Chapter 54 - Festival

Jay-Jay's POV

My bag is heavy! It's no longer filled with just a notebook—now, it's all lunch boxes. My pockets, Ci-N's pocket, David's pocket, and even Pisting Hari's pocket are stuffed full.

Maybe I should ask my brother for money to pay off this debt? But he might get angry. Never mind, I'll just buy a bigger bag to fit everything.

As I neared the corner, I spotted a familiar car. That arrogant-looking one—it belongs to that rich guy with blue eyes.

I wasn't wrong. Not far from the car, he was standing there, smoking.

"Hi!" he greeted me.

I just waved in response. I wasn't really in the mood to chat.

"Are you heading to school?" he asked.

Why is he up so early? This isn't like before. If only he spoke English.

"Yes..." I answered shortly.

"Need a ride?"

I immediately shook my head. I don't even know him well, so why would I get in his car? What if he's a kidnapper or something? Blue Eyes might be a rapist for all I know.

"Are you sure? You look like you're struggling with what you're carrying."

"It just looks that way… but I'm fine," I replied, quickly walking away.

What is that guy even doing here? Just standing around, smoking and wandering. Is he even a student?

He looks like an out-of-school youth.

I kept walking when suddenly I heard a car honking behind me. I turned around, startled, only to see that it was Rich Guy with Blue Eyes again.

I quickened my pace, but the car honked again and seemed to be following me.

I stopped, and the car also stopped. It really looked like I was being followed.

I turned to glare at the driver, ready to threaten him, but I froze when I saw who it actually was.

It was Yuri, driving his usual car.

The door opened, and Yuri stepped out. "I've been calling you for a while! What are you, deaf?" he asked, annoyed.

Damn! He looks ugly when he's mad. Even the girl from that one horror movie looks better than him.

"I thought it was..."

"Just get in the car," he ordered.

Oh well, since it's Yuri, I might as well. I opened the passenger door and got in.

Comfort!

I instantly felt relieved, free from the weight of my bag and the scorching heat.

"Hey, Yuri's getting fancy now… what are you doing in our neighborhood?" I asked.

He cleared his throat. "I… I just had something to do nearby," he answered.

"Really?"

"Y-Yeah..."

I just nodded. Yuri's acting weird. I noticed that he kept glancing at the side-view mirror.

"Someone's following us," he muttered, checking the mirror again.

I tried looking too, but I had no idea what I was supposed to be seeing.

Yuri suddenly sped up.

"Do you know them?" I asked, suddenly feeling worried.

What if I was the one being followed, and Yuri just got caught up in this? I just got in, and now I might be in trouble.

"No," Yuri answered briefly.

The car behind us sped up as well. Moments later, it overtook us, and I finally saw who was inside.

"Was that the guy following us?" I asked.

Yuri nodded.

Why would Blue Eyes follow us? Maybe that guy has nothing better to do with his life.

When we arrived at school, Yuri parked the car, and we both got out.

Damn, this is heavy!

"What's in your bag that's making you struggle so much?"

"David, Ci-N, and Keifer's lunch boxes," I answered.

"Why the hell are you carrying Keifer's too?"

Should I tell him it's because of my debt? He knows I borrowed money from Keifer.

"Be---"

"Because he wanted to," someone interrupted.

Yuri and I turned to see who it was. It was Keifer, and it looked like he had just arrived.

"No, no!" I corrected him. "…I'm paying off my debt, that's all."

"Debt?" Yuri asked.

Oh, right. He doesn't know yet. I already told this one.

"I'll explain it to you later," Keifer said before quickly heading toward our building.

Yuri and I followed. When we entered the room, everything was normal again. Ci-N was already messing around with our classmates.

"Hi, Jay!" they greeted me.

I smiled at them. See? We're a solid group. Maybe because of everything we've been through?

Or am I just being arrogant?

I sat in my seat, and Ci immediately came over, grinning at me.

"Do you have chocolate?" he asked.

