Learn To: Exist

after zero

“Uhm, it was too low to get a percentage.”

“What,” Maculey roared. “You’re kidding, right?”

Shaking her head, Edith winced as the group collapsed into yet another fit of laughter. This time, it was longer and unbelievably more annoying than the previous. People surrounding them were starting to stare again, some even laughing at Sammy’s hideous laugh. Some of them seemed amused at the scene they were making, but others just looked bothered or annoyed.

Ben slapped Edith on her back and sniggered, “It’s okay, Diths, we’re all here to help you. I was just like you … once.”

“Fuck off, Ben,” Edith replied hotly, flipping him off in the process, “Shut up before I gorge your eyes out with the dessert spoon.”

“Okay, okay,” Ben chuckled in defeat. “I was just trying to be nice! Six is better than zero.”

“Don’t patronize me,” she replied glumly. “It wasn’t my fault I fell asleep half-way in to the paper.”

Behind them, the door to the café had opened as a few new customers entered. A waft of cool air danced in, lifting several napkins off the tables. Shivering slightly, James wrapped his fingers around the mug of his unfinished hot chocolate to warm them up. Edith’s gaze flew onto her best friend and frowned.

“Are you really that cold?” she asked, obliviously drawing the group’s attention back onto James.

Edith’s question startled the boy. Looking up hesitantly, James nodded, “Only a little.”

“Wow,” echoed Ben, picking up the chocolate covered doughnut he had bought earlier at the counter. “I’m almost sweating my arse off in here.”

Sammy swivelled round in her chair to face Ben. Raising her hand, she slapped him as hard as she possibly could on his back, effectively making him choke on the doughnut. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, Ben; too much crap might come out of it.”

“But is it really getting that bad?” Maculey asked, his brown, almost black, eyes shifted to look at James again.

Running his fingers through his dark hair, James nodded slowly and picked up his mug. The group watched with caution as it started to slightly shake. “I’m done, let’s go.”

*           *           *           *         

Edith collapsed onto her undone bed. She had finished dinner earlier with her mother and the very thought of it being the school holidays made her features break into a mirthful smile. Sure, she had to do the dishes and two hours of relentless Lego torture from Dillon, but Edith reckoned that not even her little brother could bring her spirit for the holiday down. 

After all, there wouldn’t be any school the next day. Or the day after. Or the day after that. It wasn’t much but Edith enjoyed every single day of the holidays she had. School would be the least of her worries and she couldn’t wait to be able to sleep in on Monday mornings. Although people like James would disagree, sleeping in on Mondays sure would be a lot better than having double-period Chemistry lessons with Mr Grimsby.

Mr Grimsby was the sixth form’s only Chemistry teacher. He had managed to drain the life out of students with his well-known monotonous voice and extremely positive ‘I don’t care’ attitude, all within the first few months of the school year. He was probably the only person in history with that achievement.

The truth was; Edith used to really love Chemistry. She figured that Chemistry was the only one subject worth studying for, the only subject worth getting excited about; and yet Mr Grimsby managed to suck out whatever fun that was left in it and made it extremely boring and mundane. Edith hated him dearly for that.

Flipping onto her back, she lifted her hand and blindly patted against the surface of the bedside table. Edith felt the metal case of her phone and swiped past the lock screen to unlock it. Staring at her wallpaper, she wasn’t quite sure whether or not calling James was a good idea.

She had seen how uneasy James was back at the café and she wanted to find out why. No, not why-why. She already knew; but she wanted to know why-now.

Squeezing her eyes shut before opening them again, Edith stretched her arm out to put her phone back onto the bedside table. She decided against calling him because a) it was late, and because b) she didn’t have enough credits in her phone to even last her a ten-second call.

Switching off her bedroom lights, Edith waited patiently for the long awaited sleep to envelope her. But within no more than five seconds of doing so, Edith groaned at the sudden realization of how sore her back had become. Edith tried to find a comfortable spot but she soon found herself falling off and onto the floor instead.

It took Edith a while to register her surroundings. Looking to her right, a whiteboard came into view. In front of it was the teacher’s desk. With panic rising exponentially in her chest, Edith struggled to her feet. She knew exactly just where she was but she couldn’t bring herself to believe it.

“Diths?” a voice called. She turned around, surprised to see the familiar green-eyed boy rushing towards her, pushing away the tables and chairs that obstructed his path.

Edith was always fascinated with James’s eyes. When they first met, in Year Four, it was the boy’s eyes that had caught her by surprise. His irises, a startling deep shade of green, had striking flecks of gold littered around the centre of his pupil. She was convinced that she was never, ever going to meet someone else with the exact eyes James Bennett did. And although Edith loved the way James eyes would sparkle at every single thing that fascinated or intrigued him, she sort of, well, hated them as well.

Edith often compared her own boring brown eyes to James’s magnificent green ones. James had eyes worth marvelling at whilst Edith had eyes everyone else in the world had. There was nothing extraordinary or special about brown – if anything, brown was probably just the most common colour for eyes in the world.

Doubling over, James started panting heavily. His breaths came in short and rushed.

“James,” she sighed, “Why do you run when you know you’re not supposed to? Come on,” she said, pulling a chair out for the boy, “Sit.”

Obliging, James sat. Edith pulled the nearest chair towards her and sat as well. She waited for him to catch his breath.

“No … I wanted to ask you …”

“What?” Edith asked impatiently.

Before James could open his mouth, the knob on the door to the detention room had turned and standing right under the archway was none other than Mrs Raj. Walking in, she eyed both James and her suspiciously.

“You two have disappointed me greatly,” bellowed Mrs Raj, her voice echoing and bouncing off every inch of the room. “You are both in sixth form and yet I find you both acting like children!”

Edith turned to look at James but was surprised to see him already staring at her. Leaning in slightly, she whispered, “Why is yesterday happening all over again?”                

She waited for her best friend to topple over in a fit of laughter; she wanted him to laugh at her stupidity for thinking of such a thing. Inhaling sharply, James whispered back, “I don’t know, Diths. I wish I did.” 

*           *           *           *         

[a/n] edited, ill try my best to stick to this story; my mind is completely blank on how to continue the oher two. Happy reading! -anna