8th July

Friday.

What's a fish's least favourite day? Fry-day. Geez, it sure feels hot, doesn't it? Feels like I'm being fried alive.

What do you call a deer with no eye?

I have no eye-deer.

The last one wasn't a joke about Friday, but I'm just gonna move on from here.

It's Friday, and therefore the last weekday of my suspension, allegedly. Who knows? Maybe when I go back to school, I might get immediately suspended again. Actually, that could be rather funny, if you ask me.

So, wanna hear a joke?

I made a few jokes just now, but those were just jokes I searched up online. Now for my completely original joke that has never before been seen. If you happen to have already seen it, I have nothing to say to you.

What's the difference between being nowhere and being now here? A space.

Get it?

Anyways, let's move on with my day, shall we?

You see, I don't think I've mentioned it before, but I do keep something like a diary around. My memory isn't that great, so I gotta write the stuff that happens down. Let's see… what happened last Friday?

Right, I went to school last Friday. Can't relate.

I got out of my bed, this time not feeling as bad as I normally did. Instead of heading for the washroom, I picked up my diary which was left beside my head. Putting on my glasses, I started to read what happened last Friday.

Let's see…

Woke up as per usual. Had breakfast and went to school. Oh yeah, I called Candace a piece of shit in front of my Homeroom teacher and the rest of the class. I distinctly remember eating a piece of sour candy from my Homeroom teacher's bowl of candy.

…

Was that all I did last Friday? I just went to school? Like, nothing else happened? Where's the Drama? Where's the action? Did no one try to throw a punch at me?

Seriously? I'm disappointed.

Whatever, today's Friday again, and I'm determined not to make it as boring as last Friday. So I'll start my day off by throwing myself off my bed.

"Ow," I groaned, my face on the cold floor.

It's kind of comfortable, really. I lifted my body up with some difficulty. Sitting on the ground, I just stared at my door. I won't describe my expression to y'all, you people can just imagine what I could possibly be emoting at the moment.

Alone, in my room.

I think Mom and Fable already left.

Bad news though. I have to go on a family outing on Sunday. To an amusement park? Really? An amusement park? What? Do you want me to go there and pretend to scream on the rides or something?

Don't get me wrong, I love my family. I love my Mom. She's the most important person to me in the entire world. I would trade my life for hers.

I just don't like going to places. Especially the amusement park.

On the floor, I hugged my knees and started humming softly to myself. "Down on your knees before the queen…"

After a couple of minutes, I got onto my feet and headed toward the washroom. There, I stared at myself. Black eyes, a smile. My eyes shined, I think. I found out how to do it recently, and it's been pretty helpful.

Routine done. Onto my day.

So, on today's list of things to do, I don't actually have much to do.

Huh.

Then how do I make it interesting?

Sure, I'll be visiting Chloe again, but what do I do for the rest of the day?

Wait wait wait.

What the frick do I do now then? I don't have friends, and even if I did, they would all be in school. The only friend I have is Catherine, but there's no way she'll be able to get me to her University at this time. Besides, it's not like we're BFFs or anything. Yet.

Uhhhhh…

I could study. Or…

I could watch TV!

Growing up, I rarely ever got a chance to watch television. Mom always warned me against them, but who cares? I'm already short-sighted, it's not like I can get any worse. It might even be better if I just became blind.

Do people still watch television? Like, actual channels?

Whatever. The only person in the house is my dad, and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind me watching TV.

The first channel that popped up was a documentary on cows. Moo.

I stared at the screen for a few seconds before realising that the TV was on mute. But by that point, I just switched to the next channel without unmuting. Appreciate cows all you like, all I know is that they make killer steaks and have killer farts. And milk. Yep. Milk is pretty good. Gives us ice cream and stuff while also being the nightmare of lactose-intolerant people.

Reality TV.

It has got to be one of the fakest realities I've ever seen. There is no freaking way you can document someone's daily life without it getting stale at some point. Like seriously. I'm living my own life, and I'm already starting to get bored.

"Welcome everybody to our brand new home!"

"I am so excited!"

"We have three bedrooms. One for me and my wife. The other two are for our two lovely children. Kids, say hello."

"Hi! I'm Jake."

"Hello, I'm Angie."

