[X] To refuse the deal. She may be late to school, but Wen would never want to owe a favour to someone like Ciara.
"I'm good." Wen replied to Ciara. "I might be late, but it's not that important."
Except it's very important. If she was late, she'd be expected to stay in at lunch and tidy the class rooms, and not get to write stories, like she'd usually do at lunch. But Wen didn't want to owe Ciara any favours, and didn't want to offend Ciara by saying that out loud.
A futile effort, as it turned out, as Ciara seemed insulted regardless.
Wordlessly, she faced forward again, her window scrolling back up. As it did so, the limo began moving again, kicking up dust as it went past.
Wen coughed in the dust cloud, waiting for it to disperse. Once it did so, Ciara and her driver were nowhere in sight.
Taking one last look at her soaked breakfast, Wen quickly began running in the direction of the school once more.
There wasn't much running involved, to be honest. Every once in a while, Wen would slow down, panting, before breaking off into another run.
This happened multiple times. After the third time, she was so busy getting into another run that she did not notice the rock until she tripped over it, and landed in another puddle.
As she stood, she vaguely heard a ringing bell in the distance.
Oh, great. School had started. She was late, she was hungry, and she was soaking wet from landing in the puddle.
At least it wasn't still ra-
Wen immediately cut off that thought, looking up to the sky.
Clouds were still gathered. There was a decent chance that it might start raining again. It would be just her luck, too.
Setting off into another jog, Wen briefly considered running through a dark alley as a shortcut, before dismissing the idea. There was a reason she didn't already do that, after all.
Standing in the shadows, unseen, it froze in shock.
Hoping that her punishment for being late wasn't too bad, Wen kept jogging.
"Could it be..."
~~~~~
"Detention."
Exhausted, hungry, wet and miserable, Wen was unable to even be upset by her punishment.
"I expect the art classroom to be spotless by the end of your lunch break."
That, on the other hand, had Wen jumping in shock.
"Th-The art classroom? But that's always covered in paint! How am I meant to clean that up by the end of lunch?"
The teacher folded her arms. "If you are unable to, you can stay after school to finish."
Wen's eyes watered. "B-But... Please, I've had a bad morning... I haven't had breakfast, I fell in a puddle... Can you please have mercy?"
"Hm... No, this won't do."
The teacher pause, something that was uncharacteristic of her.
"How about somewhere where I can get to her?"
After a moment, she speaks. "Very well, Miss Dango. Just this once. I'll expect room 3-B to be cleaned, then."
3-B? That was only next door. It was the second room on the third floor, and this was the third room on the third floor, 3-C.
Thanking her oddly merciful teacher, Wen turned into the classroom, and sat at the only empty seat...
[X] Next to Shin Ash.
[X] Next to Zhi Zafira
[X] Next to the window, in the second-back row.