Volume I Chapter 4

I sped through my final lap with a deep huff and sat on the bleachers totally exhausted. Sir Martin came back when it was quarter to ten and issued an early break after telling us off. He nagged about eating and hydrating ourselves in the morning before doing vigorous exercises. We all know that he was only warning us so that we won't be the next student to collapse, so we just nodded and went back to the classroom for a quick change of clothes.

"Can't the saying about no one is fully smart and be physically fit, be truer than this." I chuckled at Jill's snarky words as we both passed our evaluation papers to the class president standing by the door. I went to the nearby bathroom for a quick business and Jill followed me saying that she needed a little retouch on her non-existent make-up. We got back a little before the bell rang and started our English for the day.

"Did you have fun in Phys. Ed?" Bethany Hudson, our adorable English professor, asked us with her nose crinkled. The smell of heavy body odor lingered all over the room to the point that Jill and I could smell it clearly near the doorway. I stopped beside our teacher, similarly debating whether I should go inside. But Jill went in without an ounce of hesitation and opened the windows for some ventilation.

She then spoke, "Yes, Bethy darling, we did. Ugh, so stinky! Anyway, one of us even collapsed from running too much. Can you pass that spray on my bag, darling? Thanks. And it took everyone by surprise really." Jill stood by the sides, opening the windows one by one and made one of her seatmates get an air freshener from her bag. I shook my head at the thought of where does she gets these things but didn't questioned it much further. It took the whole can, empty, just to eradicate the smell of agonizing sweat in the room. And when it did so, I took the chance to go in before our dearest teacher would.

"Lemon. How lovely." Ms. Hudson flashed a grin with the braces on her teeth and didn't linger any more at the doorway. "Sorry I'm late Ms. Hudson." A pair of hurried footsteps stopped by the door and out came the girl who passed out at gym class.

"Oh, no worries dear. Take your seat, we were just about to get started." Looking at the rejuvenated confident demeanor of the Collins girl, everyone's gazes didn't stay on her much longer and quickly seated themselves in their own seats. Steven, however, thought that teasing the girl was an incredibly good idea and went off to run off his mouth.

"If running could make someone fall, looks like I should strive to be a Clementine student as well- but on second thought, I don't really like making a scene too much. Oh yeah. Can I ask if your head is still working, or should we Coll-in the nurse again, downstairs?" Steven joked and I couldn't help but shook my head at how he always tries to sound like a dick every time he asks someone. Some people laughed while others, like me, only stayed silent to watch the show.

The girl in front turned to Steven and scrunched up her face. Her face inched closer to the people in the back and it made all of the laughter stop. Startled by what the girl was doing, Steven went quiet real quick and for a short while, I noticed her eyes roam around each of our faces before settling into mine. I look at her, cautious and amused but before anything else Ms. Hudson took the quick silence as a chance to take control of the class. The teacher then went on about today's lesson and everyone soon focused at the front when the fun was over.

"Let's go!" Jill dragged me over to an open court that was full of little students opting for today's badminton tryout. We went to sit by the bleachers and observed them doing drills for the usual stamina improvement. I observed sir Kurt, the club instructor overseeing the new students at the court and he somehow felt that I was staring at him and gave me an energetic wave. I waved back, eating a bread that I secretly brought in hand and Jill went on to talk about some of the new cuties she saw running from afar.

"You know, I should've joined you those few years ago when you asked me to try going to your club." She grumbled with regret while I only gave her a small nod, too busy eating the bread I had in my hand. "Really..." Her words went from one ear to another when I saw an unusually tall newcomer stretching his limbs before running around the court.

"Trevor?" "Trevor who? Noah? Daniels? The frog in Harry P- is that Reaper? Trevor Reaper?" Reaper, the upperclassmen that usually hangouts with Fabio, was trying out for my club's team. I laughed and he seemed to hear me as he glanced my way, smiling with sweat dripping on his forehead as he passed by our seats.

"Is that really Trevor Reaper? That punk! He didn't even tell me he's trying out this year! I could've gone with him as well if he just told me yesterday..." Jill gnashed her teeth and went up to chase after the students that were running up on the court. I chuckled at how Jill had run another five more laps for today when we were just tortured about running 25 laps earlier. Her energy amazes me more when I saw how determined she was on stopping Trevor to scold him about him not informing her about tryouts.

"Can I take a seat here?" I heard from my right and saw Collins seating above me as she also watched the people running around the court.

Well, you're already sitting on it. I thought as I chew on a large piece of my bread with great vigor. I looked at my food once more, debating if I should share it to the girl beside me and ripped it in halves.

