A Student’s Attention

Her eyes swirl with suppressed mischief, joyful at not studying. Each time a letter appears on the computer screen, it shines like a bright fire. The document will soon be forgotten, but for now, she devotes her attention to it. Her fingers flutter across the keyboard, dancing in rehearsed patterns to form letters, sentences, paragraphs.

‘Eureka!’ A moment of inspiration. She leans forward, intent on recounting her masterpiece with her computer. Her conspirator. Her sharer of secrets and words. Together they collaborate, creating a wonderland of prose.

In the corner of the screen, the abandoned study page is alone, languishing. The homework cries out for affection and attention but is despondent; the student has long since disappeared. The tab flashes red, earnestly demanding attention, but Katherine is occupied, her heart fixated elsewhere.

Mrs Euler slinks from behind the door, returning from her tedious journey around F Block. A wild shriek emanates from the stringent teacher as she spies Katherine’s screen. The noise reverberates around the closet-like classroom, bouncing off the walls, echoing back to the corner where the wicked student sits. Katherine switches back to work immediately. But it’s too late. The teacher has seen her secrets.

By Felicia Ho (Year 9)

Danielle Sutton (Year 8)