MEETING ROOM, THE DOME
Third Person’s POV
Elise’s wide-eyed stare bore into Trent, his words echoing through her mind like a never-ending reverberation. Each message weighed heavily on her, every cell in her brain working overtime to process the magnitude of his words.
The Ball... come with me... with me... me... the ball...
Elise couldn’t help but be entranced by the enigmatic allure of his words, and her thoughts swirled in a whirlwind of confusion.
“Guys, wait. One last thing before we leave.“, Fancy’s melodic voice broke the deafening silence that had settled in the room, her words like a refreshing breeze amidst the chaos of Elise’s thoughts.
The students gathered around Fancy, forming an irregular circle. Some stood, others chose to sit, and their anticipation was palpable. Hannah and Sophie flanked Fancy, their presence adding to the aura of the moment.
Bri and Max exchanged a suspicious look, their eyes narrowing as they observed the winter-haired figures engrossed in a mysterious conversation. The unspoken question hung in the air, and Bri attempted to step forward, eager to clarify her suspicions. But a restraining hand from the bespectacled girl stopped her in her tracks. Max simply shook her head, conveying that this was not the right moment to bombard them with questions.
Fancy’s voice cut through the tension as she said, “I just want to get down the names of those that already have a set pair. Okay?”
Her fingers danced across a black mini tablet with the school’s emblem, nestled securely on her arm. Elise glanced nervously at the stoic young man seated a row behind her. His closed eyes and nonchalant demeanour suggested indifference to the proceedings.
“I’ll start with the fixed pairs. If you have also found a partner, just indicate.”
The room remained silent, and Fancy took this as her cue to proceed. “I’ll start with Excel and myself...”
The mere mention of his name elicited a faint blush across his freckled porcelain skin. Fancy continued, typing away on the tablet, clueless to the reaction she incited from him.
“Then, Hannah and Senza”
Hannah cheekily winked at her stone-faced boyfriend, while he responded with a steady, unflinching gaze. Bri feigned mock disgust at their antics.
“Finally, Sophie and Pelz”
Fancy paused and scanned the room. “Hmm... is there anyone else?”
Bri, leaning on the seat in front of her, ran her fingers through her layered strands before indicating herself and Max to the audience.
Fancy warned, “Bri if you want to crack a joke, don’t.”
Playing along, slipping a hand into her trousers’ pocket, Bri clutched her chest in mock dismay, “Ouch! I am utterly offended, Miss Vice President. Regardless, Max and I will be going as a pair.”
Hannah rushed to take a seat beside Max, her face etched with suspicion. Max, on the other hand, seemed utterly unfazed, her arms crossed as she held her book on her lap. “Eh... I don’t believe it. There is no way. Bri, did you force her? Max, blink twice if you are being threatened”
Hannah playfully inquired, reaching out and holding Max’s hands, hoping for reassurance. But the disbelief was etched on her face. Max’s unimpressed expression validated Bri’s claim, leaving Elise and her best friend perplexed. They found it hard to believe that Max would succumb to Bri’s persuasion.
In the end, the girl with glasses stepped in, breaking the silence. “Sophie, write down mine and Bridget’s names.” With that, she freed her arm from Hannah’s tight grip and returned to her book.
“Max! Don’t go with her. Not fair”, Hannah sulked, returning to her original seat in front.
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The whole class was taken aback by Max’s affirmation of Bri’s truth. A crafty smirk pushed its way to Bri’s lips as she slipped into the seat beside the reading girl.
“Oh... Max and Bri-Bri sitting on the tree”, Elise sang teasingly at the two.
Bri boldly relaxed her arm on the back of Max’s seat, trying to lay her head on the said girl’s shoulder,
“Don’t even consider it,” Max precautioned, not taking her eyes off her book. Max and Bri’s playful interaction drew a laugh from Elise, who couldn’t help but find their banter endearing.
“That was new... who else would like to surprise us?” Fancy raised a question to the class in front of her.
“Pricy and Debby,” the twins chimed in simultaneously, concluding with a synchronized, “Will be going together.”
“It makes sense for the twins to go as a pair,” Fancy whispered to herself as she documented their choice.
