That morning, Reena woke me up early to get ready for school. Now, we were having breakfast.
I felt an elbow nudge my arm—Reena. I raised an eyebrow at her.
"What?"
She grinned mischievously as she finished her cup of milk.
"You haven't done your homework, have you?"
I shook my head slowly, chewing my Coco Crunch hurriedly.
"Good. What if we skip class after recess? Wanna go? I want to take you somewhere fun!" Reena placed her cup in the sink and rushed toward me excitedly.
"Why not just skip school entirely? No need to go at all…" I wiped my mouth and hands with a tissue.
Smack!
Once again, she hit my shoulder. I glared at her.
"No way! I give you an inch, and now you want to take a mile!" she huffed.
I scoffed. "Since when did you give me an inch, or a mile?"
Smack!
This girl must have a habit of hitting my shoulder. It's always the target of her smacks.
"Do you just love hitting people? Why is it always my shoulder?"
Reena giggled and slowly stepped closer.
"I don't know why, but whenever I'm with you, my hands just itch to hit you. I can't hit your face—it'll ruin my boyfriend's handsome look—so your shoulder is the next best option!"
I swatted her hand away as she tried to ruffle my hair.
"Hah, crazy!"
Not in the mood to entertain her, I grabbed my school bag and headed for the door.
"Hey, wait for your girlfriend! What if someone steals me away?"
I kept walking toward the bus stop, ignoring her.
"Like I care!"
---
"Hey, Fariz, are you free right now?"
Remy called out to me the moment I stepped into the classroom.
Since class hadn't started yet, I decided to take a nap at my desk. The room was still quiet, meaning I could sleep in peace. Otherwise, some of my annoying classmates would surely be grinning at me like fools.
"Fariz!"
Remy called my name again, sounding anxious.
"What?!" My voice rose slightly. Just when I was about to drift into dreamland, someone had to ruin it!
"Can you come with me?"
Remy blinked at me repeatedly, his eyes full of hope.
"Where to?" I asked lazily, my eyelids still heavy.
"Mr. Aizat asked me to help clean the sports equipment room. The problem is, he told me to bring someone else along, and since you're the only reliable person here…"
Remy raised an eyebrow at me.
"No way!"
"Come on, please…" He tugged at the hem of my shirt.
I shook my head quickly.
"Please, you're my only hope right now."
I pushed his hand away, refusing to budge.
"I said no, and I mean it!" My anger flared up suddenly.
"This is the last time I'm asking for your help. Please…"
I let out an annoyed grunt. Standing up, I headed out of the classroom, but Remy quickly got up and rushed after me.
"Fariz, come on…" My steps halted as I felt him tugging at my shirt.
"No! Don't you understand plain words? It's not like I'm the only student in this school!" I shoved his hand away and continued walking.
Thud!
Someone suddenly bumped into my shoulder. Already annoyed, my frustration only grew.
"Oh, sir!" Relief washed over Remy's face.
"Remy, what are you doing here? Didn't I ask you to clean up that room?" The teacher stood with his hands on his hips, looking at both of us.
"I was just about to go, sir, but no one wants to help me. Even Fariz refused."
I wanted to strangle him for his big mouth.
"Fariz, help Remy, okay? I can't assist you both because I have a meeting soon."
Remy nodded slowly as if supporting the teacher's words.
"Hmph." Not wanting to prolong the issue, I unwillingly accepted the task.
Remy sighed in relief.
---
I wanted to scream when I saw the state of the room. It was a mess—balls and other sports equipment scattered all over the floor.
"Did that old man do this on purpose?!"
Like it or not, I had to start organizing everything back onto the shelves.
"Stop complaining, or we'll never finish," Remy grumbled as he began picking up the scattered shuttlecocks.
"Huh!" If I followed my heart, I would've smacked his head with the racket in my hand.
As I continued tidying up, I suddenly felt like someone was watching me. At first, I ignored it, but soon, the uneasy feeling grew stronger.
"Fariz, I need to use the restroom. Keep cleaning, don't run away!"
Without waiting for my reply, Remy dashed out of the room, leaving me alone.
"Great, now I'm the servant here!" I grumbled in frustration.
The room fell silent again as I continued organizing the items. Thankfully, Remy had already cleaned up half of the mess earlier.
Screech!
I turned toward a ball that had just rolled onto the floor after I had placed it neatly.
Thud!
Two more balls suddenly fell from the rack and rolled across the floor.
