• ~<*>~


    The air was silent as the shriek floated in the dry air of the classroom. All students had their eyes on the horizon as the teacher flew across the room to shut the window with a tight, silent slam. Her pale, yellow eyes glared over her shoulder at her pupils as she locked the window. Everyone's eyes fell back down to their papers and preteneded to write. She straightened herself, walked back over to the board and began to write. In the silence a loud, muffled sound come from the back of the room. The girl closest to the sound, Katsumi, sat up quickly. Everyone else, but the teacher, looked back. She shot a glace at the girl next to her, Ziva, and nudged with her elbow. She didn't move, but instead, snored louder. Katsumi looked at the teacher, who was still writing something on the board.

    "Pssst!" Katsumi whispered. Ziva stayed asleep. She poked her side, and she jumped a little, but then continued snoring, causing the other students to laugh and giggle quietly.

    The teacher stopped scribbling on the chalkboard and turned to face the class. All faces turned back to the front, even Katsumi's. Except Ziva's. Although no-one turned their head completely, they could see through the corner of their eyes. Ziva's head buried in her arms, and the teacher's straight face. She walked between the rows, the heels of her shoes clacking with each step.
    All secretly watched as she stopped in front of Ziva's desk, arms folded.

    "Ziva," she said quietly. Ziva didn't wake up. "Ziva," she said a bit louder. Still, she did nothing. "Ziva." she said firmly.

    Ziva jolted awake, and pulled her head out of her arms, looking cluelessly around the room. Then she looked up and noticed the teacher glaring down at her with narrow eyes.

    "M-Madame!" she smiled sheepishly as she sunk into her seat.

    "Miss Nakamura, Would you care to join us?" Madame asked sarcastically, but with almost no emotion.

    She bit her lip and slowly nodded, staring down at the floor in embarrassment. Madame went back to the board and began talking about history.

    "I told you to wake up," Katsumi said under her breath as she took some notes, constantly glancing up at the chalkboard. "Why are you so tired, anyway?" she asked.

    Ziva spread herself over her desk again and groaned quietly. "I was practicing." she muttered.

    Katsumi's ears perked up, and she stopped writing to turn to Ziva. "You mean you still haven't taken the test yet?"

    "No. They won't let me, for some stupid reason or the other." she sighed.

    "You know that this is the last year you can try, don't you? If you fail again, you'll--"

    "I know, I know....I won't get my wings."