On this morning, she wasn't awakened by the smell of vomit. Well, an alarm clock isn't much more pleasant, she thought and sighed as she hit the snooze button to enjoy a few more minutes in her warm mattress, sinking further at the thought of school.

The alarm rang for the second time. ~Just a moment, please! Come on, Ciara, get moving! Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, Ciara... What the heck?! Do I need to see a psychologist? Well, I might as well get up now. Do internal conversations with yourself count as self-talk? Get up!~

Groaning, she got up. It had been a long evening yesterday. Her face showed the traces of a restless night as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. The smell of fresh coffee eased the painful process of awakening, and she made her way sluggishly to the breakfast table. "Grandpa, how many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to make me breakfast?" she asked with a raspy voice, frowning disapprovingly. Clyn stood with his back to her, by the old coffee machine. He used to be tall and athletic. Those times were gone. Now, with his chubby and small stature, he could barely peek over the coffee machine on a little table. One of the dearest people in the world. "I need to stay fit," he grumbled, as he lovingly looked at her.

After breakfast, which once again consisted of coffee, a milk bun, and some jam, she hurried to the sink and let the water rush hastily over the dishes. Her hands trembled with impatience to quickly wash the plates. Then she tied her hair in a quick ponytail and contemplated for a few seconds whether she should brush it for a change, but decided against it. Finally, she packed a small backpack with books and water. With narrowed eyes and lightly drumming her fingertips on the book's pages, she went through her schedule again, thanks to the coffee: first and second period, mathematics. ~Mmmh, I'll survive.~ Third and fourth period... ~Biochemistry!~ Without bothering to close the backpack, she put it on, took her phone, and ran out.

***

It was over 2 km on foot to school, but she preferred the fresh air and the opportunity to organize her thoughts. Firstly, apart from occasional swimming in the nearby lake, she hardly did any sports. Secondly, bus tickets were expensive. ~Maybe I should treat myself to a bicycle. I could sleep longer!~

At the halfway point, she stopped at her favorite spot to study: a bulky wooden bench by the local Grevens Lake, somewhat lonely, but for studying, there was no need for social interaction. ~At least that's what I always tell myself. Maybe I should find some friends?~ Slightly out of breath, she sat down, took her phone, and checked the class group, her gaze searching the screens of the messages. ~Man, I need to get my life together!~ After finding out what was covered in the exam, her mood worsened: Toxikonology. A "very important and interdisciplinary natural science subfield of toxicology, dealing with naturally occurring toxins," Ciara mimicked her biochemistry teacher in a bright but authoritative voice. She was actually nice, but Ciara was a very impatient type, so after half an hour of introduction, she would start thinking about other topics or secretly read her novel. ~What's the use of this anyway? Well, unless I'm fighting a king cobra and need to produce an antivenom... just a regular day.~ As she was trying to grasp the complex connections of saxitoxin as a selective sodium channel blocker, her thoughts suddenly faltered. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips as the timer suddenly rang loudly, snapping her out of her focused efforts. She had to keep going. ~It will be fine...~

Arriving at the classroom, she could already hear Mrs. Rosenkehl explaining that they should date the sheet. "And don't forget to write your name! Otherwise, it's an F!" We're not in elementary school! After the first two periods, she had little time to study. The tone of her voice was already making her eyelids heavy again. ~No! Pull yourself together, Ciara!~ She entered the classroom to face Mrs. Rosenkehl's stern look. She raised an eyebrow contemptuously and said in a calm voice, "You're late, Ciara. This will be reported to the school administration. You'll have detention today." Normally, she would have apologized and taken her seat. But today, she was in a bad mood.

"Oh, excuse me, Mrs. Rosenkehl, for daring to be late," Ciara said with a sarcastic tone. "I had no idea it's a terrible sin to be a few minutes late."

Mrs. Rosenkehl gave her an angry look. "Ciara, I expect respect from my students. If you can't come on time, then apologize properly and accept the consequences of your actions."

Ciara tilted her head back and gave a defiant response: "Respect should be mutual, Mrs. Rosenkehl. If you treated your students with respect, maybe I could show you some in return. But instead, you have to wield your power and try to intimidate us. You don't even know the reason. Maybe my grandma had a heart attack," she emphasized with a shrug.

The other students sat there astonished as an uncomfortable silence filled the room. Ciara felt a mix of satisfaction and fear of the potential consequences of her words.

Mrs. Rosenkehl gasped for air and said in an icy voice, "Sit down immediately and keep your disrespectful comments to yourself. Such behavior will not be tolerated."

"She doesn't even have a grandma. Just a grandpa, and they live in a rundown campground,"...