up her handbag and her schoolbag.
Sandy stood up too. She slung her schoolbag over her shoulder. "What do you mean you're stuck in school?" she asked, to dispel the uncomfortable silence.
The other girl glanced sharply at her, then slowly turned away. "Mum couldn't pick me up today. I've to stay in school for a few hours."
"On a bad day, ice cream always makes me feel better," Sandy mentioned.
The other girl peeked at her out of the corner of her eye. "Does it always work?"
Sandy nodded. "I think so."
"Fine. Let's go get some ice cream." The suggestion sounded more like a command.
Sandy hesitated. "I can't afford any."
The little girl looked back at her. "This one's on me. Let's go."
"Really?" Sandy asked as she followed innocently.
Getting free ice cream was definitely appealing to her, even if it was from a stranger. At least that little girl was not a complete stranger - Sandy knew they attended the same school. Surely the little girl would not have any intent of drugging her, or kidnapping her, or leading her to some other mischief.
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