💡 Murder in the Moonlight

silent study

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If I had to count how many textbooks we have open on our table, I wouldn't be able to tell you. If I had to count how many tabs I currently have open on my barely-functioning school laptop, I also wouldn't be able to tell you. However, if I had to count how many of either I'm actively using, I would be able to tell you: zero. Classes wrapped up about 20 minutes ago but I can't get myself to focus on my work.

I have a biology test in a few days. Normally, I wouldn't stress over this as much as I am now. However, I'm uncharacteristically nervous since this test goes towards a shocking amount of my semester grade. But fortunately for me, my closest friends happen to be in my class too. Mila, Quinn and Thiago are some of the coolest people I've met but when it comes to studying, I really should've gone home and studied on my own. Well, I take it back.

Quinn and I are in full focus mode. Mostly. She's reviewing her insanely neat summary notes, practicing her well-made cue cards and noting down her weak topics to my left. However, in front of me, Mila and Thiago are laughing about who-knows-what in front of me, turning a blind eye to their blank notebooks. Which is standard for the two.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that the two have whatever sort of connection. Find people like that is difficult, especially at a school like our own. However, just watching them as they giggle hysterically without end, I can't help but feel a slight sense of envy. Jealousy, even. They've had each other by their sides since we met in middle school and I can't really say the same myself. Well, I guess Quinn's been around a bit. But if anything, she's more of an older sister that I never had. Good on Mila and Thiago, I guess.

Clicking my pen a few times, I force myself to bring my attention back to my revision. The pile of unstudied cue cards is incredibly daunting but if I don't start now, when will I? So I pick up the first one of the pile.

Then I place it back down.

A jarring noise from outside the library breaks my focus. Thank god. Intrigued, I shift my gaze to the large crowd forming near the senior lockers. From where I'm sat, I don't see much more than that. So I get up and move towards the doors. Now it's much more clear who's there.

Lara and her group of snobby friends bothering two girls I haven't seen around before. One blonde, one brunette. Of course, the typical perpetrators are caught at the scene of yet another crime. There's also a large crowd forming around the 6 girls; plenty of younger students are filming the fight while some are failing to stop it.

Now, I'll be totally transparent here: Lara and I used to be the closest of friends back when we were younger. Two peas in a pod, if you will. We'd spend every second of our childhood together and god, it was amazing. But we grew apart when we got to middle school, for obvious reasons. She chose popularity and left me in an instant. But even now, after her significant change in personality these past few years, bullying new kids is really low for her.

"Quinn, we should help those girls out," I call out. Our table is quite the distance from the door so she holds her finger to her mouth. I don't call out again.

"There's no use trying to stop Lara. You, Omar, of all people, should know that," Quinn whispers once I bring myself back to my seat.

"But-"

"Shush! Omar, try listening to yourself for once! If you try and involve yourself in her business, you'll end up in the same position as you did last year and we all know how that went," she cuts me off. I hate admitting this but Quinn usually is right. Her older sister advice never really is wrong. With a sullen expression, I bring myself back into a state of focus to continue working on my revision.

Maybe this is best left untouched.

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FLICK, FLICK.