𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓 : 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐊.

𝟎𝟐: TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES

I remember quickly shuffling down the hall, still in my cheer uniform from practice, to make it into Mr. Anderson's class in time. As captain, you'd think I'd have more power in decision making, but social status means more than appointed status, apparently. I love my girls, I love working alongside them, but the popularity contests look more like a pissing contest each day. Since Claire's family is high up the food chain, that basically means what she says goes. I see Maddie, Nicole, and Simon about to enter class. I rush between bodies in motion, tunneling down the squished corridor, making it just before they walked in.

The bell rings as he points at us, barely outside the door of his classroom. "You degenerates are late. Let's go, let's go." He starts motioning towards the door as I begin to catch my breath, chest falling and rising rapidly. I catch Wally's eye from the crowded space suddenly, before being broken from the trance by Nicole's voice.

"I'm not even in your class," Nicole laughs before walking down the hallway, as the boy I just saw blends in with the crowd almost seamlessly.

"You're still degenerate and late," he calls out down the hall, funneling students in. "In, in."

"Ms. Nears, what is this, Kurt Cobain cosplay here?" He shoots towards Maddie as she takes a seat.

"Wow, Mr. A. really aging yourself with that one." Simon defended with whit evident in his voice.

"And, Ms. Thompson, do you want to do a little pep rally for the class?" I roll my eyes and smile as I sit down, stringing my backpack along the back of my chair.

"Mhm, I was thinking I could use the fundamentals of english to really burn it into their brains." I prop my head up with my arm.

"Everybody in?" He looks around the class, counting heads mentally. "Okay."

Maddie stares out the window intently, I can't help but look out there. Something doesn't sit right. "Are you going to check on him?" She slings her backpack over her shoulder before nodding her head.

"Everything alright, Maddie?" Mr. A. asks, looking around the window from the front of the class.

"I, um, just have to go to the ladies room." She shuffles her feet towards the door.

"You see, that's why we have time between the bells." She mutters something about being quick. "You're not coming back though, are you?" She sprints out the door. "Are you?" He looks directly at me. "I love my job."

"Mhm," I hum, realizing I still hadn't heard from Tristan today.

• • •

THE memory fades slowly. Mads stares out the large, paneled window near the staircases. I look up at her from my tightly tucked knees as I sit patiently on the floor. Charley's eyes meet mine before flashing towards her. "Are you just going to stare at the guy for your entire afterlife, or...?" He trails off, looking down at Xavier before I stand up beside them. "I mean, he's cute. I'll give you that."

"He's not doing very well." She responds almost emotionlessly, watching the serene scene.

"Huh? Oh, okay." It almost took him a second to comprehend, but I can only assume being in here for literal decades, with no escape in the slightest, slowly fries your braincells. I'd soon become like that, never seeing outside these walls, and barely finding fresh air. It all seemed pointless.

"I...just wish he knew I was right here," I place a hand on her shoulder.

"You know that's not possible." I feel for her, though, and I feel awful that this is where we've ended up.