Persuade: cause (someone) to believe something, especially after a sustained effort; convince.

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The wait wasn't torture, but it sure as hell had rallied up my sweaty palms. I glanced at everyone else who had already reached their outcomes, and now mine was approaching.

"I need to see you discussing the provenance of sources." Miss Hernandez murmured as she passed me back the mock exam, my eyes immediately swivelling to the crimson number.

Thirty-seven.

Out of fifty, it wasn't too bad, but it really wasn't my best either. Reading through my answers now, I could already decipher the glamorous flaws.

There were questions that could've made a meal out of my waffling.

Oh the glorious joys of essays.

"You sat that when you had a fever, so don't be too hard on yourself." Dina nudged me, and Sasha murmured an agreement.

I glanced over at their results, a respectable fourty-one, and damn fourty-seven, "Hallelujah."

"I passed!" Davis's shout erupted my disappointment, and the entire class looked upon him in amusement.

He held his paper up with a keen smile, "Look Miss, I got over twenty-five!"

"I'm aware Davis, I marked it after all." She raised an eyebrow, "I'm also aware that you could have quite easily achieved a higher mark, had you not lied about finishing the test."

The boy slunk back in his chair, sheepishly smiling as I clutched my pen with a sturdy grip.

So the doofus lied in order to take me to the nurse that day?

How shambolic.

I didn't have the strength to meet his eyes, but I knew the gears in everyone else's heads were probably churning.

"Well," Sasha softly murmured, so only I could hear, "Someone needs to break it to lover-boy soon."

I spared her a glare, straining my eyes before covering my head with a hand and leaning to my left side. I was ready for my mind to toil over another Davis point.

Overthinking was something a majority of people shared as a common flaw.

I really wanted to dismiss the thought that he'd taken all these sacrifices for my sake, and yet that desire only made the impact stronger.

That impact was a complete nudge in the right direction.

~

I gazed beyond the glass, absorbing the ashy clouds that fondly clung together; symbolising a heavy dosage of rain. The heat should've radiated warmth amidst June, and yet there wasn't a glimpse of light to be sighted. Under the sky lay the dusty road, backed against a stony wall that was a specific destination for albatrosses. Sparcely any people passed beyond the vision of the window, it was a dead end. Ironically, that was the reason why it sought the likes of a few stirred teenagers.

You would be a fool to not smell the smoke, and yet the school didn't persevere to help the students. It was as if the exact sight of escapism was a blank sheet, one that didn't demand help.

It angered me.

He needed help, and so did they.

"We have to leave before the downpour begins, Av." Ken nudged me away from the sight and I hesitantly obliged.

Thrusting my writing pad, pencil case and plastic wallet into my backpack, I tossed my head to-and-fro, "We really have no idea, hm?"

"None." Ken groaned, enviously looking at Rafael, who was engaging in an illuminating conversation with the teacher.

"Let's scoot before he asks us." I murmured lowly, taking a gentle step to my right.

Ken was already in tune with my thoughts, vanishing through the door as I glided to meet him. We silently merged into the crowd, breathing out a sigh of relieved angst.

"Can you believe we've got a clear board?" He shouted amongst everyone else.

"Maybe the blankness represents a fresh start." I raised my eyebrows in amusement, wincing as an elbow struck my side.

The joy of everyone coming back from their clubs.

I fought through, not daring to prevail striving until the empty air had embraced me outside the building. The cold wrapped itself around me, strapping itself to the peculiar inches of my fingers, nose, and feet.

"Hold your nose Av." Ken sighed as he pulled my arm towards the school gate, "This isn't the best exit in the building."

I frowned in discomfort, "Jesse is there Ken, can't we make him leave?"

"It's not that simple Ava, don't you think we've tried before?"

"Of course you have," My voice didn't eminate pity, but concern, "I haven't, though."

"So what are you going to do?" Ken trialed me, "Barge in there, throw the joint away, and make everything good again?"

I didn't reply, knowing that my need to try was in vain.

"You're only going to horribly hurt your own lungs." Ken sighed, grabbing my hand, "Jesse is ungrateful."

I nibbled on my lip and then nodded slowly, "Then let me speak to your mum, because I despise the idea of being useless whilst someone is being haunted."

"Deal," He nodded his head, "But we're running to your house for the nebuliser."

I gazed into his eyes, dotingly brown and framed with lengthened dark eyelashes.

"I hate you for remembering that, but I also love you for reminding me."

~

"Yes, yes I know." My smile was invisible through the phone, "I'll be there by six."

"Good," I could sense Dina nod, "Sadia will go crazy if you're late."

"A wizard is never late." I announced, looking back at Ken, who was avidly rolling his eyes.

"Good, now take off that hat and recruit another member of the hair team."

"Aye aye captain, I'll seen you soon."

"Ciao."

I placed my phone down and then nervously glanced at Ken, who also seemed uneasy at what was about to change, "Shall we go?"

He nodded his head and motioned for me to follow him from out of the living room, and into the kitchen.

There was a subtle smell from onions that had just been placed in a deep black pan. My eyes were quite sensitive, and in immediate reaction they gently stung. The ferocious sizzling sound simmered through my ears until I opened my mouth.

"Um, Mrs Liu?" I murmured cautiously as she spun around at the sight of us.

