Noted

THREE

Math class is taken to the library today — an exception due to a miscommunication between the teachers. If you ask June, different locations mean a refresher for the mind to either concentrate or lose itself temporarily.

Given the replied note is tightly pressed in the back of her textbook, burning a hole through the pages, tempting her to pull it out...how can she possibly get back on track with a distraction like this?

The threat is a minor inconvenience. Whoever responded wants to scare her. They know she wrote this. They want her to be cautious.

She also doesn't believe they have the guts to make do on their promise.

June Ledge won't take this lightly, however.

Scanning the spacious room, her math class compromising of twenty-three students, she spots only three who share the same English class as her. Immediately, she crosses them off her list. Besides never interacting with them in the first place, they left English before her.

She crosses over to Zachary Nilsson, leaning back in his chair with his arms across his chest, pulling faces as Ms Graham uses the portable white board to demonstrate a few examples of today's lesson.

It always takes June by surprise with how identical the Nilsson twins look. Both share the same hair cut, the same dimples, the same blue eyes. The only difference is their attitude. Christian may appear serious, but his jokes are cruel, and he entertains anyone with quipped one-liners. Zachary has more charisma. He's the jester of their year level. June also knows he's quietly the creative one. She doesn't have a problem with him personally, other than being a major distraction when he gets restless during math. He's acting rather sober today.

While fumbling with the textbook, June takes a moment to slip the offensive poking piece of torn paper in between her fingers, re-reading the exchange.

Damn right he's not

Better watch out

June scoffs quietly and scrunches it in her hands. Of course. Christian was the last one in that classroom. It's logical, really. She was the reason he got held back after class — and by his mother, too.

Without thinking it through (June never thinks things through when it comes to her feud with Christian) she tears a piece of paper from the back of her notebook, pretending to pay attention with Ms Graham's lesson, and writes the first thing that comes to mind.

It's cute you think your threat has any weight behind it

And just to add for good merit:

I only speak my mind

June keeps the note folded neatly in her pencil case. She won't make the same mistake twice by leaving it open.

The class goes until the final bell, but June doesn't mind. Math is a subject her dad prepped her well on. So long as she understands the formula, she can't fall behind.

After the end of class, resulting in the end of a long Monday, June has the mindset to hang around the lockers, organising her textbooks in another fashion she likes, waiting for the empty corridor to ring in her ears.

And more importantly, for Christian to leave.

She hides out in the girl's toilets. Just another minute. Another secure second. The note she has between her fingers feel like the beginning of another intense layer to this conflict her and Christian have. However, June won't lie: it's giving her the right amount of satisfaction.