Grace's Yellow Cloud of Courage

Grace walked past the rows of desks in her classroom. She had just farted again, and she was sure that everyone in the room could smell it. Her face burned, and she looked down at her feet so she wouldn't have to see the disgusted looks on their faces. It was all she could do not to run out of the room; but if she did, the teacher would call her parents and then she'd get punished for being rude again.

"Grace." She heard someone whisper, and a small hand touched hers. She opened her eyes and looked at Su-Jin, a girl who sat next to her. The teacher was watching them now. Grace couldn't understand why Su-Jin was being so nice to her, but she was too embarrassed to say anything. "Let's go outside." Su-Jin said, and led Grace out of the room without waiting for a reply.

The moment they were outside, Su-Jin grabbed Grace's hand again, walked over to the wall, and took off her backpack. Grace followed her lead and unzipped her own backpack. They pulled out notebooks and pens, and sat down against the wall with their feet stretched out in front of them.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Grace whispered after a moment of silence.

"Well, I'm not supposed to be talking to you." Su-Jin replied softly with a smile on her face. "But I don't care anymore." She continued. "I'm sick of my friends acting like jerks because you farted once!" She said indignantly. "It's not your fault that you're poor!" She added angrily as she bit her lip angrily. Suddenly, she giggled as if she had just realized something funny. "I mean... no one is born into this world with farts... right? And people fart all the time... even billionaires!"

Grace smiled at that last part - although it didn't make any sense - but then frowned when another gassy rumble echoed inside of her chest. "Oh no..." She moaned quietly as Su-Jin laughed again jovially at her expression of despair. "Umm... can I use your bathroom?" She asked shyly while pointing behind them at the school building they had just left behind.

Su-Jin squinted as she looked at where Grace pointed towards before shaking her head regretfully at Grace's question."Of course not! They don't let us go back there!" She replied sadly with a frown on her face before biting on one corner of her bottom lip nervously while looking around self-consciously before whispering: "But... I can take you home with me if you want..." She added uncertainly after a few moments of awkward silence between them while still staring everywhere except at Grace's face who was looking at Su-Jin wide eyed in disbelief as she tried to decide whether or not it was safe to accept Su-Jin's offer or not.

"Okay then!" Su-Jin exclaimed happily after a few more agonizing seconds had passed by in which Grace hadn't said or done anything except for staring at Su-Jin with an open mouth before standing up quickly from where they were sitting against the wall and walking away from school before turning around again when Grace still hadn't moved from where she was standing in confusion: "Are you coming?!" She asked impatiently while waving enthusiastically toward Grace who finally started moving as well - but only when it became clear that Su-Jin wasn't going to give up until Grace was following after her - even if that meant that they had no other choice than running away from school together without anyone knowing what they were doing together since they weren't allowed to talk with each other since they went to different schools anyways!

They ran across several streets until they reached an apartment building on the same street as school before stopping in front of it and walking up several flights of stairs until they reached the door leading into an apartment Su-Jin had shared with both parents since birth as far as Grace knew: "I know I shouldn't have invited you here..." Su-Jin sighed heavily after unlocking the door before holding it open for Grace who stepped into the small hallway leading into what seemed like a living room filled with large black furniture covered with colorful pillows before looking over at Su-Jin who instantly looked guilty for inviting Grace inside: "... but I wanted to help you somehow." She continued hesitantly while chewing on one corner of her bottom lip nervously and biting on it harshly when she noticed how confused Grace looked: "My mom won't be home for hours... so we'll just have some lunch together or something.... Is that okay?" She asked shyly while biting harder on one corner of her bottom lip as she stared down at one spot on the floor directly in front of herself while looking incredibly ashamed about what they were doing behind their parents' backs!