Snowfire

The Chocolate Hater

"What was that about?" Jess had asked her the next morning.

Eira was dazzled and dreamy. She stared into the distance and only realised someone was talking to her when Jess tapped on her shoulder.

"Yeah?" Eira asked wearily.

Jess opened her mouth but then shut it when she saw the teacher walk to their desk.

The teacher glanced at Jess' homework and then at Eira's empty sheet of paper.

The teacher raised a brow, "Eira, no homework?"

Eira looked down in shame and shook her head. Seriously, it was understandable. She almost killed herself.

As if that wasn't bad enough; the boys in front of them heard the teacher's comment and started to murmur about how it was the first time Eira didn't do her homework.

Eira resisted the urge to groan in annoyance. What was surprising about Eira slacking off?

Slacking off... exactly.

Jess completely ignored the murmurs and tugged on Eira's sleeve.

"Where were you last night?" Jess asked, "did you know how I had to lie that you were at my place? And then I had to call you to confirm if you were truly alright? And a boy picked up — what was his name? He had such a nice voice by the way."

Eira pinched the bridge of her nose, "I'm fine. Nothing happened last night."

She was still thinking about the murmurs. She wasn't getting her balance right, school and Ryder world, and it scared her.

Jess gave her a skeptical look, "you know I don't believe that, but if you don't wanna talk about it. I can understand," she turned to her notebook, "How did your mum get my phone number?"

"I can't believe my mum called you to check."

Jess softened her glance, noticing her friend's disappointment, "hey, she wanted to know if you were alright."

"Yeah and I was." Eira snapped and sighed loudly before the teacher told the students off for talking.

"Genetics," Jess groaned, "when is it going to end?"

Eira gave a light chuckle. She tried focusing but she only ended up chatting with Jess.

"Where should we go during the holidays?" Jess whispered as the teacher talked. No one in class was listening.

"I thought we already discussed this?"

Jess furrowed at her. "No, this is the first time I've mentioned it."

"Don't you remember that day we said the weather was good so we'd go and sit on the field and then-" Eira stopped, a realising dawning upon her. Jess couldn't remember; her memory was taken.

She looked at Jess worryingly, but Jess raised her brow at her and gave her a look.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

No, absolutely not. Eira had thought. She wasn't alright. The events from last night were still clear in her mind. She never expected to meet the team while she was half-dead.

Eira sighed, "yeah sorry, it's been a long day."

Jess deepened her look, "Eira, we're in first period, you still have a long day to go!"

Eira narrowed her eyes, contemplating her very existence on this planet.

Eira thought back to Jason and his weariness. Jason...wasn't that bad, but her gut feeling told her that she'll regret thinking him of anything good.