Power of the Kings

Sleep Deprived

I suppress a yawn, trying to focus in on the drone of the teacher lecturing. After another bust last night, I only got a couple hours of sleep, and each day is getting harder to stay awake when it matters most. I'll have to figure out a way to rest more if this keeps up. I can't keep running on empty. Kallen is soundly asleep next to me, which doesn't really surprise me. She has to make it home without help, and gets even less sleep than me. Lelouch lets me fall asleep at the hideout, and then I wake up in my own bed. Or his bed. It really is all up to him.

"The Black Knights!" Kallen exclaims, bursting up out of her seat.

My eyes widen as I look up at her.

The teacher stops talking and everyone gasps, everyone staring as Kallen's cheeks redden. The mark on her forehead from where her head was against the table clearly visible. It feels like the awkwardness could be cut with a knife. Then everyone bursts into laughter.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she mumbles, taking her seat.

"Are you okay?" I whisper as the teacher tries to resume the lesson.

"Tired," she runs her hand over her face. "How are you even awake?"

"Pure willpower," I twirl my pencil.

The rest of class goes by smoothly. Almost like Kallen never even blurt out the name of the organization that is taking Area 11, and possibly the world, by storm. How she'll explain it to our friends is going to be interesting.

"That's not like you dozing off in class," Shirley says as she takes the seat in front of us.

"Well, you see," Kallen softly says.

"You could learn a thing or two from Lelouch," Rivalz says as he leans against the table right on the other side of the aisle. "He is a professional at sleeping during class."

We all turn to look at Lelouch. He's resting his face against his hand while looking out the window. Or he would be looking out the window if he were awake.

"Is he really sleeping right now?" Kallen asks.

"It's a good thing his grades are as high as they are," I shake my head as a smile forms on my lips.

"I don't know what he is up to these nights," Rivalz continues, "but he sleeps through about half of his classes these days."

"It almost makes me want to go wake him up," I lean back in my seat. "I could never do it though."

"Did you play a lot of pranks on each other when you were kids?" Shirley asks.

I look over at her, "I know which of his buttons that I can push without him getting actually mad at me, but I don't really play pranks like that. I don't have a mean body like that in my body."

"Oh, Sakura, you spend a lot of time with Lelouch, don't you? Do you know what he's been up to?" Rivalz asks.

Kallen slowly looks at me, and I can feel she's anxious of my answer.

"I actually spend a lot of time with Nunnally while Lelouch is out doing whatever it is he does," I answer. "I've been teaching Nunnally origami with Miss Sayako, and I have embarked on the thousand crane journey. I am over six-hundred, but I can't remember the exact number off the top of my head right now."

"That's cute," Shirley says. "What is the purpose of folding a thousand cranes?"

"To get a wish," I giggle.