Annabelle hadn’t been able to talk to Simone in weeks. They had seen each other in passing, but Mother Immaculata was watching, and both women knew it. They couldn’t afford to be careless, but Annabelle couldn’t wait any longer. So, one day after class, she sidled up to one of her friends. “Hey Colins,” Annabelle smiled at the other girl. They no longer stayed in the same room, but they still spoke regularly. No one really knew why Annabelle had to change rooms, but most assumed that some kind of fight had taken place. Quite of a few people assumed that Cat and Annabelle had gotten in a fight, some claimed it was a lover’s quarrel, others claimed it was over Cat’s brother, others yet simply had no reasoning. Either way, Annabelle had been placed into the most guarded set of rooms. 

    “Hi Annabelle.” Colins grinned easily. She felt it was her duty to fill Annabelle in on anything she missed. “We had a pizza last week; it wasn’t the same without you.  Kristen’s passing chemistry now…Cat felt guilty and lent her the notes. Did you get moved because of your fight with Cat?”

    “I miss you guys too.” Annabelle chuckled; leave it to Colins to cover three conversations at once. “Can you do something for me, please?” Colins nodded. “I need you to give this to her.” Colins looked down at Annabelle’s prayer beads then back up at Annabelle’s face.

    “They aren’t for Cat are they?“ Annabelle shook her head. “Is that why you’re not in our room anymore? If it is, well, it’s okay, because I don’t care. I like you both.”

    “Thanks Colins. I just need you to give it to her when the other students aren’t around. Can you do that, please?”

    Colins took the prayer beads from Annabelle. “You know, now that you’re gone, I’m always outnumbered on what kind of pizza we should get.”

    Colins waited patiently for a day or two until the opportune moment arose. Well, as opportune as a moment gets anyway. She sat in class every single day, just the same as she had before, and she waited a few moments after class to see if it would be a good day. The first day she waited wasn’t a good day, other students had stayed to discuss poems and their meanings, in hopes of understanding their homework. The second day wasn’t a good day. Cat had gotten herself into trouble during class again, trying to pass off a poem from the textbook as her own. The third day was the opportune day.