"Yes… but I won't give it to you," I teased.

Ci pouted, giving me puppy eyes.

Poor kid.

I sighed, took some chocolate from my bag, and handed it to him. But then another snake saw it. And just like that—chaos erupted!

Sir Alvin arrived a little later than usual. He looked like he was running late.

"Section E, we won't have a lecture today. Instead, we'll discuss the Festival," he announced.

Festival?

"Sir, isn't it too early? Why are we discussing it now?" someone asked.

"There's a chance the date might change, so it's better to talk about it early," Sir explained.

I turned to Ci, who was still stuffing his face with chocolate.

"So! What's the festival?"

"Fiesta," he replied shortly.

"I know that… I mean, explain it."

He tried to answer but had a mouth full of chocolate. I sighed and turned to David instead.

"David, explain the festival."

"School Festival… it's a one-week celebration. There's a sports fest, food stalls, and different booths. There's also a program. The school will set the rules, but those are usually the main activities," he explained.

David talks so fast. Meanwhile, the other one is busy eating.

"There are rules?"

David just pointed at Sir Alvin, who was arranging papers on his desk.

"Alright," Sir continued. "The number of booths depends on the representatives from each section. So far, we have none. As for the program, there's always a pageant. I'm not sure what theme it will have yet, but I'm pretty sure Freya will win."

What's the point of a pageant if they've already decided the winner?

"For assignments: Section A organizes the program, Section B handles sports, Section C manages the booths, and Section D is in charge of security. Your section… is in charge of the night shift."

"What about the night shift?" I asked, feeling uneasy. Sir looked at me.

But David answered instead. "The festival lasts a week, so security is needed at night to guard the items."

"And, of course, trash collection!" Keifer added bitterly.

"You all know these are the rules. You won't be allowed to attend the festival if you don't do your assigned tasks," Sir reminded him.

Keifer scowled, clearly unhappy.

"That rule was made before! David was still president back then, but now I am!" Keifer argued.

Sir sighed. "What are you suggesting?"

"We do no tasks!"

"But that means you won't be allowed to join the festival."

Our classmates immediately reacted.

"Don't do that!"

"We want to go!"

"Mica and I have a date planned!"

"I can't miss Rakki's fight!"

"The food, man! The food!"

Sir tried to calm everyone down, but Keifer remained stubborn.

"I want to go too! I've never been to a festival before!" I said.

"The festival is still far off. The final date isn't even set yet. You have time to think about your decision," Sir said.

I smirked.

It's okay to clean up as long as I can enjoy the festival too.

I'm excited!

For us, it's always been called Intrams—just games and programs. Hardly anyone goes because most people prefer to stay home.

No life!

"No! My decision is final! No festival, no task!" Keifer declared.

The whole class reacted in shock. No one could stop him.

"You're terrible! You're only thinking about yourself!" I shot back.

Silence fell over the room. A staring contest began—me versus Keifer.

"I'm just trying to save this section from embarrassment!" Keifer argued.

"What do we want?!"

"Why? Would you rather be humiliated?" Keifer challenged the class.

Everyone avoided his gaze. They didn't want to be embarrassed, but they did want to go to the festival.

"But you all do want to go to the festival, right?" I asked.

They nodded.

"Fine. I'll let you choose. Do you want to be 'garbage collectors' and feel ashamed, or would you rather skip the festival altogether?" Keifer asked.

The class hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances. I, on the other hand, really wanted to go.

"Enjoy the festival or stay home?" I pressed.

They muttered among themselves, debating their decision. Excitement bubbled inside me. I was eager to experience the festival.

"The festival is still a long way off. The board hasn't announced a date yet. You all still have time to decide," Sir added.

Keifer continued to glare at me. Of course, I wouldn't back down. The King of Snakes was being ridiculous.

Besides, I didn't mind cleaning—especially if it meant enjoying the festival too.

Festival in the morning, work at night.

I'm excited about the festival.