(Author's Note: Hello, I'd like to apologise now for my very long chapters. Hope you still enjoy reading my work. Characters are not mine. Also, I don't really like Cheria and that will probably come across in my writing so if you are a pro-Cheria fan I don't think you should read my work. Sorry, she just irritates me.)
Asbel sighed and stared solemnly from his seat by the window, eyeing the dull clouds that swirled above the school courtyard. Despite it being late June the sun had yet to show itself past the grey mass that had continuously formed in the sky. A heavy rainfall had just ended, which was considered by all to be out-of-season. One thing Asbel was happy for however, despite the moist air, was the fresh scent it brought with it.
From his perch he could see the line of tall mountains just visible over the adjoining buildings; the clouds were much denser there. Though outside the world seemed dull, the warm light cast by the electronic lights overheard instilled Asbel with a warming sensation. Still content to stare outwards towards the mountains, he was a little surprised to see small droplets of rain tap against the window pane. It seemed that the onslaught of bad weather had one last assault planned for the small town of Lhant, not that Asbel cared; he picture himself, clad tightly in his large coat meandering aimlessly through the puddles.
He was certain that Sophie, a very close friend of his, would join him in making the most of the wet weather, however it wasn't long before his tutor reappeared from beyond the line of empty corridors, holding a tower of test papers he had planned to give them, forcing him to resurface from his sub-consciousness.
At that moments, as his paper was handed to him, a heavy sense of dread took hold of his mind; equation after equation, all consisting of strange numerical characters. He cursed himself at not having revised half enough as he should have, yet he was confident he could score an average result by the end of the hour.
A familiar voice echoed in his thoughts, urging him to pay closer attention to his studies. The voice could have belonged to a number of concerned teachers, his overbearing mother even, but instead it belonged to a school friend, someone he had known since he was young. He wondered how Cheria was doing; in the class just left of him she too was awaiting to participate in a small test. Asbel knew she would do well, nevertheless he hoped for them both to succeed.
Slowly but surely he was able to make his way through the assortment of worded equations, quickly noting down his workings whilst maintain a legible script. More often than not he had lost out on several marks due to his rough penmanship. Unfortunately it seemed that his tutors did not take into consent that an hour for an hour-and-a-half paper was not enough time, thus he had no choice but to rush at the expense of the written quality of his work. Soon he stumbled across a particular equation that had him stumped.
Asbel eyes the question carefully, underling any key aspects or numbers that would ultimately help him in finding the solution. He couldn't help but study the students sat closest to him through the corner of his eye. Part of him hoped that they too would be having some difficulty in providing an answer but to his dismay many were carefully making their way through one by one, taking their time and otherwise composed, unlike himself.
He lifted his head so that he could watch the ticking hand on the clock make its circular journey. Already he had wasted over ten minutes with the first set of questions and soon the worry that he would not finish in time appeared to be the most likely case of scenarios. After the designated hour had passed the students were called to hand in their test papers. Thankfully Asbel had managed to solve a majority of the questions asked of him, only leaving three especially difficult calculations with an estimated guess. Like the others, he made his way towards his tutor who was sitting patiently at his desk, eyeing some of the papers that had already been turned in with a blank expression. Once Asbel handed in his and his tutor had given his sheet a quick glance he felt the leaden weight that had succumbed him fade away, all that was left was the anxiety that occurred once an exam had concluded.
With all his belongings in his bag, he made for the exit. Forming an orderly cue behind the students who had gone before him, it seemed the hallways ahead had been blocked by a mass of bodies. This was of no surprise to Asbel as the walkways were usually quite cramped and lethargic after every session. Along the way Asbel then came across Cheria who had taken to waiting by the edge of the descending staircase, as she always did whenever they had the same subsequent class.
She stood with her hands placed neatly on her lap with her satchel hanging loosely over her shoulder. Once Asbel came into view amidst the ocean of faces she sent him a slight smile and waved so that he too may notice her. Coming to her side, he quickly greeted her with a charming grin. He hadn't noticed but a small blush crept against her cheeks, turning them a light red. Adjusting her skirt nervously, she quickly turned to avoid his serene gaze and began to make her way down the marble stairs that end to the schools ground floor.
"You did poorly on that test." She breathed heavily, knowing that Asbel had spent very little time memorising the set texts and workbooks that had been given to them. At first Asbel began to protest but deep down he knew that he could have performed much better. His sudden blank expression and silence revealed more than she needed to hear.
