Tea Time
Sayori was sitting in both the last and worst class of the day, math. There were only 15 minutes left in class and she had resigned herself to doodling a tiny literature club looking up at the stars. Every 4 seconds Sayori looked at the time. Still 15 minutes, why can't the clock move any faster!? She snuck a peek at the teacher who has been leaning over a student in the front row. A glance over the shoulder confirmed that everyone else, besides two girls in the back giggling, was either on their phones or quietly trying to finish the assignment. She could probably sneak out if she wanted to, and she did want to. If she stayed in this classroom any longer she might scream. There was too much energy in her small body to keep pretending to work. Sayori rose slowly and walked as quickly and quietly as she could. She thought about the sneaking advice she'd received from Monika when she had been caught trying to ditch a couple of weeks ago, "Try to look like you're 100% confident like it's wild you were in the room in the first place. Straight back, head level, stare at where you want to go, and strut like you've been sent to kill the Prime Minister". Sayori could feel the ghost of Monika's hands straightening her back and lifting her chin. Sayori felt the urge to press her hands to her warming cheeks but put the extra energy into power walking away from the cursed math class.
"Where is she going?" one of the giggling students asked, but it was too late, Sayori was already a quarter way down the hall.
Only once Sayori had reached the hallowed walls of the literature clubroom did she allow herself to breathe out. Spending a moment to recuperate with her hands on her knees, and feeling the warm pride spark into excitement again. Sayori let loose a couple of celebratory whoops as she towards a desk to put down her bag, before giving up halfway through and resting it on the floor. After a final satisfying deep breath, she heard a small click.
The sound belonged to the electric kettle Yuri had just picked up to refill her thermos. Yuri's heartbeat harder when she realized Sayori was watching, but the relaxing sound of water pouring kept her heart at ease. She stared silently into her cup as it steeped before taking a long sip while preparing how to greet Sayori.
"Hello Sayori, would you like some tea?"
Sayori grinned, "Yessir I would love some tea! Any special recommendations today?"
Yuri took a contemplative sip, "None more than usual, I did bring more mint unless you'd like to try Jasmine tea again~"
Sayori shivered "Ehehe, I think I'll leave that one to you. I'm gonna bust out that mint."
"Suit yourself" Yuri shrugged and went back to bobbing her teabag.
Sayori liked mint, but if they had milk in the club room she probably wouldn't touch mint half as much. An idea struck Sayori like a discus to the head.
"Hey Yuri, do you know if there are any wall plug-ins in the closet?"
"I don't know, you should ask Natsuki when she gets here. She's always rummaging around in that closet; Why do you ask?".
"I found a mini-fridge at the thrift store last week and I thought maybe we could start keeping milk and stuff in the clubroom." Sayori ran to the closet and pulled her cute brown mug with 'I love you more than I love chocolate' scrawled on the front. Natsuki gave it to her when they went on a cute cafe hunt. Sayori smiled at the cup before pouring the hot water into it. Unfortunately, the kettle lid was not sealed shut, so when Sayori poured hot water into her cup, she also poured boiling water all over her uniform and the floor.
"AH!" Sayori yelped, rushing to take off her soaked uniform jacket, trying to cool her vest with her breath. The water was hot enough to cause discomfort but not hot enough to burn.
"A-are you okay?" Yuri carefully put her tea down "Do you need any help-"
"No, no I'm alright," Sayori spoke hurriedly "I'm gonna go get some paper towel."
As Sayori ran out she tripped backward on her backpack landing face up in the puddle of minty water. A slow ache building through her body but mostly staying on her backside.
A moment passed before Yuri asked, "Are you still okay?"
Sayori didn't say anything, laying helplessly on the floor, but she raised her thumb in the air for a moment before dropping her hand beside her face and rolling over to attempt taking a nap.
Frozen in place and contemplating what to do next, Yuri took 3 deep breaths before walking over to Sayori and attempting to lift her into a fireman carry. When that didn't work she grabbed Sayori's hands and pulled her to a desk.
The school bell rang, Monika and Natsuki would be here soon. Yuri felt determined to clean up the water before the girls got there. Yuri speed-walked out of the desks and on her way to the door slipped in the puddle. Her speed walk transferred into a penguin slide all the way to the door. Yuri tensed in preparation, she was going to hit the door.
Until it opened.
"Good afternoon every-" Monika and Natsuki were bowled over by a gliding Yuri, who then spun out and hit the other hallway wall.