(Part 5)

"Look senior Heber! I unlocked a new car last time. I was talking about this one." Azazel showed his game progress to Heber.

"Wow… so many missed calls…" Cassiel looked at Seraph's phone which had 244 missed calls in just 2 months.

"Haha…" Seraph laughed awkwardly.

"Here you go, Kenzo." Ezekiel passed the phone to him who tried to sleep again.

"Hm… just keep it on the cushion, or give it to Damian…" Kenzo mumbled.

"I get what you say. Coach Seles told me about the exact same thing. I will inform the others to be attentive and ask Haris if something like that happened before. As for the rest, Coach Seles will handle it." Isa told.

Kazuna and Alan agreed. "We didn't know that in first place, it was those middle schoolers who gave me that idea. Even I was impressed." Alan said.

Isa glanced at the middle schoolers smiling, "They are an interesting bunch." "Then I'll go back. Call me if you need anything." he went back.

"Wow, your phone's camera is nice. I will change my phone too after the semester ends." Feng looked at Senri's phone.

"Hm, mine is good. But, Zachariah's phone is the best. It capture's every image clearly. I will buy that one next. However, there's one little problem…" Senri told.

"What?" Ryan asked.

"It would be too big for my hands. Sigh~ how cruel this world is, it's as if that phone was only made for Zachariah…" he sulked.

"Au~ Poor Sen, Sen…" Adam crouched before him pouting in his stead.

Ezekiel staring at his phone's screen sat silent. "What's wrong, Ezekiel?" Poseidon questioned over his unusual silence. 

Ezekiel gulped speaking up, "Can I… not go back home tomorrow?"

The middle schoolers including Poseidon looked at him confused. Ezekiel looked down anxiously, his hairs covering his expression.

"Why?" Kenzo asked sitting straight. (In the end he couldn't sleep a wink...) 

"Are you still worried…?" Poseidon asked.

Ezekiel shook his head left and right lightly unable to respond.

"But, hiding and running away won't do you any good. It's your family after all and it's been 2 months since you've last seen them. In the end, no parents can stay like that with their children." Helios sat before him.

"Yeah, just check on how they are doing that's it. Or, if anything happens just call us." Poseidon dabbed his shoulder.

Xavier and Seraph looked at each other clueless. Alan sat silent on the couch.

"Or if you can't then don't force your…" Helios added as Ezekiel interrupted, "I'll go…" "I'll go and meet them just like you say, vice-captain, captain." he masked a downcast smile.

Standing up and setting a pillow one the couch above, he turned around and nestled deep, sleeping.

Poseidon and Helios glanced at each other anxious. "What happened…?" Cassiel asked as Adam sat beside Poseidon curious too. Helios sighed.

"No way…" Heber and Feng whispered thunderstruck.

Gabriel frowned.

"But… isn't he just 12 years old?" Senri asked baffled.

Poseidon smiled ruffling Ezekiel's hair who snored, "Yes… he is just 12 years old and still bearing a burden like this."

Alan wide-eyed stared in disbelief as Kazuna glanced at him silent.

"Can't anything be done about it?" Xavier asked.

Helios shook his head. "He is his parent's child. Either, they wish to abandon him, abuse him or even disown him. It's their choice. There's nothing that we could do." Kenzo stated.

"But, he has his human rights…" Poseidon mumbled, "He has rights to be forgiven for something that's accidental. His parents just don't understand that." Instantly he looked at others reflecting, "Was it wrong for me to urge him?"

"Nope, it wasn't." Gabriel uttered, "Let him face it. Who knows, if his parents mind changed."

"Yeah, creating assumptions won't do us any good." Kenzo agreed.

Senri stood up.

"Where are you going?" Heber asked.

"Upstairs." Senri pointed his finger up. Climbing the stairs he instantly turned around, "If you want to protect him…"

The middle schoolers pivoted around, "Take his phone number and stay on alert all of you. The moment you feel as if something is happening. Just rush by his side tomorrow." he advised heading up.

"You can't step in his family affairs but as a friend… you all can aide him like no one else can, not even family." he smiled at the end. His figure disappearing. 

Kenzo looked at Seraph and Helios alongside the rest who nodded. "Yeah, let's do this." Azazel agreed.

Suddenly another shriek of happiness came from the 1st floor. "OUT! OUT! IT"S AN OUT!! WAY TO GO!! VERA DUMANI IS REALLY GONE!! WOOHOO!! YEAH!!"

