I look down at my desk distractedly.
I'm in the middle of an English lecture and can't stop glancing at my phone as it lights up with messages in my open bag under the desk. Slater - sorry, Professor Hartley - kept eyeing me earlier with disapproving looks as I nibbled at my sleeve, unfocused, so I've resorted to restlessly clicking my pen.
"Are you alright?" Hannah whispers, quieter than the still air itself.
I nod in silent response, not wanting to get her caught by Slater's inhuman hearing. I still haven't given her an explanation to what happened earlier since I walked in late and Slater has been watching me like a hawk.
A few minutes pass and Slater prattles on about something, pointing at the quote he wrote out on the board. I know I promised myself I'd work harder but I can't help the itchy feeling that tempts me to text back a snarky reply just for some closure so I can proceed with this plan.
Quorra, reply to this message right now.
You are on thin ice, young lady.
We are visiting next Wednesday.
Quorra.
Respond now.
Fuck it.
As soon as Slater turns around, I fish my phone out of my bag and rapidly text a reply.
You think I'm a disappointment? I'm going to prove you wrong. Watch me.
How's that for a reply? I think to myself, tapping the send button before my self-consciousness can steer me away from it.
"Miss Neversea."
Instantly, I close my phone screen and snap my head up, chest constricting as I stammer out a hopefully-innocent sentence, "Y-yeah?"
He fixates his gaze on me as I try to slowly drop my phone back into my bag, to no avail.
"Phone, now," he holds out his palm.
I look down at the flood of messages now bringing my screen back to life, desperation driving my next words, "N-no... I can't. We're allowed to use phones for work-related purposes anyway."
It isn't false, it really is a rule, but something tells me that replying to an infuriating text with another infuriating text isn't quite related to classic novels.
'Excuse' was super effective! ...Not.
I sigh at my conscience.
"See me after the lecture."
I fall limp into my seat with an inaudible exhale, expecting his words. It's almost every single lecture that he holds me back, and only on a few other occasions has anyone else been punished. Even then, he'd talk to them first and save me till last so that he wasted as much of my time as possible.
Maybe because everyone else is working hard to clean up their act and become actually employable, my inner conscience prods. I scowl to myself, mood soured.
Screw everyone else, they aren't me.
Well, 'me' could be trying a lot harder, I finally manage to convince myself.
ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ
The last few people file out.
I blow out a narrow stream of air, shooing an obstructive strand of hair away from my face. Slater sets down a stack of perfectly aligned papers, tucking everything away into his suitcase precisely.

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Fiksi Remaja#1 enough #1 notenough #3 in lifelessons #15 relatable "They say you regret the things you didn't do more than the things you did do in life," I whisper, glad that I can still form a coherent sentence with him so abnormally close to me. I would bare...