Not Today | ??

"Ain't always broken, but here's to hopin'
Show no emotion, against your coding
Just act as hard as you can
You don't need a friend..."

✧✧✧

Evelyn would describe her relationship with school as somewhere between love and hate. Evil, for sure, but a necessary evil she'd grown accustomed to enduring, if not enjoying.

There were, however, moments where even she felt a sort of giddiness at a specific assignment or project in school, as if she'd been transported back to the days when education was fun, instead of formal.

Today was one of those moments.

Perhaps it was the teacher's way of apologizing after assigning an obscene amount of reading and then a surprise quiz the day before. Either way, she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

The teacher handed out a few index cards to every student, as well as other objects to some of them. The project was to take the information given on the index card about a specific crime and use the clues to find out which in the lineup was your criminal. Of course, there was little being learned in their criminology class today, but it was much better than reading more out of the textbook. And she loved reading.

Evelyn felt a little awkward jumping right in, as the classroom was submerged in a friendly sort of chaos, but she read her index cards and found the 'culprit' almost immediately.

"Hello," Evelyn said, stepping towards him. "I believe you're my criminal."

The student raised his eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because it says the victim was asphyxiated with something akin to rope, too large to be wire, and it was taken with the criminal. It also says the crime occurred in December," she said, gesturing towards the Christmas present in his hand, a red ribbon tied around it. "I believe the murder weapon is the ribbon."

He turned his own index card over, smiling, before holding his hand up for her to high five. She complied, giving an awkward smile.

"That was way too easy for you," he said. "Do you listen to murder documentaries to unwind or something?"

Evelyn laughed. "That was way too easy for you to guess. I think I just have way too much free time."

The boy laughed, his teeth bright against his dark skin. "My girlfriend does the same shit. I swear, she even listens to podcasts while she's doing her makeup."

"What are you gossiping about this time, Jerome?" a very familiar voice said, causing Evelyn to look up, meeting Tristan's eyes.

"Mainly about the time in sixth grade when you pissed yourself at my sleepover," Jerome said and Evelyn couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips at the embarrassed, betrayed expression on his face.

Tristan narrowed his eyes at her. "You think that's funny, huh?"

"I mean, it's not, not funny?" she said and Jerome laughed at that.

"Majority rules, dipshit. That was hilarious," he said.

"I'm going to murder you."

"She'll protect me," Jerome said, stepping behind her, as if her small frame could protect him.

"Yes," Evelyn agreed, playing along. "I will use my muscles to demolish you."

"You don't have any muscles," Tristan said, raising an eyebrow.

"I resent that," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Just because they're small doesn't mean they don't exist."

"Like your dick," Jerome said from behind her and Evelyn couldn't help the way her eyes flitted downwards before she looked away, trying to conceal her laugh.