Welcome to Gaia! ::

With relief the last bell of the day rang. Students stood up from their desk stretching slightly from the long period that they had been sitting. Our first day of exams had been completed. Walking out of the classroom in the front of the school, I made my way too the library and sat down at a table that all of my friends were sitting around.

For a bit we bullshited about how our exams went, and what we thought we did good or bad in and all that usual stuff. After about an hour we fell silent and separated some standing up to go home, some to get books. I am not entirely sure where they all went.
As they left though I saw her sitting there at the end of the table quietly, she had said nothing today and was looking that happy.

Sliding over a couple seats I patted her on the shoulder and said, “Hey.”
For a second she didn’t say anything and then she let out a low sigh and spoke.
“I think I completely am ******** on my math exam. World history was no good either.” She told me with another deep sigh.
“Don’t worry; I am sure you did fine.” I replied with a smile trying to raise her mood.
“It’s not the exams…” she said after a moment standing up next too me.

For a moment I didn’t move before I was sure that she wanted me too come with her.
“If it isn’t the exams, then what is on your mind?” I asked her, as we slowly moved into one of our schools many halls. We had made it too the end of the hall before she spoke again, but when she did she quivered a bit.
“My mother told me this morning that I’m… I’m worthless…” she whispered tears forming in her eyes.

There was less then a second before she was bawling in the hall. With one arm I patted her on the back and pulled her into a hug as she cried.
“I… it…” she mumbled trying to say something.
“Shh…” I said just patting her back, “You aren’t worthless.”

I am not sure how long we sat there; I don’t really care how long we sat there. It was quiet in the hall for what seemed ours.
“Are you two coming to lunch?” a voice rang out cutting through the moment. We both looked to see a younger boy with dark brown waving at us.

“Do you wanna go?” I turned asking her.
She quickly whipped her eyes and nodded.
“Come on then.” I said giving her another smile as we followed the third kid, down the hall.

The final bell rang and we were released. Second day of exams had been completed; the halls were ablaze with the different students rushing around as I made my way down the hall towards the library.

At first it seemed as if no time had past since I was let free, but by the time I got to the library it seemed to have been fifteen minutes. Where did the time go in these hectic halls?

Approaching the doors to the library they immediately flung open inches from hitting me in the face. Seconds later I felt a warm body press up against mine and two arms wrap around me. With the force of the hug I gingerly fell backwards hitting the floor with a thud, my glasses askew as I didn’t move.

Looking down at the girl still hugging me I blinked a couple of times and patted her on the back. I could hear a small sob from her and it saddened me as I continued watching the top of her head. The students seemed to be avoiding the library and pouring out the side entrances, so there was not much traffic in the hall.
“What is wrong?” I asked her sympathetically as I continued to hold her.

At first her voice was small and then I could hear her mutterings.
“You didn’t tell me… why didn’t you tell me?” she asked still sobbing as she looked up at me.
“I… oh…” my voice said, I could hear myself talking as her eyes bore into mine.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked again, her eyes growing wide.
“I… I didn’t want anyone to worry about me…” I told her trying hard to look away from the beautiful face frowning at me.

“Silly,” she began reaching up with one hand and adjusting my glasses, “You should’ve told me though of all people.”
“I’m sorry.” I apologized to her as she went back to hugging me.
“It’s fine now, just promise that you are going to comeback.” She told me as she stood up abruptly.
“You know I can’t it is out of my control.” I told her standing up next to her, her face quickly fell from the smile that had formed, “But I will promise this to you, I will do everything in my power to stay here for the rest of our years…”

For a moment and then a small smirk formed on the edge of her lips that she couldn’t keep down.
“Come on you, let’s go get some lunch somewhere.” She said wrapping one hand in mine and we were off.

Euphoria. That is the only way to explain the final bell on the last day of school. As a catholic school we must pray everyday before leaving. Something previously left out.
Before it even started we were in the halls ready to run and the intercom comes on. Teachers are rushing to get us to shut up and listen.

Once the prayer finally begins from a few feet over I just hear one kid, a friend named Connor yell, “******** THIS s**t!”
The students made a break for it completely ignoring the teachers throwing papers in the air, ripping school books in half. One even went as far as too light a box math book on fire and sit it in the math office.

With all the chaos going around I slowly made my way down another one of the familiar halls.
“Hey.” I said with a smirk stopping at one locker.
She stopped piling books in her bag for a moment and looked at me.
“What did you think of the exam?” she asked with a small smile.
“It was theology how easy is that?” I said with a laugh.
“Yeah seriously.” she replied, zipping up er bag and standing up.

“You wanna walk with me to find out how I did in math?” she asked me, I am pretty sure she knew the answer beforehand.
I agreed to go and followed her down another hall.

Upon walking into the math office I saw my teacher with a fire extinguisher trying to put the bin of textbooks out. She walked over to her teacher’s desk and I walked over to him.
“Need some help Mr. Dudek?” I asked him gingerly.
“No, I think my twelve years in get- drunk-volunteer-fire-department-training is about to kick in.” He said with a small laugh putting the fire out. (best teacher ever)
“Alrighty then.” I said smirking as I watched putting the flames out.

Suddenly a small shriek burst out from the other side of the office, and we both looked. She ran over to me jumping up and down.
“Guess what? Guess what?” she said super excited.
“You didn’t do as well as you wanted?” I asked with a small chuckle.
“I did great! 91 in the class!” she shouted jumping up and down giving me a quick hug before turning to Mr. Dudek, “So how did he do?”

I don’t know who laughed first, but between he and I we were louder then she had been.
“What?” she asked her smile faltering.
“Nothing.” We both said.
“He got an 86 in the class.” My teacher told her.
“Nice one.” She said hitting my shoulder with her mall fist.
“Heh, yeah.” I said as we turned to leave, “Later Dudek… Mr. Dudek.”

Once back in the hall I looked around and said, “Want to find the others and go get lunch somewhere?”
“Sounds great!” she said as we set out for our final walk down the school hall for the year.