Luana walked so fast she was almost running. Within a few minutes she could already see her grey and stern-looking school.

As she approached the building the silence that had been ringing in her ears disappeared. The air was filled with hundreds of young voices that were loud enough for her to know that she wasn’t that late; the school bell was yet to ring and that cheered her up. The small girl rushed through corridors and past people towards her grey locker. She tossed her bag inside and took her math textbook and homework.

The bell rang and she was grateful. The math teacher was never late so she wouldn’t have to worry about people asking her to copy her homework that day. As much as that practice had proven to be useful for her in the long run, it was still annoying.

Luana walked into the classroom and towards her trademark place: second seat by the window. She was so absorbed it was only when she was standing in front of it that she noticed the seat was taken. There was a male there: a tall, slightly tanned specimen with dark eyes and short hair. She couldn’t remember seeing him before; perhaps he was a new student. He stared up at her.

“Can I help you?” he asked with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. She frowned and her face grew hot from anger. No one had ever taken her seat since first grade.

She wasn’t popular but she was polite to everyone and there was this silent treaty she had mentally signed with her classmates. The treaty stated that she would lend people her homework, help them during tests and leave them alone as long as they left her – and her¬ seat – alone. The agreement had never been broken to that day.

“Yes, you sure can” Luana said as she tried to sound as calm as possible. “You see, this seat-”

She heard the math teacher walk inside and clean his throat. Every student sat down and went quiet.

“Miss Ithil?” the teacher called. Luana could almost hear his raised eyebrow. For a short bald fat old white man he could sound threatening at times.

The girl sighed and dragged her feet to the only available seat: the last one of the row by the window.

Class went on but she couldn’t concentrate. The only thing that would make her feel comfortable and confident was her seat. Too many years on a same spot did that to you. She fidgeted and sketched a few drawings on her book and kept shifting on her chair.

“…and so, each group will consist of a row and I expect this assignment on my desk first thing on next Monday’s morning” the teacher said before he left the room. The students were displeased, judging from the many ooh’s and aah’s that came from all over the classroom.

Luana sighed and walked up to the new boy again. He was surrounded by a group of the students that sat by the window, so she assumed he was the group’s leader.

“Excuse me…” she began.

He looked up at her and smirked.

“Ah, Miss Ithil!” he stood and shook her hand. “My name is Alexander Mackenzie, I’m new here so nice to meet you too. I’m glad you came over here, we were discussing how we’d meet for this assignment.”

The fellow students nodded and smiled and whispered a few words to each other before turning their attention back to Alexander. Luana was getting angrier by the second. To the Hell with the assignment! They could discuss everything later, she could do everything on her own if they wanted so! All she damn wanted was her seat. Give her that, and she wouldn’t complain at all.

Alexander went on. “How about we meet after school? In the school library, maybe. I heard it won’t close as long as there are students there. It would be great if we all worked together and finished this as soon as possible.”

Everyone seemed to agree. He turned to her once more. “Does that sound right to you?”

“Yes, that’s just fine.” Luana spoke fast. “Listen, I need to talk to you for a second, it’s about-”

“Be seated please, my wondrous students! The joys of Literature are nigh!”

The literature teacher’s high pitched voice made Luana jump. Damn her, owl-faced hag!

The girl sighed and forced herself back to her lovely new seat. She’d have to call her parents and ask them if it was okay to stay after school.

Despite the clear blue sky, it seemed it wasn’t going to be such a good day after all.