Class of Misfits

one | Emma

"Eat, study, sleep, repeat."

"So... New kid, huh?"

Emma sighed. "Yeah. I wonder who's rooming with her."

"Hey, I'm happy with Donna."

"Shut up."

Clara laughed. She knew Emma had been paired up with Juila, and was not at all happy about this arrangement, Juila being a rebel. In their eyes, she was one of the most annoying kids in the class.

"She'll probably blow up the room within a few days because it's degrading or something like that," Emma complained.

"Well, it's only lunchtime, right? We'll be able to manage until the night."

"Maybe I can persuade Mr. Wagner to give me one of the steel sheets from the science lab, and I can build a barricade between my side and Juila's side."

Clara laughed.

They made their way to the cafeteria, which was located on the ground floor. When they arrived, the only people seated at table 10B were Sky, Barbie, Donna, and Diva.

Emma scowled at Sky and Barbie, then took a seat opposite Donna, leaning over the table to speak to her.

In time, the others arrived and sat in their seats. To her utter horror, Juila dropped into the chair next to Emma. Clara smirked at Emma from the end of the table, and she glared back.

Discretely, Emma scooted her chair away from Juila's, but to her extreme surprise, Hannah was sitting on the other side of her.

Oh gosh.

Now what?

Emma could do nothing except sit quietly and hope that nothing terrible would happen.

Unfortunately, not a single day had passed without something happening.

Lunch was served by the volunteers, and consisted of golden baked chicken and a side of Spanish rice with honey-glazed baby carrots. Mikayla, a vegetarian, was eating a baked potato on a stick instead. Emma thanked the waitress as she approached the table and dropped a filled plate in front of her.

Emma couldn't help but have an uneasy feeling that something bad was about to take place. Mrs. Edmonton, however, sat the head of the table, looking unaware of any suspicious activity. Once or twice, she glanced at Sky and Hannah, narrowing her eyes slightly, but did not say anything.

Poor lady. She was no match for Sky or Hannah.

Emma realized suddenly that Hannah was missing from the seat next to her, which could only mean one thing: trouble. Horrified, she was about to say something when Juila put up her hand.

"Mrs. Edmonton, where's Hannah?"

Mrs. Edmonton frowned slightly. "She said she was going to get something she forgot from her last class."

Emma knew that was the last thing Hannah was probably doing right now, but she kept her mouth shut.

Mrs. Edmonton rose from her seat. "Everybody, I'd like you all to pay careful attention as you are eating. I have some announcements for you. First of all - "

The chandelier started to swing slightly. Emma glanced up, slightly perturbed, but she dismissed it as the vibrations from someone walking above.

Yet she couldn't shake off the feeling that something unexpected was about to take place.

"- and classes will resume their original schedule tomorrow," Mrs. Edmonton droned on.

Emma glanced up again. This time, she noticed something she hadn't seen before - a thick rope stretched across the ceiling, perfectly matching its color and texture.

She was about to call out a warning when the chandelier suddenly swung wildly and a horde of water balloons fell from above and exploded onto the table.

It was mayhem. The water balloons weren't filled with water, Emma realized with horror, they were filled with a bright red liquid. Before she knew it, it was all over the place; in their lunches (Emma now found that her mashed potatoes were more soggy than usual), and splattering their clothes and hair. Mrs. Edmonton's white blouse had turned blood-red, as well as her face. People began to trip over their chairs, trying to put as much distance as possible between them and the table. Winnie shrieked as her pale blonde hair was stained by the dye. Barbie stood up on her chair and started wailing hysterically because her light blue wrap top and white skirt had been completely doused. She yelled, "My daddy will be so angry! He'll sue you all!"

And the funniest sight of all: Sky, angry at being outwitted and flustered from the Kool-Aid dripping from her hair onto her face. She screamed in frustration and slammed her hands onto the table, splashing Kool-Aid everywhere and only increasing the riot going on.

As for Emma? She shrieked once, then twice, and then frantically tried to wipe the Kool-Aid from her hair with one of the napkins on the table.

Only one person was unaffected. Hannah stood smirking in the doorway, and when Sky caught sight of her, she waved sarcastically and left.

The table was a sopping mess. Kool-Aid dripped off the sides, splattering the floor below. The custodian rushed forward, immediately dropping napkins downwards and beginning to mop the floor. The residents of the other twelve tables were all staring, gawking at the huge mess on the ground, though suppressing grins due to the fear of being yelled at by their own teachers.

"SILENCE!" bellowed Mrs. Edmonton.

Everyone shut up and stared at her.

She breathed heavily. "Did Hannah ever get back?"

Emma shook her head.

A vein pulsed in Mrs. Edmonton's head. "Go and shower. Get changed. I expect you all to be on time for your next class. I need to find Miss Wilson."

When no one moved, she shouted, " What are you waiting for? To your rooms! Now!"

Muttering under her breath, she turned and left the room.

Emma ran up to Clara, who's brand new uniform was soaked, red dye dripping onto the marble floor. "What was that?"

Clara shook her head groaning at the sight of her new shirt. "Our back-to-school welcome. I hate to say this, but Hannah was smart. No one was expecting this much trouble on the first day only four hours in."

"Sky will be blowing her top, I assume."

"Of course! I bet you anything that she'll be plotting her revenge against Hannah. Any day soon... It just better not ruin any more of my clothes. These were so expensive!"

"I know. Hopefully it only involves the teacher. Though knowing Sky, that's not very likely."

Clara sighed ruefully. "It better not include us. I don't think I'll ever get the red out of this shirt."

Emma clicked her tongue. "Lucky I wore navy blue today, and not pale green like you."

"Oh, shut up."

Emma went up to her dormitory and grabbed a fresh set of clothes. She climbed into the shower stall, letting the cool water trickle down her skin, washing away streaks of Kool-Aid. She quickly dried herself and changed, exiting the bathroom to find Juila reading a comic on her bed.

"Juila! What are you doing? That's my bed. Get off. Go sit on your own."

"Why should I? Why can't I sit where I want?"

Emma narrowed her eyes. "Get off of my bed. Now. "

Juila rolled her eyes but hopped off, darting to the other side of the room. She knew better than to mess with Emma when she was angry.

Emma huffed and threw herself onto her bed. If something like this happened only four hours into school, she couldn't bear to think what other catastrophic events would take place throughout the year.

One thing was certain - she was not going to be a part of any of it.

✽✽✽

[Melody]