𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ⭢ 𝖬𝖩

❦ ten.

TW: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MENTIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
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: think i've forgot you love me, you love me, you love me :
✰

☁︎ narrator ☁︎

It was an early Winter morning in mid-December 2019, the sky gloomy due to the heavy rainfall the night before, and the frigid temperature that fused with the drizzle of the following morning. Majority of students were looking forward to the day mainly because it was a Wednesday, two days closer until they were out for Christmas break, ensuing their return two weeks later in January of the upcoming new year. It had been about twenty minutes after the students first block class had started, Michael and Maurice sitting in the desks situated in the back of the classroom of their Honors statistics class. While the teacher stood in front of the class going over some things that would be on their final which they would be taking in just a few minutes, Michael whispered to Maurice who was sitting to his right.

"Where Tee at?" Michael curiously asked, "She was s'posed to meet us at the bus stop this morning."

"I'on know, man," Maurice shrugged, also slightly concerned. "CJ said she tried calling but she ain't answer."

As Michael's mind began to wonder, just seconds later there was a lazy knock heard on the wooden classroom door. The teacher then stopped talking, and majority of the class remained quiet, while few students broke out into their own small talks as she went to answer. Michael and Maurice's eyes were at the entrance and exit of the classroom as most of their classmates were, curious as to who it could've been.

Once the door opened, the teacher stepped aside and let an anxious Loyalty inside greeting her with a polite "good morning". Loyalty gave the teacher her late pass and while their teacher went to go put in on her desk, Loyalty rushed to the back of the classroom to take a seat which was in front of Michael. Placing her book bag down next to her, Loyalty's head instantly met with the surface of her desk as she struggled to keep her eyes open like she had been all morning. Her mind was all over the place and school was the last place she wanted to be, but she knew if she skipped today she would've had to make up all of her finals when they returned in January.

Either that or she'd get a zero put in for all four periods, which she definitely not want.

She was barely passing due to her lack of motivation and plummeting mental health. Loyalty always understood assignments and lessons that occurred in class, but her will to actually get something done was completely down the drain as of right now like it had been pretty much the entire semester.

Exchanging concerning glances with Michael, Maurice then attempted to get Loyalty's attention. 

"Yo! Loyalty!" Maurice whispered, and barely a few seconds passed before Loyalty lifted her head from her arms that were folded on the desk, looking over at him with her tired and drugged up eyes. Perking her eyebrows in response that he had her attention, Maurice continued. "You good?"

"I'm fine." she answered, her voice raspy as if it was fading or that was the first time she's spoke all morning. Without giving either Michael and Maurice the chance to respond, she lied her head back down onto the desk.

Eventually, the class had taken their final and the class was over. As the bell rang for them to attend to their fifteen minute class change, Maurice and Michael waited for Loyalty to get her stuff together before they left the classroom. They were usually always the last ones to leave anyway, so it wasn't anything irregular. While they were in the hallway, the group met with CJ who had a different first block class than them, and just like every other day within this semester they always found each other after class. Loyalty had her large black hoodie pulled over her head, while she walked behind the three of them avoiding to engage in conversation.