"Ugh, damn it!"
I picked up a ball and slammed it onto the ground in frustration.
"It's been a while since we last met, hasn't it? I miss you…"
A deep voice whispered near my ear. At the same time, I felt a soft touch on my arm—someone was poking me.
I spun around instantly, but no one was there. I was alone.
"You really don't understand, do you? What do you want from me?! What's your problem?!"
My eyes burned with fury as I scanned the room for the source of the voice.
"I want you…"
A faint whisper sounded in my ear again.
"Damn it, you psycho!"
I hurriedly picked up the fallen balls and placed them back, refusing to acknowledge the cowardly lunatic.
"Are you sure I'm a psycho?"
The voice taunted me again.
Bang!
Suddenly, the door slammed shut.
I clenched my fists, my body trembling with anger.
"You idiot, show yourself if you're so brave!"
I kicked the door with all my might.
"One day, we'll meet again… and you'll be mine forever…"
I turned toward the window and caught sight of a shadowy figure walking away.
I rushed to the window, trying to pry it open, but it was blocked from the outside—likely with wood or metal.
"Arghh! If I ever find you, I swear I'll make sure you die!"
I clenched my fists tightly before kicking the door again.
Bang! Bang!
The door seemed to be jammed from the outside—it wouldn't budge.
"You're useless! Do you think locking me in here means I can't escape?!"
I turned to look at the window facing the school's outer grounds. Slowly, a smirk formed on my lips.
Grabbing a hard ball, I took a step back.
Boom!! Boom!!
With a strong throw, the window shattered into pieces.
Thud!
Carefully, I leaped down from the window.
"Argh…" I winced slightly, rubbing my sore ankle. Luckily, I had landed on the grassy sports field, which softened the impact.
I had successfully escaped from the locked sports storage room. But my anger still burned at that crazy, psychotic person.
"Ugh! If I ever find you, I swear I'll tear you apart with my own hands!"
The sun blazed harshly against my face, making my already flushed skin sting even more.
"Fariz!!"
"Fariz!!"
I squinted, focusing my eyes in one direction.
From a distance, I spotted Remy and Reena waving at me from the edge of the field.
"Hey, Fariz! What are you doing over there? Running a marathon under this scorching sun?" Reena's loud voice rang out.
Sighing, I lazily made my way toward them.
Out of nowhere, Reena suddenly hugged me tightly. I stood still, not reciprocating, my brows furrowing in confusion.
Remy's expression changed slightly.
"Ahem, ahem. If you two want to have a romantic moment, maybe wait until I'm not here?"
Reena quickly let go of me but still held onto my hand tightly.
"What's up? Why the sudden panic?" I asked, confused.
Reena placed her hands on her hips and glared at me.
"It's you! Remy said when he got back from the restroom, the storage room door wouldn't open. It was locked, so he immediately told me. Do you know how worried I was?! What if something had happened to you?"
Remy gently rubbed Reena's shoulder, trying to calm her down.
"What's there to worry about? I was just locked in. It's not like I'm a little kid," I replied firmly while still massaging my aching ankle.
"The problem is, Remy knocked on that door so many times, but you didn't respond! That's what made us even more worried!"
Reena draped her arm around my shoulder. I glanced at her, silently asking her to remove it, but she just smiled mischievously.
"Did you really knock?" I asked, suspicious. As far as I recalled, there was only silence—except for that eerie voice.
Remy nodded quickly.
"Haih, whatever. Instead of interrogating me here, let's go."
Remy pulled Reena's hand off my shoulder, making her huff in annoyance.
"Go where? Where are you taking my boyfriend?"
Reena shot Remy a sharp glare.
"To finish cleaning up the storage room."
Remy's face remained blank.
Smack!
Now it was Remy's turn to get a hit from Reena.
"You're seriously taking my boyfriend back there? The teacher's around, right? Why are you guys being his servants?!"
Remy just shrugged.
I nodded in agreement with Reena's words.
"But if the teacher gets mad at us for not cleaning, what do we do? It's not you who'll get in trouble, it's me and Fariz!"
Remy scratched the back of his neck, looking nervous.
"Hmm, don't worry about that… Because I have an idea!"
Reena's face lit up with excitement.
"Come on, follow me!"
She grabbed my hand and gestured for Remy to follow. He sighed but complied.
"Eh, what are you planning now?" Remy asked, nervous, as Reena stopped in front of our classroom.
