“Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap,” I said. Simultaneously, I tapped on the desk and hummed a melody. “Bleh~ Bleh~ Bleh~”

I licked a fang and stared at the stack of Envitations crowding my desk.

The classroom was sufficiently empty. I had a deadline to Envite all free people to a tap dancing competition. My clan brethren had been eager for entertainment. The solution? Envite many classmates into my castle to tap dance.

I placed a finger on my chin in thought, staring at the first Envitation. Whose name would I put on there?

“Can eldritch eyes even tap dance?”

I thought about the floating Voidiris and TheEldritchGod, but I couldn’t picture them with shoes. Would you simply place a big shoe under the eye? And for the other one, would you place shoes on every tentacle? That seemed to me like an unfair competition. Nonetheless, I put both of their names down on separate Envitations.

I thought about the bruh princess in the same row, but he/she/they would be busy that day.

“Anon, George, and Ellie are also busy then. Hmm…” I started to make a list of people who said they’d be busy. “Maybe they will all be together? Are they having some secret event without me?”

I dreaded to think of them having fun without En-chan! I shook my head, continuing on with the list of names. “At least, Corty and Sola will be free to tap dance…”

By the time I’d finished the Envitations, there was a sizable list of ten classmates who’d be away. I stamped the one’s I’d send out with my queen signature, finishing by the time the bell rang.

I hid them in the desk before the students filed in. I’d be dropping them in each of their lockers like a love letter. How dastardly it was.

I grinned, satisfied.
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Me, window, and no one around, the usual day.

Some might say it’s my favorite pastime, considering how this is pretty much the only thing I ever do during breaks. Gazing outside. Observing others was indeed something I would do often, I did it as often as I strolled aimlessly inside the long corridors.

Yeah… Speaking of corridors, considering they were made to accommodate all kinds of creatures, walking here and there was helpful for taking your mind off things.

“Huh?”

I didn’t want to pay any attention to this irritable existence, but considering I was looking at everyone instead of strolling, I had no other choice. Well, not like I could’ve been able to not acknowledge them.

Sighing heavily, I took my eyes off the window and looked at the person beside me. “Yes, I’m talking about you.”

“You can’t 'take me off' or whatever you want to do.”

“True, but I can at least try to not think as much.” Straightening up and waiting for my conversation partner to do the same, I held my hands behind my back and went for the obligated stroll.

“It's a fascinating object in fact. To think we can have such conversations, don’t you think it is unbelievable? In such a small space we are confined, yet it doesn’t provide any additional difficulties. In truth, it makes everything easier.”

“Yes.”

Step after step, avoiding everyone else, so as to not get our conversation disrupted, we went on at a leisurely pace. So did our conversation. The one setting the tempo was, as usual, me.

“I like being alone,” glancing to the side, I hastily corrected myself. “With you. I like being alone with you. I feel more at ease. I as well feel like I can share my deepest secrets. Though, admittedly, what you did during the lesson wasn’t cool.”

In return, I got an eye roll.

“Yeah-yeah, it was my fault. But you know why I did it. I got tired of it myself. If I were to prolong this debt any longer, do you think I would’ve done it? I have to act before the wick ends up burning away. So, anyway, you want me to continue the story, right?”

“Yes.”

“As usual, you don’t like to say much?”

“What else do you want me to say?”

Hearing the obvious irritation in the voice, I had no option other than to stop. Ok, we also had to let someone big pass by. Both of us glanced at the tail, the last part of this tremendous passerby, and then as if we heard a commander’s order, resumed our stroll at the same time.

“No, nothing. I got used to your way of conversing. Actually, to be fair, getting used to it and agreeing with it are two different things. I just think, why not talk a bit differently, might help you.”

“Don’t wanna.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Fine. Okay. Returning back to the main topic. You want me to continue the story, but we both know that I suck, right? So, I will need either your help or someone else's.”

“I’ll help, don’t worry.”

“Nice. But don’t get angry with me if it doesn’t work out. I remember your reaction to the first part, but I was simply not made for this. Trying to make a rap only to settle with a poem. I think the chorus was sick.”

“It was bad.”

An involuntary sigh escaped my lips. Sometimes, it was so hard to tolerate this. Alas, certain intervals exist in your life when you don’t have a choice.

I was prepared to change the topic, but surprisingly I ended up on the receiving end.

“What are you good at? Think about it, and use it to your advantage.”

“I’m good at nonsensical rambling! Can we use this to our advantage?” Judging based on the look I was given, the answer was a no. “Well, I don’t know what else. Then you have to wait for the moment when I have a lot of energy, and strike the iron while it’s hot.”

“Will do.”

“Hah..." My lips moved as I tried to stop myself from starting another banter, "Sick... Now what? With this out of the way, should I think of another theme? If we can rewind our conversation a little bit. Remember I was talking about changing the way you talk? Should we talk about this?”

“No.”

“Okay, fine, but you know what? We can rewind our conversation even further, how about we talk about these hallways?” I moved my head around way more expressively than I had to.

This time, no one could stop my train of thought. I didn’t wait for an answer and pressed forward. “These hallways, they are so long. Looks kind of endless, don’t you think so? How long are we walking and talking already, ten minutes, fifteen? And yet what can you see before us?” I waved my hand, pointing at the window at the end of this corridor that didn’t appear closer, no matter how much we walked. “It’s no wonder people are out of their mind and act like that. I think some of them really need to-”

“You?”

I did not expect to get interrupted in the middle. As we stopped in our tracks, I scratched my chin in rumination. What did they mean by “you?“

“Me? What about me? I am fine, you don’t see me acting like some kind of weird creature? Nor do I play around like a kid. I am me. Frankly saying, at times, I do feel kind of left out. But at the same time, it’s something I am used to. I find peace in these types of moments. Free like a wind.”

“Free, but you are tied to this school.”

That was an apt remark. We are all tied to this high school in one way or another. We will all come back here, it’s like magic. Not like it exists.

“I agree, it sounds ironic. Not sure why exactly all of it happens, but yeah… ironic. Well, you know what?” I motioned to continue our stroll. “I still prefer to be free. Not bound by anything. Just like it was in the childhood. Not really welcomed, not really hated, go wherever you want to, choose any clique.”

“That’s an outcast.”

“Nah. I have a couple friends as well. Speaking of friends, they also act kinda weird.” For the nth time, I stood still and peered forward. “Hey, tell me something. What do you think is going to happen once I reach the end of the hallway? Will I turn the same way as all of them? Will it affect my identity? Am I going to become something that is not me anymore?”

As my speech ended, I moved my gaze to look at my companion, the one who decided it was worth it to spend their time with me instead of others. Their impasse face though. It was hard to read them, so I had to wait.

“Aren’t you already?”

I drew in a breath. “Hey!”

“Move on.”

Move on… Move on, huh? Right, we have to continue our stroll.

I coughed and straightened out my uniform. “How long till the start of the next class?”

“A couple minutes, give or take a few hours.”

“That’s long… What are we going to do? Keep talking and walking?”

All I got was a nod in return.

Tough choice. But did I really have a choice, or was this an aforementioned interval of my life?

“Hmm… What were we talking about? Right, hallways! So, should we go down to another hallway?”

ScribbleHubWorks

Written by the most sane classmate, SailusGebel. The vampire had little part. (Heh)