In a small, quiet university located in South America, thousands of students moved from one place to another, the exam period was in progress, and the atmosphere was filled with restlessness and stress. Engineering, medical, social sciences, and humanities students occupied every available corner, forming study groups in hopes of achieving better grades. However, as is often the case, some people did not follow the norm.
"Mr. Rodriguez."
"..."
With no response from the boy, the students who were attentively watching the situation began to look uncomfortable. The current teacher was known for being very strict.
"Mr. Rodriguez."
"..."
Once again, the teacher received an uncomfortable silence in response. The atmosphere grew tense, and the other students' gazes were expectant.
A brown-haired boy with a face full of terror looked at the teacher, unsure of what to do. After hesitating for a few seconds, he decided to intervene and began to nudge his companion with his elbow.
"Martin, wake up! Martin, get up!"
"AAAAHHH!" A loud scream echoed through the classroom, scaring everyone present.
The boy with dark, disheveled hair looked around confusedly, scanning his surroundings. After a few seconds, he regained his senses and looked at the brown-haired boy with half-closed eyes due to sleepiness.
"You scared me, Pablo. What's going on?" he asked indifferently while stretching his legs and arms.
Pablo looked at Martin in terror and, without saying a word, began moving his eyes and lips to signal.
"Damn, don't mess with me," Martin thought to himself as he understood the signals. Goosebumps appeared on his skin, and he slowly turned to the other side.
A dark-skinned woman with short hair, around 40 years old, stood staring at Martin. Her gaze radiated unprecedented coldness, and her face showed no expression.
"Leave the classroom," the teacher said in a serious tone.
"I'm sorry, teacher," Martin replied, showing a regretful expression. "I didn't sleep well last night, and I dozed off in a blink."
"Mr. Rodriguez, I didn't ask for excuses. We're no longer in school where you can get away with things. We are adults and responsible for our actions. You decided to rest during my class, so I decided to expel you from it. It's that simple," the teacher said as she walked to the door and opened it, her gaze fixed on Martin.
"Tch," Martin clicked his tongue in anger.
"Old hag," he muttered to himself as he packed his belongings and stood up. The exam was to be held in the afternoon, so this preliminary class was important for resolving doubts.
PAAAM.
A loud door slam echoed in the classroom after the dark-haired boy left. The usually stern and expressionless teacher frowned and shot a murderous look at the door.
The morning passed quickly, and the sun rose high in the sky. The heat increased the temperature, and people wore lighter clothing while frequently hydrating.
"Martin, that teacher is going to kill you. You can't imagine the look she had."
"That old hag thinks too much of herself. She's just a frustrated professor taking it out on the students."
A couple of young men, one with dark hair and the other with brown, were sitting under the shade of a tree, each holding their own ice cream, which they occasionally bit into.
"You'll have to see her again in the afternoon," Pablo said with a terrified face, swallowing heavily at the thought.
"Let her do what she wants. I'm still going to pass her damn exam. Imagine the look on her face when it happens."
"...," Pablo remained silent, unsure of what to say.
"HAHAHAHA," Martin suddenly burst into loud laughter.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
"Ha..." Pablo nodded slightly, thinking about the situation. Nothing good would come from the clash between these two. The teacher was too inflexible and rule-abiding, while Martin was a more free-spirited and relaxed person, hating rules and being told what to do. For the same reason, he had had problems with his parents regarding his future and decided to leave home and study something he wanted.
However, despite everything, Martin was a good person and always there for those close to him. He never refused favors and tried his best. When something passionate him, he did it excellently, almost bordering on genius. Pablo admired that part of Martin and had been by his side for so many years. They had grown up together in a small rural town.
After a while of chatting and relaxing, Martin and Pablo headed to the library to study. They planned to review some concepts before the exam that would take place in the afternoon.
"You're wrong; you need to use this formula because we need to calculate the period, not the frequency."
"No, no, the problem statement implies that you need to calculate the period, and from there, you can obtain the other data."
A dark-skinned girl with long hair and Martin were heatedly discussing how to solve a physics problem.
Pablo, along with a group of three boys, watched the situation with amusement.
"That's not how it's done, Carolina. You use this formula," Martin pointed to a piece of paper.
