Jerk

'Waking up at the butt-crack of dawn is not fun.'

Annabelle lay on the bed, covers pulled tight to her chin.

'Why the hell does school always start so early!' She roughly pushed the quilts off and got up, after getting dressed in her uniform she headed to the kitchen.

'At least campus is close, and Jazz finally bought a coffee maker for me!'

"I missed you my love." She was hugging the coffee maker.

"Wow, you weren't joking about being attached to brewed coffee." Marc was sipping the instant crap the team called coffee.

"Nope, I don't joke about coffee. Are you guys heading to campus too?"

"Yeah, Cass has a lecture first thing, and I'm supposed to help set up a lab. Jazz is already there getting things ready for the senior's flight simulations. Jazz and I have meetings during lunch, but Cass wants to meet up with you, so if you end up with plans just give her a heads up."

"Sure. By the way, where's this class?" She held her schedule up to Marc.

"Hmm, that's in building two, it's mainly first semester classes, it shouldn't be too hard to find the room, we'll drop you off at the building." He set his mug into the sink.

"Do you need a to-go cup? We're running late."

"Yes please. Where did Cass put them?"

"Top shelf, furthest cabinet to the right." Cass said, joining them in the kitchen.

"Thanks."

'Thank goodness I set a timer and had it brew before I woke up.'

"Coffee is more important than food."

"Yo, Jazz left this for you, said that you should eat it. Protein is important, it helps you not crash and burn later after the caffeine wears off." Marc threw a wrapped burrito at her.

"Okay, I'll have to thank him later, smells amazing."

"Alright let's go slowpokes! I can't be late to the lecture I'm leading!" Cass pulled them both out the door.

'Why is it so big? Couldn't it just be a few floors?' Annabelle stood outside a monstrosity that was easily fifty stories high.

"See you Annabelle, have fun!"

"See ya later!" She waved at the two as they walked away.

'Okay, just need to find my first class in five minutes, I can do this.'

'Why the hell wouldn't they have the rooms organized by number!? I'm never going to find my class.' She banged her head on the wall.

"Hey Annabelle, you alright?"

"Not really, I can't find my classroom, and it starts now."

'Hold up, isn't he the professor Cass said was Rou?'

"Rou?!"

"Yeah, but I'm going to be your homeroom teacher, so please call me Mr. Bask in front of everyone else. Come on, we're going to be late."

He led her around a few corners and opened the last door. "In you go."

'Why the hell is the hamster my homeroom teacher! Damnit! Yaaas, there's a seat at the back near the window!'

"Hey, isn't she the one that told the deans to stop flaking at orientation?"

"That's not all, she fell asleep during the second exam."

"What? How'd we get stuck with her?"

"Wasn't she the top scorer though?"

"So? I heard she's an abandoned Ayeri. Don't you know how bratty they are?"

"You do know I can hear you right?" Annabelle finally couldn't take the whispering anymore.

"If you have something to say, just say it out loud, the half-assed whispering is annoying. Yes, I called the dean's flakes, yes, I fell asleep in the exam, and yes, I'm an Ayeri that was abandoned. If you don't bother me, I won't cause problems for you. How does that sound?"

"Your family must have abandoned you because you're stupid." A boy spoke up, he had mud brown hair, and the energy coming off him resembled that of a human.

"If I'm stupid what does that make you, seeing I scored higher?" Annabelle sat back in her chair and smirked at the boy.

"Enough! I will not have racist remarks, or disparaging comments about intelligence in my classroom. If you wish to continue, I'll send you to Dean Acott's office. Is that clear?"

Rou cut in before anyone could add onto the conversation.

"My name is Rou Bask, I expect you to address me as professor, Professor Bask, or Mr. Bask. Today we'll be going over what is expected, what you should expect, where to go for help, academy rules and regulations, and the curriculum for my class."

'I really hope it isn't like this all day. Thankfully I still can't use the full extent of my powers, I was really tempted to see if I could turn him into a mouse or a gnat. Nope I need to stop thinking like that. If I keep giving in to my impulses no one will want to be my friend. I could have turned the situation around just now if I hadn't been rude back. Now most of them probably want nothing to do with me.'

She looked around the room, most students were focusing on Rou, but the boy and the people whom she assumed were his friends would glance over occasionally, when he caught her looking at them, he glared.

'Well, we'll never be friends… I wonder why he was such an ass.'

"Alright class, you get lucky today. Homeroom is the only class that starts today. This is so you have time to go around Building two in order to find where all your classes are, and so that your teachers have an extra day to prepare if they need it. I'll see you tomorrow same time same room."

Rou left as soon as he finished, leaving the door open behind him.

'Wonder why he's in such a hurry, you'd think he's running away from something. Well I guess I should just go before someone starts something else.'

"Hey, why are you even at ARD? There are other schools that would be a better fit. The Ayeri that graduated from the diplomacy program can be counted on one hand, you're just going to wash out."

'Calm down, calm down, don't make it worse.' She closed her eyes and breathed in and out before opening them again.

"I guess we'll have to see when graduation comes around. If you'll excuse me, I have to go, I need to find my classrooms before lunch."

Not waiting for a reply, she left, only stopping after she was a fair distance away, struggling to breathe evenly, she closed her eyes and slid down the wall onto the floor.

'I just can't react; they'll get tired of bothering me eventually. He's right though. If I were smarter, I'd have been able to save my adopted family on Earth, and I would already be with my brothers.'

She slammed her fist onto the floor.