Hey everyone! It's been a minute, but I'm back. I decided not to add any more to the lunch chapter because I'm probably going to continue the story into the next day, and I couldn't think of a good way to conclude the lunch chapter. Anyway, here's the Midna chapter! I hope you guys like it...it's definitely not the best, but I wanted to stray away from the seemingly popular stereotype of Midna being a thug lol. She's still kinda sassy though. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review! :)

~Aryll Jaynn

Chapter Eight: Midna

There was a new kid sitting at my table wearing a beanie. The poor guy looked a little confused; I almost felt bad for him.

Then again, we were just speeding through ten chapters of the textbook in one class period because our teacher was a procrastinating dweeb who never had time for anything because she was constantly busy complaining about her own life.

Ms. Din was the opposite of the goddess she was named after; frazzled, unsure, and very, very clumsy. But we all were fine with her. She was always trying her best, just like us.

"Okay, okay," she said, puffing a strand of her stringy red hair out of her eyes, "onto chapter sixteen. The goddess Hylia was known for..."

Her voice faded away as I absentmindedly started to doodle on my paper and play around with my newly-dyed orange hair. That's what history class is for, I suppose. I think my best artistic ability shows through during the long, boring lectures of the history of Hyrule. It's not that I don't pay attention—drawing just helps me focus better. That's what I tell myself, at least.

"Hey, I'm completely lost. Can you help me?" whispered a voice on my left.

I jumped, covering up my doodles swiftly. It was the new guy...Link? I think that's what his name was.

"Oh, yeah. What do you need?" I asked.

He sighed and smiled sheepishly. "I'm new. Today's my first day, and Ms. Din really only gave me the syllabus and these notes. I have no idea where we are, or what we're supposed to be doing right now."

I laughed. "That's Ms. Din for ya. But don't worry, she's just as confused as we are."

Link chuckled. "Well, at least she's relatable."

"Yep! Anyway, we're on chapter sixteen now and basically all you need to do is listen to her lecture, highlight the notes however you want and then use them to study for the weekly quiz that she never grades. In short, it's a free period."

He looked very surprised. It was kind of amusing. "That's...it?"

"Pretty much."

He breathed a sigh of relief and slumped into his chair. "Wow. If only my old history teacher was like this… She was crazy, man."

"Why?"

"Well, she basically treated us like college students and made us write essays on every test and quiz, and everyone ended up getting C's because it was just too difficult a class. She was fired eventually, but our grades still suffered."

It was my turn to be surprised. "Wow. I would have dropped the hell out of there."

As much as I hate to admit it, grades matter a lot to me. I like to see myself as an 'edgy teen' and wouldn't be caught dead hanging out at the library, but in my family, it's all about grades. My plan after high school is to get into my favorite art college and become a high-earning tattoo artist.

The only problem...my parents would never approve of a career choice like that. My only hope is to try and convince them with my grades and determination.

Link sighed dramatically. "I wish I had!"

We lapsed into silence as Ms. Din suddenly dropped her coffee mug, spilling its contents all over the floor.

"Oh sh—poop!" she yelled, growling savagely at the stain on the ground. "You know what, you guys? Just read the last few chapters for homework, and uh... I'll make this a work period, okay? Okay."

She started mumbling to herself as the shuffling of papers and chattering of students ensued.

I turned to Link, hoping to continue our conversation, but noticed that he had left his seat, and was currently grabbing paper towels from the back counter and rushing over to Ms. Din, who was trying to wipe up the coffee with a few tissues from her desk.

"Need some help?" he asked tentatively, lowering himself to the ground and picking up the coffee mug.

Ms. Din smiled tiredly at him. "Oh! Thank you, Link. You really don't have t-"

"It's alright, Ms. Din. I have four siblings. There are spills all the time at my house. It's kind of instinctual at this point." he replied cheerily, wiping up the coffee from the ground.

She chuckled. "I bet you never imagined cleaning up your teacher's coffee spill on your first day here."

"Nope, but I've definitely had weirder first days of school..."

Their conversation grew quiet as I started to think. I felt a little bad. Link was so considerate...The rest of us didn't even pay attention in class.

