Midnight whisper

“Miss Blair Jenkins, it is your first day of school, and you’re already two hours late.” Mr. Harold, the vice principal of Marina, groans, balancing the glasses in front of his eyes. He looks a little too sophisticated and already has a case for Blair. Blair is quiet, and her face is opposite her feet. She doesn’t know how the school system works around here; she doesn’t want to know. And she has to, considering how she’s already two hours late on her first day. Two darn hours? “When I talk to you, do well to reply, Blair.” Mr. Harold’s voice is gruesome, and Blair slowly raises her head to look at him. “I’m s-sorry” Blair stutters and finds herself internally cussing herself for stuttering. “Mr. Harold, class doesn’t start until five minutes; the rules to come to school two hours before first period are still a bit... tacky— Clairo stops talking when she gets a heavy, damaging glare from Mr. Harold. “First day of a new semester, and Clairo, you’re proving to us you still don’t stick to the school rules. Well, I guess that’s that. I do not condone tardiness, so Blair, here is your schedule for the semester and your ticket for detention, which is just three days. Have fun after school.” Blair freezes as she stares at the man in front of her. If the school system is as strict as this, then it sucks. First day, and she already got detention? “B-but— “No Buts. Ask around; I don’t do tardiness."Mr. Harold breaks Blair off, turning to Clairo. “And you flagpole, you get a week of detention." “What?” Clairo scoffs, “A week? Well… I don’t care though, but don’t you think the flagpole comment is a bit outdated?" “Stop talking and leave my office,” Mr. Harold slams. Blair and Clairo walk out of his office and make their way down the school’s hallway. Clairo slides her hand around Blair’s shoulder, which Blair has noticed she does a lot. “Don’t pay attention to Mr. Harold; he’s a sadist; he just gives out detention when he’s in a bad mood, and maybe with anyone associated with me; he asked my mom out once, and she turned him down. And don’t worry, detention will be fun. Trust me” Blair turns to Clairo and says, "It looks like you always get detention.” “I do; I got about a hundred last semester. But don’t worry; we are all used to it, and you will too." “We?” Blair c***s her head forward. “Yeah, my friends and I get detention even for breathing. Like I said, Mr. Harold is a sadist.” “You’ve got to be joking,” Blair says, shaking her auburn hair. “I wish I was,” Clairo presses a smile. Her eyes roam around Blair’s schedule, and she demands it. Blair gives it to her immediately. “You’ve almost got the same schedule as me, but I don’t have philosophy on Monday morning and AP English on Wednesday morning too. Anyways, Mr. Batt’s class is just right around that corner; tell him you’re new, and he’ll ease you up on being late. Good luck. Oh! And meet me back here next period if the school confuses you. Clairo disappears into another hallway before Blair can say another word, and she lets out nothing but a sigh of dissatisfaction. - Blair steps into her first class, and the entire class stops and turns to see the sudden intruder. Trying not to turn robotic and start stuttering, Blair avoids every eye and focuses on the teacher, who clearly will be Mr. Batt. “I’m new,” Blair finds herself saying, and she regrets it instantly. I’m new? It sounded like a kid talking for the first time. “Blair Jenkins, I already received information; please take a seat." Mr. Bass adds dryly; one could tell he really hates his job. Moving around the class like a misplaced Bobby pin, looking for an empty desk, Blair’s distracting pacing causes Mr. Batt to slam his fist against the whiteboard and yell for Blair to get herself a seat. Blair flinches, She hasn’t met the rest of the teachers, but the school staff was sure on edge. And she hates it. Did they all wake up on the wrong side of bed? Someone gently tugs the hem of her peach long-sleeved cropped sweater. Blair looks down and sees a boy, looking extremely captured. He has golden brown skin that feels like sunset and rough, curly hair that looks like it could use a little trim, as some strands are almost blinding him. “Take that desk; it’s empty." The boy whispers, pointing to the back of his class, and Blair passes him a thank-you smile before scurrying to the back and taking over the empty desk that seems hidden and almost swallowed by the wall. Which is perfect for an introvert like her. Feeling herself breathe, Blair studies the entire classroom and how bored everyone is, including her. Mr. Batt’s mustache is funny, and she is trying not to smile as some students whisper and make jokes about it. She glances out the window, and the sky in her view gives her a welcoming feeling that makes her nod, like she’s assuring herself that nothing is too bad, nothing about Freevilely like she thought it would. If only Kimberly was alive, she would have been so eager to go home and tell her about her first day and everything she’s currently seeing: the girl secretly applying lipstick to her full lips and a boy preparing to glide his hand against a girl’s thigh, so it could look like a mistake. It was all weird, but she knew how