"We've spent months renovating our home, now we have a lovely two-storey home. There's a front yard and a dog house for our dog, Kev. Let's head down to the kitchen, shall we? Here, we set up a modern kitchen with electric stoves, a dishwasher and an oven built into the shelves. We love baking, so this is definitely a must."

"In our backyard, we have a simple area where our kids can play. There's a swing set and an inflatable pool we can use when summer rolls around. There's also a dog house for Kev to sleep in if he feels like it."

"Haha, Kev will probably sleep in our room anyway."

"True that! He never changes."

"Here we have a grill to have a barbecue on. We'll probably have a family barbecue every week, so this is a must as well."

"Next, we can go look at the basement! There isn't much there, but we do store stuff inside. It includes our family's most valuable possession; a vase passed down through generations. If this baby were to ever get destroyed, we'll have to pray to our ancestors. Haha."

"But the best part about the basement is the theatre setup we have installed to allow for better movie viewing in our family. Movie nights on Saturday, no exceptions."

"Hi, I'm Jake, wanna look around my room? I have a basketball poster of Lebron James, he's my favourite player! I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and Ja Morant, but Dad won't let me buy all their posters."

"You wanted everything the last time we went. Haha."

"But still! Anyways, this is my bed. Then there's my basketball. I got a closet for all my clothes and shoes, and also a shelf to keep all my stuff."

"Jake shut up, I wanna talk."

"No, you shut up."

"Jake, let your sister show her room."

"Okay…"

Pause… gotta drink some water… All done.

"Hi, I'm Angie, and I'm gonna show you all my room! I have figurines of some idols I like. Then I have posters of them. My favourite is the one of BIGBANG! Aren't they so handsome? I wish I could marry someone like them."

"Unfair! Angie has more posters than me!"

"Jake, you couldn't make up your mind the last time we went shopping."

"Still!"

"Shush Jake, I'm showing off my room! As I was saying, the walls are pink cause pink is my favourite colour. I also have a DVD player to play all the songs I love!"

"Alright, let's continue with the rest of the house first, okay? Jake, Angie, stop fighting please."

"Okay, Dad."

"Okay, Dad."

"Please, follow me for a moment. This is the room where my wife and I will be in. There's a nice King-sized bed and a closet for our clothes. There's an attached bathroom as well. The curtains and walls are white, it really gives off a gentle feeling, huh? Besides that, there's not much else."

"Dad! Mom cut her finger!"

"What? Jake, is that true?"

"Yeah. Mom was trying to cut some apples for us, but accidentally cut her finger."

"I gotta hurry. Honey, are you okay?"

"Nothing to worry about, just a little scratch. There's no need to overreact. Did you run here?"

"Yeah. And I'm- huh- a little out of breath. Do you need a bandaid?"

"Yes, I do need one. Thank you, sweetie."

I heard a door open behind me, so I turned around. Dad had left his room, dressed in his pyjamas. I made sure my smile was up before I turned around. I smiled and waved at him, saying, "You're up early."

"Jesus, I was wondering what was going on here," He sighed, walking closer to the couch. "So you were watching TV?"

"Yeah."

He stared at the screen, the reality TV show continuing its run. He asked, "Is it muted? Why can't I hear a thing?"

"Oh right, it was muted," I laughed. "My bad."

"I'm pretty sure I heard voices just now," He said, sitting on the couch as well.

I shrugged and let the TV play, still muted. "That was me. Impressive, innit? I've been trying to do different voices, so I've been practising. Did my male voice sound convincing enough?"

"Not quite there yet, but very impressive."

Well, what does he expect me to do? Continue voicing the entire thing? I told dad, "You should probably go back to sleep. You wouldn't want to be caught sleeping on the job, would you?"

"I wouldn't," He agreed.

There was a pause. What is this guy thinking about now? He told me, "I just wanted to talk to you about Fable's birthday. It's next Saturday, so I was wondering if you could help get him a gift."

"Fable's birthday?" I rubbed my cheek. "That's very interesting. Finally turning eighteen, huh?"

The legal drinking age and the legal age for any lewd acts is 16, so it's not like we couldn't drink or anything like that. However, our parents made a rule that none of that shit is tolerated until we turn 18. You know what they say, the rule of the house is the law. Though there was that one incident…

"Why not let him drink again?" I asked jokingly.

