Chapter 1: The Art of Napping .
(On Saturday)
The autumn sunlight filtered lazily through the classroom windows. At the back of Room 3-B,
'Lira Frostwale' lay slumped over her notebook😴, her snow-white hair spilling across her arms like a silken veil.until a sharp jab to her elbow shattered the peace.
"*Psst!* Lira, wake up!" hissed Mira Sato, her raven-haired friend, poking her again with a mechanical pencil. But Lira only mumbled nonsense.
"Miss Frostwale!" The voice cracked through the room like a whip. Mrs. Halward, a woman whose glare could wilt flowers, stood rigid at the chalkboard. A hush fell as all eyes swiveled toward the sleeping girl. "Care to explain why *Macbeth's* existential crisis is less compelling than your nap?"
Silence.
A piece of chalk sailed through the air—*thwack!*—striking Lira's forehead. She jolted upright, chair screeching. "P-Present, ma'am!"
The class erupted in laughter. At that moment Lira's face flushed strawberry-red, her eyes widen with mortification. Even the poster of Shakespeare on the wall seemed to jude her
Mrs. Halward snapped. "If my class bores you, the hallway's *far* more scenic."
"S-Sorry, ma'am!😓 It won't happen again!" Lira bowed deeply, her bangs brushing the desk. As she sank back into her seat, Mira muffled a laugh behind her textbook.
---
The school bell's ring rescued Lira an hour later. Students flooded into the hallway, but she lingered by the window, gaze drifting to the clouds floating across the sky . Cotton-ball clouds drifted past skyscrapers, and for a moment, she imagined herself among them—weightless, unburdened by GPAs or rent checks.
"BOO!"
"Ack!😱" Lira nearly toppled out of her seat as Mira suddenly appeared beside her, grinning .
Mira exclaimed "You're *so* easy to scare!", looping an arm around her friend's shoulders. "What's got you spacing out? Secret crush? Forbidden love? A boy?"😏
"W-What? No!😱" Lira swatted her away, cheeks pink. "I was just… thinking about the future."
Mira's smirk softened. "Future? We're juniors. Our biggest worry should be whether the cafeteria's serving edible pizza."
Lira traced a finger along the windowpane. "My brother's working two jobs since he turned 18. He is trying his best since our parents --, nevermind! I just want to help him in any way I can"
Mira twirled a lock of black hair, studying her friend. "Dream jobs don't fall from the sky, Lira. Unless you marry a billionaire. Got any candidates?"
"Mira!😑"
"Kidding, kidding!😅" She tossed Lira a rice ball from her lunchbox. "Relax. We've got time. Besides—" She winked. "—our thrilling shift at 'Bean & Breeze' starts in four hours. Focus on not burning lattes first!"
---
As the afternoon sun dipped lower, Lira glanced at her phone—a cracked screen displaying a text from her brother, Elias:
>"Don't forget dinner. Ramen's on me tonight. –E"
She smiled faintly. "Maybe Mira's right, One step at a time."
But as she shouldered her bag, her eyes flicked back to the sky. Somewhere beyond those clouds, a path waited—one she'd have to carve herself.
---