— oops, you're not invited

An elegant white car slowed down in front of the school gates. Inside, Marilyn hastened to unlock the car door when Harriet placed a hand on her shoulder. Marilyn stiffened under the touch, fingers involantraily clutching the door handle.

"Wait for the chauffeur to open the door, Mary, won't you bid mother farewell?" Harriet asked, expectant eyes staring at the back of her daughter's blonde head.

"Ah, yes mum," Marilyn forced a laugh and turned, her face sheltered by her open hair, and immediately lunged into a hug. "Have a good day, mother," she whispered in the crook of Harriet's neck.

"Mhm, all the best for your test," Harriet cooed and ran a hand through Marilyn's hair, "Off you go now," she patted Marilyn's back as the chauffeur held open the door.

Marilyn smiled and stepped out, taking big strides to enter the school premise as soon as possible.

Harriet frowned at Marilyn's retreating figure, suspicion lacing her gaze. She looked at the small glitter spots on her fingertips and narrowed her eyes at them. "Has her shampoo changed?" Harriet mumbled to no one in particular.

With her heart wedged in her throat, Marilyn sped over the staircase, dashed through the hallways with her head bent like a criminal and entered the classroom behind a group of classmates, silently slipping into her seat. She heaved a sigh of relief as she finally stretched her neck and let her hair fall away from her face.

The morning sun caught the awkwardly scattered glitter specks on her neck, eyelids, nose, forehead and ears.

"Are you transitioning into a Vampire?" A classmate snorted.

"Marilyn Cullen, kekekekeke," some other laughed.

Marilyn rolled her eyes but did not pay heed to their words.

"Marieeeeeeee!" Nadia chirped as soon as she walked inside the classroom and placed her head right in Marilyn's line of sight, "You're sparkling like the star you are."

"Ever the flatterer," Marilyn laughed and sat up straight. Her peripherals instantly caught Ryker leering at her. Marilyn ignored his entire existence and greeted Bernie, "Hello Berns Ha—

Nadia slapped her hand on Marilyn's mouth, panick-stricken eyes glaring at Marilyn's negligent slip-up. Nadia's brown orbs stared into Marilyn's soul while she ever so subtly vibrated her head to convey her message.

Marilyn gulped and wrapped her hands around Nadia, while Bernie rolled his eyes and placed his backpack on his desk. "If you love eachother so much, why don't you ask teacher to change your seats?"

"Not at all!" Ryker bellowed, grabbed Nadia by her collar, pulling her out of Marilyn's grasp, and landed her on her desk.

"He's such a hater," Nadia pouted, puffing her cheeks and jutting out her lower lip to express disdain.

"You're too clingy," Ryker snorted and took a seat, avoiding to even look in Marilyn's direction.

"Am I?" Nadia batted her eyelashes in Marilyn's face.

"Not at all, I love you so much," Marilyn blew flying kisses in her direction, eliciting a groan from Bernie.

It was then, when Bernie finally looked at her and pointed out, "Oh— why are you and Ryker so, awfully red today— and is that...glitter?"

To which, the duo in question shouted a synchronised, "SHUT UP!" Their brows were shot up and similar scowls graced their usually elegant faces.

Nadia burst into laughter which was halted by a classmate shouting from the front of the class.

"Hey, Nadia! There's someone asking for you!"

Whispers erupted within the classroom.

"Is that the Student Council President?"

"Oh he's so hot!"

"Is he interested in Nadia?"

"No no, it's for a club she made, I guess."

"He's so handsome. I want to marry him right now!"

Nadia shot up from her seat and uncharecteristically tucked her hair behind her ear, patted her head and face, licked her lips and wiped her hands against the uniform skirt before getting out of her seat.

Bernie and Ryker witnessed with open mouths as Nadia straightened her shoulders and held her head high while greeting Ivan Ramirez at the door.

"What is this about?" Ryker whispered, frowning at Nadia's coy smiles.

"Maybe something about the club?" Bernie suggested, equally curious.

As if on cue, Nadia and Ivan walked into the hallway, out of their sight.

Ryker looked at Bernie. The brunette nodded. Instantly, the duo jumped out of their seats and made a beeline towards the door, along with the rest of the class. It was only Marilyn who remained seated with her shoulders slumped and opened the extra homework she had to copy for Ryker.

