VII

BRIE BOMBARDED LAIA WITH ALMOST FIFTY MESSAGES THE MOMENT THE GIRL ARRIVED AT HER HOUSE.

Laia's stomach was still grumbling from missing dinner, but she ignores it and opted to go to sleep instead.

However, since tossing and turning wasn't considered sleeping, Laia decided to just sit up from her resting position and grabbed one of the textbooks from her bag, and started studying.

She'd probably fall asleep a few minutes later.

Spoiler alert, she did not.

Laia narrows her eyes upon seeing the already rising sun on her window and groaned in frustration. Of course, she just had to stay awake for an entire night. How the hell is she supposed to focus on her classes for the day?

Closing the fourth textbook she studied on, she placed all her textbooks back in her bag and stood up from her bed. She stretched her arms and lets out a yawn before a knock interrupted her solace.

Her mother peeked inside, smiling upon seeing how her daughter was already awake. "Oh, you're awake!" The woman quickly notices how her daughter's bed still had a few pencils and papers here and there. Her smile was replaced by a frown. "Did you not sleep again? Laia--"

Laia turned around, starting to place the pencils and the notes she made inside a folder before facing her mother again. "I tried mom," She sighs. "Well, at least I studied a lot?"

Her mother shakes her head. "Honey, you know that's not healthy at all," The woman closes the door and leaves.

The girl wanted nothing else to argue further, but knowing that her mother would never listen to her reasons, she'd rather not. She lets out a groan as she noticed how some of her notes ended up being crumpled.

Nevertheless, she continues making her bed until she deemed it presentable. Well, presentable enough. She brings her bag with her and walks towards the dining room, where she can see her mother cooking in the kitchen.

Laia places her bag on the chair where she sat and walked towards the bathroom to take a quick shower. Thankfully, her mother had already placed her uniform there ahead of time. It would be simply too exhausting to walk back to her room just to grab her uniform.

Ten minutes later, the girl's mother calls her over to eat. Breakfast was quick as it always was, and after washing the dishes the girl walks to where her bike was. True that the university might be quite (very) far, but it was better than having to spend extra just to ride a taxi or the bus.

Biding her mother goodbye, Laia rode her bicycle and started her everyday journey to school. She was sweating buckets as she arrived, her hand immediately reaching for the towel she placed inside her bag so she can start wiping her sweat off.

The girl cools down by the entrance hall. The only great thing about this damned university is that it's fully airconditioned, Laia thinks, as she fans herself with one of her notebooks to help cool her down quicker.

She continues doing this until she deemed herself cooled down enough and she makes her way to where the flag ceremony was being held. She straight away spots Brie, who spots her as well, and started waving her over. Jake was beside her, who smiles when he sees Laia.

As she arrived on her friend's side, Laia scans the surroundings to see if the asshat may appear out of nowhere and start spouting nonsense thus irritating her again. If only she can punch the asshat again without anybody rushing to his aid and claiming that Laia has finally gone mad.

Not that she didn't already had a reputation for punching people randomly. Maybe she can punch the asshole again just enough to crack a few of the asshat's perfect teeth and not get summoned to the principal's office?

Nah. Not good for her reputation and her future college applications.

"Why did you leave yesterday?!" Brie pouts as she glares at her friend. "I ordered your favorite food!"

Laia looks at Jake, waiting and implying for him to explain. The boy was quick to understand and spoke instead. "Samuel was being an asshole yesterday," Not that the asshat wasn't an asshole every day. "Laia decided to leave to avoid a fight."

Brie's caramel eyes widened. "What?! How dare him," The girl scans her surroundings just as how Laia did earlier. "I will teach him a lesson! No one is allowed to be rude to my best friend except me!"

Not that Brie has ever been rude to Laia. "Don't worry about it," It may be true that Laia wanted Brie to teach the asshat a lesson, but she didn't want her friend to cause a scene so early in the morning. "I'm already used to some assholes thinking they're better than me just because their pockets are overflowing with cash,"

Jake looks at Laia with sympathy in his eyes as he places his hand on her shoulder. "You shouldn't be," Brie nods in agreement at her boyfriend's side. "No one is allowed to look down at another person just because they are richer or have more influence."

"My baby is right!" Brie nods again, this time more aggressive than earlier that Laia was a bit terrified her friend might get a headache. "Anyway, even if you tell me not to I will still beat his ass--"

"Beat whose ass?"

Of course, Laia just can't seem to take a break from seeing the asshat. It's almost as if her days wouldn't be complete if a certain asshole didn't appear from out of thin air. Certain asshole that currently had his hands crossed behind his head as he confidently strides towards the three as if he was in a fashion show.

A fashion show for people who liked their models conceited and narcissistic. Definitely a show Laia won't be attending.

Brie glares at the boy who arrived and stood beside Jake. "Why were you rude to Laia yesterday Sammy?!"

The boy had the audacity to look at Laia with an annoyed expression. "You really had to tell her, huh?"

Laia smiles at him despite wanting to choke him to death. Maybe she just should, to hell with the college applications. "Even if I don't tell her, she will soon realize how much of an asshole you are so don't even bother hiding your disgusting stench,"

Asshat raises an eyebrow. "This stench is Tom Ford," He laughs. "Not that you'd hear of it."

Brie hits him in the shoulder with her bag. "Take that back! Don't talk to Laia like that!"

"I'm just saying the truth," He even had the audacity to shrug innocently and turn to Laia. "Didn't I, Lopez?"

"Apologies for not knowing any of those perfume brands," Laia curtsied mockingly. "But no matter how expensive they are, just like I said, nothing is enough to cover up your bad attitude."

The asshole stares at Laia for a while and lets out another annoying laugh of his. He ran his fingers through his hair. "You never fail to amuse me, Lopez,"

Laia turned away from the asshole and decided to properly line up. It's not worth it to continue talking to the asshole. Every conversation of theirs only makes Laia lose more of her essential brain cells for the remaining days of high school and college.

The flag ceremony was long. It was already long with how many songs they had to sing and was even longer when the principal and the staff decided to announce that there would an event next month.

Not that Laia was interested. She only cared if the announcements were about the date of the exams or another quiz bee on where she would be picked and she would have to study for the rest of the week again.

She didn't mind of course. The girl genuinely loved studying especially if the topics were easy for her to understand. And of course, if it is anything related to mathematics.

Brie entangles her hand with Laia's as they made their way towards their first class. Jake was following them from behind, carrying Brie's bag.

The asshole was nowhere to be seen, and Laia was thankful for at least a few minutes of not having to breathe the same air as him.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long as the moment Laia sat down on her chair the asshole appeared with a girl beside him and the two started flirting shamelessly.

Laia was genuinely shocked. Somebody could actually bear talking to the asshat for more than a minute?

Upon reaching his seat, the asshole whispered something on the girl he was with. She giggles and then walks towards her seat, of course not before giggling again as the asshat winked at her.

Laia rolls her eyes. She was about to take the notes she had for this class but the exhaustion from not sleeping again last night had already caught up with the girl as she slowly felt her head tilting down and her eyes closing.

Oh hell no, she thinks as she reaches for the can of coffee inside her bag. Fortunately, their adviser was in no hurry to arrive and Laia was able to drink the entire contents of the can. She walks towards the corner of their classroom where the trash can was and threw the can before returning to her seat, sighing as she massaged her temples.

Looks like today will be another exhausting day.