3.1

I didn’t get enough sleep last night my eyes are slowly closing, I was so scared about sleeping again because of what happened. Today is the annual room designing for the foundation day fiesta I’m on garbage duty so I can’t be absent despite what’s happening in my school life.

“Hey are good on Sunday? Our date?” Rina asked me, holding my hand while leaning her head on my shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m sorry if we can’t spend time because of what’s happening…” I replied.

“Hmm…I’m sorry too, being an athlete is really busy…”

“No, it’s okay…I understand Rina, you’re doing the best you can so…I’ll be rooting for you” I smiled, Rina blushed and averted her gaze at me.

“Dummy…” She murmured.

“Hey…You trying to be a tsundere?”

“No! Look the train is here…” Rina pointed to the honking train approaching our platform. We held hands while riding the train until we reached our station. I really missed her, we kind of grew distant at some point in our relationships as boyfriend and girlfriend but, I’m thankful that she’s understanding and both of us are still working on our problems.

“Hey, where were you last night? Your mom called me saying if you’re with me…is everything alright?”

“Oh, I went to Hana’s apartment she didn’t go to school yesterday so, some of her class friends asked a favor, so I visited her home…”

“Oh…tell her I said hi, it’s been almost years that I didn’t see her…”

“Yeah, I’ll do that…She also came with me when I bought room designs and materials for our fiesta…”

“Yeah, I think that’s good, not to mention you’re a wimp, you need a strong independent woman like me and Hana…” She gripped my hand tightly. It hurts.

“Oh, my station…I’ll see ya on Sunday, chat me…” As soon as the doors opened she ran.

“Sigh... another day of misery…Well I wish it's Sunday already” I blurted. After minutes of standing the doors opened and the train stopped at the last station.

Opening the door of our classroom, a classmate suddenly handed me two recycle bins, and told me to take out the trash because the classroom is already messy. The foundation day fiasco is starting already… I never got the chance to put my bag down in my seat, I just followed the direction in throwing the trash. The huge green trash bin is located on the ground floor at the back of our school building. While walking in the corridors I saw the classrooms with different unique designs and even students getting measured by their classmates for costume purposes. But as the guy who is branded as the perverted student on the campus, I quickly averted my gaze to the students. I just went straight down in the corridor. Some guys threw balled papers at me and screaming “horny kid” and even “porn fanatic”.

“Hey cut that out! Have you goons had enough already!? Scram you leeches…!” A girl’s voice exclaimed behind me. Hearing the guys said “sorry” and ran I took a deep breath and turned around.

“Hey, are you good?” She smiled at me and pick the balled papers and put them in the trash bin I’ve been holding.

“Uh…Yeah, thanks…” I just looked down hiding my face.

“So…how was Hana is she okay?”

“Y-Yeah, I think she’s going to school today…So I think she’s good…” I replied.

Suddenly she offered her hand and smiled.

“I’m Lea…I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself last time I helped your butt…” She giggled. Even though we’re not that close she already blurted out jokes at my face. Now I know she’s really Hana’s friend.

“Ha-Ha-Ha…I’m Alex…”

“Nice to meet you…although I already know you because…you know that thing that you did last year…”

“Yeah…You don’t have to give a vague explanation…” I lifted my head. She was smiling at me, why is she still talking to me?

“Aren’t you anxious? People are looking at us because you’re talking to me…The “Weird ‘Pornographic’ kid…?”

Lea looked left and right at the corridors, a bunch of students are murmuring and looking at us. Even the guys throwing papers at me earlier.

“I don’t care about them…I think you’re a good person…People make mistakes all the time. We’re humans it’s inevitable so…No need to judge others” Lea suddenly turned around and ran while lifting her left arm waving goodbye.

It’s the first time a person in this school except for Hana told me that.

But…Am I really? A good person? Am I really myself?

I saw my reflection at the window glass, suddenly He flashed right in front of my reflection, flabbergasted I quickly ran.

I don’t know how fast I was running but the face of myself with that devilish smile haunted my inner soul. This “Thing” inside me… I have to keep it for myself, I don't want people to get hurt.

I eventually reached the huge green and smelly trash bin. I put the two-trash bin on the ground and one by one I dumped the trash inside.

“Hey, Alex…!” Recognizing the voice, after dumping the trash I turned around. Seeing Reggie with a straight look on his face with curiosity and rage. He gripped my uniform collar.

“So? You’ve been to Hana’s house?! How was she!?” He blurted.

“I-It’s normal…She’s just sick that’s all…” Grunting I held his arms with both of my hands. The basketball captain in our second year is picking a fight that we both know I can’t even win.

“You didn’t do something perverted right!? You bastard?!” He exclaimed.

“Why…Would I even do that? Can you just stop already!?”

“Hoh?” He suddenly pinned me in a wall and gripped my collar even more tightly.

“Can you fight me? If you win at this moment, I will leave you alone and not bother you anymore whenever you talk to Hana…But if I win Don’t you dare talk or get near to her”

“You and I both know that I can’t win…” I replied.

“Yeah, that’s why I’m giving you a choice you freak…”

“Why are you even doing this? What the hell is you’re motive?”

“I’m just worried at her being friends with some perverted ass freakshow like you…You don’t even deserve to have her as a friend. Who knows what kind of things you will do if both of you are alone…Tsk…” He unhanded my collar.

“W-What was that for?” He punched me in my left cheek. My lips are bleeding.