Hatred or not, a promise was a promise.

Ryker and Bernie looked around in the corridor but found no traces of Nadia and Ivan.

"They went that way," a classmate whispered, pointing to the left.

Ryker and Bernie sped in that direction until Francesca shot out of her classroom after spotting Bernie.

"Bernadette!" She called out, immediately stepping in front of the duo with a big bag hanging off her wrist.

Ryker groaned internally.

"Big sister," Bernie acknowledged, eliciting a groan from Francesca.

The girl rolled her eyes and stood up straighter, her full lips pushed in a pout as she extended the bag in his direction.

Ryker could feel the eyes on them, spectators gnawing for answers, muttering gossip and creating scenarios in their head.

"Is she giving it to that girly guy?"

"Hush, he's pretty!"

"But he doesn't deserve her."

"No, I think she's giving it to Ryker."

"Ryker is hot. They look good together."

"Yeah I thought that girly guy stuck with that curly haired girl."

"They're so weird, yesterday she was calling herself big brother and then he said some strange words and I dunno, they keep being weird."

"Creepy."

Since Francesca's hand was awkwardly held out and Bernie was not making a move, Ryker hastened to snatch the bag from her grasp and leaned in to whisper, "Shh, we're keeping it a secret until after school."

Phones were raised, cameras were weilded and the gossip mill ran rampant with Ryker leaning into Francesca as he held a big pink bag in his hand. In the picture, Francesca's eyes were wide with scandal and any onlooker would believe that she was caugh off guard by Ryker's words.

Instead, Francesca was merely surprised by Ryker's audacity to do something like this in front of the love of her life. Her eyes did not leave Bernadette, hoping to convince him that there was nothing going on between them.

Bernie, on the other hand, spotted Nadia and Ivan strolling in the grounds and excused himself with a small bow before dashing downstairs.

Ryker passed the bag back to Francesca and walked away, leaving an overly enthusiastic crowd cooing after him. Internally, Ryker wished he could jump off the balcony and end it all. He should have never gotten out of class.

Why did they even need to keep Bernie's birthday a secret? Which lamearse forgets their own birthday?! Thoughts as such muddled his brain as stood in the ground, spotting Bernie talking to Nadia and Ivan.

Before Ryker could take a step forward, the bell rang. So much for what—?!

Ivan waved a goodbye to both of them and jogged towards his building. Nadia and Bernie turned back to spot Ryker awaiting them with slumped shoulders.

"You good?" Nadia asked as she jogged towards him.

"He had a whole scene with Francesca in the corridor," Bernie snorted, jogging beside Nadia.

"I was trying to help you, you ungrateful ass," Ryker rolled his eyes and slotted his hand around Nadia's shoulders as soon as she was within reach. "Oh my parents are going to hear about this and absolutely grill me to a crisp!" He groaned, throwing his head back.

"You'll live," Nadia patted him, "You did well."

They knew for a fact that Bernie would not have handled gossip and public scrutiny well. He would have succumbed and spiralled without showing any physical reaction to the situation. Though, internally, he would be destroying himself. Nadia cringed at that thought and said, "Let's go quick before class starts!"

When Ryker made it back to class, he spotted fresh sheets of completed homework placed on his desk along with a small sticky note. While Nadia busied herself with taking out her books, Ryker skimmed over the piece of paper. It read:

'Help me escape today as well.'

He rolled his eyes, balled up the paper and threw it over Marilyn's shoulder. Marilyn took his silence as an affirmative response and continued with her day.

During lunch, Nadia and Ryker pampered Bernie with food. Ryker skipped track practice and ate junk food with them, growing Bernie's rising suspicion towards Nadia and him. Surely, they were hiding something from him and treating him nicely out of pure guilt. There was no other reason.

He stared at food spread in front of him — all the flavours of chips and candies he liked. There were noodles with chicken broth and stir-fried vegetables on the side. There was the coffee he so liked. Not one thing on the table before him was something that only Ryker or Nadia preferred. Not even a green apple lolly or a can of orange juice.

