[Edited Dec 10 2012]

Jeez, how do I put this. I'm right in the middle of my secondary/middle/college/whadevayoucallem finals, but here I am writing. I should be studying like a shiat just like everyone else but here I am slacking off. My excuse is that I am losing some steam, but that seems like a weak argument for writing right into the night (It's 3.30am here, probably 4.00 when I finally post). Physics and Biology and then Math in less than two days. Sometimes I wonder what I am doing (or rather, not doing) with my life. And the thing is, this wasn't even part of the plan. I already have the next chapter halfway done, but then my com had to die, hard disk crashing and all, so I sent it to repair. Then my eyes got sore and my fingers itchy, so here is a short work inspired by mes examens. Love from the depths of worksheets and notes.

Chapter 8

March Twenty-second, 2517

Eridanus system. Elysium City, on Eridanus II. Levin street, Public Library, Basement 2.

Newton's second law states that the acceleration 'a' of the body is directly proportional to the net force 'F' working on it, is in the same direction of the net force, and is inversely proportionate to the mass 'm' of the body, i.e. F=ma.

Parisa blinked blankly at the line of text she had just read. What did I just read? She had to scroll back up to remind herself which topic she was on. Right, kinematics. She scrolled back down to read the same lines once again. They looked suspiciously familiar, as if... she had read them before, somewhere, in a dream...

You did, Parisa.A few seconds ago. She sighed inwardly and leaned her full weight onto her chair, dangling her head over the backing, blowing air out through her mouth. Looking up, she could see through the translucent fibreglass, in between two bundles of wiring, that someone was standing directly above her.

The shadows the two feet cast were too indistinct to make out whether the person was guy or girl. Who are you up there? And what is your purpose? Parisa thought that was worthy of a quote. She added, Are you man or woman? Have you come to study as well? That came out bad. Tsk. Unquoteworthy. The shadow turned heels and stepped away, and the dark footprints receded into the distance. Parisa straightened up and stretched towards the sky. Ceiling. What amI thinking?

Parisa groaned and flicked herself back into a haunch and breathed in deep. Her sight sharpened and her mind's fog lifted slightly. But the words in front of her were still a blur. Parisa stared blankly at each word that came across her sight, not comprehending what any one of them meant. Blink. What was I doing again? Oh, that's right, I was doing Physics. Parisa let out the breath in a long wheeze. She slumped on her chair closed her eyes.

Here I am, trapped underground in this library, by my own accord, and I cannot study. I should have started earlier than this. Her conscience replied with a smug "You don't say" before also disappearing like her comprehension skills. More like shut down, though. They betray me at crucial times, and come right back on when the danger's past. Parisa pinched the bridge of her nose. She was tired.

The test was tomorrow. Tomorrow! It was not as if Parisa forgot, it was a simple passes too fast.But in any case, I have to get all this down right here, right now. Home was the bane of study, she found. For one, brother would be disturbing. It was his duty in life, he had said. What an idiot. Covert worked well with him in that job of his. Take the 'C' away and he did it even better. I admit I hate his spiders. They were made so real that they would have been, if not for their unbreakable alloy build. Parisa shuddered. Who in the world makes these spider things? I would like to find them and give them a punch in the face for being such asses for making these spider toys.

Sheesh, I should be studying. But another reason why her home would be a disaster for study was her classmates. Their overhead conversations on the net would either depress her or engross her. Either way, better staying in the confines of the library, where the net was shut out of the door. This was the best place to be studying at, without distractions.

Yet what in the world am I doing now. Explaining things to myself that I already know about. What was the use of coming here anyway. In the end I don't even get to chat on the net. Well, pretending to study won't do me any good. That said, might as well rest a while. Then again...

Study? What for? It's only a test. Which I already can ace. With my eyes closed.

Newton's Laws? Don't make me laugh. Got them down pat.

Are you laughing at me?

Haha.

Maybe.

Parisa felt a tug on her shoulder. A sharp intake of cool air, and she was wide awake. She sat up with a jolt. How long? She saw the librarian, an elderly woman with greying hair who yet stood as straight as a stick, give her small smile.

"I thought that an hour should have been enough, dear," the librarian said. Parisa tried gathering her wits to mumble a 'thank-you', but her lips were still asleep. She nodded gratefully instead. The librarian smiled again before departing.

Parisa looked down at her school shirt. A small puddle of drool had collected. Instantly irked out, Parisa strode into the ladies to clean herself up.

She did so, and looked into the mirror before she exited. A few strands of stray hair had been pulled out of her clip, somehow. They did that whenever she wasn't looking, cheeky hairs. She rearranged them before drying her hands. She saw the time on her wrist-com. Seven already!

Parisa jumped. Wait, mom is off, and dad has left. Takuma couldn't care less. She calmed down a little. All she had to do now was hope her parents had not called to check on her. Since she was underground with no net connection, a call home would not have been automatically redirected to her wrist-com as she had reconfigured the computer at home to do the moment her mother and father were gone. But since there was no influx of messages telling her she had missed calls, she had nothing to worry about. Probably.

She was out of the library. Parisa hefted her bag, leading the left strap over her shoulder, and dusted down her skirt. No calls from her parents. She could fake her location if they called any time soon, now that she was out. Another useful thing from John. Parisa sighed in relief.

But this means that my Physics... Aww who gives a unicorn about the tests anyway. Not as if anyone remembers what you get. If even I can't remember what I got for my last test, who would? And it's just one test. The lessons have been understandable as well, so I should be able to scrape at least a B. Maybe with a plus too.

Parisa started her twenty minute walk back home in the darkening Eridanus sky. Most tests had already finished a few weeks back, only Physics was delayed. So her club had decided to continue with the three-year-old tradition of holding an annual trip out of Elysium just before spring came. Parisa pictured the scene, and laughed out loud. It would be fun. But who could I call out to go with me? Takuma? Nah. Maybe... One particularly interesting possibility started forming at the back of her head, and it brought a triumphant smile to her face.

She knew who to get.


Meh. A weak piece. But good enough a filler for a two-hour work. And to all gals out there, a poll. Is this how any of you study? As a guy, I wouldn't know firsthand, even if I were gay ~just sayin~. Next chapter will be the start of something new (mentioned by Parisa above!) Hope you liked this short one.