"What will your mother say when she sees your scores?" She had no intention of darkening his already sullen mood, however, she did constantly worry about the effect his slipping grades would have on his mother.
"She doesn't need to see them," Asbel muttered hastily, "and you're not going to tell her, are you Cheria." Cheria however only scoffed disapprovingly at Asbel's rather meek attempts to defend himself thereafter. She shook her head and released another weighed sigh, pulling a curl that had fallen by her cheek once he had concluded his barrage of excuses. As there was nothing else she could do she offered to help him study in order to prevent him from becoming distracted but nevertheless he politely declined her offer as they stepped into the vacant classroom just opposite the schools main door. Unconvinced that he would learn from his mistakes she made to continue the argument. Asbel on the other hand crossed the classroom to take his seat towards the back of the class where he had an optimum view of the board and the entire class.
Looking towards the front he saw the white musk of chalk still clung to the blackboard where it had not been thoroughly cleaned, probably from the previous class. Hearing the low hum of laughter he turned to see a small group of boys sat about one of the desks. Two held small remnants of the chalk sticks in their hands whilst another sat with his hands buried deeply in his lap, his face turning a dark shade of red and possibly purple; it seemed as if his breath had caught in his throat. Asbel heard the two chuckle and tease whilst the red faced student snapped and became furious, shaking his head from side to side. Soon afterwards a weak smile crossed the latter's expression as his friends apologised. He wore an expression of acceptance and new found confidence, as if he had reconciled with himself over a long dormant emotion. Asbel could only wonder what it was he was feeling.
The lesson later proceeded with Asbel once again drifting idly in his ocean of thoughts and dreams. He rested his chin within the palm of his hand and let his eyes chase the flickers of colour that danced before him after having stared at the bright lights above. From where she sat, Cheria recognised his listless expression and attempted to gain his attention without her lecturer noticing.
"Cheria." Her name traversed across the room, causing her to jolt in her chair. She had been caught. Feeling somewhat annoyed, part of her blaming Asbel, she quietly stood and quickly apologised. It appeared that her tutor would not give in so easily and made for her to recite a section of the script they were currently studying. Thankfully it was on old classic, one she knew very well. Yet as she endured her punishment Asbel continued to be lost in his own imagination. For some time now he had been questioning his lack of concentration; he had been getting plenty of rest, eating perfectly healthy meals, exercising regularly. In short Asbel couldn't quite understand why he had suddenly become so apathetic.
Did the mourning period usually last this long? He questioned himself until he was stuck for any other possible excuse. It was true his father had died some time before and instead of being filled with any form of remorse he was left stricken of any kind of feeling other than regret. Yet part of him felt that what he was feeling or at least, the cause for his sudden mental deficit, was the result of an amalgamation of complex emotions that he could not comprehend by himself. His father would have been able to help him make sense of it all, even if he was poor at expression his own emotions.
Like any other lesson, it passed by in a matter of moments; time had a different quality for Asbel than all the other students. Where they felt time crawl by at a painfully slow rate for him everything seemed to come to its conclusion in a matter of seconds, almost as if he could close his eyes after looking towards a clock and once he had opened them again it would be time to leave. He began to lethargically gather his things, placing his pens into a small clear case which he stored in the front pocket of his rucksack. Cheria, who had cleared her table of any belongings seconds earlier, came to stand by his side, her expression peevish.
"You were spacing out again, Asbel." She grumbled.
"I'm sorry, Cheria, I guess I'm just a little tired." She bought into his lie and her expression softened into a look of concern as opposed to foul annoyance. Biting her lip slightly she then suggested that, before he go to sleep, that he take a warm bath each day.
"It helps to make me feel drowsy when I can't sleep. You should try."
Asbel was aware that Cheria had a fondness for bathing; therefore he would often buy her scented lotions and neatly wrapped bath gifts which she accepted with much delight. Over time he had become aware that strawberry was her favourite fragrance.
As the two passed through the slide door into the corridor they were greeted once again by large hoards of students, many younger and older than themselves who ardently procrastinated against making their way to their following sessions. However, one particular crowd caught Cheria's attention; predominantly girls they bustled around a lone figure, a young male student who had been isolated from his social group. Asbel followed her gaze until they met with a subtle gold stare. He stood at the heart of the enclave with poise, his face firmly pressed with a gently smile that didn't quite seem to reach his eyes. For a while his rich honey gaze had locked with Asbel's, staring hard into Asbel's vacant expression.
"Richard."