"Peter!"
A voice echoed through the halls, above all the hubbub and chatter, created by the river of students flooding to their next class. It was the end of first period on a Monday, with everyone catching up with their friends on the weekend gossip. Nobody had the energy to be bouncing off the lockers like every other day, so the crowd was crawling forward with the speed of a snail.
To 14 year old Stephanie, the lights on the ceiling felt too bright, the white walls like they were compressing the students into a giant cube. Still the voice was so loud and recognizable that everyone stopped and turned.
"You're gonna wish you never disrespected me, you little brat!"
Everyone immediately pressed themselves against the wall, scrambling to not be in the way of the tall boy striding down the hall. His dark eyes shone with malice, fixed on an equally tall boy standing in the middle of the hallway. Stephanie, who had been slow to back up, was squashed in the front, with a full view of the fight unfolding. She tried to slip backward and bumped into someone.
"Sorry!" she whispered. No way was she going to walk around the front, into the arena. All she could do was watch as they lunged at each other, fists cocked back, bags left on the floor.
Crunch!
Peter's fist connected with the first boy's nose. Blood went spraying and he fell back, curled into a ball clutching at his face, crying, "By bose! Bou boke by bose bou bubid-"
His screeches were cut off by a loud yell. "Theodore! Peter!"
Suddenly there was an opening into the circle, with the principal marching in, two janitors marching behind her like guards. Everyone immediately began hurrying down the hall again realizing they were going to be late.
Stephanie, who had finally slipped through the crowd and made it to her classroom door, could hear the scolding shouts of the principal and the grumbles of the janitors scrubbing the blood spatters off the floor, from all the way down the hall.
As soon as Stephanie closed the door behind her, silence settled in. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment, before shuffling over to her desk and sitting down heavily.
"Welcome Steph! You're the first one today." said Mrs. Davis brightly, looking up from her laptop.
"Well, everyone's gonna be late when there's a fight on a Monday. Adds a bit more energy to the day." Stephanie murmured, rummaging in her bag.
"Oh no, a fight? What was it over?"
"No clue. They're boys. It's what they do."
Mrs. Davis looked like she wanted to smile but kept her face neutral. "Not…all of them."
Stephanie barked a laugh as she strode up to her teacher's desk carrying a packet of paper. "Mrs. Davis, I was wondering if I could have an extension on the project?"
Mrs. Davis took the packet and stared at it. "Stephanie…is something wrong?"
"What? No! Of course not!"
Mrs. Davis set down the packet and looked right into Stephanie's eyes. "Are you sure? You've been asking for a lot of extensions this year."
Stephanie sighed. "I know, but I don't think I'm going to finish by the due date. I've been really busy. "
"Ok Stephanie. You have till Friday. That should give you 2 more days to work on it. Is that alright?"
"Yes. Thank you so much Mrs. Davis."
Just then the bell rang. Mrs. Davis sighed. "Looks like I'm going to have to put in a lot of tardies."
The door burst open and students tumbled in, all trying to explain everything over each other.
Stephanie wove her way back to her seat, pulled out her book and prepared for a long period of reading.