“Tsk…Stay away from her…” before leaving me he kicked my trash bin down and walked away pissed. While leaning on the wall I took a deep breath and just stood up and gathered my things then walked towards the building.

The sound of students running around and designing rooms covered the entire corridors while walking to my classroom. Looking at my uniform it was dirty. My hoodie is inside my bag, so I never got the chance to wear it. Once again, I opened my classroom door, I was bombarded with trash.

“Where have you been!? Just pick up the trash and put it in the bin again…Here” One of my classmates, handed me black plastic bags.

“Put the other trash here and get cleaning!”

“Y-Yeah…I’ll do it right away…” Austin exclaimed. He’s the vice president of our class. He’s not friends with Philip, he’s the typical high school kid, who's always responsible and with high grades. He doesn’t tease me like everyone else, the time when I raised my hand and given the duty to do the garbage disposal.

Everyone was laughing, except for him…He just sat down reading a book.

Following Austin, I quickly gathered the trash inside the classroom, I wasn’t using brooms and dustpan because it’s been missing for some reason. So, I just used my hands to pick the trash lying around. Some are sticky because of glues and some are covered in glitters.

This is just great…

“Hey, Alex you missed a spot…” Samantha and her friends we’re eating snacks at the corner, pointing at the juice box and other plastic containers from their snacks.

“I just cleaned that spot earlier can you just put it in here please…?” I replied.

“You’re our garbage collector after all. Don’t you see? If you don’t clean up the mess inside our classroom your grades in participation are going to be flunked” She smirked.

I just looked down and followed Samantha, on my knees while picking up the trash they scattered on the floor. Suddenly something wet touched and flowed down in my hair.

“Ooops…Sorry my hands slipped” Samantha and her friends laugh.

I clenched my fist then lifted my head. And saw no one. I quickly stood up. About to give Samantha a piece of my mind. My eyes circled the entire room but everyone is gone. Even the trash and designs hanging on the ceiling, EVERYTHING, gone. I ran towards the hallway and saw nothing, no students, noise, even the door designs for the foundation day fiesta.

“Where the hell is everybody…?”

The weird thing was the exit door located at the end of the corridor is glimmering inside. While walking towards the door there was no student insight, the chairs were fixed in a class form which is weird because it’s foundation day. No lights were on also, so…also weird.

“Hello! Anyone here!” I screamed; my voice echoed in the hallway. Reaching the exit door, I held the doorknob tightly and opened it. The light shinned like the sun in front of me, I covered my eyes…

“Alex Stop!” Austin while holding my left arm and two of my classmates holding my body. Wait why are these guys holding me? What the heck did I do? Looking at Samantha and her friends about a minute ago they were laughing at me while pouring the juice in my head but now, their eyes…as far as I observe…

They were trembling.

“W-What happened?” I asked.

Austin looked at me with a confused look and eventually let go of my arm.

“What do you mean what happened?!” Behind me one of my classmates who is holding my body exclaimed.

“After telling them ‘Shut up’ you suddenly approached them violently…stopping all the flower designs…Now look…the designs Samantha and her friends made are ruined”

What? What are they talking about?

“I-I…” No words came out…I have no idea what was going and what I did… Looking at my classmates they were all in complete shock. Everyone was whispering and talking to each other.

“Let’s just forget what happened! Guys! Come on! We have to move! The day we’ve been waiting for is tomorrow so, no dilly-dallies!” Philip exclaimed with calmness in his tone.

“Uhmm…Alex? Can I talk to you for a sec?” Philip smiled at me and patted my shoulder. I nodded. His three friends tagged along as we left the classroom. We went to the fifth floor of our building.

“What are we doing here…?” We entered the Janitor’s tool room. As the four of us entered an excruciating pain made my stomach shook. The three held me up…

Philip took another punch once more.

“You, Stupid freak! Don’t you dare do that again you hear me!?” My nose was bleeding. I couldn’t even get my head up.

“You have the guts to ruin my hard work!? You F*** Moron!” Another punch, and another, and another and another, and another. And another, and another, and another!

“H-Hey…Philip aren’t you being too much?” Mark said.

“Shut up! The Foundation day is tomorrow! I can’t have any miscalculations! But this!” He stopped my stomach. “This Moron! Ruined it!”

Some of Philip’s sweat dripped down in my bloody face. My sight is becoming blurrier…

“Leave his things here…and lock him up…” Philip exclaimed grinding his teeth sideways.

“Lay there and die…you crap…”

Then all was dark.

“See What I mean? I told you right? You need me…” He’s facing me again, I’m facing that mirror again…

“This is all your fault!” pointing at the mirror rapidly.

“What do you mean it’s my fault!?” He laughed psychotically, his grin reached his eyes.

“I just did what I have to do…like a normal person…! If someone did something bad to you…you have the freedom to do it also…”

“You’re a monster!” I back myself up away from the mirror.

“You’re really stupid ain’t ya? You’re the monster in the first place…don’t you forget. It was you who created me…now about our deal? If you let me in? I’ll make your life easier…Your enemies will respect you…you’ll be popular…even more than you’re most hated person…So? Do you accept?”

“Why would I even do that? You’re controlling me, now right?!”

“It’s just the drift…I have not reached the full attach with you…Yet…”

“This is goodbye for now…I’ll seeya in your nightmares…” His emerald eyes flickered.

The air entered my nostrils, I-I’m back, the blood in my face is now dry. Whipping it with a towel I look clean again.

“What the hell is ‘The drift’ What does he mean?”

My head is aching again…I need another medicine...