The wooden door swung open to reveal an empty room, much to her delight. She had a most tiring day, dealing with her music assignment with it blasting her ears off twice after both lecturers adjusted the volume of her headphones to unbelievable intensities.

After her ears were 'boxed', the music assignment done, she found herself with enough time to complete her assignment. Taking the advantage, she settled herself at the Mac and proceeded to work on the report that was to be handed in with the music assignment.

She did not like the fact that at least four different people had peered at her work, maybe more who did not interrupt her by leaning into the screen and blocking her sight and instead stared as they walked past her computer station.

She did not mind her report being looked at. It was assurance that she had some reputation in class.

What she minded was people halting her train of thought and concentration so frequently.

It proceeded on to the lecture of the day. She tried to pay attention. She tried. The background noise of distracted students having conversations a few rows behind her had, as you guessed, annoyed her. Nearby, a group of girls were tittering over a Chinese Pop magazine, something about some article about some boy singer. Something she wouldn't care about.

And not too far from her, someone was blasting rock music through his headphones, but it reached her ears.

Frankly, she did not like all this noise going around her. The lecturer was busy struggling for the class' attention, but it was clear to see that most of it had gone.

Well, almost all. He had her undivided attention. In fact, he was making eye contact at her nearly every two minutes to check if he had her attention.

After the lecture, she stayed behind while others left. The test tomorrow demanded studying and one of her classmates, one who had thought she was a real brainiac, had 'booked' her to study together. Her good friend, a fret-a-copter, decided to tag along.

However, her classmate was still slogging away at her music assignment, that left her and her buddy to do their own studying. Both sat down and revised questions, but it was clear that only she stuck down to serious mugging. Her friend had drifted to assisting the worried classmate.

When the classmate was ready to study, time had beaten them to the curfew before they knew it. The classmate had done absolutely nothing for the test, her good friend a little more, but she felt a little more accomplished.

The ride home was anything but comforting. The peak hour had arrived, and the MRT was packed with students on the way home. Neither could comfortably speak until they arrived at their stop.

Her friend had the luxury of her mother waiting to pick her up near the station. Biding her friend farewell, she turned to the long road ahead and trudged on home.

That brought her to where she was now. Dinner would be ready any time soon, but she had little interest to indulge in a meal. She was tired.

No.

She was drained, dog-tired and demanded immediate rest.

Dumping her bag next to her bed, she let herself topple onto the mattress, just as another thought hit her.

'I've got the test tomorrow to study for. Sound production and formulas... and checking BZPower... and FanFiction... no, no, I must study! What was that formula again?'

No.

Not more... no more... she could not take any more work or trouble any more... Today had been a hard day, and tomorrow a harder one. She should rest a bit, then get on to studying-

A sudden flash of light from the ceiling lamp above startled her.

She would not have any more of this.

Blindly feeling around, she found her pillow and shoved her head underneath it.

"Lemme alone!"

The last bit really did not occur, but, if my sister (who had turned on that light) had not started to bounce around, it would have.