One week later
I stared at the board at the front of the class, trying my hardest to focus. I could only understand a few sporadic words, more than when I first started but most of it was still gibberish. The symbols across the board were the same, I could only recognize a few of them. It felt like class was dragging on. Mr. Dahgme's voice was practically a dial tone. One continuous monotone sound that droned on and on and on.
I wondered how close to the end of the day we were at. It had to be fairly close because I was positive that we had been there at least six hours. It was a long time to try and absorb something in a language you didn't understand. I looked away from the board and from my quick cursory glance over the class, I could see that many people shared that sentiment with me. I could see at least four Orrians almost falling asleep, their heads bobbing slightly towards their chests or their desks.
Ani was looking like she was ready to join them. Her eyes were glazed over slightly and she looked half dead from boredom. I glanced over and spotted Kher staring at me, his grey eyes narrowed intently. I swallowed and looked away just as quickly as I had spotted him. He was especially... weird today. He always stared and glowered and spat curses under his breath at me but now I saw him literally everywhere. If I was somewhere I could guarantee he would be there as well.
I wasn't sure if Ani had noticed or not but he was reaching levels where I was starting to get severely creeped out and borderline worried. I could still feel him staring so I focused on the board once more. However it was still just as confusing as the last time I looked so I buried my face in my arms. That was better than staring at the symbols that were now hurting my brain and fighting the urge to look at the crazy asshole who was, as Ani put it, trying to melt my face with his eyes.
"Do not die on me, Liv!" Ani grabbed my arm and gave me a frantic shake. I peeked at her over my arm and she winked at me before pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. "For if you die, I too shall perish! For I cannot survive with the painful shards of a broken heart that would linger in my chest!" She had discovered Shakespeare and so everything she did was even more dramatic but with the added flowery language that bordered on hysterical in use. I ducked my head back into my arms, my cheeks flushing slightly. If she was loud enough she was going to garner attention.
"Pray! Tis not true! My love has perished in this room of horrors, her mind broken by the four walls of injustice that surrounded her. Monotony! Boredom! Insanity! Thou art the cause of her death!" She touched my head with a fake gasping sob. "Sleep well, my sweet princess. For I shall join you in the morrow. When twilight seizes the air and when the injustice is fixed within the heavenly eye! Sleep well. Sleep well." She stroked my hair and I fought back giggles at her rather impromptu, and rather well done, monologue.
There was a gruff bark from Mr. Dahgme that let me know he did not appreciate Ani's theatrics. I peeked over my arm again as Ani crossed her arms over her chest and retorted something in a tone that looked to me as not entirely being polite. To be fair, Mr. Dahgme had been an incredible asshole to Ani since I joined the program and her disrespectful attitude was a consequence of his treatment of her.
There was an even more gruff response from him that Ani shot down with one of her own. "Can you believe this guy?" She gestured at him with a look of distaste as he raised his voice once more. "He just will not stop." I could see the utter dislike she had for him and it was an unusual experience for me because Ani was always super positive about everything, she never let her mood drop down into a low. I lifted my head higher as Mr. Dahgme stormed closer. I could see everyone staring at us with wide eyes as he approached and Ani crossed her arms over her chest and snapped something at him in Orrian.
He pointed to the door, his face red and a vein bulging in his forehead. I could almost see it moving with his heart beat. Ani shrugged before pointing at me and saying something rather calmly in Orrian. I tried to pick out words I knew but they were speaking too fast.
Mr. Dahgme started shouting, gesturing wildly at the door and Ani turned to look at me. "He is telling me to get out and I told him that you are supposed to accompany me wherever I go. He does not like that." She turned back to him and said something, my mind instantly grabbing onto the word councilwoman and Nadila. Mr. Dahgme's face turned even more red, which I hadn't thought was possible. He gestured wildly between the both of us and shouted the same line in Orrian again and again.
Ani stood up and patted my shoulder. "Well, we just got kicked out of class." She smiled at me brightly as she gripped my arm and practically lifted me from my chair. I let her pull me around the table. I looked at Mr. Dahgme and nodded my head.
"She'lantha." I was yanked forward by Ani as she moved towards the door of the classroom. Everyone's eyes followed after us as she pushed open the door and we stepped out. The moment the door closed behind us she started laughing.
"The look on that bloated balloon's face." She said something rapidly in Orrian, holding my shoulder as she laughed, leaning on me slightly. Once she managed to get herself somewhat under control she wiped her eyes, letting out sporadic chuckles as she did so. "Ohhhhh, that was funny. We need to go to the Dean's office. Protocol and all that." She linked her arm through mine and practically skipped beside me as we moved towards the Dean's office.
