Chapter 4: Breathing and Gas Exchange

Misty hadn't any idea how the last 3 days of school had gone by so quickly. But now it was Thursday and, as if the time was mocking her, she was already behind on homework. To her, the school corridors still seemed too hectic to be anything other than a figment of her imagination. But she had gotten used to it. Weaving in and out of students she survived the stampede to her locker- bridge dissecting the timetable she had pinned upon the metal door.

"Maths, Physics," Misty rolled her eyes. "Biology," her breathing rate increased but she quickly regained control. "Double English," the Cajun finished to herself. "Sounds like hell," she muttered as she closed her locker and stuffed her books in her bag. Ignoring the excitement she felt rising in her lungs in preparation for 3rd period, she made her way to maths, secretly hoping the former lessons would fly by in a puff of pointless equations and futile numbers.

Taking a deep breath, Misty opened the door to the Biology lab she already loved so dearly. The plants greeted her with a green warmth only possible in that room and she inhaled the aroma of fresh flowers and spring. She hummed contently as she made her way over to her bench.

Cordelia was already sat there, upright and pristine, eyes closed as she too was warmed by the sunlight laying over her. Today she was wearing high waisted black trousers and a high collared top, always looking smart, but beyond her years. Misty quickly glanced down at her own outfit as she took a seat- all read playsuit, complete with jewellery similar to that belonging to a witch, with heeled boots, wild blonde hair and smudged black eyeliner. She looked like a messy flower child whilst Cordelia looked like a Victorian porcelain doll- pale, stiff. Breakable.

But her pottery cracked as she saw Misty approach, a smile that was lighter than her complexion appeared on her lips and Misty mentally swooned. Cordelia's dark brown eyes met her gunmetal blue ones and Misty couldn't help but grin back.

"Hi Cordelia, what're ya' doin'?," she asked as she sat down.

"Oh, nothing. Cordelia said. "Just soaking in the sun. It's a lovely day, don't you think?"

Misty nodded in agreement. "Yes," Misty glanced over at Cordelia and she couldn't help but notice how the smiling, sunlight soaking girl in front of her contrasted so terribly with the girl she saw tranced out in the canteen a mere few days ago. Misty held her breath as she prepared to ask her.

"Cordelia?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?" Misty asked. Cordelia frowned.

"Yes why wouldn't I be?"

Misty played with her thumbs trapping and releasing red frayed material from her shorts. "Well, it's just tha' in ta' canteen ta' other day, ya' looked real' sad and I-"

"Oh no, Misty, I'm fine. You needn't worry about me!" Cordelia smiled sadly at the girl. Misty nodded before turning her attention to Ms. Snow who had just announced her presence gloriously to the room. Suddenly she felt a cold hand be placed gently around her own and gave her hand a small squeeze. Misty looked up to see Cordelia smiling at her.

"Thank you though, for asking. I really appreciate it Misty,"

The Cajun stared as her lungs clawed for a breath that the hand holding seemed to forbid. She blushed a little and smiled back, ignoring her lungs desperate plea for air.

"You're welcome,"

The end of the class was drawing to a close and Misty found herself wishing for time to stop, for it to be just her and Cordelia in lab coats and glasses forever- tending to the plants and testing for science. On more than one occasion had Misty found herself staring at Cordelia as she worked, her slender fingers ran though her straight blonde hair as she wrote and added chemicals to certain solutions. As Cordelia's pen was held gracefully between her fingers, her wrist moved with such a flow that Misty couldn't help but watch from the corner of her eye. Her wrist looked fragile and delicate, as if a single touch could snap it in half as easily as a twig. And it probably could.

The Cajun was so distracted by Cordelia's wrist and the power it would take to break it that she didn't fully hear Ms. snow address the class.

"-collect it in now," Misty heard Ms. Snow chirp, as students all around her scrambled for their bags, some with worried looks on their faces. Misty turned wide-eyed to Cordelia, who gracefully leaned down to reach into her bag.

"What? what is she doin'? Why is she collectin'?!" Misty's breaths increased as she panicked, lungs inflating and deflating quickly try to match both her adrenaline production and her speech.

Cordelia giggled. "Relax, Misty, it's just the homework," the blonde picked hers out of her bag- still nice and neat, unharmed and colour coordinated. Not that Misty had expected anything less than perfection from a girl forged from the very definition of the word.

"Homework? What homework?!" Misty looked around frantically at the rest of the class.

Cordelia's brow furrowed slightly and her eyes filled with a small amount of concern. "You have... Done the homework. Haven't you, Misty?" She asked.

"No I ain't! I don't remember any bein' set!" The girls cried out.

"It was set on Tuesday," Cordelia offered a sympathetic smile. "If that helps re jog your memory,"

Ah. Now Misty remembered. Myrtle Snow had indeed set them homework, recapping some human reproduction work they had done in that very lesson.

Misty also recalled how Cordelia had worn her hair in a ponytail that day, and how it had highlighted her long neck and cutting collarbones, making her look more pretty and precious than she already did. That image had pushed all maters of homework from her brain, for obvious reasons.

"Ah shit," Misty muttered to herself before confirming to Cordelia- "I haven't done it,"

Cordelia sighed, not a disappointed or irritated one, but a sigh in which signalised an apology. "She's going to kill you," Cordelia whispered.

"Who's goin' ta'-"

"Misty Day," an older voice travelled in her direction in the way that strums would travel along the length of a guitar string. Misty looked up apprehensively at Ms. Snow, her eyes peering at her over her bizarre glasses' frame, orange hair still untamed and outfit still as wild as ever. Misty gulped involuntary. "Where is your homework?"

Closing her eyes briefly before opening them again she said. "I haven't done it, Ms. Snow," this got the classes attention- the new girl, disobeying the rules before her first week was even over.

"You haven't done it," Ms. Snow said, a hit of mocking could be detected if one listened hard enough. "Would you care to explain why this is?"

Misty shrugged, she could feel everyone's eyes on her; Ms. Snow's, Zoe's, the classes', Cordelia's. She wasn't stupid enough to admit that she simply didn't understand the topic, or that she was distracted by the pretty girl who sat next to her. "I guess I just didn't do it, miss," Misty admitted.

The Cajun had to hide a snigger when Ms. Snow's nostrils flared. "Well," the teacher said shortly, "perhaps you can explain to miss Goode why you are so superior to the rest of the class, which gives you a right to abandon your homework!"

Misty's air froze in her lungs at the mention of the headteacher. Cordelia seemed to also fear for her, which was evident when she chimed in like Misty's guardian angel, a whip of blonde hair looking quickly from Ms Snow, to Misty, and back to the teacher again.

"Ms. Snow, I'm sure Misty didn't mean to... Perhaps she simply didn't understand. I can tutor her?..."

Ms. Snow turned her attention to Cordelia, smiling slightly. Being the class favourite seemed to have its perks, as the woman sighed.

"Oh fine! But Misty Day, if your homework isn't on my desk by tomorrow you will be seeing Ms. Goode,"

Misty nodded enthusiastically at the teacher as she turned around and walked away.

"Thank you," Misty breathed out in a hush to Cordelia. "Ms Goode is scary. And I really ain't got a clue about ta' topic."

"Oh believe me, I understood your fear. She's terrifying!" Cordelia winced. Misty resisted an obvious frown, wondering how someone like Cordelia could possibly know the attitude of the headmistress. "But I meant what I said, both now and in the first lesson, I can tutor you if you'd like. You can come round to my house tonight and we can get this homework done. Is that alright with you?" Cordelia asked, a shy smile on her face.

Misty couldn't think of anything more perfect.