It was as if she had been breached into another universe, and we had solidly grabbed her out of the extent of deep thoughts. Her eyes faded from suspicion into a more reassured sadness.

"Call me Alice darling, what is it?"

I nibbled on the flesh closest to my teeth before attempting to smile, "I was wondering if you would be willing to do me a favour, please? "

"That depends," She laughed, but I heard no real sound, "As long as it isn't anything too spontaneous, I'm willing to oblige."

"Oh," We both jolted our heads towards the tall boy who was awkwardly standing beside me as company, "I'll look after those onions."

It was almost comedic how that was what he brought up in this specific moment, but that didn't prevent me from sending him a glare. Ken simply sauntered to the cooker, wooden spoon in his hand and foolish smile on his face; escaping.

"Sit down," Motioning to the breakfast bar, Alice took a seat and urged me to join her, "Now tell me what it is?"

I cleared my throat after perching on the seat as if it were a tightrope, "Well, I'm sure Ken's told you about our fundraising event that's happening tomorrow."

"Oh he has, he's been going on about being chosen to photograph everything." Her eyes held a fond gaze, staring back at her son who was ferociously glaring at some diced herbs.

"Well," I twiddled with my hands, not wanting to sound inconsiderate, "The girls and I are running a stall, we decided to hold a red motif for the entire day. We'll be selling accessories and there are going to be personalised red face decor."

"Sounds youthful." Alice's voice was laced with scepticism, probably wondering why on earth I was elaborating on such specific information.

I ignored Ken, who had began waving the spoon like a wand over the combination of food he had conjured.

"Well I decided to participate by doing braids in people's hair, and decorating them with red hair hoops."

"That's a lovely idea," She nodded her head before turning her head to Ken, "Idiot, add the oyster sauce."

Turning back to me and shaking her head, she apologetically sighed, "I don't know who will marry my son, he can't cook."

"See," Ken pouted, "Most Asians will say that to their daughters, but-"

There was a swift snap of silence as we processed what he had thoughtlessly said, and I felt sorry for that regretful wince on his face. I was too reluctant to see Mrs Liu's expression, and thought that staring at her would be too impolite. We all hung in anticipation for another to smudge this accident into the surroundings.

After a sharp, "Tsk," Alice waved a hand at Ken dismissively, "What were you saying about the hair styling? Would you like some resources?"

"Oh," I sat upright and agreed to the silent mutual agreement of brushing the incident aside, "Well we're not allowed to recruit any staff, and we-no I- doubted that one person could manage the job alone."

Stumbling like a fool, I predicted she'd probably concluded what I was about to ask.

"I appreciate you coming to me Ava," Here came the inevitable rejection, "But I really don't think I'd be suitable in that environment."

I wanted to severely jab Ken for his lips mouthing the 'I told you so.'

I didn't want to be lame, and yet the one thing my pea-sized brain could muster was, "Please?"

Ken snorted, and us two females turned to glare at him, before I cleared my throat with a necessary continuation, "I understand that a high school fundraiser isn't exactly the most comfortable scene, but it probably won't be how you assume. We'll be part of something that will overall be helping a much wider community, and you're the only person I know who has a talent with hair."

Alice bit her lip, chewing for an answer, "I know this would mean a lot to you Ava, but I really wouldn't like to be caught up-"

"In what?" Ken interrupted in irritation, "A happy crowd?"

"Ken Liu." She glared sternly at him and somehow I felt like I was drifting away from my point.

"Come on, Mum! It's not exactly Ava's favourite thing either, but she's still going out of her comfort zone."

"It will only be for a few hours," I insisted, "And some parents will also be participating in a food stall."

"There'll also be some wonderful teachers," Ken raised his eyebrows, "Like Mr Derby."

We both shuddered at the Physics teacher who snapped more than my jaws did during an eating session.

"I..." We could tell she didn't want to say no, but still needed a further push.

"Do it for Mei," Ken paused to check if he was safe, "She loved excessive things like this, and if she were here you would have loved to spend time around her."

Doubtfully, I skimmed across Alice's  conflicted face, the girl beside her right now was incomparable to her deceased daughter. She was merely a friend. But a friend in need.

"Oh alright," Alice breathed out a sigh, and I mirrored one in relief, "On the condition that this bèn dàn son remakes lunch, because he's just burnt it!"

Ken, who had been leaning on my chair, jumped in shock, dashing straight for the pan on the hob.

"Oops." He sheepishly smiled as Alice moved to open the larger window.

I chuckled, "Thankyou! I promise you won't regret it."

"I'll hold you to that dear." She smiled softly and I returned it in a grateful eagerness.

"One more question," I curiously looked at them both.

"Shoot." Ken smirked, looking for a distraction from his disaster.

"What's a... Bèn dàn," My pronounciation probably sounded like a fool, "And can I also use it to insult Ken?"

A/N: So with my research (which I hope is okay) it's literally 'Stupid egg', but used as 'stupid'.

I was meant to write a girls sleepover segment in this chapter, but I guess that last conversation took up a lot of space hehe.

So I also tried to incorporate some literary techniques into here, the clichè pathetic fallacy, juxtapositions and yada yada ya.

I'm reaaaaalllyyy anticipating the drama that should be happening in the next chapter, look forward to it xx

BTW, Laaav you all, your comments give me lifeee!

Comment, vote and follow if you enjoy x

Baiii