"You know he can't hold his liquor," He sighed.

"Just like his old man."

I managed to get a light laugh out of him before his laugh slowed to a nod. He continued, "I was thinking of having a celebration here. I was also thinking of inviting his girlfriend over to celebrate his birthday with him."

"He'll definitely appreciate that," I agreed.

"Will it be okay with you?" He asked me.

"Why are you asking me?" I laughed. "Isn't this Fable's birthday celebration?"

"But we have to celebrate together as a family."

As a family.

"Honestly, I'd rather not show my face to outsiders when I'm at home," I told him. "So if you're inviting people over, I'm gonna lock myself in my room the entire time. Don't worry though, go for it, have a blast."

"Then we can arrange it elsewhere."

I put my hand up, stopping him. I said slowly, "It's not about me, it's about Fable. You should focus on what Fable would want. How about we ask him for his opinion?"

He visibly gave up.

"Oh yeah, the amusement park outing we're having this Sunday," I changed the topic. "Who came up with that idea?"

"Your mother."

"Makes sense, she always wanted to visit the amusement park," I nodded. "Great chance for Mom to have tons of fun."

"---, this is also for you to have fun," Dad stated.

"What if I don't find the amusement park fun?" I asked. "What if I would rather go somewhere like a museum?"

"Then we can change the plan."

"No no," I shook my head. "Let's go to the amusement park."

"Are you sure?"

"Does Mom want to go?"

"She seems excited about it."

"Then I'll go."

Before he could add on to whatever he was saying, I stood up and turned the television off. While making my way to my room, I told dad, "You really need to go back to sleep. If you get fired from your job, we're all screwed."

"You're right…" He sighed, going back to his room.

You know, sometimes I wonder if I have another younger sibling on the way. But then I realise how old I am. But then again, my Mom ain't that old either. Isn't she, like, 34 years old or something? I can't remember clearly.

In my room, nothing else to do. Maybe I shouldn't have watched TV.

Well, time to study, for now.

Let me see… Chemistry it is.

Time skip a couple of hours.

Hi, I just realised I haven't had breakfast yet, and it's almost time for lunch. You can't blame me, surely y'all would have done something similar too. What's for brunch? I thought about making something at home until my own inability in the art of cooking dawned upon me. Yeah, I can't do that whole cooking thing.

So instead, I left the house rather quickly with my wallet and phone.

I was in a rush, okay? After getting to the lift, I realised how bad my choice of clothing had been. I was wearing shorts of all things. Plus, it was a little shorter than what I feel comfortable wearing. I wore a random shirt I found in my closet.

The shirt I like, cause it has a picture of a cartoon T-rex with boxing gloves. The shirt also had the text 'Fite me', which I found adorable.

Whatever, going back would be far too troublesome, I just gotta go with the flow and go have a meal. Wonder where is a good place to eat?

Ding.

Elevator is here.

Inside, there was a grandma carrying a couple of empty bags. I stepped in. I was fidgeting quite a bit because of my pants.

"Where are you headed to?" The granny asked out of the blue.

"Just to have a meal," I replied.

"Oh," She said. "I know a good place nearby. The cafe is just one block down. It's rather obscure, but the pasta there is to die for."

She chuckled and continued, "I used to go there with my son all the time. But recently, he's been growing distant. I suppose that's what being in his rebellious phase brings about…"

"Thanks for the suggestion, granny," I thanked her. "Where are you headed?"

"Oh, I'm going to the supermarket to buy some stuff," She told me. "My son's coming back from the military tonight, so I'm making him a warm meal to welcome him back."

"That's nice."

She beamed. "Nothing beats a warm meal with your family."

Ding.

"Yeah, you're right," I agreed, walking in front of her. "Well, bye, granny."

That's weird, my eyes started getting watery. Did I yawn or something?

Whatever, probably had one of those soft yawns.

Ever wonder why yawning makes you tear up? Now that the question's in my head, I don't have a choice but to search it up online later today. Dammit.

Now, about this cafe…

Took me a minute or so to search for it on a map. Turns out, it really wasn't that far. How the heck have I not been there before?