I doubted he would be happy, this was Ani's third time this month that she had gotten us kicked out of class. I didn't blame her, Mr. Dahgme was an asshole but the Dean didn't particularly care. He liked things to be orderly and to run smoothly. Which was surprising for me because he didn't mind my presence in the Learning Centre. In fact he encouraged me greatly to learn all I could.
"Dean Hilem will be upset with you." The Dean's office grew closer and Ani made a sound, waving her hand in the air as if shooing an irritating bug away. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my translator before tucking it into my ear.
"Oh posh. He knows how Mr. Dahgme is." She leaned her head on my shoulder with a chuckle. "I seriously thought he was going to burst a blood vessel in his brain. That vein just kept throbbing. Throb... throb... throb." She giggled. "I wanted to poke it. Next time I will. Just like this." She poked my forehead and I couldn't help but chuckle as I swatted her hand away.
"Leave Mr. Dahgme's pulsating forehead alone." I could only imagine how he would react to that. Despite how tempting the pulsating vein was.
"But Liiiiiv." She drug my name out as she stomped her feet like a child as we stopped in front of the Dean's office. She let my arm go and knocked on the door. There was an answer from inside that was too muffled by the door to make out but Ani pushed the door open anyway. "Hello, Dean Hilem." She pasted a sugary sweet smile on her face and the balding man glowered at her from over his reading glasses.
"Ani'tah SordaLam, do not tell me you were kicked out of class." He gave her a stern look and Ani sat down heavily into the chair in front of his desk. I took the one beside her.
"I was but he was being rude." She lifted her head up, setting her chin in defiance. She wouldn't ever back down from her position. I liked that about her. She was consistent and what was right was right and she would fight for that.
"He is an instructor, he needs to be treated with respect." The Dean's tone was low with warning and Ani scowled.
"He said humans are illogical and ridiculous creatures that are ruining our culture and customs." She glanced at me as she said it and I fought back a wince. Score a point on the asshole board for Mr. Dahgme.
"And before that?" He raised an eyebrow that told me that he was telling Ani not to lie.
She let out a huff of air. "I was reciting poetry." A very well thought out, Shakespearean inspired, dramatic monologue.
"Ani'tah, we must not disrupt the class." He shook his finger at her sternly and she leaned forward and slapped her hand on his desk.
"He is spreading malicious lies and hate." It bothered her a lot, I knew it did. She hated how everyone spoke about me and the rest of the humans. She loved and cared for me and my culture and heritage. She loved learning about it so hearing her own people deride it was hard for her.
"And I will have a discussion with him about that but you need to stop antagonizing him." Dean Hilem's voice was firm. He wasn't going to budge on his position. It was the same position he had taken numerous times before.
"He is mean to Liv." Ani's voice cracked slightly and Dean Hilem's eyes slid to me for a moment before he let out a heavy sigh.
"And I will continue to discuss that with him as well. It is not appropriate in a professional setting or in a classroom but he is a tenured instructor. He cannot simply be fired. You know this." He gave Ani a look that said he understood but he was stuck. He was always stuck. I knew what tenured meant, in the Orrian culture at least. It meant that Mr. Dahgme had been sent to the ship by the Oria council for a set term of service. It was nearly impossible to have them break that term.
"I also know he is an asshole." She muttered it underneath her breath and I winced because I knew the Dean had heard it.
He banged his fist on the table, causing me to jump at the bang. "Ani'tah SordaLam!" His voice was harshly reprimanding and Ani hunkered down in her chair.
"Sorry." She muttered it out and I glanced between the two of them as Dean Hilem pointed at her.
"I do not believe for a second that you are. You will not use such language in my office. The students and instructors can use it everywhere else but I will not abide by it here. Especially in the context of insulting an instructor." He turned his gaze to me and I gave him a small smile and his face relaxed. "How are your classes coming along?"
"Good. I'm learning more in Miss Geliensha's class than I am anywhere else." She was a sweetheart of an instructor. She was very patient and made sure everyone was understanding the topic of the day. I was just really upset that I only had her a few times a week
"Ancient laws and cultural teachings. I will have to commend Miss Geliensha on her incredible teaching habits. Perhaps implore some of the other instructors to pick up on them." He gave me a quick smile before looking down at his papers. "As it is, I am still writing you both up for this incident but you may both go home." He waved us off and I stood up before Ani. She seemed on the edge of sulking as she heaved herself out of the chair. I opened the door, saying a quick thank you in Orrian before I walked out.
"Ani'tah, I want no more incidents." His voice made my turn my head as Ani stopped to turn back to him. I went to grab the door when a large hand grabbed the chain of my medallion. I instantly looked forward but the person yanked hard, snapping the chain. I caught a glimpse of a face with hard edges and grey eyes before I felt like I was sucked from my body into nothingness.