The class was more boring than usual. The kid in the front of the class got Mr Lou to start talking about his daughter's dance recital, the kids in the back vaping into their sleeves, most kids in the centre of the room playing on their phones and the kid right next to Mana doing her makeup into the camera on Snapchat. Mana looked out the window onto the big tree behind the school, occasionally picking up her pencil to doodle whatever came to mind. Figures in soft armour, pitch-black hoods and soft hands. She was doodling between looking outside and looking around aimlessly. Begining to doodle again, a drawing that Mana did not draw, of her and a dark figure. Looking around, no one was near enough to draw on her paper. The figure began to move, sketchy towards the drawing of Mana, fading out and disappearing.

Mana couldn't focus on the rest of class, even when class began. Wondering if what happened in her notebook was scary or interesting while mindlessly copying down notes. But the drawing added something that she had never even noticed. Their hair and what they were wearing. The cloak was a deep red, barely noticeable in the darkness, that just ended above their ankles. Striped socks, red and black, that peaked out of the black tactile boots they were wearing. And their hair, deep brown in the moonlight leaking slightly from the bottom of the hood onto their chest. It was a drawing of the other night, viewed from the third person. Mana recalled the picture drawn and realized that her face was stained with tears, her cheeks becoming rosy with embarrassment.

Staying late after school, Mana found herself thinking about her saviour once again until an eraser met her forehead at such speed. "What the fuck are you thinking about?" A girl at the other end of the table, her red and angry face matching her copper red hair, her strong swimmer arms flexed from throwing the eraser. "We have to get ready for the newcomers this winter! Keep up!" The angry redhead sat back down, putting on oval glasses to the edge of her nose. "You're the one to be welcoming them, with your sweet-looking face."

Mana rubbed her forehead from the impact. "Sorry Caroline, I was just disassociating, not feeling all that well I guess." The redhead, Mary, rolled her eyes and passed her a small folded paper. Mana stuffed it in her pocket and sat up. "Continue."

"As we know," Caroline went on. "We're getting some new students from fucking Romania, and-"

Someone else raised their hand. "From Russia first, then Romania."

Caroline just looked at them disgustedly before moving on. "From fucking Russia, and we are supposed to help them feel welcome to this small ass town in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere." Mana had to keep herself from laughing, Caroline had such a dirty vocabulary that it kept everyone on the edge, but after years of knowing each other, Mana just found it silly. "But, we are the welcome committee thanks to this school not having the fucking effort to have another club and just added it to our communication club as if we had nothing else to do here." Caroline sighed and leaned back in her chair, queuing Mana to take over.

"Now with this responsibility, we each accompany one student for a month, or until they can easily and safely travel around." Mana shrugged and looked around. "Strange thing to do for some new students, but they're a big deal to the school. And so, we have to welcome them into our lives like we would with any family member or friend." Mana looked down at her notebook, covered in scribbles that seemed to be handwriting. "And that is it, any questions?"

The room stood silent until Caroline stood up, demanding authority. "Then this meeting is over." She walked out, followed closely by the other members who seemed to be quiet for a communication club.

Mana stayed behind, cleaning up from the aftermath of the actual club meeting before the meeting that had just occurred. The room was quiet and dim, and the windows facing outside were dark. The feeling of eyes lingered on her as she wiped down the tables, pushing down the feeling, "No one is here, not even the principal is here anymore". She thought to herself. But the watching feeling remained. With this fear, however, came hope. "If no one is here anymore..." Her eyes met the window, hoping for a sign. "Then maybe it's them." But there was no time to sit and watch, Mana felt a buzz in her pocket from her phone, in the big purple letter it read Motha, just as her mom asked her to do when she got the phone.

Mana left the room, answering the phone and being greeted by the sweet voice of her mother. "Darling, where are you?" Her mother questioned. "I've got a roast and veggies with your name on it!" Mana's mother laughed.

"I'm heading home now, just cleaned up a bit after the club meeting," Mana replied, pulling her backpack strap to her shoulder. "Make me a plate please!" They both laughed as the call ended and Mana walked through the front door into the dark.