Upon entering, I was instantly hit with a wave of coffee aroma. There weren't too many people around, one of the perks about going on a weekday afternoon. I sat down at one of the window seats where I could just watch people walk by. Looking at the menu, the things don't seem all too expensive.

Hm…

Maybe something nice like Carbonara.

I glanced around. There weren't any waiters or waitresses at the cafe, just the people working behind the counter and some who were cleaning up stuff. I walked over to the counter to place my order.

"Hello, could I get a carbonara and a glass of water?" I ordered.

"Of course. What kind of carbonara would you like?" The lady at the counter asked. "We have chicken, turkey, bacon, vegetarian and the house special."

"What's the house special?"

The lady leaned closer to me and said softly, "It's spicy."

I nodded and replied, "Then I'll have a chicken one. I can't handle my spice that well. Maybe next time I'll try the house special."

"Of course! Thank you."

She passed me my receipt, also asking, "Could I have your name?"

"---," I told her.

"Alright, we'll call your name when the food is ready."

I went back to my seat. While waiting, I just stared out the window. People went about their everyday life, walking by me. Sometimes I wonder, would someone turn their head differently at any moment in their life cause a different outcome?

If someone turned to look into the cafe and saw me, would their lives be altered even a little? Or would everything just be the same? Makes you wonder about certain friends. If you never became their friend, would you still be the same person?

Don't mind me, just a random thought.

You know, I've been thinking about what I wanted to do when I grow up. I thought about becoming a teacher, but needing to handle more than one kid at a time sounds way too tiring. Another job I thought about was becoming a businesswoman, but I don't think I'm smart enough to do that.

A normal office job seems to be what my life is headed toward, and I cannot for the life of me imagine doing it.

I once thought about going back to Kaster's and maybe working there, but I don't think I will. No… I just don't want to.

"---!" Someone called.

Way to interrupt a train of thought. Anyways, my food's ready. I went over and picked up my food on a tray. I balanced it all the way to my seat. First, a sip of water, and then I started eating.

Is this the first time I've had a meal outside alone?

I don't remember, but it's quite relaxing. No one around me to make noise, a calm atmosphere, and a relatively nice view. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Drip drip drip.

Rain, rain, come again

Go away some other day

I want to stay inside and play

Go away some other day.

Maybe the first sign of rain in a while. The weather forecast had been predicting less rain this July, so I hadn't brought an umbrella with me. I stared at the window, the rainwater splattering against the window.

I like the sound of raindrops. I also like watching rain flow down a window. It's calming and really lovely to look at. Also, people panicking and running to shelter is rather hilarious to me. Some got umbrellas. Those people just walked casually in the rain like the biggest bosses in the world.

The rain steadily got heavier.

Unfortunately for me, some of them ran into the cafe.

I heard voices, but I couldn't bother to turn my head to see the people walk in. Instead, I stared outside, kind of in a trance. Perhaps too much in a trance.

"Hey, you're that weirdo from school."

Fuck.

I turned to my right, making sure I was smiling. Right beside me, for whatever reason only God knows, is Mr Popular himself. In. The. Flesh.

He was wearing some rather fancy clothing too. A turtleneck.

He was staring at me. How long has he been there?

"Oh, you're that guy…" I replied, trying to remember his name.

"Otto," He helped.

"Right, Otto," I said. "Aren't you supposed to be in school right now?"

"It's a school holiday, didn't you know?" He laughed lightly, sitting beside me. "Founder's Day or something."

Then where the frick is Fable?

"Yeah, forgot that was a thing," I sighed.

"I haven't seen you around school recently," He commented. "Are you doing okay?"

Why am I not surprised? Also, what is he doing talking to me? Where's his usual gang of fangirls at? Oh right, we're not in school. Following him around in public would be considered a crime.

Otto seemed to have been caught in the rain. His hair was slightly wet.

"What a coincidence," Otto told me. "Didn't expect to meet anybody I knew here. Do you live around here?"

"Not too far away," I replied. "But whatcha doing here? I know it's a school break and all, but there isn't much around here."

He smiled. "I don't want to go to popular places. The people from our school flood those places."

"What? Don't like your schoolmates?" I joked around.

He laughed lightly. "It's not that. I just don't like having my alone time interrupted by people around me."

Hypocrite.