Bernie's heart sank as he slurped on the chicken broth. Even though he was sitting between Ryker and Nadia, they were busy whispering something behind his bent head.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Bernie spotted Ivan enter the cafeteria. Bernie wondered if Nadia liked Ivan...then why would she be with Ryker? Is it because Ivan did not provide her with the security that Ryker did? If Nadia were to date Ivan... wouldn't that leave Ryker as Bernie's friend? He could live with that. Right?

Instantly, Bernie shot up and waved his hand. "President Ramirez!" He called out, instinctively. Though he regretted it as soon as Ryker and Nadia pulled him back down and glared at him.

"Why would you do that?!" Ryker whispered in his left ear.

"What do you need from him?" Nadia grumbled in his right ear.

Their warm breaths made Bernie physically squirm as Ivan walked up to their table.

"Is everything alright?" Ivan asked, glancing at the suspiciously acting trio.

"Yes, yes, yes, would you like a snack?" Bernie offered, awkwardly pointing at the spread of food in front.

"Oh! That's a lot!" Ivan exclaimed, glancing at the variety before him, "Are you celebrati—"

"Oh my! President Ramirez! I forgot I had something to talk to you about!" Nadia shot up, grabbed a random packet of chips, lunged at Ivan's hand and dragged him out of the cafeteria.

Bernie, as predicted, was left with Ryker now. A Ryker who stared at the cafeteria doorway with a big scowl on his face.

"Are you okay?" Bernie asked, narrowing his eyes at Ryker's obvious grimace.

Bernie wondered if Ryker would remain friends with him after Nadia was gone. Even though he had spent so much time with him...was he deserving to be friends with a Cordelio? A measly peasant like him? Hanging out with Ryker Cordelio? Ryker didn't even glance at anyone from class before Nadia was in the picture. Surely he would abandon —

"No, I'm not okay! She took your favourite spicy hot wings away for that crappy old man!" Ryker all but growled. His sharp brows were laced in a frown as he cupped Bernie's face and looked at him with determination, "Don't worry, I'll buy you more of that later, okay? I'm sure she wasn't paying attention. Tsk. It's such a rare flavour!"

Bernie couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up in his throat. Time and time again, Bernie was ready to leave with emotional bags all packed. Though, time and time again, he would realise how utterly thoughtless he was towards his friends' feelings.

With glassy eyes, Bernie pulled Ryker in a hug. Bewildered, Ryker asked with a scoff, "Are you okay, dude?"

To which Bernie nodded, sobbing, as he replied, "I will be," without letting go.

Three tables across, Francesca's soup flooded out of mouth, ran across her chin and slipped all over her clothes, alarming her friends to fawn over him. One of the girls fetched a napkin. The other started dabbing Francesca's mouth. Two others stood on either side of her face to guard her pristine image from the rest of the world.

All the while, internally, Francesca sobbed, he thoughts echoing in the void of her head: 'How did I not think of this before? This is so obvious! Ryker accepting the gift on Bernie's behalf. Bernie being immune to my charms and beauty. Bernie calling over Ivan to send Nadia away so that he could spend time with Ryker! On his birthday! Bernie never sent Nadia away! It all made sense! Bernie and Ryker were in love!'

Francesca slumped into her chair, scandalised by the idea of Ryker and Bernie being intimate in public. It all made sense. Why Ryker declined all the girls who confessed their love to him. Why none of them was even remotely interested in a pretty girl like Nadia. It all made sense to her.

"Should I catch them in the act? Or no...I cannot expose them, that would be shitty— I cannot do that to my muse...no—"

"Frannie? Are you okay?"

"What is happening? Is it your period?"

"Do you need to go to the nurse?"

"Do you have a pad?"

"Do you want a pad?"

Francesca sobbed as she spread out her hands and hugged all the girls around her. "I love you all so much," she sniffled, huddling them up in a semi-circle.

"Yeah, it's definitely her period."

"I'll get her something sweet."

"I'll get her a heating pad."

Though, as her friends were about to leave the circle, Francesca tightened her grasp around them, "No, no, no, it's not my period. It's just, I'm suddenly overwhelmed. I must use this feeling," she got up, "I will go write a song about it!"

Francesca blew kisses to her friends and sped out of the cafeteria, closely following Bernie and Ryker.