I have to admit, all those times I watched Ms. Din mess up, make a mistake, or just need help, I just sat there, wanting so hard to show that I didn't care. But the truth is…I do care! Maybe this whole 'edgy girl' persona I've created for myself isn't really who I want to be. Maybe it's just a byproduct of wanting to rebel against my parents wishes for me to become some office worker.

I sighed. Why was I suddenly psychoanalyzing myself?

Link came to sit down next to me after the coffee was successfully wiped away from the floor.

"Ms. Din seems really cool," he commented. "She just told me that the reason she's so bad at this whole teaching thing is because she wants to be a dancer, and her parents told her that it was just a dream and that she was better off doing a 'normal job.'"

I was taken aback. "Wow...I didn't know that."

Link nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, it's crazy. I feel bad for her, too. She told me she's always wanted to be a dancer."

Ms. Din has been in my shoes… I thought sadly. We actually have a lot in common.

"She's just like me, then." I said. "I really want to be a tattoo artist, but I'm almost 100% sure my parents wouldn't let that happen,"

Link looked thoughtful. "I'd say go for it. Better off being happy doing something you love than doing a job that makes other people happy, right?"

"But my parents..."

"They'll love you no matter what," Link smiled. "It might take some time for them to open up to the idea, but in the end, they're just trying to ensure your happiness."

Dang. This Link guy is super nice. And kinda cute. And he's right.

I smiled after a moment. "Yeah, you're right, Link. I guess I'll wait and see how things go."

"Good to hear! Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

I laughed. "I'm Midna. I hope you're having a good time here so far."

We shook hands. "Oh, it's definitely been something. It's weird, though. I feel like a lot of people have been staring at me," he said, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

Well, with eyes like that, what did you expect?

I rolled my eyes. "Have you seen yourself?"

He tilted his head, "Huh?"

"Link! You're totally jacked, bro!" I said, shoving him in the shoulder with my fist.

"What do you mean…?"

Is he really not getting this?

"I mean you're a hottie and everyone can see it, dummy!" I laughed. What a dork. I wasn't usually this forward with guys. It's not like I was particularly interested in Link, but I mean...it was worth trying.

He started laughing nervously. "Well, I really hope the attention dies down soon. It's flattering but creepy."

"You like it, and you know it."

He smirked in mock narcissism and then said jokingly, "You're right. Every night, I stay up, wondering: why am I so attractive?"

I rolled my eyes at his antics, but smiled internally. He was a good guy...funny, hot, really nice….maybe even boyfriend material.

I looked toward him as the bell rang, and he scattered to pick up his papers and pencils, haphazardly shoving them in his backpack.

I tilted my head, studying him. He was certainly different from guys I'd dated and had crushes on in the past. Those dudes were mostly from the skate park, wore a lot of black, and usually had some type of artificial coloring in their hair. This beanie-wearing ball of sunshine wasn't exactly my type...but he was something all right.

He gave me another grin and a two-fingered salute as he was about to head out and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Midna!"

"Later, Beanie." I said, picking up my own things and watching him leave.

I don't know about you yet, Link...but you're on my list, for sure.

As I was about to head out myself, I looked toward Ms. Din, who was making stacks of notes on her desk, her deep red eyes sad and tired.

I looked at the clock, then back at her. Setting down my things once again on a desk, I walked to her and asked, "Ms. Din, do you need help organizing those?"

She looked up at me and blinked, clearly surprised. "Oh, that would be great, actually! But don't you have to get to class?"

I shook my head, smiling. "I don't have a seventh period. I can help you out."

Looking genuinely grateful, she smiled. "Thank you, Midna. That really means a lot to me."

We got to work, and for the rest of the afternoon, I couldn't help but think about Link and his stupid ability to influence me within a class period of knowing him.

But who knows? It's probably a good influence.

That's all for now! I'll try my best to update sooner. Next chapter is going to be Link's last class of the day, Hylian Honors, and probably feature Paya because I absolutely love her and she's my child. Thanks for all the reviews/follows/faves from last time! Rereading the reviews was what motivated me to continue. Until next time, peace out :)