"Makes sense. Me too," I said. "But I guess you got it rougher since you got those fangirls following you all around the school. By the way, do you know if there are any guys in that group? Just curious."

"Don't think so."

We both laughed about it. Eventually, he asked me, "Sorry, I don't think I've caught your name."

"--- ----," I told him.

"Huh…" Otto rubbed his chin. "That's a nice name."

Don't flatter me.

"Where do you live?" I asked, just to create small talk.

"A couple of blocks down, not too far," He told me.

The rain was really starting to pick up outside. Otto stared out the window, saying, "It's raining rather heavily. I have an umbrella, but I'll stick around until the rain calms down a little more."

I nodded.

He glanced back. "I guess I'll order some food. Be right back."

Please, take your time. Maybe take so much time that the rain dies and I can leave. I finished up my Carbonara before he could finish placing his order. Not long after, I received a text from my dad.

'Are you out in the rain? Do you need me to pick you up?'

I don't know how to say this to you, dad, but I kinda don't know where I am exactly. Normally I would take this opportunity, but after thinking about it, I believe a brand new opportunity may arise.

Otto sat beside me, a receipt in hand. He sat facing the counter, his back to the window.

I texted back 'No need. I'll be home when the rain dies.'

A wise man once said that to win in life is to take every opportunity given to you. I don't know who said it and don't quote me on that.

"What did you get?" I asked him.

"A slice of pizza," He replied, still looking at the counter. "I've never eaten at this place before. Do you know if the pizza here is good?"

"No clue, first time here too," I shrugged.

He laughed. "That makes the two of us."

"Otto!" The counter lady called out.

Otto hopped off his seat and fetched his pizza. He returned, setting the plate of a slice of pizza down. There was steam coming off of it. Beside it, was a fancy jar glass thing filled with milk tea. There was a straw sticking out of it.

"This looks hot," He said softly.

"Kinky," I joked.

He turned his face toward me, giving me a look that could only be described as 'What the f-'. I chuckled and waved my comment aside, apologising, "Sorry, couldn't help myself. Tell me if the pizza's nice. Maybe I'll get some for myself next time."

"Sure."

He took a bite of the pizza. The rain still isn't letting up. Was this the result of days of pent-up aggression?

"How's it going with you and Candace?"

Otto momentarily choked on his food. He set down what was left of the pizza and had a sip of milk tea. He cleared his throat, his eyes looking like he was ready to run away. He asked me, "What about me and Candace?"

"Well, you know that day at the cafeteria after I left your table," I explained the situation to him. "I heard Candace approach you very… strongly, to say the least."

He shook his head. "There's nothing between us."

"Even though Candace clearly has a crush on you?" I pursued. "I would know. I'm in the same class as her, you know? Besides, I've heard her talking about you before, and she is absolutely lovestruck."

Otto sighed. "Even if Candace likes me that way, I don't even find her attractive. Like, not in an offensive way. Sure, people can consider her beautiful, but her looks and attitude all don't appeal to me."

I'm surprised that of all people, he's the one with common sense.

"Besides, she's only after me so that she can get more clout," He grumbled. "I haven't been able to get into a lasting relationship for three years because she keeps bullying and threatening the girls I date."

"Wait, really? How did you know Candace before Highschool then?"

That's interesting.

"We were in the same Middle school," He explained. "I briefly dated Candace for a week before we broke up because of my parents. Since then, she hasn't stopped pestering me. I know my parents are rich, but it's blatantly obvious that she's after me for money and clout."

Dear Candace. I highly doubt that any real emotion is involved, but if what I think is happening is true, this is going to be so much more fun!

Otto sighed, telling me, "So yeah, I'm not dating Candace and I don't think I ever will date her again."

"I'm not gonna tell Candace that you told me what you did," I assured him, but he doesn't seem to care much about it.

Dang, blackmail is out the window.

"So what? Me and you, bro to bro," I started joking around. "Anyone caught your eye in school? Maybe the captain of the Cheerleading Club?"

"First of all, 'bro'?" Otto raised an eyebrow.

"'Bro' is a very inclusive term," I explained myself. "But seriously, you got that whole group of followers, someone must have caught your eye. Tell me, and maybe I can help hook you up with them."

