“𝓘ᯅ’𓍼 ๑ꕤꮺǂ ⌕𓂅ꮺ﹅ᯅ.”
“✡︎□︎◆︎ 🙵■︎□︎⬥︎ ♓︎⧫︎🕯︎⬧︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎❒︎ ♐︎♋︎◆︎●︎⧫︎📬︎”
“⌕ 𓍼⋈⋆ ⊹ഒ⊹ଘ’ᯅ ⋈𓂅⌗⋆ ๑ꕤꮺ, ⋆⌗⋆ǂ๑ꕤଘ⋆ ꉂꕤꮺ﹅⊹ ✦⋆ ⋈𓂅ꔛꔛ๑”
“の のひ刀ｲ 乇 ﾚ√乇.”
“🕈︎♒︎⍓︎ ♋︎❒︎♏︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ⬧︎⧫︎♓︎●︎●︎ ♋︎●︎♓︎❖︎♏︎”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZn50LAx6y
“**んﾘ の刀ｲ の ﾌひｲ り乇,**”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxujCnnd9u9
“**⋆⌗⋆ǂ๑ꕤଘ⋆ ꉂഒ﹅﹅ ✦⋆ ⋈𓂅ꔛꔛ๑ ᯅ⋈⋆ଘ.**”
“**ズﾉﾚ の尺丂乇ﾚ!**”
“ZHENNA!” Her mother shouted almost hysterically.
Zhenna’s eyes regained their focus and she saw the ground rolling past through the open door. In a panic she slammed the door shut and moved away, sliding closer to the middle of the backseat with Reuben.
“What the hell has gotten into you?” Her mother demanded, looking at her from between the seats as the car rolled to a stop.
“☠︎⚐︎📬︎ ⬧︎◆︎♓︎♍︎♓︎♎︎♏︎ ⬥︎♓︎●︎●︎ 🙰◆︎⬧︎⧫︎ ♍︎♋︎◆︎⬧︎♏︎ ❍︎□︎❒︎♏︎ ◻︎❒︎□︎♌︎●︎♏︎❍︎⬧︎📬︎”
“ℐꮺ𓍼ᯅ ﹅ഒ⌯⋆ 𝓢⋈𓂅⋈ǂ𐂯𓂅ǂ⊹’𓍼 𓍼ꮺഒ✧ഒ⊹⋆.”
“❖︎♏︎❒︎⍓︎□︎■︎♏︎ ⬥︎♓︎●︎●︎ ❒︎♓︎♎︎♓︎♍︎◆︎●︎♏︎ ♒︎♏︎❒︎ ●︎♓︎🙵♏︎ 💧︎♒︎♋︎♒︎❒︎⌘︎♋︎♎︎🕯︎⬧︎ ❍︎□︎⧫︎♒︎♏︎❒︎📬︎”
Her last thoughts and actions replayed vividly in her mind. “I was feeling stuffy and tried to put the window down.” Zhenna answered absentmindedly.
“Zhenna, you opened your door.” Her father stated, his gaze questioning.
“ꕤꮺ’ǂ⋆ 𓂅 ଘꕤ ✦ꕤ⊹๑!”
“I guess I wasn’t pay attention. It won’t happen again.” She promised.
“☠︎□︎ □︎■︎♏︎ ⬥︎♋︎■︎⧫︎⬧︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎📪︎ ⬥︎♒︎⍓︎ ♎︎□︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ⬧︎⧫︎♓︎●︎●︎ ⬥︎♋︎■︎⧫︎ ⧫︎□︎ ●︎♓︎❖︎♏︎📬︎”
Reuben looked at his sister concerned, she tussled his hair gently, trying not to mess up his curls. She smiled and winked at him then leaned affectionately against her brother.
“ꗃ⋆ᯅ ꕤ⌗⋆ǂ ๑ꕤꮺ ⋆⌗⋆ଘᯅꮺ𓂅﹅﹅๑.”
“Did I frighten you?” She asked softly when the car resumed moving.
Reuben looked up at his sister. “Are you okay.”
“んﾉ丂ﾚﾉｷ のﾚり乃乇乇ｲ尺ﾉｷの乇り.”
“Yeah.” She choked on the word.
Zhenna stuck her fingers up her brother’s nose. Reuben twisted and wormed his way out of his sister’s hold then turned to pout at her. Zhenna laughed aloud and hugged her brother.
10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepJIiN1Wbx
The morning classes drifted by in a dreamy haze. The bell signalling lunch didn’t shake Zhenna out of her stupor. As she sat at her desk doodling in the margin of her notebook A voice called at her from the doorway of the classroom.
“Zhenna.” It was Mrs. Puffe, the school councillor and one of the teachers responsible for the drama club.
“Coming.” Zhenna called as she stashed her books in her desk and pulled a CD from her bag.
Zhenna walked alongside Mrs. Puffe as they headed to the auditorium.
“I know you’ve been busy with your clubs, so I don’t hold it against you for missing rehearsals. But you need to be present for the show tonight.” Said Mrs. Puffe.
