XCII | Ring

❦

The sound of someone's
slow claps.

'Nice speech...
'but why
'must you

'do this during class?'

It's Mrs. Lim's voice.

Julie's phone disappears
into the depths of her desk.

The paper falls
from Rizwan's face.

We all turn to look at her,

sitting nearby,
arms crossed.

'Y-You heard everything?' I ask.

She gives me a glare
beneath her glasses.

'Everything.

'Is this related
'to your project in any way?'

Rowan hides her expression
behind a curtain of black hair

but the tips of her ears
betray her.

'Yeah, it's related,' I say.

'We're brainstorming
'about why people want to die.'

Rizwan sits up suddenly.

'Mrs. Lim,
'have you ever wanted to die?'

The corners of her mouth
twitch.

She seems to be deciding between
answering and escaping.

I'm surprised
when she chooses
to reply,

'Of course I have.

'When I was reading the proposals
'you submitted,

'I wanted to die.'

The surprise goes away.

[Read the full story at novelconbini.com!]