"Shhh. You two just wait and see."
I leaned against the wall, watching as Reena casually strolled into the class.
"Ahem, teacher, can I call Amir for a moment?"
Ms. Lin, who was in the middle of teaching, stopped and looked at Reena sharply.
"For what?"
"Mr. Aizat is calling for him."
Reena's face remained nonchalant. She was skilled at deceiving people.
"Alright, Amir, follow Reena."
Without hesitation, Amir got up and followed her out of the class.
"Okay, Amir, you're coming with us now."
Reena grabbed my hand and Remy's, dragging us along while Amir stood there, confused.
"Just follow, it's urgent!"
Reena grew frustrated when Amir remained still.
Reluctantly, Amir sighed and jogged after us.
---
"No way!"
"Yes way!"
"I said no!"
I was seconds away from smashing Reena's tilted head against the wall just to set it straight.
"Ish, don't be so stubborn. If we don't get Amir's help, who else will help you two?"
Reena stood with her hands on her hips in front of me.
"What can he even do? He's just another student like us!"
I protested, unwilling to owe Amir anything.
"For your information, Amir is the most influential student here. His father is the school's biggest donor, so the teachers definitely respect him. Why don't you want his help?"
I rolled my eyes in annoyance.
Money and status—always the priority and source of pride!
"Oh, come on, Fariz. What are you so afraid of? I'm just trying to help you two," Amir said, running a hand through his hair while keeping his eyes on me.
"Did I ask for your help? And when did I ever say I was scared?!"
Amir was clearly provoking me, testing the patience I had barely left.
"Ish, enough! Don't start a fight," Reena pushed me back, trying to defuse the tension.
Remy, who had been silent all this time, nodded in agreement.
I shot Amir a glare.
Suddenly, he stepped closer, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Do you want me to expose all your secrets, Fariz?"
His words made me shove him roughly. Taking a deep breath, I finally spoke.
"Fine. I agree."
The words left my lips, but inside, I was screaming in protest.
"Good!" Reena and Remy let out relieved smiles.
Meanwhile, Amir gave me a quick wink.
"Alright, then… where's Mr. Aizat?" Amir asked after a moment of silence.
"If I'm not mistaken, he's in a meeting. But I'm not sure if it's over yet," Remy glanced at his watch.
"In that case, let's go find that useless guy!"
Reena's sharp words made everyone turn to look at her at once.
"What? I'm just stating facts. He's a teacher, but he makes students do his work? What a waste of space!"
Remy and Amir burst into laughter at her words.
As for me, I stayed silent before slowly forming a sly smile.
A useless person? Looks like I've found my next victim.
"Uh, Fariz? Why are you smiling like that? It's kinda creepy," Remy clutched his chest dramatically.
"My business," I snapped, shooting him a glare.
Amir and Reena just shook their heads.
"Alright, let's go. We need to ditch before break time is over!"
Amir looked at Reena, confused.
"What?"
"You guys are skipping class?" Amir asked in disbelief.
Reena nodded excitedly.
"Hey, I wanna join!" Amir grinned widely.
"Sure thing!" Reena agreed enthusiastically.
"Why are you letting him tag along?!" I asked, irritated.
"What's the problem?" Reena replied, looking completely innocent.
Ugh. Whatever.
"I'm not going!" I turned and walked away, leaving them behind.
"Oi, why are you so moody? It's just Amir! I didn't invite your entire fan club!"
Reena ran after me, overtaking me in the process.
"Go with Amir if you want. I'm not skipping class!"
Suddenly, I felt a hand grab my arm from behind, stopping me in my tracks.
Amir was still holding my arm, that infuriating smirk on his face.
"What's your problem?!" I glared at him.
"Just come along. Consider it as paying me back for helping you and Remy," Amir said smoothly.
Reena nodded in agreement.
"No way!"
"Do you want me to tell them your secret?" he whispered near my ear again.
"You think I'm scared?" I intentionally fueled his anger.
At this point, I didn't care if they all found out my secret—as long as I was free from Amir's control!
"Ehem, alright then."
Amir motioned for Reena to come closer.
She raised a curious eyebrow.
"You know, Fariz is actually—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Remy suddenly appeared out of nowhere, panting heavily.
"Hey! I found Mr. Aizat. Hurry, he's about to leave!"
He wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Tch, what a buzzkill!" Amir muttered, clearly annoyed.
I smirked in amusement, crossing my arms.
Serves you right!