xx48.11.21 / 14:54 / Still Monday

I thought I wrote about the last self-improvement class, but I just went back and checked and apparently I didn't. Maybe I just dreamt I did, that's kind of sad, dreaming about writing journal entries. Anyway, today's class was pretty much the same as the last one so it's not a big loss.

It started off with everyone gathering together in a big empty room in one of the school buildings I don't have any classes in. Actually, there are a lot of buildings here that don't seem to be used at all. (Potential investigation targets? Maybe later.) Anyway, the self-improvement room had a big table on one side with lots of food and drink on it, pizza and bread and fresh fruit (no pears unfortunately but oh well), it was actually pretty good. There was also a raised area like a stage, for roleplays and speeches, and a huge board against the wall for the speakers to write on.

There were a lot of students there. Over a hundred definitely, maybe more like two hundred. That was good, because it meant Veronica couldn't spend much attention on me—last time the room was even more packed, maybe three hundred people, and she didn't even notice me. This time she just came over once and said it was good that I came back again, I just smiled and said I couldn't stay away. Which is true, but not for the reason she thinks. C2 was there too, of course, she actually seems to quite enjoy it—she likes the teamwork puzzles, things like 'you have to transport some crates to these islands and distribute them evenly', actually I have to admit that they weren't boring, I actually liked it more than regular class. At least everyone was enthusiastic, people were even laughing. I didn't let that distract me, though. I kept a very strict eye on what Veronica and the other coordinators were doing, which (apart from coordinating) was mostly observing the students. Every so often Veronica or one of the others would pick out a student and take them aside. I don't know what they talked about, but it never took long and didn't seem to disturb or shock the students. Actually, it seemed to make them happy. I don't think it was just encouragement, though.

At the end of it Veronica made a speech about teamwork and working together and all that stuff. The students all reacted well to it. They even clapped when she was finished—not the insane cheering they gave Ray (more on him in a bit) but definitely enthusiastic and appreciative.

After that it was over, and C2 and I went to our afternoon classes. Mine was maths, and the class was almost empty. Just seven students, including me. Ray was one of them, and he came over to me straight away, as soon as I sat down.

"Hey," he said. "You're Fumbles, right?"

"Charlotte, actually," I said. He just laughed.

"Yeah, good one. You're new here too, yeah?"

Let me just stop and say that I was DEFINITELY under some kind of mood control or SOMETHING here, because my part of this conversation is DEFINITELY not 'me'.

"Hehe, yeah," I said. Yes, 'hehe'. I giggled. It might even have been a simper. Like I said, there must have been some mood control at work.

"How's it so far?" he asked.

"Oh, hehe, you know, it's tough but okay," I said.

"Where are you from, anyway?"

"Just out of town," I said. He kind of frowned.

"You mean ... like, nearby?"

It took me a moment to realise how he'd misunderstood.

"No, what I meant was ... um, just that I'm from out of town. Somewhere far away, probably."

"Yeah? What's your hometown called?

"It doesn't really have a name," I said. "Oh, maybe you could call it 'Seclusion'."

Stupid curse! I definitely didn't mean to say that, but I couldn't help it.

"Yeah? Cute name. Listen, most of the girls around here are totally boring but you're pretty cool. You wanna do something after class?"

I don't know why I said 'yes'. I didn't want to! In fact, I'd already arranged to meet up with C2, we were going to go grocery shopping together, I was looking forward to it! But when he asked me that I giggled again and said 'yes!' straight away. He grinned at me.

"Cool," he said. "See you ... here."

It wasn't even really a joke but I still laughed.

So now I'm sitting here in class writing this and he keeps looking at me and smiling and I have to meet C2 but I can't back out now, right? Ray wants to do something with me and I said yes, what can I do? It'd be rude to say 'no' now after I already said 'yes'. I wish C2 had a phone or something, then I could just send her a message, I'm going to have to just try to get away from Ray to tell her that something's come up.

Argh there's the bell okay he's coming over now gotta go!