6 Page 6: CONsequences

It's been two days since the start of our second year in Junior High. The sky is clear and bright, and the breeze of spring has never been better. I see the soccer club in the field running around playing, tennis club on the other side of the court and the track and field team seems to be on their usual afternoon run. I'm so glad everyone is enjoying their youth.

"Hey, slacker."

Of course, everyone...except me.

"Who are you calling slacker?!" I yell at Nico who was glaring intently at me, "Can't a girl have her moment?"

"You don't have the right to slack off and have your moment while I work my butt off here cleaning the hall!" he yells pointing the mop at me.

I sigh ignoring his remark and continued wiping the windows, "Geez, you're going to get old if you keep on yelling at me like that. Don't you get tired of nagging?"

"How can I not nag at you when you're the reason why we're in this mess?! And yet here you are slacking off."

Ugh. Ignore.

"Oy! Eve! Are you even listening to me?!"

"Will you shut your trap, Niko? You're getting annoying. I don't have the motivation to fight with you right now."

"Hmp," he folds his arms all smug, "But I bet you can't clean as much as I do."

My hands stopped from wiping. Okay, now that just ticks me off. I may not be the best at cleaning but I know I cover most of what needs to be cleaned, "Now listen here Stupidanov," I said holding back my anger, "If there is someone to blame here for being punished, THAT WOULD BE YOU!"

Aah..so much for holding back my temper.

"If you didn't go yelling 'YES I STILL WON IN THE HEIGHT DEPARTMENT!' while we were having coffee at the lounge the other day, we wouldn't be in this situation!" I throw the rag at him.

He scowls at me, "Nobody told you to go looking for me anyway!"

Wha⁠—WHAT THE HELL?! HOW CONCEITED COULD HE GET?!

"Oh my god guys, I could hear you both all the way downstairs. And this is the third floor!" said Miya who was just coming up from the stairs, "I can't believe you're still pointing fingers on whose fault it is."

Remember that time when I skipped class and saw Niko at the gym? We got caught along the way back to the classroom thanks to Stupidanov's joyous yelling. And to make it worse, it was the principal who caught us loitering and skipping classes. We both got called to his office and got reprimanded for misconduct. He said he didn't expect top students such as acting like delinquents. I didn't mind the scolding since anything outside of work is an experience worth for me, but when I looked at Niko's face back then, I could see how frustrated he was. Not that I don't understand how he feels, but only if he could stop being moody all the time, we could probably work things out properly.

"I'm done here," I said heading for the water fountain at the end of the corridor to twist the rag dry.

"Hey!" Niko yelled. What now?

I sighed and turned around, "Let me go Niko, there's nothing much to fight about when we've been going at it for three days straight already. At least calm your nerves. I'm really getting exhausted."

He didn't respond. That's that for today I guess.

Miya was watching over us from the classroom across us, leaning over the window from inside. I glance to her, "Miya, let's go down together after I keep this."

She nodded grinning. And I left for the sink.

When I came back, Niko was gone. I thought maybe he transferred to a different floor, but then Miya walked out from the classroom and said, "He already went ahead. He said he had something to do. He finished mopping the floor while you were away and left. He looked bummed."

"No surprise there." I said folding the rag twice then opening the utility locker.

I could hear Miya walking towards me as I arranged the contents of the metal closet in front of me.

"What is it?" I said giving her a head start.

"Say.." she said, "Exactly how did you end up getting caught loitering with Stepanov?"

"I already told you we bumped into each other then he was yelling and your father caught us and he thought we were skipping classes. Well, I don't blame him, we were drinking canned coffee after all."

"I looked for you in the infirmary you know. I even texted you, but you didn't reply."

I shut the locker, "Ah..that could've been the time when we were called at the principal's office. Honestly, that boy is bad news. I can't seem to have peace when he's around. And here I thought he'd finally opened up to me after..." shoot I should really stop. I look at Miya's face to see her reaction and I was right, she was staring intently at me.

"You guys talked?" she continued.

"Pfff, nO. I was saying I thought he might finally open up after three days of community service together." I smile awkwardly. Why am I even lying to her?

I see Miya's face saddened. Wait, hold up. What's going on?

"Miya? You okay? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no it's just..even though Niko is a bad mouth and wouldn't want to talk to anyone, he's really not that bad." she said.

What? Miya, what? "Not that bad? Miya, do you see how he treats me? You heard us yell at each other from the first floor earlier. He scowls at me for no reason and he verbally abuses me in front of everyone in the classroom."

