Cade had a stern look on his face from morning till afternoon. He spent the recess and lunch alone. He couldn't taste the food and threw them in the trashcan. Everything seemed bitter after he saw the leader board. He came second in the ranking for the first time since primary school. He had always been the top one.
When the room was empty, Cade remained. He was unmoved while staring blankly into his textbook. Cade started doodling on his notebook. His grip became tighter. He was making random lines and circles until they turned into a chaotic abstract. His lips tightened and his eyes narrowed as he tore the pages of his notebook and smashed his textbook to the floor. He was not contented. Cade lifted his desk and threw it as hard as he could.
Cade loosened his tie while panting. How could Stan be the number one? That couldn't be. There must have been an error in the system.
Elsie came and saw him throw his bag on the floor.
"Curt? What's wrong?"
Cade looked at her, and the devil was in his eyes. "Where have you been?"
The tone of his voice astonished Elsie. It was grabbing her by the neck.
"You said we were friends. I expect you to be by my side, Elsie."
"I... I was with Stan."
"Stan." Cade faked a smile. "Why? Were you celebrating with him being the top one? If I know, his only edge against me is his position as the campus president. Without it, I'll be number one. I know our capabilities and I am smarter than him."
"Curt, chill. I think Stan deserves everything he has accomplished."
"So you're saying I deserve to be beneath him?" The disappointment was written on his face before he walked out.
"Curt! Wait!" Elsie brought his bag and ran after him.
Stan was a sickly kid. He usually missed school, especially during quizzes, oral recitations, exams, and performances. His grades were lower because of his point deductions, missing quizzes, and absences. But amidst those difficulties, Stan managed to stay in second place. Meanwhile, Cade was an active student who would grab every opportunity to take the spotlight. He was a consistent top one before they transferred to Mchalmmond High School.
"Curt. Stan asked me to tell you that he is sorry for being the top one," Elsie said while following him. Cade was marching towards the gate while clenching his fists.
"Are you joking? He is insulting me!"
"Come on, Curt. It's just the ranking. It doesn't mean much."
Cade paused and looked at her, criticizing her rotten belief.
"What? It doesn't mean much? Maybe for someone like you who's never been at the top. Someone who's dumb enough not to care about grades."
Elsie's lips quivered. It opened for a while and closed, spilling nothing. Finally, she turned her back.
Theo was watching them from the third floor. Earlier, he passed by Cade's classroom and saw how he smashed his things. It was his first time seeing him so mad.
"He's so upset about the ranking," Theo said.
Stan was reading a book at the teacher's desk with his feet on the table.
"Upset is a weak term to use. He went ballistic," Stan said.
"So you stopped giving him the favor. I don't know if it's a good thing or not."
Theo knew the truth. That Stan was not a sickly kid.
When Cade's mother died, all he wanted was to make his father proud. For him to look at him longer than his work schedule. Cade would often worry about the ranking and he would tell Stan about it.
"I need to be at the top, Stan. Maybe Dad would appreciate me when that happens. Now that Mom is gone, no one truly cares for me." When Cade said that, Stan wanted to be the person who truly cared for him. He made a lot of effort to feel sick before the quizzes, exams, and performances to make way for Cade.
Cade thought his father would celebrate his achievements. But instead, he gave him gifts, not his time.
"Good."
"Great."
"Keep it up."
Those were the compliments he received from his father. It would be a miracle if the words got longer. He couldn't even form a sentence to show how proud he was of him. Whether he was at the top or at the bottom, it wouldn't mean much to his dad.
***
It's been three weeks since Theo and Zara started their training. They agreed to stop the training after two months. Since his left arm had been healed, Theo went all out with his movements and defense against Zara's strikes.
When Theo held her wrist, Zara turned her body sideways and her left foot at a 45-degree angle. She put her weight on it and dived her right foot into his knee.
"Okay, good."
They lay on the floor while catching their breaths.
"I think you've gotten stronger than me," Theo said.
"That's not true."
"It is. You even swept me off my feet."
Zara smiled. "That's a good one."
Zara stood up and checked her bag to find her wet wipes.
"It isn't here," she said while groping her hand in her bag.
"I've got an extra. You can have this," Theo said.
"Thank—"
Instead of giving it to her, Theo gently dabbed it on her forehead. She was too stunned to stop him.
"What's your favorite flavor?" Theo asked out of nowhere.
"Ugh, melon."
"Zara?"
They looked at the door when someone called her name. Theo's brows furrowed while looking at the guy from head to foot. He was holding a bottle of melon-flavored juice. From the looks of it, he was obviously her ex-boyfriend. His eyes said it all.
"Hey. What are you doing here?" Zara asked.
The guy opened the bottle of juice and gave it to her. "Thanks."
