Ms. Hernandez, a literature teacher, was piling some papers on her desk early in the morning. She was also teaching the Senior High students under Arts and Design track. When she went out of the faculty office, Theo greeted him.
"Good morning, Ma'am."
Ms. Hernandez was a short and petite woman. A fresh grad. She got the job in the school because of her excellent skills and connection with the administrator. Her light makeup and pink lipstick made her bloom. Theo had a little crush on her.
"Good morning, Mr. Burton. You seem very bright today."
"Nothing incomparable to your radiance, Ma'am." Theo glanced at the pile of papers in her hands. "That's a lot. Where are you taking that, Ma'am?"
"To the Senior High building."
"Oh. Let me help you."
"No. It's okay."
"I insist, Ma'am. Why take a long walk when you can go to the easiest route?" Theo said, and took the papers from her hands.
"Thank you."
While they were walking on the pathway towards the Senior's Building, Theo's classmates looked at him with a cunning smile. Theo winked at them with his thumb up. They responded with a salute. Suddenly, Theo saw a woman sitting on the bench alone. He paused and called one of his classmates.
"Hold this and follow Ms. Hernandez. I have something important to do," Theo said and handed the papers to him. He tapped his shoulder and went to the woman he recognized at a glance. He sat five meters beside her. She was in deep thinking and didn't notice his presence.
"Good morning," he said.
His voice startled her. "Theo. What are you doing here?"
"Running an errand for Ms. Hernandez. How about you? You look serious. Got a problem?"
"I'm wondering about a certain person."
"He must be so lucky, huh? I wish I were him," Theo joked. Zara teasingly punched his arm.
"By that way, we will not have our training later since you just got out of the hospital."
Zara nodded.
"So... how's your relationship with Dexter? Are you... getting along? Any chances of getting back together?" Theo managed not to sound insecure.
Her smile had a hidden bitterness. "You've been asking many questions lately like a protective brother."
"Brother..." Theo uttered, disoriented.
"We are fine. But I already cleared things out between us. There is no second chance. I can't see myself in the same pain again."
Theo let out a sigh of relief.
"But I like someone else."
All of his worries came back and had gotten heavier than before.
"Someone else. Do I know this person?"
"I think so."
"Why do you like him?" he asked. He was a little tensed.
"He's really caring and sweet. I could feel his sincerity. When I think of him sometimes, it makes me smile. His subtle gestures are cute."
"Good to hear that. You deserve a genuine person," he replied.
Theo took his lunch with a heavy heart. He was slowly munching his food and couldn't lift his spoon properly. Meanwhile, Stan and Elsie were enjoying their lunch. She had been coming along with them more often.
"Do you not like this week's menu?" Stan asked.
"It's okay," Theo replied.
"And you're not. Why? Is it a love problem?"
"Why do you assume that I have a love problem every time I'm sad?"
"Because that's the only thing you care about."
Theo ignored his response and focused on his food. Stan gave Elsie a bottle of water when she choked on her food. He caressed her back and said, "Take it easy. You can have mine if you're still hungry."
Theo looked at him closely. His instinct helped him see things he hadn't seen before. Stan's behavior became a large picture in his head. Zara's voice began to echo in his ears.
He's really caring.
"Are you alright? It's fortunate that you still look pretty even with some sauce around your mouth," Stan said. He pulled some tissue and wiped her mouth.
And sweet.
"Stop it, Stan." Elsie crackled. "I can fix myself. The girls are glaring at me right now. Don't make them think of silly things."
"It's true, though. You are taking advantage of your beauty."
"How can you look so sincere with your lies?"
I could feel his sincerity.
"What have you been doing all day? Your hair is messy," Stan added. He placed the strands of her hair behind her ear.
"You're doing it on purpose, Stan. Stop pissing me."
His subtle gestures are cute.
"It can't be," Theo whispered.
Do I know him?
I think so.
"Will you stop being so urbane, Stan? It's annoying. You are annoying," Theo said.
"What is wrong with that?"
"It's too good to be true. You're being plastic."
"What? You've been with me ever since the world began and I've always been like this. You're bringing this up now? Besides, this isn't too good to be true. It's the bare minimum."
Theo rolled his eyes.
In the evening of the same day, Stan came out of the shower and noticed that the books on the table were gone.
"Theo? Where are the books you gave me?"
"I turned them to ashes," Theo replied in an indifferent tone.
"You what?"
***
Cade was studying a math problem when his stomach growled. He checked his alarm clock, and it was eight in the evening. He had not eaten some snacks lately. Cade had set a goal to take Stan's place in the ranking and studied from morning till late at night. He couldn't let his guard down.
He leaned his back and turned his swivel chair around as he thought of the food he used to eat in the mansion—Lobster Medallion, Chicken Quenelles, Scottish Langoustine, and Coq au vin dish. His mouth was drooling while thinking about it. Cade had not been following his diet ever since he moved to New York because his allowance was limited. His tongue missed the taste of fancy fine dining.
Cade grabbed his coat and walked on the street, looking up at the tall buildings and searching for the fancy restaurant he found on the web. His dad might neglect him, but he wouldn't let him starve to death. Cade could just say that he'd been robbed if he take some money in his allowance for his luxurious cravings. If his dad would get mad, Cade could use the victim card against him to trigger his conscience.
A group of boys was walking across from him. The way they dressed gave him the impression that they were teenagers. There was something in their eyes that lowered his speed. A look of danger. The same look Theo would give before beating up someone.
Cade shook his head and cleared his suspicion. Maybe it was because of his trauma that strong-looking guys frightened him. They reminded him of the bullying incidents he had in school. Cade closed his eyes as they came nearer to him. His heart beat raised every second as he listened to their footsteps.
A lot of distressing experiences clouded his mind—the pain of the ball hitting his body and the gross feeling of raw eggs slithering on his skin. Everything was vivid in his memory.
The cold air dawdled on his nape as the boys passed by. Cade opened his eyes and touched his face. Nothing happened to him. He shook his hands to remove his paranoia.
Another group of boys was walking across from him. They were busy chitchatting and didn't seem to care about his existence. A typical squad. Their laughter recollected his childhood with Stan and Theo. He knew they hated him. But deep within, he was clinging to a thread of hope that what they had would come back.
One boy in the group approached him.
"Hey. You are Curtis Fleming, right?"
"Yeah. That's me."
"We are schoolmates and I am your fan." The boy held his hand and shook it. Cade felt awkward at first. It was a rare scenario of a student in school joyfully praising him as Curtis Fleming.
"Is that so? I'm glad to know you," Cade replied.
"I really like your speech, the part where you said that amidst your difficulties, you were able to stand up on your own and fight for what was right."
Cade slipped a smile. "Thank you. I thought no one cares about that line."
"The boys and I are going to a club. Do you want to come?"
Cade thought for a moment. He was not used to this attention. The student usually came to him with evil intentions.
"Don't worry, we got you. It will be fun. I saw you're second in the ranking. Congratulations. It's worth celebrating, don't you think?"
"Alright."
The boys assisted him to their black van. On the way, they were singing a metal rock song while drinking a bottle of wine. Their cheers and untamed behavior lifted his spirit. They didn't need to go to the club because the party had already started.
'This is the life,' he thought.
It was the life he once had.
The boy, who was wearing a white cap gave him a glass of wine.
"Bottoms up!"
"Bottoms up!"
Cade took it with gratitude and drank it straight. The boys clapped their hands and shook his shoulders. As he stared at their bubbly faces, they were moving slowly. He could barely understand what they were laughing about. His surroundings became fuzzy until he blacked out.