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Description
"Inlé!" a voice called from beside him in class. "I win."

A girl, the blonde with fluorescent streaks, sat down on Inlé's desk in front of him. He thought for a few long moments before recognizing her.

"Tanya."

"The same," she replied. "Like the hair? Dad won't let me dye it for real, since I have to look 'presentable' at the office. So I just use extensions. Cool, right?"

"If you say so."

"Well I do. Maybe we should put a couple in your hair. You know, add some change and surprise people. What do you think, Miki?" Tanya asked, looking to her friend.

The asian girl at the desk beside Inlé's own said, "I guess. I mean, would it really look good, though?"

"Yeah," said their vibrantly red-haired friend. "He'd look too scary. We could paint his face, though ..."

"If he let us," the shortest of the four said, chuckling. "That's not likely, though."

Tanya sighed. "Too true, girls. Too true. Well, we'll just have to find a way to get him to give in and let us do it, then!"

"Do what, pray?" Mr. Selina asked, coming up behind the group.

"Oh! sir, good morning," Tanya said cheerily. "Sorry, I didn't notice that the bell had rung."

"It hasn't yet, miss Maslow. You have just enough time to get to your seat, if I am not mistaken," he said, returning to the passage in his book as he passed by to the front of the class. And he was exactly right.

The crowd surrounding Inlé at lunch was growing larger. As these people all set themselves around him, the chance for sleep became less and less possible. Still, he attempted to at least rest his eyes as he listened to the group around him talk.

"... how'd you do on the test?"

"Well enough, I hope. I got number six wrong, though."

"You too? Jeez, did anyone get it?"

"Which one was it, again?"

"Here, I wrote the question down to look it up afterwards."

"Oh yeah! Yeah, I missed that one too. What do you think, Jock?"

"What's the subject?"

"English. We're reading American Gods."

"Don't ask me, then. I'm not a reader."

"Jeez, did anyone get the answer right?"

After a short silence, Inlé's shoulder was shaken. He opened his eyes. "Yes?"

Jim, hand on Inlé's shoulder, said, "You know the test we did in English?"

"Yes."

"Well, we were wondering what the answer was for number six."

Inlé closed his eyes again. "I don't read the books."

"Well, yeah," Jim said. "Mrs. Reed's always complaining about that, but you still get good grades--"

"Which is mostly why she grumbles," Tanya added.

"--Right. So what was the answer to number six?"

"Number six?" Inlé opened his eyes.

"Yeah, it's ..." Jim reached for the paper with the question.

"Cigarettes," Inlé answered before the paper could be recovered. "Laura asked for cigarettes."

"How can you remember something like that when you don't even recognize all your classmates?" Miki complained. "You didn't even do the reading."

"I remember what I must," Inlé said. "Is that all?"

"Well," said Tanya, "Since you're up already, wanna join in the conversation?"

"No," he answered, closing his eyes.

"Well why not?" she asked.

Inlé was quiet until the rest of the group realized he wasn't planning on answering. They went back to talking around him, and he continued to ignore them as best he could.

Description
"Inlé!" a voice called from beside him in class. "I win."

A girl, the blonde with fluorescent streaks, sat down on Inlé's desk in front of him. He thought for a few long moments before recognizing her.

"Tanya."

"The same," she replied. "Like the hair? Dad won't let me dye it for real, since I have to look 'presentable' at the office. So I just use extensions. Cool, right?"

"If you say so."

"Well I do. Maybe we should put a couple in your hair. You know, add some change and surprise people. What do you think, Miki?" Tanya asked, looking to her friend.

The asian girl at the desk beside Inlé's own said, "I guess. I mean, would it really look good, though?"

"Yeah," said their vibrantly red-haired friend. "He'd look too scary. We could paint his face, though ..."

"If he let us," the shortest of the four said, chuckling. "That's not likely, though."

Tanya sighed. "Too true, girls. Too true. Well, we'll just have to find a way to get him to give in and let us do it, then!"

"Do what, pray?" Mr. Selina asked, coming up behind the group.

"Oh! sir, good morning," Tanya said cheerily. "Sorry, I didn't notice that the bell had rung."

"It hasn't yet, miss Maslow. You have just enough time to get to your seat, if I am not mistaken," he said, returning to the passage in his book as he passed by to the front of the class. And he was exactly right.

The crowd surrounding Inlé at lunch was growing larger. As these people all set themselves around him, the chance for sleep became less and less possible. Still, he attempted to at least rest his eyes as he listened to the group around him talk.

"... how'd you do on the test?"

"Well enough, I hope. I got number six wrong, though."

"You too? Jeez, did anyone get it?"

"Which one was it, again?"

"Here, I wrote the question down to look it up afterwards."

"Oh yeah! Yeah, I missed that one too. What do you think, Jock?"

"What's the subject?"

"English. We're reading American Gods."

"Don't ask me, then. I'm not a reader."

"Jeez, did anyone get the answer right?"

After a short silence, Inlé's shoulder was shaken. He opened his eyes. "Yes?"

Jim, hand on Inlé's shoulder, said, "You know the test we did in English?"

"Yes."

"Well, we were wondering what the answer was for number six."

Inlé closed his eyes again. "I don't read the books."

"Well, yeah," Jim said. "Mrs. Reed's always complaining about that, but you still get good grades--"

"Which is mostly why she grumbles," Tanya added.

"--Right. So what was the answer to number six?"

"Number six?" Inlé opened his eyes.

"Yeah, it's ..." Jim reached for the paper with the question.

"Cigarettes," Inlé answered before the paper could be recovered. "Laura asked for cigarettes."

"How can you remember something like that when you don't even recognize all your classmates?" Miki complained. "You didn't even do the reading."

"I remember what I must," Inlé said. "Is that all?"

"Well," said Tanya, "Since you're up already, wanna join in the conversation?"

"No," he answered, closing his eyes.

"Well why not?" she asked.

Inlé was quiet until the rest of the group realized he wasn't planning on answering. They went back to talking around him, and he continued to ignore them as best he could.