Homeroom period wasn't rowdy, the early hours of the day helping contain their energy. In the far back corner to the left sat the teacher, rummaging through a folder. Fluorescent lights marked the ceiling in their grid, causing a bright flare to reflect off of the glossy desk surfaces. When the teacher pulled herself from her desk, making for the front, clouds had now become a sickly gravel-gray. Shifting and lurching above the city, a peaceful afternoon fled from sight. A pen struck the girl's desk twice, and she turned to look.

             A bit shorter than the rest, ViVi's poised expression made a stronger impact than most. Her chin rested on the ends of her palms, fingers weaving in and out of her strawberry hair. Save for one tied strand of hair hanging down the side like a ponytail, her hair was wavy and fell a couple fingers past her shoulders. Although the ideal position for a cyborg antenna, she carried it with a certain pride.

             "Morning, Lip," she punctuated.

             "Hey, how's it going?" Kim Lip took out her planner, shooting a glance back at her.

             "Not enough people came to my mom's company party, so suddenly we have an entire box of fish cakes - you know, the ones like hush puppies? My bag will end up smelling like them by the end of the week."

             "That sounds pretty good," she replied. At this point, everything the teacher pointed out had been documented in her notes since last week. "I can't remember the last time I've had those."

             "I'd get sick if I had them all for myself," ViVi said, "so you better have at least a few at some point. Also, we had a new student take our bus today."

             "Are they smaller than you?"

             "She's a head taller than you, with blonde hair." She remarked, glancing at the incoming rain beginning to sprinkle onto the windows. "She's really pretty, though. I didn't stare or anything, but you can't help but notice when she's the only one walking down the center aisle," her voice a bit too smooth at this point.

             Lip took a moment, rubbing her pen. "I guess I'd have to see her to know for myself. If she doesn't like fish, you're in trouble," she signaled with her nose towards the fish ball she had since popped into . Before she could retort back, the bell rang.

             The clock officially started, the hundreds of students filing in and out of the classrooms. Boys and girls alike charted their route through the hallway, vigilant of the bell schedule. Computers, clicking pens, zippers, and the deafening soup of shoes, chatter, and music: school was an industrial workhouse. Some students populated the lockers in casual conversation while others bee-lined down the hall one door after another. Half the teachers left their classroom at one point or another, beckoning kids away from whatever trouble they could cause. Today, the patter of rain and belting winds crashed down, though more lulling than a hundred overlapping conversations every day. When Lip found her way into her class, the noise muffled again. A staggered wave of notebooks crashed down, slapping onto the desks, and class was called into existence.

~ ~ ~

             Lunch dragged itself around the corner slower than usual, more and more distractions piling up throughout the classes. While the lessons slowed to a labored pace, the rain had since escalated to a downpour, coating the slabs of concrete outside with streams of dirt water. In the distance, trees rippled with their entire being, leaves torn about in every direction. Groups of birds who found themselves caught in the midst of it all fought against it,  a wave pushed and pulled by gusts.

             The lunch ladies served soup hot today, a major component in maintaining the student body's vigor for the remaining duties of the day. Lip got her tray, grabbed a tangerine, then made her way out of the central eating area towards the round tables. Secluded under a second, lower roof, she cast herself again further into the shadows. Minutes later, ViVi approached with her tray, already taking a spoonful with delight. Her cheeks squeezed her eyes into slits as she gave a grin, a surge of gratification. "I've missed you, dubu chigae.."

             When a moment or two passed, conversation flowed as it always had, bringing up debates about ridiculous assignments, random trivia, or the weather. "Sure it takes away from soaking in the sun, but it's been long enough," Lip paused. "... Is gym still-"

             "Gym is still doing volleyball."

             "Agh! It's been what, three weeks?" Her fork clanged and bounced across her tray. "The one time I'm set up to keep it from falling out of the line, that other ball-"

             "Wham."

             "-shot right at my head! How embarrassing is that?"

             ViVi pondered, focused outward at the mass of tables in the center of the hall, then directed her chopsticks outwards. Lip took another bite before gazing in the same way; thunder shook the roof, relentlessness and foreboding. "Sure," Lip continued, "but there's plenty of other things we could be doing indoors. Three weeks!" ViVi took a breath, and aimed her chopsticks again, insistent on something. Taking another look, Lip turned again.

             Beside a few of her gym classmates, listening to their conversation, sat a girl Lip was sure she hadn't seen. She was at least half a head taller, her shoulders a hint more elevated next to those of everyone else. Her hair was indeed blonde as well, exposing the entirety of her facial features. Silver curls cascaded in elegant waves down her length, dissipating at least to the middle of her back. Two brown eyes held their gaze, drifting from prey to prey like an evening breeze. Most prominent was her nose, a sharp angle calling attention to the rest of her face.

             While the opportunity presented itself, Lip returned to her meal, an intimate awareness of movements beginning to emerge. An unnecessary strain in her shoulders beckoned, unattended to. Giving any dedicated attention to whatever features her lips possessed - the notion drove her spoon deeper into her portions. Whatever mechanisms seeming to maintain the flow of time crunched and locked into a climbing pace, the path towards collapsing in bed becoming insurmountable. A sound behind her sent a shock down her body, ViVi on her feet next to her, "Let's see what her name is."

             Lip forced a chuckle, "Come on, it's been half a day. You like her?"

             "What's wrong with making friends? Aren't you curious?"

             "She's not something we're here to examine! If we have any classes with her later on -"

             "I think you're overthinking this," ViVi objected, a thin gap and eyes far too confident for this scenario.

             The white noise of rain presented itself again, jealous of all the time not spent on its beauty. "Well, you're… underthinking this. If you can't contain yourself, get on out there! All I'm curious about is whether she'll have enough in her to make it through the year."

             ViVi placed her palms on the table for a moment, then took her seat again. Her bottom lip protruding with a certain vigor, "I'm just saying… everybody goes about their business like last year. Imagine if we met someone… fancy," she shot her hand up the way TWICE had in their most recent comeback track.

             "Alright, alright, finish your food…"