Zhenna stayed quiet for a moment. “I don’t think the Drama club is for me, Mrs. Puffe.” She said playing with the lip of the CD case.
“Why not? You always look like you’re having fun.” Mrs. Puffe looked at the girl beside her questioningly.
“My parents won’t let me stay out after dark.” Zhenna answered hesitantly.
Mrs. Puffe chuckled. “They can come to the show.”
“They’re—” Zhenna stopped to consider her words. “Busy... with work.”
“I see.”
The actors already in costume stood near the door and window of the changing room fanning profusely. A couple of them called out to Zhenna as she passed by. Girls bustled about on the stage with props, checking the backgrounds, lights and sound system. Below, volunteers were arranging the chairs in the seating area.
“The tracks are in order so you can just play them when needed.” Zhenna said as she handed over the disk to a girl sitting at the sound controls.
“Let’s hear them now.” Mrs. Puffe said.
The music sounded through the hall, the girls slowed their work to listen to the tracks. Slow suspenseful notes echoed through the hall followed by triumphant horns and finally melancholic a capella. Those in the changing room came to the stage and crowded around the sound controller. When the last track ended the girls whispered excitedly among themselves. Mrs. Puffe smiled and nodded at Zhenna.
“Alright, lets rehearse!” Mrs. Puffe called over the din.
Rehearsal with the tracks excited the girls even more as they scampered quickly off the stage. Zhenna stood with the controller and instructed her when to start each track.
“You have an ear for music Zhenna.” Mrs. Puffe complimented after the first rehearsal ended.
Zhenna nodded appreciatively at Mrs. Puffe. “Thank you, Miss.”
“The music was perfect.” The girl on sound controls declared. “How did you know when to start them?”
“I complied them with the specific scenes in mind.”
“Compiled? This isn’t royalty free music?” Mrs. Puff asked.
“No. Each track is spliced from two or three songs.”
“And you spliced them yourself?” Mrs. Puffe asked dubiously impressed.
“Yeah.”
“Well done, Zhenna.” Mrs. Puffe complimented again.
Rehearsal continued and Zhenna also instructed the director and backup when to start the tracks, adding that she had already factored in the crescendos, diminuendos and subitos, so no adjustments would be needed. An hour before school ended, the other students flooded into the hall with their mistresses. The principal too, took up her seat in the front row.
The first public performance of the club’s play was undoubtedly a success, as evidenced by the roaring screams and thunderous applauding that shook the air and windows of the hall. Back stage, the cast and crew were jumping around excitedly, throwing themselves at each other while joining in the screaming. A gentle warmth spread in the centre of Zhenna’s chest and a smile tugged at her lips. The principal came to the stage and gave a few remarks before dismissing the students for the day.
As Zhenna packed her bag, a girl from the class next door came up to her. “Hey Zhenna, did you bring the practice questions?”
Zhenna looked up at her visitor. “Amanda, hey, yeah. It’s in my history book, hang on.”
Zhenna dug through her bag, but did not find the Hercules notebook. She emptied her desk until she found the book. She flipped through the book, but did not find the loose sheet with the questions and answers. Zhenna shook the book by it’s covers, but no papers fell out.
“Shit. I left it on my desk home, sorry.” Zhenna appologised.
“Okay.”
“No worries though, I remember the questions. I can write them over.” Zhenna said reaching for a pen and a loose sheet of paper in her desk.
“We kinda need them now.” Amanda said hesitantly.
“Coming.”
Zhenna and Amanda hurried to the Sage bowl study room. Inside, were five other girls and Ms. Degenerese.
“Zhenna, you have my questions?” Asked Ms. Degenerese.
Zhenna faked a wide grin, showing as much of her teeth as she could. “I forgot them on my desk at home.” She said through clenched teeth.
Ms. Degenerese squinted at her from over her glasses.
“They’re all in my head!” Said Zhenna defensively.
“You’re practically the only one who submitted general knowledge questions. So the more you can give us the better.”
“No problem.” Zhenna said raising a thumbs up.
Zhenna spent half an hour with the Sage bowl team, rattling off questions from the top of her head. The team’s lack of general knowledge surprised her. Of the forty questions she provided they only got ten correct.
“Oye, you guys are the smartest in our year...These are common knowledge. What are you reading?” Zhenna asked comically distressed.
“Textbooks, Zhenna.” a girl with glasses answered, rolling her eyes.
“Geez, just take a dictionary or encyclopedia and flip through the pages!” Zhenna begged. “Or even those world fact books. The library has a whole shelf dedicated to them.”
“Thank you for your help, Zhenna. We are going move on to the other categories now.” Ms. Degenerese stated.
“Yes, bye Zhenna.” The girl from earlier echoed with even more attitude than before.
Zhenna puffed her cheeks with air like a squirrel and turned to the girl with a disappointed stare. Her lips made sputtering sounds as air escaped while she tried to push more into her full cheeks. The rest of the room burst into laughter.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fFXCoy5SW
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