Chapter Text
Soft ticking, the clock in the background being the main sound heard. At least, to Muffin. Practically everyone else was busy focusing on the lesson in front of them, along with the blabbering of the teacher.
Muffin, though, was too busy. Not with the lesson. That's stupid. No, rather she was busy with... Scribbling. Yeah. Scribble scribble scribble. Not a drawing, a puzzle, not even any kind of audible word. Just a random squiggle of ink, continuously running along the paper.
As for the lesson, it was obvious. It was mentioned earlier that it wasn't important to Muffin. Something to do with Europe. Posh mountains or something. Something else, something else more, whatever. Muffin was bored of it.
"...Eh." She sighed, head tilted on its side, paw ahead of her, still holding her scribbling pen on-pad. Her ears were drooping, but even then she could still pick up the sounds of the clock.
As well as another sound.
"Ok, everyone!" The teacher gave a cheery smile, a bit too cheery for Muffin, skipping over to their seat. "So then, to test that you've been paying attention, I'm going to give you all a quick quiz. Please pull out your devices!"
"...Really?" The grey Heeler teen groaned, leaning her head up as she noticed the scream ahead of her filled with a couple harsh tones of purple. Nothing new, but never inviting.
"Excuse me?" Muffin managed to catch the voice of a blond sausage dog while pulling out her phone, "Do we really need to do this quiz on Kahoot? Can't we just, you know... Write it?"
"Well, for one, it saves paper. Secondly, Kahoot is fun! Who doesn't love Kahoot?"
Yeah. Kahoot. Who doesn't love it.
"Not sure ma'am! Probably some thick grey dog in the middle~..." The teasing voice of a tall spaniel sounded out from the back, nearly making Muffin scream in retaliation.
I mean, why not, she knew they were referring to her. Plus they were the class's popular kid, so...
Not the time, Muffin. Let your hate out on the world another time.
"...Grr! Dang incorrect number! Now I have to write the whole thing again...!"
...That works.
____________________
Considering that it was a Monday (Muffin's favourite day), there was a hope for the Heeler that this certain quiz would go better than... Others.
Unfortunately for her, it didn't seem like it was going to be that good.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god god god..." Muffin continuously muttered to herself, staring down the question on the screen ahead of her, partnered with the four answers of an individual colour below. Her head was blank. She knew nothing of geography, let alone that of another continent. And now she had to pay for it.
Paying it via Kahoot was a nightmare, though. Not only was there a certified grade to be lowered, there was also a certified embarrassment to come from it.
Should've paid attention to the lesson, her mum would say. Use the pen for something else other than scribbles, the blond sausage dog would say. Then she'd make it through any Kahoot easily.
But Muffin was a bit of a procrastinator. Not to the point of laziness, she was very energetic with her hobbies and certain classes, like political science. But she did have trouble with learning effectively. She preferred the internal monologue of her mind to any actually important conversation in the world. She didn't listen to the lesson, she listened to songs in her head. She didn't take notes, she scribbled to alienate boredom. And it's that kind of thing that Kahoot, at least to her, kills horrifyingly.
Yeah, she's not special, no special-est girl in the world. But she is normal.
Why would anyone want to torture someone normal?
That was the sentence that repeated in her head as she flicked back and forth between her phone and the screen. The question, river running through Paris. The answers, Thames, Vistula, Seine, Tagus. Twenty seconds.
How was she supposed to know the answer to this? Tagus was some kind of horse man, right? Can't be that. Fifteen seconds. Uhh. Thames sounds like a name. But all rivers have names. Even the smallest streams! Ten seconds. Fuck. Her time's dwindling. Eight. Seven. Six. Dammit! What associates with Paris...?!
With barely a second to spare, Muffin rushed her paw onto the blue option, marking her answer as the Vistula. An X flashed up on her screen. Meanwhile, on the classroom screen, it was revealed that the majority of people selected the Seine. A small group chose the Tagus, a random dog the Thames, but no one else had chosen the Vistula.
...Fuck. Another incorrect answer.
