King of Locusts | ✔

Chapter 11

Lunan wasn't sure what he expected from his senior year of high school. Maybe it was because of the  lively telenovelas he watched with Elena that made him feel a shadow of disappointment when he approached the building. Its brick exterior remained unchanged, the hallways still vaguely smelt of weed, and the same judgemental teachers gave the alternative-looking students a hard time. In short, his last year of high school felt the same as any other.

Lunan and Elena walked hand in hand down the hallways, the latter snickering at the forlorn looks thrown her way by clueless guys. Their stroll ended at their lockers which were next to one another.

"Oh wow. Together again for another year," she remarked, smiling mischievously at Lunan.

"I wonder how that happened," he said as they shared a knowing chuckle.

Elena pulled out her schedule. "What are your classes this term?"

They compared schedules for a few minutes before the first warning bell rang. They parted ways, eager to reunite during their third period writing composition lecture.

The first two periods were uneventful. The teachers introduced themselves, forced the students to do awkward icebreaker exercises, and then spent the remainder of the class reviewing the syllabus. Already bored of the monotony, Lunan used his spirits to spy on his whispering peers.

"Did you see the new girl?" asked one.

"She's way hot," confirmed another. "Legs for miles and a huge ass."

"Ugh, of course you'd say that," a girl groaned. "Her looks don't matter if she lacks personality. I heard she's really cold and awkward."

"She's foreign, right?" he said. "Just give her time to settle in."

The bell drew Lunan from their conversation. He cared little for gossip, but he frowned at the thought of student's situation. Having to complete the last year of high school in a new town, let alone a new country, was the worst.

When Lunan entered his third period lecture, there was already a seat to Elena's right ready for him. He greeted her with a smile as he sat. They had idle conversation over the bores of the first day before the teacher called the class to attention.

"Hello, students. I'm Mrs. Dillard. Unless you've skipped a grade, you're all seniors here. Even if you skipped, you all know the drill. I have to review the syllabus per school policy, but you're free to socialize after that. This is an intensive course, so enjoy the free day."

Her announcement resulted in a resounding cheer from the students.

She was halfway through reading the academic code of conduct when the door opened and the class's attention trailed to the cause of the disturbance. Lunan too let his eyes wander, and was taken aback by what he saw. A tall, lean girl entered the room. Long, platinum blonde hair cascaded down her back, which contrasted with her deep skin tone. The asymmetrical dress she wore trailed after her long strides as she walked purposefully to Mrs. Dillard.

"And who might you be? Young lady, you're nearly ten minutes late to class," Mrs. Dillard said, leveling the student with a glare.

She studied the teacher for a moment too long, practically boring into her eyes before shifting her gaze. Mrs. Dillard's fingers twitched.

"I'm new here and got lost on my way to lecture. My apologies, Patricia Dillard," she explained.

Lunan watched the scene with fascination as Mrs. Dillard blushed.

"Well, you know where the class is now. Take care to avoid having this happen again, and Mrs. Dillard is fine," she said stiffly. "While you're here, feel free to introduce yourself so that I can continue my lecture."