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(Rorim's POV)

"Did he do that?" Zen asked in concern, seated across the table eating his meat bun.

I rinsed my mouth and asked, "Do you think wearing glasses will hide it?"

"No. And you're averting the question." His eyes squinted, his expression annoyed.

"I was watching a tragic anime." Lies. "I need something to cover this up." Not that I ever bothered about what I looked like, I just knew that walking to school in this situation would draw funny questions from the group and other acquaintances, just like what Zen did just now. That one was what I didn't like. Hence, my desperation to cover this burden.

Zen finished the last of his bun when he stood up and went to the fridge, took out the ice pack and handed it to me. Dubious, I grabbed it and held it to my eye. "So, what's his name?"

Rolling my eyes, I switched the pack to the other. "Who?"

"The one we saw a night ago."

"Are you gushing over him? I warn you right now, he's not worth it."

Zen rolled his eyes this time and went to the living room. "I prefer your visuals over his, and I don't share from taken crushes."

That remark made me scoff. "Who has a crush on who?"

He smirked. "You can fool yourself but you can't fool me." He muttered, petting Caramel on the couch.

Nonchalant, I stayed there for a while, swapping the ice pack from one eye whenever the other numbed. I went up to my room and fixed my bag when I saw Norman's note on my table. I remembered last night and wondered if he would be absent today as well. I would prefer if he was, that would mean less eyes to ogle on my eyes.

Heaving my bag over my shoulder, I skipped to the stairs and returned the ice pack to the fridge (after washing it, of course). With a little pet to the cats, I bid Zen goodbye and stepped out the door. After also bidding Gilbert goodbye, I went off to school.

On the way, I spent my time walking and thinking. Where to even start? To say that everything about last night, from spending time with Norman to reading his paper, didn't faze me would be a lie. A cruel lie. Based on his writing, he clearly feels differently about me. But how should I feel about it? What should I feel? All this time I have been earning my hate, gripping on my bitterness of the past and everything that caused it. Am I just to cast away all these feelings piled up inside me? For a measly writing? Was that enough to change the trajectory of my life again? After all the trauma I have been through? How is that fair? I was now stuck, confused. I needed answers.

"We're in too deep huh?"

I turned and found Gillian standing next to me. "Hey. Since when did you get here?" I scooted inward, closer to the window to make space for him. He sat, placing his bag to his thighs. What a coincidence..

"Just a stop ago. You?"

"Further back. My place goes before the bridge."

He nodded. "So, what are we thinking?" he asked, half-concern, half curious.

If I asked him, what kind of advice would he give me? Gillian might know more than I do. "I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

Here goes nothing. "How do you trigger a paradox? To prove something to yourself."

His lips puckered and eyebrows raised. "Wow, okay. Wait, let me absorb that first, it's the first time I've ever heard someone ask something like that." He brought his hands to his temples, mouthing 'wow'.

"You're reacting too much." I smirked, partly embarrassed.

He waved his hands before him, incredulous. "You don't know how that blew my mind. It's not even 'how do you prove yourself wrong or right'. No, you mentioned paradox, which makes it even better. Lucky you, I'm a genius."

This confidence? I might have been correct about him after all. "I'll be the judge of that."

He clapped. "I have questions to ask first."

"Okay?"

"First off, is this towards a person or an occurrence?"

"Person."

"Alright, do you know this person well?"

"I think so." Maybe even more than you but who knows in this life really.

"What are you trying to prove then?"

"That I'm right. That whatever I have in mind, they're bound to do it."

Gillian nodded. "Alright. That's vague, no problem. Now, last question and this is important. Is this a one time thing you're trying to prove or does it need to be long term? Because people are both unpredictable and not, or at least doing it once is not enough to prove your point."

He has a point. "I'm not sure. I want to prove myself correct for most of it."

"I see. Then I think you should test this person. Everything you know that they would react to or would do, give them a situation where you expect them to do what they usually do. And if they do or react otherwise, then there you go." He clutched his bag, preparing to stand.

I did the same, bag to my shoulder. "Even if that test might hurt them?"

"Mmmmaybe not to that extent. Unless that's your intention?" We both stood up and got off the bus.

The moment I stepped on the ground, an idea came to me. Grabbing my phone from my bag pocket, I started texting. "You're a genius, Gillian." I hit send and started walking.

"I know. See you at lunch." He waved and headed the other direction.

"See you genius!" I exclaimed when he already got far and brisked to my room.

If he isn't the same in this life, I can just trigger it.

......

"You didn't text me last night at all!" whined Sam as we gathered in the cafeteria, her arms on my waist.

I blinked, totally forgetting about it. "I'm sorry.."

"Not accepting that. I need compensation for staying up all night and worrying."

"Yeah? What kind?"

We were next in line on the food counter and I grabbed the three of us some trays, handing one to each of them.

"Not including me?"

I followed the voice and caught Norman behind Gillian, his usual smile plastered on his face.

"Great, charming is back." Sam grumbled, eyes rolling.

"Get your own." I told him as I moved on, serving food for myself.

I was about to pay when Felix and AD approached me, their faces expectant. I nodded to them and turned to Sam. "I'll join you guys after. Save me a seat." Hesitant, she nodded and we paid for our food.

"Are you sure about this Rorim?" asked Felix, face serious. "If we do this, we're not holding back." Holding my tray, I stood before the two of them, next to a column.

AD searched my eyes for reluctance but I was more than eager. "I'm sure that's why I'm trusting you with this. If anything, I need the assurance that you will pull this off, no matter what it takes. Everything should go as planned."