Taking a look at the scores, Muffin laid at the pure bottom of the scores. She had only gotten one answer correctly, and that was by chance. Meanwhile, the next lowest had gotten 4 correct answers. Shame rose in her. She knew that the spaniel would call her out for this, and that would lead to... Bad stuff. Most likely with the headmaster. Or the principal. Leader of the school. Ugh, that's not even important.
One question remained. Muffin gave a harsh exhale, most likely gaining the attention of nearby classmates. The question popped up on the screen ahead of her.
It's true or false.
Muffin felt like a major bag had been lifted off her.
Then she read the question.
'Istanbul is in Europe. True or false?'
Muffin screamed internally. Turns out they took off the bag just to fill it with rocks.
What was Istanbul? A city right? Bluey's dad told her about it once, she reminisced. Something to do with turkey?
Oh shit! 5 seconds?!
Frantically, she rushed to press false. Her breath went up, down. Praying she was right.
Unfortunately, she wasn't. The X popped up once again on her screen.
The last question had passed. She was last.
Just like all those other times.
...
Fucking hell. Fucking game, fucking god dammit, Muffin. Fuck you.
The heeler threw her phone to the ground without taking a second thought. The bang shrilled through the room, as Muffin took harsh breaths. The screen was most likely cracked. A small shout occurred from the blond sausage dog.
"Maggie, can you please not shou- Oh." The teacher swivelled around in their chair, facing the scene. Muffin, half-standing, hands gripping her desk. 'Maggie', backing away slowly. The spaniel, already teasing the Heeler out for her anger management.
"Nathaniel, sit back down. Same for you Muffin."
"O-Oh, of course." The spaniel got back into his seat quickly. Muffin, a little more slowly, still thumping with anger.
And yet, the moment she sat back down, the bell let out its cry. The lesson had ended. The last lesson had ended. School was over with for the day.
"Thank god." The grey-furred dog cursed out, leaning down to pick up her phone as the other dogs left the classroom. It didn't affect her, watching them all leave, sometimes giving a small laugh at her while she was still collecting her books.
She knew she'd always be last.
Out the classroom. Finally. Thank god again. Now to wrap up. Three G's.
Get to locker. Grab rest of stuff. Get the hell out of here. Dad's probably already waiting for her in the car.
Mum should be at home. Socks... Not sure. Most likely playing with balls.
Welp, got the stuff, time for her to get out of here.
Muffin walked herself down the hallway to the back of the school, in an angry but not fast movement. Soon enough, barging through the doors at the end of the hallway, she made it outside. She angled her sight in search of her dad's car. Shouldn't be too hard, black, sleek, her dad, Stripe, constantly trying to open the boot by swinging his foot under it...
There he is. He's still trying to do it! After all this time? Muffin had honestly believed it to never work. Him trying to open the boot with his foot was more senseless than trying to put mud pizzas into the electric toy car that came with it.
"Dad." She called monotonically, running over, bag slacking off one of her shoulders.
"Ah! Muffin, my daughter! Could you help me open the boot? I'm having some trouble with the automated system..." He asked, with a small smile.
Muffin, giving him a tone deaf look, reached her paw out to the boot's under-licence-plate handle, tugging it open manually. She dropped her bag in from her other shoulder, before jumping up and closing it with a soft clutch.
"...Ta-daaa." She chimed after a while, paws directed to it like she was showcasing her common sense. Stripe, meanwhile, was a bit taken back. Not extremely, but... Taken back none the less, as he circled round to get into the driver's seat. Muffin following along to the passenger.
"So... How did school go today Muffy?" Stripe kept his smile, trying to spark conversation.
"No comment, dad. Let's just go home." She nonchalantly replied, her words sluggish but sparking.
"Oh. Ok then." He gave a nod, before starting up the modernised car, and pulling out of the parking space on the high school road. He had been in this situation quite a few times before, and given his experience with Muffin's behavioural issues, knew the best course of action here was to let her be.
Yeah, it would be better to comfort her, but... What's more worth it? Letting the situation calm over time for free? Or calming it at once at the cost of a phone, or something else of that kind of value?
Oh well. Life's life. At least Socks doesn't have that kind of issue...
...Does she? Nah, she can't. She's too interested in her own hobbies for that.