"Okay, secondly, I do have someone I'm interested in," He continued. "But I don't see how you can help hook me up with someone."

"I don't know, blackmail, bribery, light hypnotism," I shrugged. "Or just give little hints so that they'll get closer to you. You have no idea how many people are willing to throw themselves at you."

"So you're telling me that as long as I confess, I'll succeed?" He asked.

"I mean, yeah?"

You see, hooking Otto up with someone would automatically ruin Candace's day. The day she finds out her long-time crush is hooked up, she would surely be affected. Therefore, Lokesh can keep his creepy relationship intact and I get to see Candace being all emo for a day or two before she decides to kill Otto's new girlfriend.

Oh… maybe a little bit of encouragement can help push both of them over the top?

The only question is; do I want to see Candace murdered or do I want to see Candace commit the murder?

If Candace gets murdered, that would be the end of that, and that's boring. If I get to see her go to court and maybe go to jail, that would be even better. But if she gets out using the mental health excuse, man, the people around her will not let her hear the end of it. Especially me.

"Go for it, champ," I told Otto, lightly punching his shoulder.

Otto sipped his drink, his food still left half-eaten. He asked me, "Is there a reason for why you made your hair green?"

"Oh, I just felt like it."

"Felt like it?"

"I mean, if other people in school can get away with it, I don't see why I can't, you know?" I explained my flawless logic to him. "The only reason teachers are on my ass about this is because the colour I chose is a little brighter than others."

"The thing is…" Otto inhaled. "Recently, I've been seeing people dye their hair too."

"Copyright?"

"No one dyed green though," He assured me. "Just in case you were wondering. I mean, green is just a bad colour to dye your hair."

"I like the colour."

Otto smiled. He continued, "I think I saw someone with orange. Maybe one with yellow? I know people are getting more daring with what colour they can dye their hair. The teachers are going through hell because of that."

"That's fun. We can assemble the rainbow."

"Did you not know about this?"

"How would I know? I've been suspended since Monday," I told him bluntly. "I got into a little squabble with Candace. By the way, you should read the testimony I wrote regarding the situation. I think I did a pretty good job at it."

"I didn't know about this," His eyebrows furrowed. "No wonder I haven't seen you around in school. I just assumed you were sick."

"Clearly not sick," I looked at myself. "I'll probably be back next Monday though."

"Try not to get suspended again, huh?"

"Who knows?"

The rain was getting lighter. Otto finished his food before offering an offer. Wait, I just used 'offer' twice. I've got to stop that.

"You don't have an umbrella, right?" He offered. "How about we share mine? You don't live too far away, right?"

"There's a sheltered area all the way to my place," I told him. "I just need a little help to get to get to a nearby shelter."

"I'll help you out."

We both got up and left the cafe. Otto pulled an umbrella out of his sling bag thing? Whatever, the point is, he pulled out an umbrella. He opened it, and we were on our way. Let me just say, a terrible decision to share. The umbrella isn't that big, and it's making both our shoulders wet.

"Do this with that girl you're crushing on," I told him, laughing lightly. "She'll surely fall for you."

He shook his head but was smiling though.

We stopped at a sheltered area where I would be able to get home. He shrugged. "Bye, I guess? See you next Monday."

"Don't speak to me in school though," I warned him. "I don't want all your fangirls to rip me to shreds on my first day back."

He chuckled and waved me off.

I feel sick and tired. How long had Otto been there before he called out my name?

Whatever, I gotta go visit Chloe. But I'm tired, so I can't bother trying to describe my time with her anymore.

Highlights!

I got her some Milk chocolates with almonds in them. Almonds are probably my second favourite nuts, right after regular old peanuts. I played some Monopoly with her, and if you know anything about that game, you know that it lasted a long, long time.

Home. I'm tired.

After dinner, I read through my diary one more time. Luckily for me, I remembered something really important! The convenience store where I first met Catherine. If I go there again, surely I'll be able to meet with Catherine again.

Enough talking. I gotta sleep early and prep for the next day!

Itinerary for tomorrow; I wanna meet up with Catherine and maybe pay a visit to Chloe. Right… I also have to speak with Doctor Lisa. Do you remember Doctor Lisa?

Go to sleep, go to sleep…

Hit the sack early. Peace!