Thanks for the reviews, people :)! I'm sorry about the terribly slow update but school's started and things have gotten really busy all of a sudden. I'll update more when I can! -Hugs-

The beautiful plonking of the piano.

        'Alright...and what happened after the UN intervened...'

        Ephram's green eyes.

        'And the troops were sent...'

        Ephram's green, green eyes. AUUGGH...it was impossible to concentrate on the history of the World War when he was so close, playing such beautiful music. But I could try. Not that I hadn't been...for the past hour. I let my pen drop in exasperation, and as if in impertinence, it rolled all the way underneath the auditorium seats.

        I held back a grumble and grudgingly crawled my way across the dusty floor.

        "AHH....AHH-CHOOO!!!"

        Ephram's fingers stopped in mid-piece. His heart had almost flown out of his chest. What on Earth had that been? Hadn't he been alone in the auditorium?

        All of a sudden, without his music playing, silence hung over the room. The darkness of the auditorium that hadn't bothered him before suddenly seemed menacing, as if cloaking something he really didn't wish to see...

        "Oh stop it, you wimp," Ephram thought. Swallowing his suddenly dry throat, he decided to get up and investigate.

        Goddess. Nonono...what's he doing??? He's coming over!!! He's going to see me!!!

        Okay, everything's fine. You are cool. Calm. Cucumber.

        Mythingsmythings!!! I have to pack up and leave right NOW before he sees me! Stupid dust!!

        The floorboards of the stage creaked beneath his feet as Ephram slowly walked to its edge, peering to see. Ephram liked to think that he was a sensible person (especially when it came to ghostly stuff), but somehow the memories of the Urban Legends of the school that had been told to him about the auditorium nagged at the back of his mind at that moment.

        He was just about to jump off the stage when something stumbled out in front him from the edge of the shadows.

        It was a girl. A rather dishevelled-looking one, actually.

        Her arms were overflowing with books, a still-open bag hanging off the crook of one of her elbows, and her glasses hung askew on her nose. And was that a sandwich between her teeth?

        Ephram wasn't exactly sure what to say. He wanted to crack a joke about thinking she had been a ghost but the expression on her face showed mortification. He realised that he'd seen her before. Of course...English class! She was the Teacher's Pet. What was she doing here?

        Choke. What do I say? This is awful. Why's he just standing there?

        Say something! ANYTHING!

       "I-I was just looking sorfomething---for something!" What was THAT?

       First you don't succeed, try and try again.

       "IjustdroppedmypenheretheotherdaysoIwasjustcomingintogetitbackandI'msorryifIdisturbed youoranythingbutI'vefounditnowsoit'sokayI'lljustbeleavingnow". Or not.

       I've made a complete fool out of myself. I don't think he understood a single word I said. I can't even bring myself to look at him. To my utmost horror, I feel a lump growing in my throat. I turn on my heel to make a quick exit but lo and behold, my clammy fingers lose their grip on my books. They thud dully onto the floor, one by one.

       I barely got a word in edgewise. Well, none, actually. She spluttered something about a pen as she stood in front of me. I knew her name. Started with an 'H'.

       Heather? No.

       She spun around to leave but before I could stop her, books were tumbling all over from her arms onto the floor. I jumped off the stage to help her.

       Hana had finally thought of something remotely good about the situation she was in. The darkness. Because her face was burning. And welling tears were blurring her vision.

       It had to be just about the worst day of her life. She hadn't pictured talking to Ephram this way. This horrible, awful way. But nothing seemed to be going right these days. As her fingers scrambled frantically for her books, she became aware of another person bent down on the floor next to her, helping her along.

       Hana stared at Ephram in amazement as he slapped the last book on top of the small pile next to him.

       "There. That's the last one. I think," he said. He picked up the stack and looked at her. "This is a LOT of books," he said with a crooked half-smile.