Chapter 67

"Did you review well?"

Joy was startled for having someone ask her that question because it was such a common knowledge on their classroom that she never really touches her notes [tho she doesn't have any notes at all]. She smiled at her and sighed.

"No I didn't review one bit." she answered and left her alone.

"Hope Joy." she called and approached her. "The triumph's mine this year"

"Oh, good luck with that Fallon. Have you forgotten the ranking system? Just in case, they take the average of the person and that's it. That is how they decide." Joy answered in a sulky way.

"I know that. Jeez. But I'm going to get 100% today. That's the only way I can think of to defeat you." Fallon said and walked away, leaving Joy astound to her guts. However, Mari came from behind and gave her a nice shocking entrance.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" Joy yelled after jumping because of shock. Mari just laughed at her and giggled as Nick looked worn out and Joy realized that Mari was wearing make up to conceal her dark circles. "You all said you won't review!" she laughed.

"Don't underestimate the will of the grade conscious!" Nathan said, who obviously lacked sleep and he was still browsing his notes and dark circles surrounded his eyes.

"We'll have a hard time today." Joy said and searched for something in her neck as a pacifier- but she remembered that she was allergic to any kind of necklace and she remembered that her watch was in her wrists. They were early for the first subject for they are already walking in their hallway 30 minutes before the commencement of their exams.

"Fair enough, we are enemies for today." Nathan said in a sulky manner and went walking fast to get them walking behind him.

"Should you really think that?" Joy asked him but he ignored her as he browsed his notes. "It's not really finals you know?"

"IT IS FINALS!" They all screamed at her and she tried hard not to laugh at them.

"Yes, it is finals for this semester." she said and went walking away. "Ah, what a nice day! The sun is shining not so brightly- and the weather is perfect!"

"Seriously, my nerves are killing me but you are just chilling there, enjoying everything." Mari said and took her seat before her.

"There isn't anything that can make me sad, i think." Joy replied and sat down. "Hey. I've prepared another sandwich for you today."

She stretched her hand to give the sandwich to someone.

"What? You did that for me?" Nick asked. "Or have you lost your sanity for you to offer food for the empty spot [table] between us?" Nick took the sandwich and looked. "What's this? I can't eat this. I'm allergic to peanuts. Hey Nathan you eat peanuts?"

"Yes wh-" Nathan did not finish asking the question the moment Nick threw the sandwich for him to catch.

"Joy made that." he said and yawned.

"Why are you acting weird?" Mari asked and tried to know if she was feverish by placing the top of her palm on her forehead. "You seem normal and you don't look pale at all. Jeez. You must be nervous for the exams. That's okay. I am nervous too but I know we can do this."

"Yes.. Yes. We can do this."

"Hey why are you so sparkly Nathan?" Nick asked him as she looked at the zip locked sandwich.

[why do I feel like there used to be something on that spot?]

"It's none of your business."

[is it possible that someone sat there before? But i can't recall anyone. That chair has always been empty.]

"Hey stop that fuss. You are disturbing our classmates."

[but my diary is empty when I'm sure that I wrote something on it.]

[I'm getting the creeps. It's strange.]

[maybe these are just my nerves because I'm caught up with their nervousness]

"Hey Joy. By any chance, are you nervous?" Fallon was in front of her already before she knew it.

"Maybe I am." Joy just smiled at her and borrowed Mari's notes because she was asleep.

"What? Are you actually reviewing?!" Fallon asked.

"Yes. I'm human too you know? I also forget things. By the way, do you want to review with me?" Joy smiled at her but she just ignored her and sulked.

"Do you feel it too?" Fallon asked as she was about to browse the notes. "It feels like something on this chair was bothering me."

"I gave that chair a sandwich, actually. And my diary are full of lapses."

"Same as me then. My diary is a mess- it was like words disappeared on its own but you know what, I saw something on the back of it."

"What was that?" Joy asked.

"It said: 'I was helped by an unknown person' - then i saw that I wrote silver and gold on the side- then I saw the word transfer- it doesn't make sense at all."

"I also saw the word 'transfer' on my diary. It's Though everything is full of lapses."

"Well, whatever it is, I hope it's just our imagination." Fallon said and left her, dumbstruck with the lapses she just realized.

"Is there something wrong?" Mari asked and saw her reviewer on Joy's desk. "Oh were you reviewing? Good night." She said and leaned on her table as Nick whispered 'good night' to her.

"What's going on?" she asked herself. However, the bell rang loudly that everyone let out sounds of anguish as their teacher went in, holding the papers they knew will torment them really good.

_____

"Wanna eat at the rooftop?" Nick asked Mari and Joy who was too relaxed for they had a good time answering the questions in their lit subject. The exam was unexpectedly good that even the test flunkers were confident.

"Yep. Let's go." Mari said and grabbed her sandwich- then started to walk away with Joy behind her. "Hey. Are you still looking at that sandwich? Let's go now."

Nathan flinched and looked at her. "S- sorry."

They climb the stairs and reached the rooftop where they always eat and have a good time. However, they all know that something was missing- that something was off and it was weird for them because it was just yesterday when they were happy- but now, they feel sort of incomplete.

"Did you have a hard time?" Nick broke their silence as he asked Nathan who was still enthralled by the sandwich he was holding.

"I think I aced it." he answered and placed the sandwich on his pocket. They all reached the benches on the rooftop and sat, but Nathan's thoughts were obviously wandering.

"Hey." he said and ate the sandwich her mother gave him. "When did I transfer here again?"

Everybody was startled at his question and looked at him.

"Is my bullying getting out of hand for you to think that Nathaniel?" Nick asked with a concerned look on his face. However, Nathan shrugged at him.

"No. That's not it. It's just strange why I think my memory was trampled upon by something out of this world. I'm happy here with you because I don't have any friends back there, and now, all of you are here with me. Friendship isn't fun without bullying, Nick. There's no problem with that. But I just find it strange to have no memories of why and how I ended up here."

"Something out of this world?" Joy said and stopped eating. "That's impossible."

"Woah! Your vocabulary does have the world impossible!" Mari said in an exaggerated manner which made everyone's mood brighter.

"Of course!" Joy chuckled. "Do you really think something like that could really happen in this world? You see, there are so many sufferings in this world and magical things like that couldn't happen at all."

"Shees. What a pessimist." Nick said and ate his entire sandwich.

"I'm being realistic." she protested.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" Mari asked Nathan as she saw the sandwich in his pocket.

"No. Stay away from my sandwich." Nathan said and hid it better.