A waste bin

(chapter originally by Misayaka on writing.com)

It made no sense. It was a ridiculous place to hide, and would barely offer any cover.

Except the closet seemed a mile away, and the bell had just rung. Between sacrificing her pride and getting caught, it was an easy choice to make.

Chihiro took a deep breath, stepped over the edge of the waste bin nearby, and climbed down into it, curling her legs up to stay hidden,

Miraculously, it was just tall enough to hide her completely. Within seconds, as she guessed, students came flooding into the halls.

Her fragile hiding place was surrounded by footsteps of all kinds, and she could barely move.

Worse, every so often a balled up paper or random piece of refuse would get tossed into the can over her. Nothing messy, but still, not exactly fun.

Chihiro shut her eyes, **** to block out the outside world and ignore everything around her.

After what felt like an eternity, and a few unpleasant fidgets, the halls finally quieted down. Chihiro slowly adjusted her footing, stared up to ensure the coast was clear, then began climbing out.

What she didn't realize was that...