"You're stubborn; you use the other one," Carolina pointed to another piece of paper. "Right, guys?"
The group of four boys reflexively nodded at Carolina's words, which made her smile triumphantly at the dark-haired young man.
"Tch," Martin gave in and began to use the suggested procedure.
After a few seconds, Martin obtained the result indicated in the solution.
"Well, you were right," he said, scratching his head in embarrassment and avoiding eye contact.
"Haha, I told you, I'm in first place for a reason," the girl said with a wide grin as she opened a can of energy drink and began to drink.
The group of four boys began comparing and studying the answer Martin and Carolina had worked on, analyzing the procedure and formulas used.
On the other hand, Martin began to check his social media during this small break. However, Carolina watched him intently for a few moments.
"What's up?" Martin asked without taking his eyes off his phone.
"The teacher hates you."
"I already know. Pablo told me the same."
"You really pissed her off today. She hates you for real, so don't do anything stupid, or she'll definitely kick you out during the exam and fail you," Carolina said before looking for another difficult problem to solve as a group.
"I know, she's just like my mother," Martin thought fleetingly, a hint of melancholy crossing his face. He set aside the topic and put away his phone to continue studying.
Things with his family were not going well, and they had stopped talking months ago. He only kept in touch with his younger sister, who was still in middle school.
6:55 PM, room 105.
The classroom was nearly full, with around 50 students forming small groups, energetically discussing the upcoming exam. Some young people looked confident, while others were desperate, trying to absorb the last bits of information into their brains. In the front row sat Carolina and Pablo, who had saved a spot for Martin, who was in the bathroom.
"That fool better not be late; I warned him," Carolina kept glancing at the classroom door, anxiety gnawing at her due to Martin.
Pablo, on the other hand, was in no better situation, only hoping his friend would arrive as soon as possible.
"He said he was just going to pee and drink water. It shouldn't take him more than 5 minutes. He should be back any moment now," Pablo said anxiously.
"That was 5 minutes ago, right?"
"Yes, he should be back soon."
Tap Tap Tap Tap.
The sound of heels could be heard approaching quickly. The teacher entered the classroom, panting and pale-faced. The students looked at the woman's figure in bewilderment; something had happened.
A couple of boys stood up and approached the woman, taking her belongings and guiding her to a chair to rest.
PAM PAAAM PAAAAM PAAAAAAAAAM.
A loud noise reverberated outside, and a pair of students rushed into the classroom.
"What's happening outside?" one of the young men asked, confused by the recent events.
"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know," one of the students who had just entered could barely articulate any words, overcome with terror. His companion sat in a corner, staring into space.
Suddenly, a girl and a boy entered the classroom, looking exhausted and battered. Under the confused gazes of the other students, they proceeded to close the doors.
"QUICK, BRING CHAIRS AND TABLES!" the terrified girl shouted.
"What's go-"
"SHUT UP, BRING CHAIRS AND TABLES!" the girl ignored the questions and placed heavy objects against the door.
The group of students grew nervous at the recent events. Some wanted to go outside to take a look, others started moving chairs and tables without questioning, and the last group remained talking among themselves, watching the situation closely.
Minutes passed in a blink, and terrifying screams could be heard outside. The young people were filled with fear and wanted to escape at all costs, but the girl blocking the doors persuaded them. Some boys peeked through the windows that faced only one side of the building, but they only saw people running everywhere. After a while, a mountain of chairs and tables blocked the entrance.
"I don't know what's happening, but we're under attack," the girl blocking the door said nervously.
"I don't know if it's criminals, terrorists, other countries, or whatever, but explosions started, and some people began to collapse."
"It's safer to hide in a classroom and close the doors than to go outside and collapse for no reason. They might have released a toxic gas or have a sniper killing people. Any theory is possible now," said the boy who had arrived with the
girl. Their faces looked similar, and they had the same hair color. They were most likely siblings, some students thought.
Pablo and Carolina approached the teacher, who was slowly regaining her senses, offering her water as they waited for her to say something.
"Guys... I saw everything. I saw it all and couldn't do anything. I'm a coward, I just ran without looking back. I'm, I'm, I'm a coward," the teacher began to recount between sobs and fear what had happened.