Finally class started. Other students piled into their spots in the gym. Unlike me however, they were not changed into their PE uniforms. For a moment I was confused, but then I remembered the coach was fired and no substitutes were available, so PE class was canceled. A school-wide announcement would then erupt over the intercoms explaining just that, so it would be confirmed that we were not having PE class. It was expected to become a study hall, so I took advantage of that and went back into my lockers to change back into my clothes, and then grab my school supplies.

Once I was changed and ready, I was free to sit next to my friend! Free seating was allowed because of it being a study hall. Everyone was grouping around the people they know. Rather, everyone but Megami. She was just sitting alone at the corner of the locker room reading the book that was assigned in our Japanese class. She's told me before many times that she prefers to be alone when she works, which I can't help but admire. I mean, she is so good about getting her work done that it makes me jealous about having that level of commitment. I can't even commit to completing my math homework! Actually, I get all of my help from Megami on that subject and today was no exception. Though she likes working alone, she never was bothered by my company. Another day, another work period, and another time I sat with my best friend, smiling all the while just to keep the mood fresh as always.

"Hi, Megami! How are you feeling today?"

"Good, what about you, Omo?" she replied, turning the page in her book which she still was mentally focused on.

"I'm doing pretty good with all things considered. Is that the book for Mrs. Young's class?" I asked, pointing to the book, then proceeding to pull mine out.

"Yeah. I'm about halfway through... it gets good by the fifth chapter."

"Ahhhh the fifth chapter?! I haven't even started! Heheheh" I nervously smiled, knowing very well that I was slacking behind in my classes, something Megami has 'fun' hearing. "By the way, I thought we were only supposed to read chapter two... eh, you really like working ahead though so I guess this isn't new!"

"If you aren't gonna have your share, then I might as well take it for myself" Megami jokes, giving a small laugh.

"Oh boy, that would suuuuuck" I said in light-hearted sarcasm and playfully rolling my eyes.

I then took out my completed math homework, scanning over it again before handing it over. Ugh, review, I barely passed my math exam last year! I couldn't even dream of getting an average on my own... "Heeey, this review is kinda tough, wanna help me with it 'Ms. College Level Math'?" I did feel bad about interrupting her reading, but this wasn't new and she knew that. Megami was more than willing to oblige anyways, steadily putting the bookmark in her book and closing it.

"Sure. I'll see what I can do..." Megami then gingerly took the paper and looked over it herself. "Hah.. hahaha" Megami giggled, looking at my attempt at my homework.

"Heeeyyy! D-don't laugh at meeee! Tell me what I did wrong!" I pouted, stretching my neck over to try and catch a glimpse of what Megami was laughing about.

"You accidentally squared your twos instead of multiplying them" Megami blankly said, looking at me.

"Wait- I did?!" I exclaimed in surprise. How did I make such a silly error? Squaring makes numbers so much bigger, I should have noticed that! Why didn't I then, such a silly mistake.

"Yeah, see?" Megami would then pull out her calculator, typing in two squared and showing me the result. Four.

"Ohhhhh... so I did accidentally square them, thanks!" I smiled with relief, taking the homework back and beginning to rework the equation... Megami was still smiling though, I wondered why... but I continued to rework the equation anyways, this time being very careful to not mess up my order of operations.. "Megaaamiiii, it changed nothing! I plugged it all into the calculator and it didn't change anything!" I helplessly whined, yet she still laughed! Now I was only getting more annoyed. "Don't laugh at meee! Looooook!" I handed the calculator back to Megami to check it over. Despite me showing it to her, she was too busy on the ground, and barely containing herself with her hysterical laughter! I just turned my head in disappointment and continued to pout, then pulling the calculator back to look over it myself.