"I know!" she exclaimed, "But Niko has his own problems too. He's not a bad person. He's just affected by how he was treated at home."

"Miya, that's not even a valid excuse for being a foulmouth. Besides, why are you even⁠—OH NO." I gasped realizing what the softness of her expressions meant as she tries so desperately to defend Niko in front of me. "No. No. No. No...Miya!" I yell shaking her, "You told me he's had a bad personality since grade school! He's bad news! Why??"

She shrugs, smiling apologetically, "I guess you just can't choose who you fall for."

"Fall for? You do not only like him but you feLL FOR HIM ALREADY?!"

"Shh! Not so loud, Eve!" she tiptoed covering my mouth.

I pull her hand away, "Since when?" I exclaimed.

"Last year..." she shyly replied.

"Wha- LAST YEAR? I was already here last year! When?"

"First of all, you were barely here last year because of your sick grandma." she pointed at me, "And second, I didn't think you'd be interested especially when you're just a newborn fawn.."

"Newborn fawn??"

"SShh! Let me finish!"

I put my hands up.

"It was around fall. There was this first-year leadership program invitation for LIA, a leadership camp to be exact. The principal made me and Stepanov attend it as the representative of our school. It was kind of in a whim since no one signed up for it, so dad took the liberty of signing us both up without our consent. You were unreachable so I didn't have a chance to tell you. Nothing happened really, it's just we had a talk and he opened up to me about his family situation. And that's when I finally got to understand why he acts all broody and bossy towards everybody. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, it was just⁠—Eve?"

Yeah. I spaced out. I could hear everything but my mind is starting to get all swirly and gross.

So, they talked. They bonded. Stupidanov opened up. Stupidanov isn't a bad guy? How? Why? Maybe she was tricked. She might have been dreaming it. No..impossible. He's a brute. A smart brute to boot. He's corrupted her! No..I'll save Miya.

And so I snapped, "AAAAAAAAAGHH!!!!"

"Why are you screaming?!"

"Miya!!!!" I strongly held her shoulders. I could see her panic before me.

"Eve, what happened?"

"I will save you." I mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"I WILL SAVE YOU FROM THAT ILLUSION HE HAS CAST UPON YOU!" I shake her furiously.

"Eve! Calm down! You're making me di..i...izzy!"

I impulsively stopped her swaying and looked her straight in the eye, "I am going to reveal to you his true colors!"

"Huh..." Miya nervously replied.

BEEP BOOP

The two of us looked down at my glowing skirt pocket.

"Your phone.." Miya mumbles so I immediately pull it out to see who messaged. It was from Dave. I frowned as I clicked the bubble open. The screen shifted immediately to the message and my jaw dropped tremendously the moment I read the last line. I know it was physically impossible for a jaw to fall on the ground, but that's exactly how I feel right now.

I carefully read in my mind, "Your final shoot for Queen's issue is this Saturday, please do not forget. And by the way, WE ARE GOING TO MEET WITH CHERRY AT HEIRESS' MAIN BUILDING NEXT FRIDAY."

NO. F*CKING. WAY! HOW DID THIS MAN DO IT?! It must have been Mr. Kim. AAAAAAA they are making me too excited when I'm supposed to be focusing on being Eve when I'm in school! More importantly, AT HEIRESS'?! This is too good to be true!!!!!

"Eve? Is something wrong? You're awfully silent. And your face seemed to be in shock. Exactly who is that?" Miya was about to take a peek on my phone so I immediately locked the screen.

"Ahahaha..it was just Dave no biggie." I said laughing awkwardly, "He said my grandma started doing squats and I just couldn't help but be shocked."

"That is dangerous! Your grandma should be careful."

I know right? I should be more careful in showing my expressions too much. "Shall we go home?" I said pulling my backpack hanging from the locker hook.

Miya grinned, putting her backpack on.

The sun was starting to set as we walked down the stairs. I love how the colors just blend into the sky with a mix of oranges and purples. It was the perfect combination of warm sun and cool spring air. We walk into the shoe locker just in front of the entrance and quickly changed our shoes.

"Eve." Miya called, she was just four cubicles beside me.

"Yeah?"

"When will your community service end?"

"Oh it's next Fri⁠—" my shoes slipped from my hand.

"Eve???" Miya exclaimed as she picked up my fallen indoor shoes, "You dropped your shoes..? Are you okay?"

And that's when I realized the consequences of trying to befriend Niko Stepanov, the poison that I wholeheartedly drank despite the label saying "Deadly".

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FINISH MY DUTIES WHILE I ATTEND MY CONFERENCE WITH CHERRY?