"Are you fine now?" I asked, more like stated while poking here and there until I get a passable half of the bread that landed on her hands. It wasn't much of a conversation starter, but you can't blame me if I didn't really know what things I can talk to her about. She didn't give me much of a reply either, and well, because of that, I turned my head around to look at her dazed at the food given on her lap.

I waited. Something I'm always good at, and she finally said something that made me thankful of dispersing the awkward atmosphere that was brewing earlier.

"Thanks." She looked at me, looking a little out of it and not like the times she had been focused at class. I couldn't help but raise a brow.

"What? Never had bread given to you before?" I asked when I didn't understand much of what she was thanking me for. She shook her head but nodded afterwards, her action making me slip out a small chuckle. "Are you thanking me for the bread or not? You're confusing me here Ms. Clementine girl." I teased her and smiled into which was reciprocated with annoyance.

"Oh, how I hate that nickname actually... I was referring for calming me earlier. But with you bribing me with food for teasing me with that annoying nickname... I guess you can count on that as well."

Bribing a Clementine? I might actually be the first one to do that. I chuckled and said, "Why would I bribe you with food just for teasing you? You didn't charge Steven earlier; I can't believe I've met a Clementine who's quick to press charges to the classmate who helped them earlier in her panic attack." I replied with a teasing tone and she gave me a hum of amusement as she narrowed her playful eyes at mine. I chuckled again, the atmosphere giving me a light feeling like I was talking to a really old friend.

"You're a pretty strange devil, you know that?"

"Well, you are a stranger." I replied back at her, and thinking that we were both strangers to each other, I couldn't help but let out a laugh. It was strange that I was actually having fun with someone I used to just ignore at school. If I just knew that I would have this much fun in the past, what would've I done? A few drops of silence went and go as shouts and pants of the players echoed across the large court. We didn't have anything to talk about really, but this piece of nice and quietness was like a soothing feeling when a cold breeze passes by on a hot summer day. It was refreshing, relaxing, but that didn't last long when I decided to ask her more about what happened to her earlier at the court.

"So, can I ask you something?" I carefully worded my thoughts as I trailed my eyes back to hers. Waiting if she would agree to prolonging our random conversation.

"It depends when you're already asking one, you know." She teased, getting back at me with a common trick in the book. "Well, since I'm already asking..." I wiggled my brows upwards to express that I'm thinking for a short while, and finally shot the second thing that was bugging me this morning.

"Do you originally wear glasses?" I said in which she nodded and was about to speak up when we heard someone saying, "Darling? Are you cheating behind my back again?" I rolled my eyes and dusted my hands from any left-over crumbs I may have. Jill appeared behind me, her hands reaching out for a grabbing motion in which I avoided vehemently.

"Aww. Why-"

"Class starts for about five minutes. We better get going." My face returned to its usual aloofness and held out a hand to the girl I was just talking to.

"Alright." She took it halfway in but her hand dropped instantly when my arm was grabbed aside by an annoying girl on the sidelines. "Let's go, go, go!" I could only smile apologetically at Collins who only shook her head and followed us from behind. We went to art class next but after finding out that the teacher wasn't in, I went up to grab a huge chunk of clay and decided to play with it. Jill took a seat next to mine and had an easel in one hand ready for painting. Minutes passed and when lunch was about to start, I had my modeled clay cooked and ready to be painted.

"I didn't know that you had such a way with hands. Where'd you learn it?" A deep male voice sounded behind me, and knowing who it is I replied, "Well, I didn't know that you'll be trying out for the team, did I? Besides, I think I'd dig having death teach me all about modeling clay. Oh, the woes of art!" Trevor laughed, the same Trevor that Jill had chased around at break. His fringe made of bronze swayed and bounced, like some male hair commercial endorser. He could've been graduating from college right now, but he chose not to just so that we could graduate high school together.

"Teaching you for free wouldn't be a problem if-"

"If only I joined your club. No thanks." I cut him off and he ruffled my hair into a mess because of it. Trevor was also Kai's younger male cousin from who knows what side of the family. Aside from being held back at school to be my classmate, Kai often tells him to babysit me at school.

Which is caring but annoying.

"Aw, but I already joined yours. You know I'm only inviting you to join because I see talent in you. Not because of him." I snorted as he took the small figurine of a woman that I made and set it between his eyes for a scrutinizing look. "Tell that to my boss." I gave him an amused look and we both went outside of class, dragging Jill who fell asleep with the easel on her face.

"You guys only had art for like two hours, right? How the hell did she even fell asleep." Trevor carried Jill at his back as I walked beside him to the cafeteria. Her drools and splotches of paint was messing up his shirt. It was pleasing to look at honestly, okay maybe only for me.

