Friends

I went down to the kitchen to smell something good. I saw my brother's back as he was talking.

"Yes, please do that Mr. Thurk... Yes.."

Maybe he was talking to my father's secretary while he was mixing something on the stove. I walked groggily on his back and hugs him. He just glanced at me before ending his call and kiss my forehead.

"I made you a hangover soup. You need to eat all this before going to school."

"School? I don't want to," I shake my head and frowns.

"Mother called, you know, she will get really mad if you don't attend school after partying."

He holds both my shoulders and guide me to sit down. I was pouting but I think I don't have any choice. Even though I feel like puking anytime soon, I don't want my mother's wrath.

She has this rule that whatever happens, a perfect attendance will lead to a good relationship. Maybe the reason why she didn't strictly say no to my escapades, as long as I attend school, obviously.

"Eat now," Melvern put down the soup he made.

I murmured my thanks to him and start eating. My mind was still on the moment of meeting coincidentally Lepinius on that bar. Is he a regular there? Shall i visit often there then?

My mind was busy thinking various things when I almost choke on the soup when my brother suddenly asked me an unexpected question.

"So, who is Lepinius?"

"H-huh?"

"The one you keep murmuring while you're sleeping, Lepinius. Who is he?"

My brother who got so curious got cut off by a sudden ring of his phone. He glance at his phone on table before shaking his head.

"You need to answer me later, okay?"

I don't know if it's true that I keep saying Lepinius name yesterday night. But what's the big deal? Melvern stares earlier was not his normal curious face. It was like a serious question but he tried to not sound serious at all. I know that I didn't blurted out some embarrassing words because if I did that, he will just tease me all morning and not be a serious question.

But as far as I know, I don't sleep talk at all. I don't hear from Anika and the girls that I sleep talk when we're sleeping overnight. I didn't hear any funny stories when I was a child that I talk while sleeping from my mother. But how did Melvern know Lepinius' name? It's not a big deal and I can always tell my brother openly about it, but there's something uncomfortable feeling on my heart.

My mind was blank the moment my brother kissed my forehead. I touched my forehead with a question mark on my face while walking in the hallway of our school.

Students at my level greeted me with a smile and other close acquaintance kissed me on my cheek. I just simply greet them and nods my head at first. But when I was greeted by many, my mood lifted up. The seniors I met yesterday at the bar asked me some questions on about the place.

Fortunately, the bar just had their soft opening last month. It was not popular since it was established by a foreigner (Japanese which was related to Yamada).

"The owner said if you'd like to have a photoshoot at their place to improved their sales! The equipment to do the pictorials and editing was all their expense. You just have to upload it on your social media, and boom!"

I smirked when they start to encourage me to do a simple promotional post on my account. In exchange, they said they will give me a full year VIP access and free boozes. Not a bad offer though.

" I'll think about it when the owner itself contacted me," I just simply said.

They cheered for my answer that makes me laugh. I heard the bell rang and students immediately gone in the hallway in just a couple of minutes after the bell rings. I shake my head and start walking to the stairs to get to my classroom.

The morning class was boring as usual. Some recitations that wasn't announced and a surprised quiz from our terror teacher.

"Get a piece of paper, and answer this 20-item quiz in 20 minutes," she said it while glancing around the room.

I looked at Ms. De Guzman. She was definitely the definition of a terror teacher. A strict-looking eyeglasses, narrowed eyes, thin lips, abit small for her height, and a voice that says it all. She was in her early 50's and didn't have any husband or children. At our first meeting on the first day of school, I thought that she was some quite teacher since she just sit on a chair while we introduced ourselves in front. But, yes, she loves surprise quizzes and recitations.

My classmates groans at her announcement. Especially, our group since we didn't study but partied last night, we didn't get a chance to study at all.

Ms. De Guzman just clicked her tongue, "I heard that some of you.." her eyes directly looked at my group, ".. went to a party. So I'm guessing that you already study."

I almost roll my eyes at her. Does all teachers expected us to study from morning to midnight? If that's the case, I should have just live at school and not go home!

She started to dictate the first question. I simply looked at Anika's paper and she didn't have anything written on her paper but her full name and the number one. She simply looked back at my paper who was just the same as her. She made face at my blank paper and I almost kicked her feet with my heeled shoes.

I fakely coughed softly and sit straight after Ms. De Guzman repeated the question in number one. She glares at me so I just looked confidently at her. I tapped my pen on my blank paper as if I have already answered her question.

When her eyes leave mine, I immediately bow my head and looked at May's paper. She moved it closer to me while she became the lookout for Ms. De Guzman. I read her answer in a second before writing it down and smile as if nothing happened. Anika tapped my feet with her shoes so I moved my paper closer to her.

I think Ms. De Guzman was just mad and disappointed at my group of friends because we're always the header of the morning routine of the students here. They keep on updated on what's happening to me and my friends. And since the teachers just heard that we're partying till midnight, they picked us by using surprise quizzes.

It was kinda good, but I hate it when they require us to study even at our home. I study when it was examination week and announced quiz but with surprise quiz like this? I'll definitely just copy answers from my friends. Right or wrong, the good part was I have answers right?

When she start to walk around the room, it gets harder to copy from May's paper. Especially when we reached item number five, she literally stand on our row. I was kinda getting annoyed now that I only have three answer. Two of them was from May and the other one wss from Anika.

I was readying myself to pass the paper blankly than getting caught cheating. That will be horrible especially they will call my parents, or worse my brother. But luckily, someone from the door called Ms. De Guzman.

"Who is it?" she looks at the door with her scrunched face but it lighten up when she saw someone, "Oh my! I thought you cannit make it, son."

Son? As if he was her son. Some of my classmates giggles when they saw the excitement on our strict teacher's face. Ms. De Guzman glares at them to make them stop.

"All papers must be on my table before I go back," she instruc ted before walking to the door.

I quickly glanced at the door. I saw someone wearing a white laboratory gown before Ms. De Guzman closed the door. I quickly read May's answer and wrote it down. Because of that, we were saved.