01: Enter Roderich and Elizabeta
Roderich Edelstein was always organised. Mostly organised. Okay, let's just say he managed to not be a hot mess most of the time. This was most definitely not of those times. At the crisp age of 17, the violet eyed teenager was late for class. Extremely late. Detention for the rest of your miserable highschool life late. Okay, that last one was a bit of an exaggeration. Why pray tell, is he so late, you ask? Well..
His horrible day started about two hours ago when fate decided to play a cruel joke. His alarm clock didn't go off. Just because it sounded cliché, didn't make it any less true. So, as fate would have it, he roused late for school. He practically flew from room to room in the house as he got ready for the day. Unfortunately for him, he forgot that said house had a large Persian rug in the living room, over which he unceremoniously tripped over in his haste.
The fall left him mostly uninjured, except for the blurry vision that infested his eyes for a few seconds.
By some miracle, he was somehow on time for the bus. His luck ran out when said bus drove right passed him, as though he didn't exist. And so began the long 20 minute run to school.
Which brings us to this moment, where he can't really find his first class. His horrible sense of direction kicked in. Well that, and his ADHD. So as he ran from hallway to hallway in search of his first class, which was French, he failed to notice the person he collided with.
Elizabeta Hèdeváry was angry. No, she was pissed. Why, you ask? Well...
The 16 year old's sour mood began about fifteen minutes ago while she was in Math. She wasn't paying much attention (as per usual) as she was passing notes to her boyfriend. Then, being the good student she thought herself to be, she got up to throw the scraps of paper in the litter bin.
That's when fate decided to play a cruel joke. Some random idiot decided that it would be hilarious to stick their foot out and trip her. Sure enough she fell flat on her face and the class burst into fits of laughter. All laughter ceased when she got up and faced said idiot. It wasn't so hilarious when she proceeded to unleash her fury on said idiot.
She was sent to the principal's office for inflicting physical harm on a fellow student.
Whatever, she thought, its not my fault that asshole decided to trip me. Ugh, boys...
In her blind rage she failed to notice that another person ran into her, effectively knocking them both down.
" Apologies, " he said as he got up and offered her a hand, " I wasn't looking. I have a really bad sense of direction. "
" Yeah, whatever, just watch where you're... " the words died in her throat as her emerald eyes met with his violet eyes.
Que cheesy romantic comedy moment.
Que cripplingly awkward silence.
Elizabeta got up and cleared her throat.
" ...where you're um...going..." she continued.
He just stared at her. He couldn't trust himself enough to talk...yet. Roderich got the feeling that he was forgetting something. He couldn't put his finger on it...
Oh right class, he thought as realisation hit, I'm still here!
" I'm dreadfully sorry for knocking you down. If you'll excuse me, I have class to get to. " he said.
Roderich was shocked to see that his French teacher wasn't even in class when he got there. The class was emersed in chaos.
" Hey, Roddy! Why are you so late? " said the one and only Alfred Jones ever so loudly, " and why do you look like someone took a douche on your day?"
" I've told you countless times not to call me that ridiculous nickname " came Roderich's reply.
" You didn't answer my question, Roddy. "
" My alarm didn't go off, and don't call me ''Roddy" you idiot. "
" Hey! I take offence to that! "
" What don't you take offence to, hamburgers? " came the ever sarcastic voice of Arthur Kirkland.
Roderich got a migraine thinking about the impending argument that was about to take place between his two friends.
" Burgers are awesome! "
" Said the American "
" Well, at least I don't cook that illegal toxic waste you call food! "
For a brief moment, Roderich wondered exactly why he was friends with these morons.
" I'll have you know that my cooking is delicious, thank you very much. " said the Brit. He really didn't like the fact that his cooking was being insulted.
" Yeah, deliciously lethal to humans. "
" Speak for yourself, with all those trans fats you consume, its an actual wonder why your body doesn't bare close resemblance to that of a pigs! "
" That's not what you said last night when I-"
" Enough! " boomed the voice of their French teacher as he walked into the chaotic classroom. " Jones! Kirkland! Saturday Detention with Mr Smith. " snickers echoed throughout the classroom. " Edelstein, why are you late? "
" My alarm- "
" Detention for you as well then "
With that, the class gained the usual teaching and learning atmosphere.
Tick...tock...tick...tock...
Elizabeta sighed as she heard the dreadfully slow sound of the clock as she waited for the principal to arrive. She tapped her foot impatiently as she thought of all the possible ways she could be punished. Her thoughts were short lived as she hear the generic looking male principal, whose name was deemed unimportant to learn by her.
He took a seat in front of her and Elizabeta could feel the irritation radiating off of him. She couldn't care less...
" Do you know why you are here, Ms Hèdeváry? "
Duh she thought, why do they always ask such stupid questions...
" I'm in trouble...?"
" You caused a scene and started a fight in the middle of class. "
" Wasn't much of a fight..." she mumbled
" What? "
" With all due respect, Sir, I don't see why I'm in trouble for defending myself and that ass- erm fellow student gets to walk scott free. "
" You the one who started the fight, Ms Hèdeváry. Self- defense or not, you overreacted. "
" I overreacted? " she yelled incredulously " He's the one who who thought it was fucking- "
" Language Ms- "
" - funny to trip me- "
" -Hèdeváry. Do not- "
" -do you really think I would just- "
" -raise your voice. "
" -lay there like some kind of- "
" Ms Hèdeváry "
" -retard or worse cry like a whiny little- "
" Ms Hèdeváry "
" -baby and bitch and moan about how unfair life is- "
" Ms Hèdeváry! " he yelled and Elizabeta ceased her dramatic monologue. " You will stop this behavior at once or I will be calling your parents. "
Elizabeta paled.
" Good, after that display of misconduct, I believe the best course of action is that I give you an ultimatum: either I cancel your summer trip to Europe or I change your schedule so that Mr Yao is in none of your classes and you get Saturday Detention for the rest of the semester. "
" You can't do that! "
" I can and I will. So which is it, Europe or schedule? The choice is yours. "
And just when she thought her day couldn't get any worse, it did.