The middle schoolers and Alan both jolting once again Kenzo clicked his tongue exasperated. "ARE YOU ALL OUT OF YOUR MINDS?!" he shouted, "OR DID SHOUTING GHOSTS POSSESS YOUR MINDS AND BODIES?!" However, the highschoolers above as expected paid no heed to even a single word he had shouted.

"Pfft! Haha!" Alan and the rest laughed.

"There's nothing funny about it!" Kenzo glanced at them annoyed.

"Good thing Ezekiel's a heavy sleeper." Helios stated relived.

"Tch, cancelling the match and this is what they do…" Kenzo murmured annoyed.

"By the way, what about their gifts, which we bought back from the mountain?" Cassiel whispered in Kenzo's ear.

Kenzo blinked, "Yeah, what about them?" he asked Gabriel who sat on the other side shrugging.

"About the things we bought back?" Alan asked.

"Yeah, yeah! Bee hives and forget me not's etc." Ryan recalled.

"They all took them happily." Kazuna stated, "And pine branches did work out for me too. I'll make frames easily now."

The middle schoolers flabbergasted sat with their mouths a gape, "WHAT?!"

"Kazuna's right. They took them all happily." Alan concurred.

"What the hell was in there to feel happy about?!" Heber shrieked grabbing his hairs.

"Isa was happy to see carp fish that's what he made for dinner today using Thyme leaves. Nagi is happy to see poisonous ivy and mushrooms for his observations, Orion can make astringents now thanks to forget me not's. Elias already put the bee hive on the tree behind the dorms. He was looking forward for honey, Zachariah is enjoying coconuts with Haruf while Noah planted wild roses in his room's vase…" Alan listed.

The middle schoolers speechless turned away, "What kind of nincompoops have we acquainted ourselves with…?"

"What about the mud from a swamp then?" Ryan questioned curious.

"It's with that old man." Alan blurted without conscience, "He deserved that."

"And river water and live falling snow water?" Adam asked from behind.

"That's with Aaron. He is investigating which one is best for face nourishment."

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Cassiel slapped his forehead.

"And your rabbit?" Xavier added.

"He is two-faced, he choose Rauf instead… I am left alone." Alan sulked looking away, lines of depression covering his forehead.

"Oh dear…" Xavier sympathized sincerely.

This time the middle schoolers knew clearly that they had finally lost. To think they would spend their impending future with people (or seniors to be exact...) like them from now on?! For them it was no more than an Outrageously shocking shock! 

Night taking over, the dorms had finally raised the flag of peace and tranquility.

The middle schoolers all sleeping in the lounge, Alan gazed outside window. "What is it?" Kazuna asked shutting down his laptop.

"Nothing… I just realized, I wasn't the only one surrounded by misfortunes. There are many others… and even younger than me. So looking at them, and hearing them, who am I to give up so easily?" he turned around.

Kazuna removed his glasses exhaling, "Is that what you thought all along?"

"Who knows? My thoughts are an endless, jumbled pit." Alan replied standing before him giving his wristlet back. "Here you go Kazuna Al Haris, I return this back to you. Thank you, it helped me a lot." he smiled.

Kazuna taking it wore it back. A relived smile escaped his lips, "That's good… now go to sleep early." he advised standing up. "Don't think too much Alan. Everything will turn out to be fine, believe me." he encouraged patting his head, soon heading upstairs.

Alan smiled, however that faint smile turning into a frown instantly he thought, "In the end, we still couldn't find anything about Liam. I hope my assumptions turn out be as wrong as possible. Because, he… possibly couldn't have done that or could he…?" he wrapped the documents scattered around, utterly confused. 

___

"Thank you." Senri whispered as Isa passed the sports drink to him. The middle schoolers asleep Nagi came back to the dorms panting.

"Done exercising?" Isa asked in a light whisper.

"Ye…s, Huff! Huff…" he panted.

"Hehe…" Senri chuckled at the middle schoolers sight, "They look so cute." he adored.

Tracing Alan, sleeping on a small couch in the corner he repeated, "Cute again."

Standing straight he looked at Isa. "Isa, since you are going back upstairs please bring Zach's phone would you? Pretty please?" he blinked his twinkling eyes, clasping his hands together, pleading.

"He is still sleeping, how can I take it without his consent?" Isa asked.

"Come on~ please~ please Senior Isa~ I just want to click a picture. He won't say anything." Senri urged.

Nagi sighed on his persistence. "Alright, I'll ask him and then bring it." Isa replied yielding.

"Yay!" Senri embraced him.