The Myth of the Fall

ALAYNA'S POV

1st September '22, 8:50 a.m.

"Mr. Fawn, as I recall a collective discussion between you three-" Her words are cut by the loud and resonant sound of the bell in the central clock tower, breaking havoc in the classroom. No one wants to stay a second longer in this chemistry hell hole.

"Run." Caleb signals. I grab mine and Josh's books and follow Caleb out of the room with Josh hot on our tails. Footsteps rushing one after another. We keep colliding with multiple students packing their shit up. "Watch it." Someone says as Caleb tackles them to the ground and swerves right to jump over a table.

This is maddening.

We're sprinting to reach the other end of the class with no regard for the other students while Ms. Tomilson is shouting something along the lines of detention. I wonder if we knock anything over in this classroom, how big of a dent it would put in my bank balance? To test my theory out I knock over an overpriced lamp. Oops. Sorry not sorry. At the threshold of our classroom, Josh screams, "It was nice seeing you too, professor" before sprinting towards our much needed escape.

We sprint as if it's a marathon, tackling anyone and everyone who comes our way. It's easy for Caleb and me to keep up with each other since we have done this before. What a rush. Paths that we only know. However, It is Josh's first year at campus on foot but we are well accustomed to the hallways of the academy. Well, us more than him.

Pandemic was hellish.

Our steps resounded on the marble floor while the sounds of distress from tackled students made the perfect soundtrack.

Left. Right. Straight. Left. Descending the stairs. Straight. Right. Password.

Password.

Caleb takes out a USB drive to decode the password of the 'classified' elevator while I look out for any professors or students waiting to snitch. "What-gasps-the-gasps-hell-gasps-is-gasps-going-gasps-on?" Caleb and I look at Josh's incoherent words questionably.

"I said what the hel-" He croaks, wheezing for air, "-l is going on?" Caleb snickers and goes back to work. "Surprise." I retort in a singsong voice.

The elevator opens with a ding sound and Caleb and I try to enter it at the same time, almost getting stuck in the process. Neither of us pressed the button for the desired floor out of spite. Josh lets out an exasperated sigh and stomps into the elevator. Dramatic much?

"Now, does anyone want to tell me anything?" Josh hardens his eyes at me. "Josh, what is the difference between ionic and covalent compounds?" Caleb asks, leaning back on the cracked mirror in the centre while flexing his right-wrist on the handlebar. I eye him to shut up, he responds by merely shrugging.

This is not good.

"You said, 'Ionic compounds are metals.'" Annoyance takes over his tone, "What the heck were you thinking?" The devil's advocate really has a bad timing to come out.

Those eyes look like an evergreen forest currently - so dark. The moment when a storm is at its peak. "What-" Josh's words come short at the collective dings of notifications on mine and Caleb's phones.

Caleb takes out his iPhone 12 to read the notification. I scoot over to see the text on his phone and Josh follows suit. 'Internationaler Debattierwettbewerb' was written in big bold letters as the heading.

International Debate Competition.

Caleb glances at me and we lock eyes in understanding. "Mind explaining what this is? If you're done with the freaky eye-thing." Josh enquiries agitatedly.