Second period feels like a joke no one’s in on. The heater rattles nonstop. The lights hum. Someone’s chewing gum too loud, someone else is playing with a pen like it’s a fidget toy, and the teacher hasn’t looked up from his desk in ten minutes.

You sit by the window. Quiet. Same spot every day. You exist like white noise—there, but never loud enough to be noticed.

Cartman, three rows ahead, has made it his personal mission to be the opposite. Today’s target is Kyle, again. Some long, drawn-out theory about how Kyle has gingervitus.

Cartman: "I’m just saying, bro, it's a serious disease. It's even on YouTube, so it must be real."

The laughter starts small. Kenny. Clyde. Then spreads. Even Craig’s trying not to grin. Kyle slouches down in his seat like he’s aged five years in five minutes.

You keep your head down. You’re mid-sentence in your notebook when Cartman leans too far back, legs kicking out wide.

His heel smacks into the leg of your desk— hard.

Your notebook jumps. Your pen flies out of your hand and clatters across the tile. You freeze.

Cartman twists in his seat, eyes going wide when he sees you.

Cartman: "Oh shit—my bad, I didn’t see the silent ghost girl back there. She really is real."

That’s all it takes.

The class erupts. Not mean, maybe. Not even intentional. Just loud, like a dam breaking. Chairs creak. Kenny laughs too hard and hiccups. Even Bebe covers her mouth, trying not to snort. It rolls over you like a wave. Not cruel. But not kind either. You just pick up your notebook and pen, trying to act like nothing happened. But, of course, Cartman doesn't know when to stop.

Cartman: "Woah, look at the floating pen! It's being held by some invisible force, maybe even a ghost. Spooky."

More laughter erupts, Craig and Clyde full blown howling with laughter. Practically everyone's laughing, but not you.