The Day We Changed

Chapter Nine

"No, Alfred," I politely decline once he tells me all about his 'idea.'

"Why not?" he whines. "You want to teach them a lesson, right?"

"Not like that," I answer with crossed arms. "Besides. This whole thing has probably blown off by now, anyway."

"I don't know, bro."

"Whatever, I don't need your opinions."

"I don't need yours, either!"

"Must you be so sassy?"

"Please? Just once?"

"I said no, Alfred, and I mean it."

"Fffiiinnneee."

~~~~~~

I. Hate. My. Life.

Once I had entered the actual school from the connected East Dormitory for my classes this morning, I saw posters, made by Rikki, Dax, and Claire, about me being a 'Redcoat' and a 'Wizard,' along with some other sensitive topics that I will not discuss.

I sigh, taking one down and leaning against the wall.

Why is Life so cruel?

I look at my phone and see that I have a few minutes left before my next class starts, so I run off and try to find the library.

I don't watch where I'm going, which seems to be a theme with me, and I end bumping into someone.

I look up and notice that it's the girl that I ran into in the women's restroom yesterday.

"You again?" we ask in shocked unison.

"Seriously?" she huffs, and I can tell that she is a native of Hungary.

"I'm really sorry," I apologize, even though I feel stupid for bumping into her not once, but twice.

"It's...fine, I guess," she sighs, seeing that there's no point in trying to create an argument with me.

"I didn't mean to," I answer weakly, cringing a bit. "I guess I'm not very observant sometimes...."

"Hm, you're the boy in the posters, right?" she wonders, her green eyes searching me up and down.

"Um...yeah," I reply. "It's an awkward situation, really."

"Like now?" she smirks, cocking her head to the side in a taunting way.

"What do you want me to do?" I sass. "Beg for your forgiveness on my hands and knees?"

"Your name, more like," she giggles. "All I know how to address you is 'Kirkland,' which is your last name, I assume. Got a first name to go with that last name?"

"Arthur," I say, "not 'Alice' like at Orientation. It was a mistake."

"Hm, yeah, I figured," she replies.

"What about you?" I wonder, turning the conversation around. "I don't think I know yours."

"Elizabeta Hedevari," she smiles. "It's nice to meet you, Arthur, but I have to get to class. Oh, and by the way, I'm on the Yearbook Committee, so if you do something to embarrass me, others, or yourself again, I'll personally put you in the yearbook myself, by name."

"Ah, ha, ha, ha," I chuckle nervously. "You...you would do that?"

"Us yearbook geeks never joke around when it comes to these situations," Elizabeta replies. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to go to Yearbook. Oh, how ironic!"