She was just playing with him, teasing, but nothing serious. The deodorant was in her hand, the other hand on her hip, as she held the deodorant tauntingly at him. He stood there, with no emotion running through his face. He’s not reacting, she thought, the novelty of the situation draining from her mind. But just as she wanted to hand it back to him, he moved forward towards her in one movement, catching her by surprise. But she managed to dodge, and the chase began, again.

     The class was used to these noisy sessions of chase. They used to wonder why she was so different, but they stopped thinking about it, as more important things came into mind, like exams and papers. Now they had long developed immunity towards her noisy chattering and capering around in class. Just as long she didn’t physically affect them, it was alright for her to do her stuff. It was her life anyway.

     Dodging chairs, tables and classmates, he chased her around the classroom. People too engrossed in their work to notice, the more reactive ones barely mumbling a “shhh”. The thrill was there as she dodged obstacle after obstacle, laughing out loud. This was not the first time it had happened, this cat-and-mouse chase, and probably wont be the last. The high she got from running and being chased was just exhilarating. What’s more was that he wouldn’t mind, he may complain and rant, but in the end he doesn’t mind. He was a buddy.

     But she tripped and fell. No one noticed, but him. He stopped running and grinned. She noticed a difference in the grin, there was something more than just good-natured fun; there was a tinge of maliciousness in it. She picked herself up, grinning back at him, unsure of what to do. But this decision making in her head bought him time, as he dashed forward and grabbed her.

     His weight caused her to go back down onto the floor. He struggled to get the deodorant back as she held it away from him. But, his hands were not struggling for the deodorant anymore. They were touching something else, someone else.

     She screamed.

     No one looked up from their work.

     The deodorant rolled away, towards the door, away from the concentration of the class, and into the freedom of the hallways.