In a corner of the room, a visibly uneasy and fidgety Tome was consoled by Sanya. Sanya shared his intent to declare their partnership, explaining that he wasn’t embarrassed about their relationship, just anxious about how others would react. After some internal debate, Tome gave a nod of consent.
Sanya placed a comforting hand on Tome’s shoulder, a source of courage for one and solace for the other. He confidently declared, “Sanya and Tome.”
Tome’s head remained bowed, fearful of the crowd’s reaction. His balled-up fists dug into his skin, leaving indents. The weight of all eyes on him was palpable, and his breath grew uneven. Tears threatened to spill from his tightly shut eyes.
Fancy smiled warmly at the two boys and said, “Took you two long enough. I didn’t want to assume and mention your names earlier. I’m glad you are telling us.”
The distressed boy felt a familiar hand gently lift his chin. His tearful eyes met the reassuring gaze of Sanya, who whispered encouraging words. He was momentarily lost in Sanya’s presence, and the warmth of the taller boy’s thumb brushing away a stray tear melted his anxiety away.
“Why is my strong boy crying? Now, give me a smile or I’ll have Bri force it out of you”
“I would be delighted to do that. I haven’t teased anyone all day”. Letting out a gasp, she exclaims, “President-Nurse Sophie, I think I have a disease. Do you think it is deadly?”
Sophie sighs in frustration at her words, unable to give a reasonable response.
“Must be all the love in the atmosphere”, Bri mentions while pinching her nose shut, her loose tie hanging off her neck.
As everyone, even Tome laughs at Bri’s silly antics, one red-haired student looks not too pleased. Sarah found it hard to suddenly be happy for the new couple. She rolled her eyes, her long, slim legs crossed at knee level, wishing she could be anywhere else. The power of the dome stops her emotions from manifesting through the weather.
Just then, someone extended their hand.
“Samuel, you have something to say?” Fancy asked objectively.
At the mention of his name, Elise felt cold sweat wash over her. Let’s not assume. He might want to say something else. There is no way he would call my name. We haven’t spoken for weeks. Chewing on her lower lips in concern, the girl in grey fish braids tried to calm her nerves. There is no way.
The teleporter rose to his feet, turning to look at Elise. Elise scowled her face in frustration as she anticipated the words he was about to say.
“I just wanted to ask...“, he began before being interrupted.
“Trent and Elise”
His deep, tired voice boomed, leaving everyone in a state of utter astonishment at the revelation. Elise couldn’t help but want to facepalm herself, feeling the embarrassment of the moment wash over her.
Breaking the awkward silence with a cough, she tried to steer the conversation back on track, saying, “Okay... this has been... Hmmm... Oh, Samuel! You were about to say something.” She recalled, gesturing for him to speak.
He quickly took his seat, mumbling a quick “It’s nothing.” However, beneath his apparent calmness, his face concealed streaks of anger tinged with sadness. Regret gnawed at him as he recalled the times Elise had been by his side. The thought of someone else claiming her as their own infuriated him, but he kept his emotions in check. This time I will do my best for you, My Elise. Soon, you will be mine again.
“Would that be all?” Fancy asked after a long pause of silence.
After a moment of hesitation, she turned to Sophie to conclude the meeting.
“The rest that is unpaired can decide on partners from other years or couple yourselves later. With all said and done, let’s all make our way out of the dome.”
She led the way out, Fancy by her side. Tucking loose strands behind her ear, she muttered to herself, “The silence in my head is giving me a headache. I couldn’t hear a single thought”.
She led the way out, with Fancy at her side. Elise squeezed her way in between Max and Bri, locking arms with each girl. Hannah hooked her arm around Senza’s waist, animatedly discussing her plans and strategies. Trent strolled lazily behind the group, his cold, narrowed eyes looking ahead.
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SENSEI’S OFFICE, THE DOME
The head of the school, lifting his head from the paperwork spread across his table, listened as the students strolled out of the room.
Oblivious to the year 5 students, every nook and cranny of the institution is under 24/7 CCTV surveillance, which can be viewed and heard in Sensei’s office. This comprises the meeting room just utilized.
An amused smile appeared on the man’s face as he observed the ongoing drama going on in the opposite room, through the screen.
“I want to assume things are about to get intriguing this year”
With a brisk shake of the head, he returned to the documents at hand.
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