Alya Nikai twirled her pen around between her fingers, not bothering to watch her hand as she listened to the eager discussion between the trio sat in front of her. They seemed to be having fun, even though she wasn’t entirely sure what they were talking about.

Where was the teacher? They should have been here almost ten minutes ago… were they alright?

She bit back a sigh, trying to avoid any signs of discomfort at the noise around her. Nobody in this godforsaken class knew how to shut their mouth, after all. Nobody except her, apparently.

Then the door opened with a ridiculous amount of force, revealing a youngish woman who her classmates appeared to recognise — someone behind her cheered. Literally.

“Today, class, I’ll be giving you a very different sort of assignment,” she said almost before the door had closed. “No, James, Mr Hearst isn’t ill, he’s in a meeting.”

Alya had worked out that James rather disliked Me Hearst already, but why that was was anybody’s guess. She dropped her pen onto the desk as the supply began explaining the work she wanted them to do.

“Look up our families?” James asked. “That’s it?”

“Mhm. And tell me what you find…” She didn’t finish her sentence.

Alya found herself unable to move.