AD and Felix exchanged nods. "We got this. We'll wait for your cue." AD smirked and tapped Felix's shoulder. We parted ways then, them to their table and me back to my own.

"What's the name of pixie hair?" Sam interviewed the moment I sat, her eyes looking from afar.

I took a spoonful of miso soup and held it out to Sam, distracting her. "AD."

Sam sipped from it and grabbed her spoon from my hand. "AD as in after dark? 'Cause that would make sense." She was probably referring to AD's dark make-up, all-black outfit.

Gillian snorted from his seat, choking.

"Adeline." Norman answered, which surprised me because he knew. He doesn't know anything does he?

"How did you know?"

"We're classmates in one class." He ate his pizza while watching me. "I overheard her talk about sappy, sapphic stories once."

"Explains the ogling at my Rorim." Sam crossed her arms.

I was on my last bite of corn when I cleared my throat. "Norman."

He raised his head up and looked. "Yeah?"

"Did you, perhaps, bring the bracelet?" Please tell me you brought it.

"Yeah. I was going to return it last night but I realized that I left it home. You'll get it now?" He grabbed his bag and opened it, searching from the pockets.

I looked back, eyeing for Felix and the rest until I found one of them. Good. Pretending to only rummage from my bag, I took out my hand wipes.

"Here." He opened his hand, the bracelet on his palm. I finished the corn from the cob and gave him my hand. Without complaints, he wore it on my wrist, the lock repaired with a shiny gold-stained fishhook, his finger colder than the charm touching on my skin. I watched his eyes focus on them, either on the bracelet or the fragile flesh under it. Which of those brought a tender glitter to his delicate, dull face?

"Thanks." I pulled my hand back and cleaned my hand with wet tissue, erasing the mark that his gaze left.

"Ro."

"Hmm?"

"I now know what kind of compensation I want from you." Sam clapped her hands, excited.

"Should I feel nervous?" Because I was.

Drumming her hand to the table, she hummed. "I wanna see your house."

That made me blink. No friend has ever been to that house. And not that these new friends were allowed but I don't know how I should exactly feel about this situation.

"There's nothing much to see though."

"There's you and there are my cats. That's all I need to see." Sam swang from side to side, giddy.

I pondered in silence for a while, considering. I should somehow take advantage of this situation, right? But how?

"I actually wanna see your house too." Gillian muttered, finished with his bulgogi. "We just rode the same bus this morning, I'm now curious about what kind of place you have."

I glanced at Norman and smirked. "Are you coming too? Don't you have important matters to attend to?" Go to your mom and tend to her.. while you still can.

"Yeah, I can't." He drank the last of his energy drink and tidied his tray.

To my side, Sam yanked my arm and shook it, her delight and excitement almost breaking my hand.

——————————-

That day became a memory as weeks passed. I have learned to try and continued to move on. And it was slow. Maybe it helped that I was a kid that it became easy to be distracted with new things. Yet even so, I didn't forget. I couldn't. I would be reminded when my eyes catch Ms. Hipher's door, or just seeing Ms. Hipher. I would feel haunted when Gale and I met eyes, and although seldom and by accident, I could feel my loathing gather to my throat, waiting to burst.

My days were filled with the same routine as before, and a bit of new additions like chores. Norman and I still stayed in the storage room in most of our free time. He helped me how to make the wreath, the flowers collected from outside of course and we would bring them with us. He taught me to play chess and when I knew, we challenged each other most of the time. Of course, the teacher was always the winner. Sometimes, when I get frustrated, he would go easy and allow me to win instead. When it came to chores, he would mess around first, especially when Ms. Hipher doesn't look, and I would respond back, messing more. Washing dishes became a bubble-making challenge. Wiping the floor became a fun race and speed-wiping contest. And so on. With Norman, everyday was more bearable and less boring.

It was a rainy afternoon when we sat on the door and watched the sky pour tears to the ground. The rain reminded me of when Norman first got here. It felt as if the day had happened long ago, years away.

"Norman?"

"Hmm?"

"You know when your birthday is right?"

"Yeah, February 18." He turned to me. "What about yours?"

"November 9. Ms. Hipher found me that day." The day my mother died because I was born was the same day Ms. Hipher found me.

From the corner of my eyes, Norman nodded. "How do you celebrate it?"

"Ms. Hipher buys one cake and makes me and the other kids with the same birthday blow it together. Then we'll eat it all together, one slice each kid. You?" It wasn't as precious since every month, it was the same cake flavor - chocolate.

"My favorite memory of my birthday was when I was three, when my mom took me to the zoo. I saw every kind of animal in every size, some were scary, some were cute. After that we shared ice-cream and she bought me a small cake with sprinkles. We ate them together. My mom was happy and I was there with her."

"Were there elephants? Rabbits? Owls?"

"Not just those. Every animal you can read and find in the books." He smiled, his gaze distant and sad.

"How about your last birthday?"

"That was when they took me here."

Oh.

He sighed and I mirrored. Somehow I wished that I didn't ask.

"Don't be sad. I like here more than there. So I don't feel bad." He gave me a sincere smile. "Plus, I made my very first friend. I never would have met you if they didn't give me away."

With a sad smile, I held his hand. I was also glad that he got here instead. I wouldn't have imagined the past days without him.

"Next year, let's celebrate your birthday." I let go and brought my hand to my knee, rubbing the cold.

"We should celebrate yours first."

"How?"

"I don't know. It's still far but we'll think of something."

I nodded, a bit hopeful. If it was with Norman, I didn't mind doing nothing.