Handle with Care RE (ch 2)
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Memory transcript subject: Aioni Greenwil, “diseased” Nevok Date: [standardized human time] October 17th,2136
BEEP BEEP BEEP
I slammed my paw on the alarm clock, sending it back to silence. I didn’t want to get up, every single paw was the same cycle over and over. The blankets and sheets felt so nice and comfortable. All I wanted to do was relax and sleep in.
“Aioni! Get up!” Mom yelled. I pulled a pillow and put it on my head to try and block out the noise, my ears were too long though. No escaping school it seemed.
“I'M UP!” I slinked out of bed and went over to my desk. Grabbing my bag I made sure everything was inside. Looks good. I put on my glasses, the lenses big and round, it’s designed perfectly made. To wear a family heirloom was a feeling I couldn’t describe.
I quickly opened my door and headed down the stairs. I could smell the flowery scent that mom used, it was nice.
“Hello, sweetie I’ve made your breakfast” On the table was a plate full of greens and fruit. Looking to the left there sat my little bro Dovrin. He was gorging himself on the fruits like an Arxur. Following suit I began to eat my breakfast, mom was the best at prepping food.
Every fruit was perfectly juicy and ripe, with the slight sweetness of each crunch. Savoring every taste was like heaven, it’s almost as good as the fruits back on Ittel. I wonder what my cousins are doing back on our snowy homeworld. I need to focus on school right now, there’s gonna be a science test that I need to get a good grade on.
“Aioni” I snapped out of my mind and turned to Mom, she was wearing a light blue apron. “Make sure you try and talk with some people alright? I’m worried about you”
“Yeah, Mom I’ll try my best” I sighed, almost every paw was the same thing. Try and make some friends, don’t be away from the herd! It wasn’t like I didn’t try, most of the other students just didn’t like me, and that’s not even considering the teachers. Every time I tried to join a herd it seemed like I was always ignored or talked about behind my back. It felt pointless to keep trying, then again if I didn’t try I knew what could happen. Those facilities scared me, never been in one but I don’t want to.
Finishing my meal I got up and headed to the door, my mom wished me a good paw. Dad was probably at work, styling and trimming the fur or wool of any rich person who entered. Now that I think about it he did do a job for Jeela the Magister of Law in Sweetwater. She was… very odd.
I trotted on the concrete sidewalk. The jingling of my bag with every step was almost like a rhythm, like a beating drum. Slowing down I looked at the entrance of the school.
This was going to be a long day.
{skip 2 hours human time}
I looked down at the question in deep thought. Biology was the worst, it never made any sense. A decent amount of the questions were normal but now and then there would be one like this.
‘How do predators hunt’ Looking at the answers made me feel concerned. Each one of them was a graphic description of how a predator would kill another, with words of gore and blood. I just circled all of the above.
Question after question I answered the best I could, each question about predators made little sense, how does this have anything to do with Biology? All I could hear was the taping of screens, and the other students putting in their answers. It was almost deafening to my ears and I began to twitch a little out of instinct.
I quickly looked around me, everyone was focused on the test. I was surrounded by empty desks, purposely put alone by the teacher due to “reasons” I knew what they thought, what they were thinking of me.
Soon enough it was over, people still finishing their tests and others taking a break, going to their friends and herds. I stood up nervously and went over to the teacher's desk. People taking glances and snickering when I passed. Silently I placed the test on the desk and hurried back over. I shook in my seat, twitching nervously, my hooves tapping against the floor in a pattern.
It felt like forever waiting for the results. The chatter of others and the tapping of pads were like a bug buzzing right next to my ear.
“Here are the results” I looked up at the teacher next to me. I guess I had zoned out in worry, I hurriedly grabbed my paper and took a look.
“Thank you” the score in the paper…. GREAT! 90% was surprisingly good, usually I got a 60%. That’s one of my problems gone for a bit.
Now just to deal with the rest….
{skip 2 human hours}
I sat down at the lunch table, and nobody else was there. All the other students were sitting at different tables. I’ve previously tried to sit with others but every attempt was met with hostility or fear, it was best that I was alone it seemed.
Luckily I had brought my lunch, meaning I wouldn’t have to go through that line and deal with the pressure of such a thing.
I took a bite of my Twasli, it was crunchy yet quickly turned like goo in my mouth. It was Devine, to say the least. Every bite was like entering heaven.
This was my favorite part of school by far. Despite everything.
“I heard Aioni…” I heard some people talking about me over at a different table, one of those groups of girls that everyone knows. I dropped my ears down.
“Yeah doesn’t she use those..?” They kept talking about ME! One of my hooves was rapidly hitting the ground, and a part of the floor cracked. Great this is just what I needed. Once again berated and talked behind my back!
I shouldn’t just sit here but the courage to speak up would come, it was weak and wouldn’t move from its place, too stubborn to grow and rise. I nervously scratched my fluff, pulling the knots from the fur.
Time itself seemed to dim and waver, shaking like a spacecraft landing and crashing down to the surface. The fire of the electronics burning everything around it.
Every moment that passed was like an eternity, drawing out into the darkness of time itself, slowly pulling at my sanity more and more. The more the others gossiped and lied the more worried I became, suddenly without a thought I spun my head around to look at them.
“What are you tal-....” I stopped mid-sentence as I noticed they had turned away. Or maybe I was just hearing things? I couldn’t tell at all…. Let's just eat.
{skip 4 human hours}
This had been….. not the best I would say, but then again it’s a bit better than the worst attendance. I stood outside in front of the school, I watched as everyone walked away to get home.
Sometimes I wish my family stayed on Ittel, the weather and gravity were much nicer and they didn’t use that weird time system they do on Venlil Prime. It all just felt so wrong and incorrect, it was like it never made any sense.
My ears perked up and I turned to see the car. It slowed down to a smooth stop and then its window rolled down.
“Hey, sis!” Nuwha sat there in the driver's seat. I got in and sat down next to my older brother, his car smelled like the pine trees I always loved. “How was school? Did you meet any friends?”
I slouched down, my hooves hitting the floor of the car with a thud. Nuwha chuckled a bit and then sighed, with the silence in the car the only noise was the radio playing whatever top hits were trending.
“Hey don’t beat yourself up alright? I’m sure you’ll bounce back and find somebody!” I wish I could but every time I attempt to talk to someone they seem uninterested or flat out disgusted. “And I just got you… this box set of miniatures!”
My ears wagged as Nuwha handed me the box, the contents inside rattling and moving around. I’ve been wanting something to build for a while and now I got something!
The thoughts about school and the other students faded away as I excitedly handled the box, I couldn’t wait to get home and rip this one open.