"Maybe, because she ran more than 20 laps in a day?" I sing-sang and went on in front of him to line up for a tray of food. He looked around the area full of students for some vacant seats as I chatted up the lunch lady for three trays of meal for today.

"Can you even eat that all?" "It's for me and my friend's, lady. I would only waste the other two if I were to eat it all." I turned back, balancing three trays on my arms while looking for any signs of a handsome guy with a sleeping girl on his back. But didn't see them no matter how many times I looked.

"Where are they?"

"Let me get that for you." The third tray on both of my arms was taken away by this small puff of hair in front of me.

"Care to table with us, Vanessa?" "Oh, I was-" I was about to reject Andrew for his invitation when I saw him gesture at the table wherein Rogers, Jill, Trevor, and Salvatore sat at chatting up each other. Andrew looked at me with his expectant gaze behind his adorable square-rimmed glasses and I nodded as he led the way to their table.

"Took you long enough." Trevor took the tray on my right as I sat down in between Tanya Rogers, the lonely girl I always chose to partner up in class, and Salvatore, the new girl. "Perhaps, I shouldn't have bothered getting the two their food trays then."

"No, no. Don't listen to Trevor. Of course, much effort is appreciated Nessa!" Jill butted in while shoving Trevor's face away as she picked up the tray he got from my hands, disregarding the other one that Andrew carried. I shut them up by giving them mine and took the disregarded one from Andrew with a small thanks. We ate and chatted with Nicole asking us many things about the differences of the two competitive schools. I listened on with slight interest and couldn't help but ask her about the time's if the school gave internship or holidays here and then.

"Well, I do remember they gave some for the seniors but it's usually given near the end of the first half. They said it was to immerse ourselves in a working environment when we go to work and stuff. Can I ask why?" Before I could respond, Jill went on and run her mouth off about the part-time job I had outside of school.

"Oh, you know her, she likes to do things over the top. Now, she's looking for more part time jobs near the area. Honestly, it's like, she's always out of money."

"You can never have too much money. But I do agree with what you're trying to say here." The two blockheads conspired against me as I gave them both a hit on the head for badmouthing me in front of the new student.

"Not that I care. But I like the freedom of having to earn the money I spend. Besides, it's not like I'm the only senior here that works after school is finished." I told her and we continued chatting up until lunch soon passed.

Moments after, school was finally over and Jill quickly ran off to who knows where while carrying her large backpack to go. Trevor waited for me by the school gates to escort me to a small internet cafe near the city plaza.

"Great! Your finally here. Come and help me with these documents and pictures needed to be printed. ID please, thank you. Seat 27 is open for one hour." David, one of the co-owners of the shop hurried me to take on my station as I shooed Trevor away. I sat at the front, handling the assignment of computers to the customers one by one, while I edit photos, videos, and documents on another monitor. David went to the back to cook some noodles, and sometimes goes up front to troubleshoot some computers that had gone haywire on operating for a long time. I work at this small internet cafe for about four days a week. Mondays are usually the days when I'm only free and weekends are spent on working at a coffee shop near the St. Patrick's Medical hospital.

"What've you got there, Pierce?" I heard David behind me and shook my head saying, "Nothing good unfortunately. I was trying to copy this Hatsune Miku figurine that I saw on one anime site last week but-"

"It doesn't emit like her you mean." I nodded and looked at the fully colored clay that I was shaping earlier. "Well, it does have her hair, figure, face, and clothes. But I just feel that something is not right." David grunted an agreement as sat on his sea to stretch his fingers for some light gaming.

Should I try doing a small stop motion video with it?

"David, I'll be using the green room for a while."

"Sure. Just remember to lock up and clean the mess. Shit! Look at the tower you dumbass! Farm first, engage later noob."

I went ahead carrying the keys to the isolated green room after putting some final touches on the picture I was editing. With the flick of the light switch, several streaming equipment and lights was seen collecting dust on the middle of the room. Figuring that I may be using this for one semester, I took the only broom I could find as well as some cleaning tools, and started cleaning off the dusty equipment inside the room. One hour passed and I finally finished setting up the room when I heard the closed door open.

"Cookies?" I looked behind and saw David's girlfriend, Nora, with a small pack of chocolate chips at hand. I went by her side, quickly mumbling a small gratitude as I took off the gloves I was wearing. Grabbing a handful of cookies, I stuffed myself full to recover the lost energy I had from cleaning the whole room. The older girl beside me giggled at my expense before saying, "I heard your mom's coming to town, soon."