🗝️⋆𐙚₊˚♡74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzT0dbY2QI
.⋆♱ PANDORA'S ECHO⠀,74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yfdxVpAJ1
004. inching slowly74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCDppBZSxG
The school bus rolls to a halt, and the driver opens the doors for the sluggish students. Dominic doesn't wait. His slender fingers wrap around Naomi's wrist, tugging her up from the seat before she can even finish grabbing her bag. "Let's go," he mutters impatiently.
"I am, damn," she groans, nearly stumbling, but catches herself as they exit the bus together. The morning breeze brushes past her face as they enter the school building.
The volume of the hall is already too much for Dominic and Naomi to handle. Naomi exhales sharply, "Yeah, this is a no."
Dominic huffs beside her, equally unimpressed. They both veer toward their usual spot, already spotting the group gathered near the lockers. Naomi adjusts the strap of her bag and lifts a hand in greeting.
"Y'all look worse than me," Naomi stifles her friendly laughter as she reaches into her locker briefly.
"I need my girlfriend." Dominic groans to no one in particular.
"Shut the fuck up, damn," Jay calls from beside him.
"Can y'all c'mon?" Clover glares sharply at the two latecomers. "I know your bus was late, but let's go."
"Uh oh, guys," Jay playfully coos toward the short girl. "Clover's a little angry this morning."
Clover purses her lips before turning on her heels, not caring if she leaves her friends behind. "Let's go before she locks the door," she throws the warning over her shoulder.
Jay pushes off the lockers and rolls his eyes, "She's not locking anything. It's the third day."
Naomi shuts her locker and grabs Ashanti's arm, falling in step with Clover and Jay. Dominic lingers for a second before splitting off in the opposite direction without a word.
"Bye," Naomi calls half-heartedly, not even checking if he heard.
The hallway swallows them up almost immediately. Naomi instinctively pinches Clover's baby pink sweater, sticking close to the group; meanwhile, Reis breaks off from the group to enter his first period.
Naomi adjusts her bag once more as someone bumps into her shoulder, dragging it with them. "Watch it," she mutters under her breath.
"See? This is why I hate mornings," Jay says, weaving around a cluster of freshmen blocking the middle of the hall. The four finally break free of the morning rush, taking a second to breathe.
Naomi huffs, gaze drifting to the adjacent hallway, hearing a resounding slam.
It's August.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwJmSyNdTL
It's just like Monday all over again.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjK55jQgypu
Except this time, a broad shoulder lands his back harshly against the lockers. Naomi watches August blankly stare up at the immature dude.
"Seriously, again?" Naomi breathes in deeply, "Did y'all see that?"
Jay glances at Naomi, "You talking bout the new kid?"
"Yeah," she answers, her eyes still fixed on the scene unfolding before her.
"Yeah, what about it?" Jay casually brushes the scene off.
"That wasn't a fucking accident," Naomi says, kissing her teeth.
"No shit," Jay snorts at the obvious conclusion.
"This is so childish," Naomi scoffs as she begins to walk toward August. Suddenly, she's pulled backward. Her eyes linger on the hand before meeting Jay's eyes, "What?"
"Not your fight, dude," Ashanti speaks up and folds her arms. "He doesn't even react. Like, at all."
"Well... that's a little concerning," Clover muses.
Naomi's attention flies back over to August.
He gathers himself and continues walking.
"Bet you five bucks he goes full school-shooter before prom," Jay quietly snickers.
"Not funny, Jay." She immediately shuts down the poorly tasting joke.
The warning bell interrupts the group, reminding them of their first-period classes. Yet, Naomi doesn't move. She can't. None of that was okay; that isn't normal. An odd feeling flows through her chest, her breathing changing slightly.
"C'mon, before we actually get locked out," Clover breaks her out of her stagnant state. "The both of you will owe me, I'm serious."
Naomi releases her thoughts with a short breath and turns to follow her friends.
Ashanti blows them all a kiss before heading to class, leaving the three to quicken their pace.
"Thank fucking god," Clover cries out as they reach the classroom, just in the nick of time.
"Cutting it close," their teacher hums, eyeballing her three students. "Take a seat."
Naomi steps inside and looks toward the back, August. Just where she'd thought he would be sitting. With no hesitation, she walks to the back of the classroom and takes the seat next to August's desk.
Clover and Jay share a glance before unsurely following their friend. "This better not be anything weird," Jay takes the last desk in the row, sitting next to Naomi.
Naomi shoots Jay a warning look, "Hush."
"I'm just here for the plot," Clover calmly takes the seat in front of Naomi, choosing not to outwardly question her friend's behaviour at the moment. Quietly deciding on a later time.
Naomi doesn't respond, but slowly turns toward August. "Hey, good morning."
His body seems to freeze in surprise, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Naomi. His eyes bounce back to the book in front of him, his eyebrows raised with suspicion and plain confusion. August gradually turns to face her, "...Hi."
Clover's brows lift slightly, "Oh, he does talk."
"That's crazy," Jay dramatically gasps, both hands framing his face in surprise.
Naomi simply ignores the two, openly smiling toward him, pulling a frown from August.
He quietly resumes his reading, as she leans back into the cold chair, her eyes still trained on him. Quietly observing. As if someone didn't shoulder check him in the hallway moments ago.
He's so calm.
Too calm.
ns216.73.217.115da2
and then Add to home screen.