stories like this have always excited Kimberly, pouring her big sister's energy into every detail that would crawl out of Blair’s lips. But Kimberly isn’t here now. So everything happening to her would just stick with her to her grave. And if Kimberly was alive, they wouldn’t have moved to Freevilely, and she wouldn’t be witnessing a new first day of school she wanted to tell so badly, so partly Freevilely still feels like a dream. One she doesn’t like and doesn’t want to like. - Now trying to pay all her attention to philosophy, Blair is also trying not to fall asleep, as Mr. Batt’s teaching is worse than a sloth talking—if sloths could actually talk. With her eyelids getting heavier, Blair cannot take it anymore. As she sits at the back of the class, it’ll be hard for Mr. Batt to figure out if she’s sleeping or actually cares. So she lets her eyes close. Mr. Batt’s voice slowly drowns out, and the only sound Blair can make out is the wind and the waving tree from afar. She’s enjoying the peace, so she lets her entire body drift into sleep. Suddenly, Kimberly is standing in front of her, laughing like someone just said the funniest joke ever. “Bee” Kimberly’s eyes sparkle when she sees Blair, and a smile forms on Blair’s lips. She misses her sister way too much. Squishing Kimberly in a hug, Blair shuts her eyes as she lets the smell of her sister circle her nose. She loves how Kimberly smells, like her lavender shampoo and homemade brownies. Kimberly suddenly lets go and flashes Blair a smile before starting to walk away. “Please, don’t go." Kimberly doesn’t care to turn around and just walks into a room, going out of sight. “Kim…” Blair lets out a gasp, and her eyes immediately open. She is brought back to reality, and she sees herself still in class. Mr. Batt is gone, and the class is a total wreck. Some are leaving the class, some girls are dancing close to the whiteboard, and some boys are being boys and doing dangerous things. Blair places her hand on her chest as a response to a sudden ache; she recognizes the feeling in her chest. It is pure grief. For Kimberly… It's not the first time she’s had a dream about Kimberly. Kimberly’s death had taken a horrible toll on her. And two weeks after her death, she moved to Freeville. It’s been strange dreams of Kimberly, and one night, it was about Nolan. Never seen or heard before, Nolan had never missed any of Blair’s sleep. Kimberly had only occurred in Blair’s dream when she took naps, and even the shortest period or glimpse of Kimberly feels like hell for her. Kimberly had gotten the usual virus infection but slept one night and didn’t wake up. It was a day Blair would never forget, and it was the day her whole existence started to feel like nothing. She talks less and knows less. What is she living for? Blair never fails to ask herself that question. And with her parents wanting to get a divorce, life stinks. Moving to Freevilely isn't going to change anything, and Blair knows it. “Blair? Right?" A familiar voice scatters Blair’s thoughts, and her head shoots towards the tall figure standing beside her desk. It’s the good-looking guy from earlier, the one that helped her get a seat. "Yeah," Blair tucks her thick, dark curls behind her ears. “Great. I’m Mason” He grins, stretching his hand out. Blair tilts her head. Is he ‘The’ Mason Clairo mentioned? She reluctantly accepts his hand, and they both share a brief handshake. "So... you’re the new girl." He smiles, his perfect white teeth almost blinding. “I guess I am,” Blair says, looking away awkwardly. She's never this awkward. It's how her social interactions went from five to zero after a week of isolating herself from the world thanks to Kimberly’s death. And now a cute boy’s trying to be her friend; of course, all the awkwardness in the universe will squeeze to her feet. She could really use a line right now. “How are you liking Freevilely so far?" Mason asks. He’s trying to keep the conversation flowing. And she noticed. “Good. I spent my first two weeks inside; this is kind of my first time outside thanks to school.” Blair feels like she’s blabbling, so she stops talking immediately. “What? That freakin stinks. Want to hang out after school today? I can show you around freely." She was already getting asked out on her first day. Maybe Blair isn’t as bad as she thought. She is not highly attractive and not a good conversationalist, but she still gets asked out. Or maybe Mason is extremely bored or extremely nice. “I kind of have detention after school,” Blair let the words roll out of her mouth like she’s happy about it, rather than spending her afternoon with a boy she barely knows. “Detention? On your first day? Were you with any girl called Clairo? She’s like the detention curse. Hang out with her, and you’re done. Do you know Clairo? — “I do” Blair cuts him off, and a flat smile appears on her face, her bronze skin looking a little flushed. They’re both quiet for a while before Mason breaks the silence. "Well, I have math second period, and I need to leave now. But welcome to live freely and feel free to live freely.” He gets on his feet and disappears like the wind, leaving Blair to finally catch the breaths she doesn’t know she’s holding.