Hello Monday

Part 3; 2:36 pm

What good are ears if you can't hear anything?

I have the neverending alarms to blame. It has been ten minutes since the last of the siren, but I can still hear it echoing in my ears. I can barely make out the voices of the people around me. On top of that, the sunlight that peeks through the closed blinds hardly illuminates the dark room. That makes lipreading not possible, either.

So how is it that they can still chit chat after the ear assault and in the dark? Talent, I presume.

Sighing, I fidget in the corner of the room, away from the endless gossips of my fellow classmates. I can't wait to get out of this room and take a day off. Two drills in a day are exhausting. I don't know why they thought it would be okay to place us in this kind of situation. Or any kind of situation, for that matter.

We were told moments ago that there was apparently a lockdown drill scheduled today, a once in three months kind of thing. Honestly, I didn't even remember. From my limited hearing, I recall the principal's intercom saying something about preparing, and to take the drill seriously, and to wait for the okay signal to resume classes. It's been... ten minutes and fifty-six seconds and there hadn't been such a signal. We're just sitting ducks, waiting for this invisible attack to end.

From the corner of my eye, I see someone settling next to me. Just as I'm about to turn my head to give my nastiest look that screams stay away, I hear a laugh.

"Surely you were not thinking about giving me that look, were you now?" Dr. Sanders says, shaking her head with a smile.

"Sorry," I reply sheepishly, not knowing what else to say.

"Oh, I was just teasing, girl. Do not look so guilty."

I crack a smile, a genuine one, at that. That wasn't something that I've been doing recently, with finals coming up.

"So, how is your studying going?"

I sigh. "It's not easy, but I'll manage."

Placing an arm around me, she reminds me, "Do not be too hard on yourself, Linette. I know you can do it."

I nodded automatically. It's not something that I can just accept easily, and it's definitely not something that I have accepted. Sure, I can do it, but will it be enough?

"Besides, it is not like you need my help anymore. I see you studying with that Miles boy," she adds with a smirk.

Just the mere mention of his name and I can feel myself heating up. My face is feeling hot and my heart is pounding in my chest, too quick for comfort. My mouth opens and closes, looking nothing unlike a fish. I try to formulate a response, but that name erases all my train of thoughts. It even robs me off my breath.

"It's not what you think—" I start.

"Linette, are we strangers? Tell me about him."

"Really, Doctor. It's not like that. I admit, I do like him and he likes me, but relationships these days are most complicated. I don't think we're dating quite yet?" I don't know who I'm directing the question at. Myself?

"You think too much. If he says he likes you, and you like him, what point is it if not to date?"

I stay quiet, avoiding Dr. Sanders' eyes. I couldn't tell her that I don't think he's ready for such things. Ever since he told me he liked me, he had never once tried to advance our 'relationship.' It's not like it's possible to go on dates because we're in boarding school, but he hasn't even attempted to eat lunch with me. And that speaks volumes. But he's the first boy I genuinely like and I'm willing to wait however long for him.

Why give up if I have the patience to wait for him, right?

"I really like him, Doctor. I don't want to mess whatever this is we have," I say after a while.

"And you will not," she replies with a pointed look, "I can tell that he is a nice boy. I am happy you have him, Linette. Truly."

I smile genuinely at her, nodding in thanks. Her approval makes him all the more worthwhile to wait for.

"Anyway, what are your plans for college?"

"All my worries now go to graduating from this school, Doctor," I sigh heavily.

She nods in agreement. "School is tough, is it not? Tougher than I remembered school to be. Do not worry your pretty little head, though. College will not be as hard, trust me."

I scoff, "That's easy for an ex scholarship student at the University of Cambridge to say."

Another reason to have Dr. Sanders as my role model: Einstein smart–something I desperately want to be but cannot seem to be.

"You want to know my trick?" she asks in a whispered voice.

I nod vigorously, not wanting to pass up the opportunity to possibly learn how to be the next Isaac Newton. Or to at least get a free ride to college.

"Believe in yourself," she says in my ear.

My body becomes rigid. I've been told to believe in myself countless times, but every single time it feels like someone poured a bucket of cold water on my head. Cold, oh so very cold. Not refreshing at all. It was more of a disbelief to me.

I'm afraid that's the one thing I cannot do. Barely passing my classes (whatever passing is in this school) shatters the only thing I brought–confidence. I don't see myself close to being anything like Dr. Sanders. Sure, I'll go to a university for undergraduate, but a PhD? Heck even a master's degree? I'm not too sure I'll make it that far.

I am about to reply when I hear the first set of approaching footsteps. The echo of even steps is faint, drowned by the voices of careless whispers. I try to shush my classmates, but to no avail. It wasn't until the force of a door crashing against a wall did they become silent. It's a couple rooms over but the slam of the door shook the walls so hard that it could be heard in our room.

I swear I heard someone mutter a swear word that begins with an s and ends with a t.

Not a big fan of swear words but you got that right.