"You have a test," Anna reminded him quickly, her tone more serious now. Zack sighs dramatically at her serious tone, knowing she is right despite his reluctance. He pulls back reluctantly, running a hand through his blond hair as he tries to switch gears from relaxed boyfriend to responsible student. "Fine, you win," he grumbles good naturedly. "But you are not getting rid of me that easily." He stands up and offers a hand to help her up from the red bean bag, his grip firm and familiar. Once she is standing beside him, he does not immediately let go, instead using the moment to pull her closer for one last kiss before they have to be responsible adults.
"Good luck with your test," Anna said once their lips parts. "You got this. Oh, and your cappuccino is still there on that table, but it is probably cold by now." Zack glances at the forgotten cup on the table with a wry smile. "Cold coffee is better than no coffee at all, I guess." He moves to retrieve it, taking a tentative sip and grimacing slightly at the temperature. "Definitely needs reheating." He set the cup aside again and turned back to Anna, his expression growing more serious as he considers their upcoming test. Together they gather their belongings– Anna's purple backpack slung over one shoulder and Zack's own worn backpack retrieved from beside a bookshelf. As the emerge from the secluded corner of the library, the ambient noise grows louder– the murmur of voices, the distant buzz of fluorescent lights, the rhythmic creak of rolling carts. "Walk together?" he asks quietly as they navigate through the bookshelf aisles.
"Yeah, are we going to meet in the cafeteria for lunch?" Anna asks causally. "Of course," Zack answers automatically, his tone suggesting the idea is non-negotiable. "Noon sharp. Don't even think about sitting with anyone else." His protective instincts resurface already, imagining other guys trying to talk to her during their lunch break. The thought sends a flicker of annoyance across his features despite his outward confidence. "I will save up a spot at the back table by the vending machines," he continues planning aloud. "Alright, it is a date," Anna said with a bright smile. Zack walked Anan to her French classroom, his hand never leaving the small of her back even as they pass other students in the hallway.
His presence beside her is both protective and proprietary, his body language clearly communicating that she belongs with him now. "Your test is the next period, right? Don't let those nerds distract you during your test," he says quietly as they approach the classroom door. "Imagine me waiting for you afterward instead." He leans down to press a quick kiss to her temple, not caring who sees. The bell is about to ring any second, but Zack seems determined to mark his territory one last time before letting her go. Anna walked into her French class, Mrs. Meril wasn't there yet. A few students are already seated around rectangular tables arranged in a collaborative layout. Some students are leaning forward, while other appear to be writing or looking at papers spread out in front of them. Anna walks past the bulletin board filled with French poster and images of France.
After Anna settled into her desk, taking out her notebook and pencil case, Mrs. Merril entered the classroom. Mrs. Meril has fair skin decorated by faint, intricate tattoo-like markings tracing across her face and down her neck. Her black hair was loosely tied back, with soft strands framing her face. She always wore stylish attire, today it was a deep burgundy blouse with a subtle sheen, partially unbuttoned at the collar and tucked into high-waist black jeans. Her sleeves were rolled up to her forearm, revealing more faint markings along her skin. Around her neck hung the familiar pendant she wore every day. She once mentioned that it was a family heirloom from France.
Mrs Meril walked up to the white board in front of the class and picked up a white board marker. Behind her on the whiteboard "Aujourd'hui:" (Today); "Le subjonctif"; and "Baudelaire: Les Fleurs du mal" is written on the left side and one the right side there are example sentences demonstrating correct and incorrect usage: "Il faut que je étudie." marked with an X and "Il faut que j'étudie." marked with a check. Below that is a quote in French: "On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."— Le Petit Prince. "Gooood morn-eeng, claaass!" Mrs Meril said in a friendly tone of voice.
…
Zack entered his empty history classroom and took a seat at his desk in the back corner, the black plastic chair scrapping against the light-coloured tiles. Zack takes out a pen, a pencil and a highlighter from his worn backpack and places them on the light brown wood tabletop. The dimply lit room had no windows, forcing Zack to stare at the white board at the front of the class still filled with last periods work– the causes of the fall of Rome followed by bullet points: political corruption, economic instability, military overextension and social unrest. Beside the white board, on the right side there are posters with quotes on them: "Those who do no learn history are doomed to repeat it."– George Santayana; "The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future."; "History is not just about the past. It's about understanding the present." There's also a map labelled "The Ancient World."
A few minutes pass before, Mr. Fren enters the classroom with a stack of papers, followed by other students. He places the papers, assumably their tests, on his desk and then turns to wipe clean the white board. Then he turns to face the class, waiting for the other students to take their seats. Mr. Fren has pale skin and sharp, angular features. He has short, slightly tousled white hair and his expression is serious and focused. He is dressed in modern professional attire, though slightly rugged in style. He wears a dark, fitted button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.