<(---------------><--------------)>
Bring! Bring! Bring!
A sharp ringing brought the silence of the class to an end. Immediately everyone started chattering away, closing their books with a series of loud thumps.
Stephanie jumped. Her book fell from her hands and thumped to the floor. Embarrassed, she scrambled to pick it up.
"Well, that's the lunch bell! Have a good day!" said Mrs. Davis, raising her voice over the buzz. She strode over to the door and opened it to a flood of noise from outside. Stephanie shoved her book into her bag, trying not to crumple any loose papers, hurriedly stuffed her pencil in a side pocket and swung her bag onto her back, then bending down again to pick up her water bottle.
"Have a good day, Mrs. Davis." she mumbled as she hurried out the door. Once again, she was plunged into the tide of students surging towards the cafeteria. Stephanie stumbled along, bumping into other students, constantly repeating, "Sorry, sorry, sorry."
Finally the wave arrived at its destination and thinned out. Stephanie wove her way over to the little table on the outskirts of the large, expansive room. She plopped her bag down and flopped into the chair, closing her eyes. She dropped her head into her hands, her mind whirling with stress and worry. I'll tell Eve today. I have to. But what if she makes fun of me?! She wouldn't do that…would she? I don't know, I don't know! Steph sat like that for a minute, lost in her own thoughts, before she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped up, spinning around.
"Steph, relax, it's me!" giggled Evelyn, still with her hand on Stephanie's shoulder.
"Eeeve. I told you not to do that!" grumbled Stephanie, but she was giggling too. She gave her friend a quick hug, then sat back down and reached for her lunch bag.
Evelyn dropped her bag on the seat next to Stephanie and plopped her head down sideways. Stephaine did the same and they stared at each other for a bit, then burst out laughing. "Welp, I'd better go get lunch before the line gets too long." said Evelyn, getting up.
"Byeeeee!" called Stephanie.
"Byeeeeee!" Evelyn called back.
Steph sat by herself, rummaging through her brown paper lunch bag. She pulled out a thermos full of pasta and a container full of red sauce and meatballs. Steph glanced over at the lunch line. Eve was all the way at the end tapping her foot. Oh my gosh, Eve cannot sit still for even a second! Stephaine thought, waving to her. Eve glanced over and waved back, sticking out her tongue, like You just WISH you were here. I make everything better.
Steph giggled, then picked up her lunch and brought it over to the microwave, making faces back and forth with Eve the whole way.
I will tell her today. She thought, trying to convince herself. But then the nagging doubts wormed their way in, twisting her perspective. But how would that help? Steph tightened her grip on her containers. That would help because she's my friend and she can help me get through it! She was gratefully distracted as she approached the microwave to no line. It was not usually crowded, but when it did have a line Steph never went over. Once Eve asked her why, and Steph had said, "Well… people are scary. You never know what they'll do!' Eve had rolled her eyes and sighed. 'You have to talk to people Steph!' 'No!' Steph said.
But often, when there was no line, Steph would stay there while warming up her food either chatting with Eve or looking over her planner.
Steph grabbed the handle of the microwave and opened it, placed her food inside and closed it again. She set the time to 30 seconds, then pulled out her phone to text Eve.
Steph: Wow, that line's so long today!

Steph watched as Eve pulled her phone out of her pocket and grinned staring at her.

Eve: Omg yes! I swear if it doesn't move...
Steph: Well at least nobody's fighting…
Eve: I promise you, if I have to wait ONE MORE MINUTE. There might be one. Just sayin.
Steph: EVE NO.
Eve: Fineeeeeee

When Eve had finally made it back over to their lunch table, Stephaine had already dug into her newly warm pasta.
"Torture! I swear! It's torture!" Eve complained as she dropped her tray on the table and sat down heavily. "Steph? Hello? You ok?"
Now's the perfect time to do it! Say it!
"Eve, I need to talk to you." Steph blurted out.
"Sure, what do you need?" Eve said worriedly, placing her hand over Steph's.
Steph took a deep breath. "Well you know all the projects we've been assigned lately?"
"Yeah…"
"And with Mid-Year exams coming up we're getting all this review work…"
"Yeah…" Eve said, curiously.
"I…" Come on Steph just say it! "I feel like I'm drowning. I can't finish anything before the next unfinished assignment washes in. I keep asking for extensions but I'm afraid the teachers are going to start refusing them." Steph took a shaky breath, her eyes beginning to burn, her throat closing. "I'm so stressed a-and I'm nervous to stay after and a-ask for help because I don't want to b-bother my teachers and… Oh Eve, I don't know what to do!" Steph finished, and let her head fall into her open palms.
The tears she had been holding back, threatening to burst the whole time, spilled down her face, dripping onto the table in a slow irregular beat. Drip drip-drip drip drip.
After a moment, Steph felt warm arms envelop her. She leaned into them, still crying, yet not uttering a single sound.
It took her a while but she eventually looked up into Eve's sympathetic face and said, "Help me. Please. I can't-I can't deal with it alone anymore."
Evelyn looked back into her desperate eyes. "I'll do everything I can."