Class F (1)

Marie Leila looked and acted older than the average nine year old. She grew up too fast. She looked about 16 or 17, with long straight brown hair, warm sun-kissed skin, and black empty eyes. She walked with ease and grace, and she might be quiet and mysterious, but her mere presence was chilling and intimidating.

Nobody was sure where she came from, or who she exactly was.

One morning, before class at Briar High School, a classroom full of sixteen year olds laughed and conversed loudly. These students have always been in Class F, the lowest class in the school. Even the teacher was playing games on his phone. They've known each other for years, being in Class F for several consecutive years together.

It was also the middle of the year, so Class F was surprised to see a new girl walk into their classroom.

She strode into the classroom with her hands in her pockets and her head held up high. Her gaze was steady and unblinking, and she went straight to the empty desk in the back corner. She rested her head and tucked her face into the crook of her elbow, only the bun on top of her head visible.

The classroom got quiet as everyone took in the new girl. Although soon after, the bell rung, and everyone had to go to their seats.

The teacher groaned, rubbed his eyes, and stood up. "Good morning, everyone," he said tiredly, and after writing the lesson topic on the blackboard, he turned and noticed the new girl. His droopy eyes widened and he raised his eyebrows. "Oh, you must be Marie Leila, yes?"

Everyone who wasn't already looking at the new girl turned to stared at her. The girl didn't move, still resting her head. Murmurs started to break out through the classroom. There hasn't been a new girl for so long, and this girl had a weird chilling feeling about her.

The teacher cleared his throat awkwardly and returned his attention to the rest of the class. "Alright, we are going to introduce a new method that also helps factor; the quadratic formula."

"The quack quack what?" a boy said lazily. Some people sniggered.

The teacher sighed. "We have to move onto this, because as you guys already know, we're more than a year behind the average class."

"We're special that way," a girl called out. "Also, I'm soo hungry. Can we have lunch early?"

Several people murmured in agreement. The teacher frowned. "Class just started, how are you already hungry..."

Every day, the class was extremely hard to teach, and this day was no exception. By the time lunch came by and everyone sprung out of their seats, the teacher collapsed into his seat with exhaustion. It took a few minutes to realize there was still a student in the classroom.

The teacher raised his head. "Marie, aren't you hungry?"

The girl stayed motionless, and the teacher began to worry. But then she raised her head slowly and stared back at him with sharp, dark hollow eyes. They seemed to look right into his soul, jagged and cruel. The teacher was momentarily startled, goosebumps creeping up his arms and the back of his neck.

She kicked her chair back and left, just like that. The teacher blinked, staring at her retreating back.

The teacher couldn't help but wonder, 'What must she be thinking behind those cold eyes?'

~~

Marie frowned and yanked at her collar, the itchy material irritating her neck. The button fell off and landed with a sharp 'clink' on the tile floor. As she walked, she tugged up her sleeves from the thin white blouse of her uniform and rotated her wrists and neck, trying to loosen up the tight uncomfortable state of her body. It's been so long to be in a school again, surrounded by kids constantly. Their curious gazes made the monster inside her stir.

She reached the outdoor courtyard and caught sight of the boy she was supposed to keep an eye on. He was talking with his friends, smiling and laughing, unaware that Marie was glancing at him from time to time.

Why was she doing this? It all came down to the fact that Marie was different.

Since she was three years old, Marie couldn't sleep at night. At all. She wasn't fully human; she would grow twice as fast and she would die twice as soon as an ordinary person.

There were scars between her knuckles, small ugly slits that never healed. She could form long blades of bone between her knuckles if she wished.

She had two brutal scars lining her shoulder blades that could sprout shadows and smoke as if they were wings.

She used to be scared of what she could do. But all she could do now was embrace it. Long ago, she gave up on trying to save a piece of humanity in her. She belonged to a secretive society, the only people that accepted her, the people that saved her as a child.

She had a job, and she would do it.

This time, she had to lure this boy into her trap. For he was different too, and valuable to her society.