Her name was Cora

"Hello, Bright!"

The moment he heard his classmate mention her name, Four-Eyes sat ramrod straight. He adjusted his eyeglasses on the bridge of his nose and quickly brushed his hair in an upward motion. The frenemies — Macaw and Giant — took notice of their friend's uneasiness and gave each other a knowing look.

They each gave Four-Eyes a slight nudge on his waist and wiggled their eyebrows the instant Bright entered the classroom.

Giant tapped Four-Eyes's shoulder. When his friend glanced at him, he formed a circle with his left hand and shook it vigorously, with his eyes tightly closed and his mouth wide open.

Four-Eyes's face turned purple from rage. This friend of his is a total whack job. Macaw let out a burst of booming laughter while holding onto her belly at the ridiculous sight of her friends.

"Hi, Class President. How was your break?" Bright acknowledged the person who first greeted her and gave her a light sweet smile too.

"Great. My break went great, really. Thanks for asking. Oh, Sunny! Everything ready for your trip tomorrow?" The class president instantly asked the person next to Bright, lest she forgets.

Tomorrow is an important day for their representative Sunny. She is to compete in the qualifying rounds for the gymnastics category at the Junior Summer Olympics.

"Presiii!" Sunny ran and gave their class president a tight hug, and she said: "I'm all set and ready to fly!" Sunny then buried her head on her chest in excitement.

She sniffled the sweet pea scent from their class president too. The class president patted her head, used to Sunny's clingy disposition.

"Bring home the bacon, and don't forget to break a leg! I mean, don't break a leg, but you know, b-r-e-a-k-a-l-e-g."

"Of course, I'm gonna break a leg!" Sunny proclaimed. She showed off an arabesque posture; her body was supported on one leg and the other leg extended horizontally backward.

The class started to clap their hands, everybody in awe with how Sunny was akin to a graceful dancing swan.

While everybody was busy with the spectacle that is called Sunny, a cold hand suddenly hooked on Bright's fingers. She had an affectionate smile on her face when she saw Four-Eyes sweat profusely.

She knew how shy her guy is. Good for him, she isn't. If someone is to ask who made the first move, they would definitely say Bright's name.

They were childhood friends who turned high school sweethearts, and it was not that long ago when they started to date.

Sensing the inferiority from the other person, she gently rubbed her thumb against his and gave him a reassuring smile.

They sat side by side near the window. Their intertwined hands were hiding under the table. Four-Eyes rested his chin on a propped up arm, and Bright mirrored the same. The staring game between the lovesick fools was disrupted by their friend.

"Ah-yah-yay. What have we done to deserve this dog food?" Giant shook his head. He gagged and made a nauseated face to further show his annoyance.

"You need a girlfriend, Giant. Why don't you start dating presi?" Macaw suggested to her friend. Her arms folded, and her lower lip was sticking out.

"Or, why don't you just date me?" Rookie's sexy, low voice sent chills down Giant's spine.

"TF Rookie. I know you are gay, okay? Please don't push my buttons."

"I know you are gay too."

"Why don't we go to the locker room and find out?" Giant stood up, cranking his neck left and right, his height towering above Rookie.

"There's a difference between gay and..." Rookie did not dare continue. He balled his fists until it turned white. He wanted to punch the heck out of this arrogant giant, but his rationale prevailed.

"Between what? Say it, Rookie. I want to know." Giant continued to taunt his friend.

"You're such an a$shole, Giant." Macaw patted Rookie's back before she put her earphones on and started to tinker with her 1st Gen iPod Classic.

She played the only music in her iPod and closed her eyes to magnify the angst of the song that was continuously playing in her head, even in her sleep.

"Well, I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind.

I left my body lying somewhere in the sands of time.

But I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon.

I feel there's nothing I can do, yeah..."[1]

Macaw started singing loudly, albeit unintentional. Giant shook his head and pulled her earphones away from her ears. "You're singing too loudly." His voice stern as he eyed Macaw. A flash of worry could be seen in his eyes.

"Oops. Sorry." Macaw mouthed her reply and put the earphones back in place.

Giant patted her head then squeezed her cheeks, which earned him a jab to the stomach.

When the group in front of her started to laugh, Macaw joined the fun and laughed too. However, no sound came out from her wide-open mouth.

Her friends' weird looks forced her to remove her earphones.

"What's wrong, guys?"

The group started to laugh again.

Sunny gave her friend a tight squeeze, then said, "Oh, it's nothing. You look beautiful when you laugh." Sunny beamed at her, and Macaw's heart was now at ease.

The friends shared another round of innocent laughter. This time, Macaw's laugh can be heard.

The first day of school after spring break is finally over. The group of friends decided to ride their bikes up to their "base."

"Young Miss!" a soft voice called out. Sunny was about to ride behind Rookie's bike when she heard a familiar voice.

"Aunt Mari, what are you doing here?" She eyed the white van waiting for her. She hated that car. It looked like she was on her way to a field trip.

"Please take the van, Young Miss. We can put the bikes in the back."

Sunny turned to her friends, her eyes pleading. One by one, they exhaled yet walked towards the van. How could they say no to Aunt Mari, who prepares delicious snacks for them for their after school sessions? Besides, she's only doing her job.

On the way to their destination, inside the van, Giant fished out his phone as big as a walkie talkie from his bag and dialed a number.

One

Two

Three

Just as he predicted, the phone was picked up on the third ring.

"We're going to the base. Please tell the security."

"Mmm. You go there as you please as if you own the place," a monotonous voice replied.

"I do own it."

The guy from the other line let out a chuckle then hanged up.

"It's a go," Giant smugly said to his friends before he put his phone back into his bag.

The Hilltop friends, arrived at their hideout. A hill on the border of the Capital. "Hurry up, guys! Let's take a photo before the sun sets. I need to pack my stuff for tomorrow, too," Sunny exclaimed as she clapped her hands so her friends will hasten their steps.

"Aunt Mari, can you take our picture, please." She passed the camera to Aunt Mari, and without counting, Aunt Mari took a photo with the last frame of the film while almost everybody was not prepared.

Four-Eyes was busy wiping his eyeglasses.

Giant was pulling Macaw's earphones from her ears and the latter about to poke his eye with her two fingers.

Sunny was fixing Rookie's eyebrows with her thumb.

Only one person was smiling.

A girl sporting a black bob cut.

Her name is Cora.

Edited by Swaning