"Your friends told me you're here."
Theo cleared his throat to get their attention.
"Oh. By the way, this is Theo, my friend," Zara said.
Theo lay his hand. "I'm Theo Burton, the president of the Martial Arts Club. I've been training Zara for a while now." He emphasized his position in the club.
"I'm Dexter Frost. It's nice to meet you. Thanks for helping her," Dexter had a beautiful smile, and it pissed him off as he shook his hand.
'Dexter Frost. No wonder he looks familiar,' Theo thought.
Theo looked at Dexter's hand as it landed on Zara's shoulder.
"Why did you decide to practice self-defense? Did something happen?" Dexter asked.
"It's nothing. Just a minor incident. Nothing I can't handle," she replied.
"Ah. I remember you," Theo said in a lofty tone. "You are The Dexter Frost. The Campus Idol." He clapped his hand. "I saw the girls lining up for you. I wonder how many girls you added to your collection."
Dexter looked at Zara's reaction. "Oh... that... that was nothing serious. They are merely my fans. There is a boundary."
Theo shifted his attention to Zara. "May I take you home?"
Zara threw a glimpse at Dexter, and then Theo.
"You may," she replied.
"See you around, Dexter," Theo said, his voice taking on a teasing tone.
As he walked beside Zara in the same proximity, five meters apart, Theo couldn't stop thinking about Dexter. He was taller than him. His skin was smooth as if he had never been into a fight. While him? He had some scars. Dexter had intelligence above average, something Theo lacked. He wondered what his edge could be. When he found none, he felt so small. He glanced at Zara and realized that he didn't deserve to stand next to her.
The next day, Zara didn't show up for their training. He waited for two hours, thinking that she could be with Dexter at the moment. Dexter had been showering her with grand gestures. He wouldn't be surprised if he win her over.
When he had given up, Hailey approached him with bad news.
"Zara is in the hospital due to an allergic reaction," Hailey said.
"What?" A smile formed on his lips.
So she's not with Dexter.
"Are you happy about it?"
"Oh. I mean..." Theo changed his facial expression and displayed a worried look on his face. "What? Thank God, you told me. I have no idea."
"Do you want to visit her with me? We can talk along the way," she said and bit her lower lip. "It's the best time to catch up."
"I would love to, but Stan needs me right now. I'm helping him with a project to be submitted tomorrow. You can give me her room number so I can visit her if I have time."
Hailey faked a smile. "Alright."
***
Stan's evening was quiet as he was flipping a book while listening to a classical song. The premium diffuser he placed on the bedside table made him more relaxed. He was swaying his finger with the rhythm of the music when Theo stood in front of him and strolled back and forth with his finger on his chin.
Stan stopped the music and dropped his book.
"What are you thinking?" he asked.
"Should I go or not? If I go there, she will think that there's something special between us. But I can't let Hailey see that. But if I don't go, I might regret it," Theo said.
"What are you talking about? Go where?"
Theo sat on his bed. "Zara is in the hospital. I want to be by her side, but I can't."
"Why?"
"Because Dexter and Hailey might be there."
"Dexter? They knew each other?"
"It's more than that. He is her ex-boyfriend who's trying to win her back. And we... we are so different. I feel defeated when he's around. He is just so... overpowering."
"You? Theo Burton? A Casanova? Feels defeated by Dexter's presence? Is that you?"
"Don't think too highly of me, Stan."
"You can easily pull the girls you want."
"Zara is different. She's not like those girls. The thing I have for her is serious."
Stan's dimples showed up when he revealed a little smirk. "That's unexpected."
"What should I do?"
"I can visit her for your sake."
Theo's eyes brightened. "That's right. Give her the flowers, and this bunny." He lifted the white bunny from the small basket. The word 'Melon' was carved on its nametag. Its tiny red eyes blinked when Theo kissed its forehead.
Later that evening, Stan arrived at the hospital. He was the only visitor at the moment.
"Hi," Stan uttered as he entered.
"Stan?" Stan placed the basket of flowers on the table. "What a surprise."
"These presents are from your secret admirer. We know each other and he asked me a favor to drop these by."
"Really? That's so kind of you. I'm getting curious about this secret admirer." Zara had a broad smile as she stared at his face. "It's been a while. You're still handsome like the last time we met."
"You are beautiful, too. In all honesty."
"What a sight to behold. You'd make a lovely couple." Stan and Zara looked at Hailey coming from the door.
"It's not what you think," Zara defended.
"Whatever it is, keep it going," Hailey replied while raising her brows up and down.
Zara shook her head with a smile on her lips. "I'm sorry about that, Stan."
"It's okay. She's right. We look good together." Stan held her hand. "Please get well soon."