("...3(2 x 2)... I thought two times two is four and times three is twelve. Is there something I am doing wrong?") I asked myself, then plugging in two squared on the calculator. I then did two times two under that. Once I realized it, my eyes squinted and my head jerked towards the small girl that I felt like suddenly breaking like a twig. "YOU!-- Why-, Oh come on! They're the same thing! You were just messing with me! You're mean, I don't want your help again!" I sarcastically yelled, crossing my arms and facing away from her in another pouty face.

"Fine with me, have fun failing" Megami teased, but then made haste to shift to her genuine thoughts about my work "You actually did fine. I don't see anything wrong this time"

"Yeah. You said that last time and I nearly failed" I squinted, not taking too much credit of her word. Then again, I did come to her for help, so doing that to her would be kind of unfair.

"Maybe you should get tutoring. They offer free tutoring here."

"Yeaaaah, good point... your explanations don't seem to do much for me anymore."

Megami would pause after I said that, looking at me from the corner of her eye... was she about to cry?

"I-uh, Megami, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Megami said, wiping her eyes with her hand and then eyeing my legs that were covered in long socks, said socks having traces of fur on them from my cat, who I had played with before I left for school.

Oh.. oh right, she's allergic to cats... oh crap. "Oh! I am so sorry about that! Do you have your epi-pen with you?"

"Yeah." Megami shortly responded, reaching into her bag and pulling the long yellow and black tube with her name written on it. Her allergy is why we never can have sleepovers at my house, so I always come over to hers when she is available. She usually is always available because her mother is on call 24/7 to work at the hospital. Aside from those few times her mother is at home, Megami lives alone... which I can only imagine how lonely that feels for her, so I try to visit often on the days my dad decides to lift curfew.

I sighed with relief, scooting a few inches away from Megami to gain some distance so the allergic reaction didn't get worse. "That's good. That would've been baaaaad if you didn't have it! Speaking of bad, do you know about Erin?" I abruptly brought up. I know, my timing isn't the greatest, but I was meaning to ask her all day to see if she knew how he was doing. Megami wasn't as close to him as I was, but they still were friends, and I hoped she knew something about his recovery.

"Yeah. why?"

"Have you heard anything about how he's doing in the hospital?"

"Nope."

"Oh... right. I was just wondering since your mother works at the hosp–"

"She's been busy the last two days."

"Riiiiight... sorry about asking. I know you don't like me bringing her up, how rude of me" I nervously laughed, then going quiet to spare my friend the stress of the topic. Miraculously though, Megami still wanted to talk, abruptly saying:

"I told them."

"Huh?" I questioned. Told them? Told who? About what?

"About Seijo. I told them."

"Told who, Megami?"

Megami would pause, thinking about what to say. She seemed puzzled, I could tell. Most students could not tell her emotions because to them, Megami always came off to them as 'cold' and 'emotionless' (which is entirely untrue). When you get to know her, you can learn a lot from her non verbal cues, something I have learned to pay attention to pretty well so I don't accidentally get myself in trouble!

"I was why Sekken had to go to the office. When she got jumped, I called the police." she slowly explained, her already low tone of voice lowering a little further. She sounded regretful.

"O-OH! Wait, what happened?! Why did she have to go to the office?"

"It was an accident... Ms. Cumber's paint bottles are flimsy. The red paint bottle had a few cracks in it, so it exploded when I squeezed it with its cap on." She would explain before suddenly drawing her attention elsewhere, and then stood quickly onto her feet. "Hold on, I'll be right back" Megami raised her head, looking around. At the sight of a supervising teacher, Megami walked over to them, then asking to use the bathroom. After that, she left without a word.

While she was gone, I decided to finally attempt my reading homework. I wasn't the best at Japanese. I can speak it, I can read it, I can write it, but I can't explain it. Actually, explaining things is one of the hardest things for me to do. It doesn't help that we'll be going into proofs this year in math, which even Megami has told me has given her some trouble. Explaining what I just read is hard enough, but explaining math is even worse! I was in no way ready for this school year, but I decided to take Megami's advice to take my classes one study-hall at a time.