Riley idly picked at the nail polish on her left thumb while she waited for class to start. The classroom was definitely over capacity, desks were piled into the smallish room in such a way to make some students have to climb over and wedge themselves into their seats. It was adorned with the expected trappings of a classroom: an old blackboard where one could just barely make out what was written on it yesterday if they squinted, a rusted pencil sharpener that stood over a tiny little trash bin surrounded by pencil shavings that didn’t quite make it, a projector that had long since lost the ability to show any color that wasn’t a sickly greenish yellow, and a newly replaced smoke detector that blinked with a little red light that was just bright enough to be annoying. Riley watched the analog clock, wondering what the point in using analog clocks was anymore when digital clocks were readily available and easier to read. The hour hand teetered on the next number as Riley idly turned her attention to glance over the desks, she couldn’t help but notice that two were empty.

Sammy and the new kid rushed through the door just before the first period bell rang. They stood, catching their breath under the doorway. 

“I’m sorry,” Sammy said between gasps. “Mister Snow, it won’t happen again.”

“See to it that it doesn’t, Miss Sullivan,” the older man said, the room temperature dropping by a few degrees.

Mr. Snow turned to the new kid with an icy glare.

“And you too, Mi—” the teacher cut the word off, not quite knowing how to refer to the androdgynous newcomer. “...Lane Destroia.”

“Yes, Mr. Snow.”

The dull roar of distracted student chatter grew in volume while Sammy and the new kid took their seats.

The pair sat next to each other, situated on the other end of the classroom from Riley, who was watching the commotion with mild interest. Sammy stood out as a rather cartoon-ish individual, while the new kid always dressed and acted like they didn’t want to stand out, despite their bright blue mop of hair.

Riley had been a classmate of Sammy’s for as long as she could remember, and for as long as she could remember, she saw Sammy as the kind of person that could get along with anyone. Sammy could make pleasant conversation with anyone she met, but the relationship never seemed to go any deeper. It was different with the new kid. The two seemed to have become inseparable before school even started. 

Riley had known Sammy since preschool, and yet she still wondered if Sammy considered her a friend at all. There was probably a reason for that, but Riley didn’t want to think too much about the past.

Riley levitated her customized pencil case plastered with cute stickers from her backpack onto her desk.

“Alright, if all the commotion is over,” started Mr. Snow. “I’ve been asked to make a few announcements.”

“Firstly, the deadline for creating a new club ends on Friday, so if you were hoping to form some silly little clique, you’d better get that paperwork in soon.”

“Secondly, the sign up sheet for class president candidacy is on the board next to classroom 0-451, if you’re looking to be token freshman representation via popularity contest and make decisions nobody will remember.”

Riley sighed. She didn’t know why anyone would want to be freshman class president; it seemed like a lot of responsibility for no real gain. 

* * *

The chatter in the hallway roared. Riley almost wanted to cover her ears as she made her way to the secluded bathroom on the second floor. It was a bit away from most of the classes, so she needed to hurry a bit if she wanted to use it, but it was worth it to be away from crowds. She climbed the stairs and turned a corner.

The door seemed different than she remembered. Little bits of discolored paint peeled away from it in strange patterns, and the bathroom sign hung a little tilted. School bathrooms always seemed to be in disrepair, so Riley didn’t pay it much mind.

She reached for the door, her fingers tingled with static and she neared the metal handle. She grasped it.

“Wait!” shouted a voice from the end of the hallway.

Riley wondered who they were talking to, and why they were so urgent.

She turned the handle.

The door flung outwards, smashing against the wall.

Riley gasped, falling backwards onto the floor.

There was no bathroom on the other side of the doorway, only the darkest, all-encompassing blackness of an unspeakable void. Riley’s face went pale. The air smelled acrid and burnt. She wanted to run but her eyes remained fixated on the endless dark beyond. She couldn’t see anything in the darkness but the inescapable feeling that something was moving, writhing inside permeated her every thought. The hallway felt like it was tilting ever so slowly around her. 

It protruded from the darkness:

fingertips,

slowly grasping

onto the doorframe.

Something

was

crawling

out.

Sammy slammed the door on it. Riley blinked. 

Sammy ripped a page out of a composition notebook and taped it to the door, writing something on it in purple permanent marker.

“OUT OF ORDER

don’t open thanks :)”

“Geez, that could’ve been bad,” the bunny-like girl said. 

Riley stared up at her.

“Are you ok, Riley?”

Sammy’s gloved hand was extended to her. Riley blushed. Gingerly, she took it and stood to her feet.

“Can you believe they didn’t put up a sign? Even after I complained! Then, they take down my damn papers, telling me it’s vandalism!”

Riley was still in shock.

“This kind of thing is exactly why I wanna be class president, maybe they’ll listen to me if I have a little authority.”

Sammy paused.

“Well, that and I have some great theme ideas for the freshman dance. I was thinking, like maybe steampunk, or like…”

Sammy covered her mouth.

“Oh, you’re not saying anything, I’m talking too much, aren’t I? Sorry—”

Riley looked away, gently grabbing Sammy’s sleeve.

“I’d… definitely vote for you.”

Sammy put her hands on Riley’s shoulders with an intense look on her face.

“Will you give the proxy campaign speech for me at the assembly?”

* * *

“I heard Sammy of all people is trying for class president,” Jess said, making conversation on the walk to the bus stop. 

Kids flowed like water through the doorway and under the aluminum walkway covers that lead to the various points of exit. 

“I think she could do well…”

“Maybe, Riley, maybe she could. It’s just, I’m not so sure she can win.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, you know…”

“I really don’t.”

Jess sighed, patting Riley on the shoulder.

“Of course you wouldn’t, Riley. Sammy’s sweet and all, but…”

Jess made circles in the air with her hand, trying to find the right words.

“She’s kind of too sweet? And she talks too much, she’s honestly annoying. She’s like a little kid,” she concluded.

“I wonder how that blue haired girl puts up with her,” Jess said. 

Riley spotted Sammy walking through the school entrance.

“Oh, see you, Jess!”

“See you!”

She sped over to where she saw Sammy. She smiled at her.

“Riley! Wanna walk home together?”

“Sure, but what about… Lane, was it?”

“Lane had to take care of something, so they left without me.”

* * *

Sammy carefully balanced herself walking along the raised edge of the sidewalk, occasionally grabbing a hold of the nearby fence if she wavered. The sounds of children laughing and playing in a nearby park were barely audible.

“Sorry I kinda sprung that on you.”

“What, the speech thing?”

“Yeah, I was just surprised you wanted to vote for me, so I just…”

“I’ll do the speech.”

Sammy laughed, hopping down from the edge to face the other girl.

“Thanks, that means a lot to me.”

Sammy crossed her arms behind her head.

“I was going to have Lane do it, but it turns out they’re terrified of public speaking. You’re amazing for being okay with this kind of thing.”

Riley looked away.

“I’m not all that amazing.”

“Well, we can agree to disagree.”

They both giggled.

The two turned a corner, and now were angled such that the sun shone directly into their eyes. Riley put her hand to her brow, Sammy looked at the sidewalk.

“I’m surprised we haven’t done this more often, we’ve lived nearby all our lives,” Sammy said.

“Yeah, I’m surprised too.”

“Let’s walk together again sometime!”

Riley, words caught in her throat, looked up at the girl in front of her, silhouetted by the shining sun. Sammy grinned.

“I mean, we’re friends, aren’t we?”