Approaching the corner table and parking seat behind it, yet again Sami Yamura – a current Year 9 student at Hollow Bastion High – is the first to enter her classroom. Revealing her books from her bag, she scans the room where even the teacher isn't present, but just the entering rays of sunshine blustering through the open windows and smothering the desks in the centre with a golden sheen. Carefully tucking a few strands of rebellious hair behind her ear, she leans back against her chair, the same chair she's sat on for the past two years of school in that maths class. And still, no one has ever sat besides her.
Being shy by nature, her state as a delinquent was pretty much given, not that it bothered her too much. Having missed the first year of High School, due to her family only just moving to the area, the dark haired girl left a short goodbye of hugs and tears with those few dear friends she possessed. Now here, at this school, her timid personality got the best of her and so she was shunted into a current state of solidarity. Nevertheless, it was not much of a bother with her – earning herself courage and a strong will, in such a modest tone, she barely ever sulked with her choice of life; all was fair beneath those dark eyes of hers.
Laughing, grunting and shoving disturbed her thought track as the rest of her class piled into the now not so bright maths room. The cheery crowd piled through the one single door and somehow they found their way to their seats, bags thrown beneath desks - or at people in some cases. Paper airplanes were tossed from person to person, ideally either sides of the classroom to one another, and Sami could have sworn to see a shoe or two being pelted at another pupil.
Before she knew it, the pesky boys with their paper antics surrounded her corner table, leaning on it in an attempt to seem cool but failing miserably, as they would.
"Hey Sam – what's goin' on?!" Laughs the ginger, back placed against the wall as his acne cries out for more attention that his attitude. Sami glances up, part of her feeling sorry for the boy, the rest just giggling. But she pushes the giggler inside of her away and feels as though there's only one thing she can say to these boys.
"…It's Sami."
"Fine – Saaami, Sam...Sam…salmony Sam – hah!" Rolling her eyes at the sheer maturity of the boys around her, she continues to sort out her books but is not left alone by the pack of students around her, attempting to pry her spirits down yet another day.
"Please just go sit down," Sighs the young Year 9 girl, feeling the eyes begin to pressure down on her, but certain any amount of force will not crack her to pieces.
"What? You scaaared of us salmony? No one to back you up?"
"…"
Remaining silent she keeps focus on
the desk before her, until her hair is tugged back by another pupil
behind her.
"Hey! Look at us when we're talkin' to ya!
Manners salmony!"
Screwing up her face in slight pain she tackles to get her hair back, pulling it over her shoulder and twiddling it through her palms as her scalp throbs from the sudden jerk.
"Urgh!" The hair-tugger flicks her hand, before wiping it on the shoulder of the boy besides him, "so greasy! Haha, fish girl!"
"Yeah, her hairs greasy cause of all that fishy oil!"
"Hah, Sami the Salmon…"
Before long, the chorus of the oh, so original 'Sami the Salmon' is being chanted throughout the classroom, causing her to sit silently with herself and thinking so hard in an attempt to drown out the depressing cheers around her.
"YEAR 9!" The sudden yell from a much deeper voice impressively drowns out the chorus of the bullying insult. Glancing up, Sami sees her newly appointed math teacher – Professor Ienzo – stood in the doorway of his classroom, an arm slammed against the now open door and his expression reading that of pure frustration.
As the pupils blink and stare, they slither to their seats hastily and remain silent as Sami uncurls from huddling up on her seat. Prof. Ienzo narrows his eyes at and every pupil, letting the door clutch close gently before stepping over to his desk and sighing slightly to himself. Glancing up, he folds his arms and attempts to make sense of some immature teenagers.
"What were you all doing in the classroom? You've all been specifically noted that you do not enter a classroom without the teacher's permission."
"Wasn't it!" Yells one pupil, soon being joined by another.
"Yeah! It was Sami! She came in first!"
The teacher's eyes skipping over the heads of the students 'til he reaches the silky, dark haired girl sat in the corner, "…Sami?"
"Sorry Sir…" She begins, before sniggering erupts from the rest of the class.
"Salmony Sam getting into trouble now -"
"CLASS!" Once again calls the Professor, the students hushing into silence with the odd tremor of a snuffed giggle. "That is enough! I want no more noise, not a single word uttered from your lips from the rest of this lesson – am I clear?"
Having received a wave of silent nods, he begins his arithmetic lesson with a sigh – handing out books and revising equations and calculations for their end of year exams. Sami remains quiet in the corner; with the notion of thinking her teacher – her favourite teacher – is disappointed in her. Being not as familiar as everyone else with the school rules and missing the beginning and one of the most important years in the school may explain her actions, however she kept it to herself, not wanting to cause fuss for Professor Ienzo.
Before they know it, the hour of math lesson has ceased to be and the students are in a hurry to pile out from the doors, but a raise of the hand from the teacher silences them all drastically.
"Can Sami Yamura wait behind after class, the rest of you – off you go." He finishes, piling up his books and removing the chalk of equations from the black board.
Remaining in her seat, Sami stays quiet as her eyes flicker of the heads of pupils pelting out of the classroom and hearing the cries of freedom as they return to the grassy exterior of the school. Watching the final Year 9 exit, she glances at the teacher, who's sat behind his desk and writing a few more things down before signalling for her to come over. Shuffling out from behind the desk she sighs, believing it to be a detention slip he's busily filling in. Standing stationary beside the teacher's desk, her hair falls over her shoulders and her gaze remains fixed to the floor until she decides to speak up for herself.
"Sir, please – I haven't been to this school as long as the other pupils have, I don't know the rules as well, and yes I had entered the class alone but I didn't know I wasn't allowed. I'm sorry…"
"Sami."
"Yes?"
"Who are the students that bully you?"
"…Huh?" Blinking in confusion she watches as Prof. Ienzo glances up at her; the detention slip in front of him remained unnamed.
"The students. That are mean, pick on you…tease you, who are they?"
"N-no one Sir."
"Sami…"
"No Sir, there's no one…everyone's nice to me," She sighs, lies spilling from her lips as she doesn't want to admit defeat – or face the consequences of 'telling' on those students.
"Listen to me Sami," Standing up, he sighs and glances at her directly in the eye, silencing her, "You're an intelligent, talented girl…you shouldn't have to put up with this – "
"But - !"
"No buts, you need to tell me what's going on, it's unfair on you – and you deserve a lot better. I know it."
Stealing her vision away from the Professor's face, she sighs – a contrast of emotions swirling through her. Pain: that she's finally coming to terms with her people react to her, and comfort: that her favourite teacher is the first person to stand up, give her defence and at the most – notice her. Admitting a smile and an inevitable smile, she names the few students who constantly bully her into her fragile, shy appearance.
"Thank you Sami, now don't worry yourself – I'll sort this out, you've got nothing to worry about. I'm here, ok?"
Nodding, and soon becoming unable to wipe the smile from her face as Prof. Ienzo pats, her in a friendly manor, on her shoulder and grants her that ever dreamy smile of his. Sami replies with a smile and a rushed blush as she turns and heads for the door, thieving one more glance back at Ienzo as he nods in her direction. "Remember, you're not alone."
"…Thank you."