Chapter 3: The running man ft. the salad of despair

     I skipped all my morning classes after I finished writing my newest entry. I used my secret passage near the field and went home.

My secret passage is covered thoroughly with rose bushes and I am the only one who knows about it. I don't trust Nicky because she might report me to the strict President of student council- Clyde. And Nate may try to sell the information to other students, to make money and to give the President a rationally high chance to know about my cutting class passage.

     When I arrived at home, my grandmother was nowhere to be seen. She's probably attending her Zumba class, a workshop conducted by the home owners. Fortunately, my grandma gave me a spare key, just in case I get home early while she's busy outside buying groceries or whatever the world will call her.  

    I came running towards my room together with the red plastic basket I found at the bathroom room downstairs. This basket is supposed to be filled by used clothes for laundry but it's still empty when I saw it so I took it.

    Soon as I arrived, I started removing the dream catchers that's hanging on my wall and dumping them straight in the basket. I think having 101 dream catchers is not really healthy. They are so plenty that they're already tricking theirselves. They cast away my good dreams and catch my nightmares. 

    My right shoulder suddenly hurts while I am trying to get a large yellow dream catcher at the corner of the wall. When I tried pressing it the pain worsen. I removed my dark blue coat, leaving my white long sleeves then went in front of the mirror to check my shoulder. I started unbuttoning it one by one until I reached the last one, when I perfectly removed my long sleeves, there I found my shoulder with a patch of dark violet and greenish bruise. 

    "Damn it," I cursed. 

    I wasn't able to finish removing all my dream catchers because I laid down in my bed wearing a white tank top, but my dark blue tartan plaid skirt is still the same. 'Cuz I still have to attend my afternoon class.

     I took my phone out from my skirt's pocket and turned it on. I turned it off earlier because I don't want to get disturbed from writing because if I ever I get distracted I will surely lose my track in remembering every details. 

     After a few seconds, my phone started vibrating crazy. The messages are all from the same two persons. Nate and Nicky. Most of the messages are asking me where I am and why I skipped all my morning classes, the rest are warnings that I might get suspended, held back or kicked out. I replied the both of them with the same sentence. 

     "jeez it's just the morning classes. Will back in afternoon" then I tapped the send button.

    Time flies surely. It's 12 noon already and my first afternoon class starts at 1 pm. I did not really finish removing all the dream catchers because I fell asleep and dreamed again. Just like the usual moments when I wake up, I was covered in sweats and out of breath. 

    I changed my white tank top back to my proper school uniform, the long-sleeved polo and the coat. Before catching the bus outside the subdivision, I went to the fridge to get a small carton of strawberry milk for my lunch. I am not really fond of solid foods and I don't know how to cook.

    When I arrived at school I was still sipping my strawberry milk. While walking at the pathway, students are looking me and I rolled my eyes to everyone of them so they'll look away or get intimidated. I am not a gangster or what, I just don't want their gazes, they are bothersome. 

    I was passing by and saw a trash bin, I already finished my drink so I tossed it there. 

    "Three points," I mumbled. 

    When I reached the main building I saw Nate and Nicky standing at doorway. Nicky's arms are crossed and looks so angry while Nate's holding a rectangular transparent box filled with vegetable salad. 

   "Shasta, just so you know, you're on a yellow warning now," Nicky dropped the threat as soon as I approached them. 

    Nate handed me the vegetable salad and I immediately frowned.

    "Eat-"

    "I already ate," I said cutting off Nate and pushing the box towards his direction. 

    "We saw you tossing a box of strawberry milk, right there. And I am positive that it's only thing that you ate. In order to survive you must eat healthy foods," Nicky said ending our argument. She really deserves her captain spot at the debate team, I never won an argument with her.

    My lips formed an 'o' shape because of amusement as I turn back to where the trash bin is. It's kind of far, she either know me so well that the only milk I drink is strawberry or she has sixth sense. 

    It's just 12:35, I still badly have 25 minutes to savor the salad of despair. 

    We headed at the cafeteria inside the main building and as expected it's still crowded. Many students are pushing one's back at the counter lane, some are eating at their table while chatting and laughing. 

    "Just eat, Shasta Daisy, don't mind them. And please, please, please, I'm begging you avoid skipping classes. You just skipped all your morning classes!" Nicky just can't stop scolding me eh. 

    "Nicks, I ignored the fact that you view me as a goat with this mixture of grasses fancied by the dressing. Please, stop acting like a mom already if you're not planning to adopt me when you turn 18," I said seriously and Nate tried to stop himself from laughing and shamelessly failed. 

    "Shut up, I don't want you as my daughter," she harshly replied. 

    And I heard Nate saying, "ohhhh" insulting me even more. Devils. 

    "I had an emergency earlier, they should not issue me a yellow warning," I started another argument. 

    The school issues two types of warning that still has a room for you to get away, the red and the yellow. The other one, which is technically the third one is the black warning. Surely you would not want that, because you'll have to attend trials for truancy. AND FOR THE NOTE, THOSE WARNINGS ARE JUST FOR SKIPPING CLASSES. As for the behavior and intelligence, the sectioning dictates it. 

    Class A – for the most intelligent students that has impressive records. Class B – for smart ones yet does not have that impressing records. Class C – for normal or average working minds. And Class D – the dumbest and the most problematic students. But actually, most students in D still has an average working mind, some has B-type intelligence but they have VERY bad records. Most students got held back because they scream trouble and they are the root of it. And they just never stop.

  You can only get yellow warning if the calculated time of your illegal absence sums three weeks. That's very long if you'll think about it. But the school just got started for a month and they are already have me as first yellow receiver this year. 

    "YOU had an emergency? Then why didn't you tell us?" Nate asked me, no, not really. It's not a question, his tone is telling that he caught me already. 

    I shook my head. 

   "Pres. Clyde saw you sitting under the tree while your class is ongoing," Nicky argued back. 

    I raised my hand surrendering. It's harder winning an argument if your opponent knows the truth. Damn it.

    10 minutes before the bell rang, we headed towards our class. For me, it's creative writing, for the two of them, I am not sure. 

    My creative writing class is at the second floor so I used the spiral stair near the cafeteria. There are three stairs at the ground floor. Spirals at the corners of each sides and a grand staircase at center. Only at the 2nd floor has a working elevator.

    The brown wooden door with a transparent glass at the upper center is standing in front of me. I opened it without any clue that there is a very unpleasing surprise waiting for me. The man who cause my bruise is sitting beside my seat. He's looking at me with her palms facing each other as if praying, well, I know he's asking for an apology. 

    He looks exactly like the man who saved me so many times in my dreams.

    He saved my skull earlier risking his own body. (Well, it's was his fault for running carelessly at the hallway!

    He's class D.

    He's seated beside me. 

    There's another rectangular transparent box filled with vegetable salad in my table. The salad of despair. 

    I immediately closed the door removing everything from my sight. Ready to run away.