*Riiing!!!*
The sound of papers shuffling with books and notebooks being closed immediately follows the sound of the announcement of the end of the day of classes. That is already chaotic enough, but that is not the end. Ear-grating sounds of chairs scraping the floor and tables being pushed without regard for auditive wellness or even the integrity of the pierces of furniture.
I frown slightly, glance at the happy redhead beside me, and put my things in my backpack with a smile. Emmie is looking like a prisoner who regained her freedom. Fortunately, she is not among the proponents for chaotic, brain cells-killing music.
She exhales with relief, and after zipping her bag, stands up and turns to invite me to go by extending her hand toward me.
"Let's go."
I take her hand with a smile, and stand up too to leave, ignoring the stares among the plethora that hold some surprise at the confirmation of the suspicion from earlier in the morning. Leaving the frozen classroom, Emmie pulls me to the side of the corridor to avoid the bigger part of the wave rolling toward total freedom, and to be able to talk amidst the racket.
"Max, don't you think that the secret war the history class talked about today is interesting?"
Walking hand in hand, I look at her bright smile, and know that more than history, she really took it as a story, something of a legend, like a myth. I smile and shake my head.
"Yeah, it is indeed very interesting. I think we can even call it the war of secrets."
At least, that's what I spontaneously called it when I was thinking about it earlier.
"Why? You think they had wars of spies that long ago?"
Facing Emmie's surprise, I smile profoundly.
"Who knows? Don't you think secrets were involved to make it a secret? It is called the secret war, after all."
Emmie blinks, then nods.
"You are right. Actually, the teacher only said that it happened over a span of a thousand years, not when it happened. Do you think it was the excitement?"
I can't help but pause for a moment. I didn't notice. And considering how excited and tense things had been, maybe Emmie is right. I let out a small laugh, which Emmie follows with a bright laugh of her own. After a while, she changes the subject:
"Max, let's talk about what you were saying this morning. I wanted to ask you during the recess, but…"
I glance at Emmie with amusement and take over to complete her words for her:
"But you had to do the homeworks you didn't care about during the holidays to salvage what was still salvageable."
Emmie purses her lips, and turns away. She at least has the decency to blush, unlike some who would feel proud being bad students, and feel ashamed. She clenches her hand over mine. I look down, then decide to spare her. It is already gratifying enough that she is self-aware.
Turning away, I pull her out of her embarrassed haze to step under the sun of the late winter while bringing the subject back on track:
"Alright, speak. You have been dying to repeat your question from this morning, so go on."
Emmie indeed immediately put the embarrassment behind her like the carefree redhead she is, and she smiles brightly while recalling the conversation from this morning:
"So, Max, which club do you want to join? Or do you want to join more than one?"
I throw the redhead a sidelong glance:
"Oh, please, do you think I have that much time? Do you want me to die from exhaustion?"
"Hehehe…"
After the small snicker, Emmie glances at me with amusement.
'There is the part-time job at the mall, there is Def-Art, and there is the project she doesn't want to talk about apart from saying she is preparing for the future. Now there will be a club. Max really should let go of one to get some free time for herself to relax. If not, she might become bald.'
I look at Emmie, and directly reply to her thoughts:
"I won't let go of any of the things I'm doing now. I need the part-time job for the money, the training from Def-Art to be able to take care of myself, and the project I don't want to talk about to prepare for higher studies and beyond. As for the club, it is because I want to find something to integrate a group at school, something not part of any plan. So, I will just have to reorganize myself."
"Ohhh, I see."
Emmie makes a face of realization dawning in her, then suddenly becomes excited. She walks a step before me and turns to look at me with her eyes shining bright with anticipation.
"But you have yet to say the club you want to join. Is it the swimming club? If you join the same club as me, we will be able to spend even more time together."
"Yea~ no."
Under my amused gaze, Emmie deflates after getting her hopes high, and I laugh, before I give the answer that has taken hours to finally leave my mouth:
"Actually, I'm considering joining a club for team sports. I have some ideas, but I'm not in a hurry. I can decide while I heal from my wound and my tattoo stops being a bother."
A depressed sigh later, Emmie regains her energy with her excitement going back to another topic from this morning:
"Oh, right! You tattoo! You have to show me that! Let's go to my place! Or should we go to your place? But Elizabeth will be there, right? Helene is not home and she will only come back in the evening. Let's go!"
Stopping by the road, I look at Emmie's excited appearance and think about Liz alone at home for a moment. I ask something else:
"Don't you have a club activity or training today?"
It is Emmie's turn to feel amused and she laughs:
"Silly, today is the first day of the term. Many will have a chaotic start like me who did not do my homeworks, so all activities will only start tomorrow."
I smile bitterly. It is not everyday Emmie has the chance to laugh at me, and she is seizing this one a little too happily. But she is right, and moreover, the heads of different clubs must be taking this first day to plan and organize themselves for the term.
I shake my head slightly. With no reason to refuse the invitation, I finally nod with a smile:
"Then, let's go. But I won't be staying till late. I will have to go back early to take care of Liz."
"~kay! Let's go!"
I can only shake my head with a smile and let myself get pulled. Fortunately, I'm not limping anymore.