Chapter 8: Everyday Shenanigans

---7:30 am---

"Wake up, bro."

The first bell rang, signaling the start of the day. The rising sun was no different. The early wind was just as cold as yesterday and the classroom was its same old vigorous self.

"It's starting already? Wasn't it just 7 am?" Oliver rubbed his eyes.

Miguel put his hand on Oliver's shoulder. "You fell asleep. Time flies fast when you sleep."

The morning PA turned on as the people on the other side of the speaker began the same old morning rites.

---8:30 am---

"Can you bring these to the faculty office, Summer?"

Summer stood up. "Alright."

Walking over to the desk with the papers, she signaled Oliver to stand up as well.

"Can I help her, ma'am?" Oliver asked.

The two walked down the quiet hallway to the faculty office. The smell of fresh paint, chalk dust, and school posters covering the walls. Same as always yet change was present.

"By the way, how do we use the toilet now?"

"Didn't we already solve that back at home?" Oliver questioned.

"No, I mean here in school. What do we do if we need to go?"

"I stand outside the girl's restroom while I wait-"

Oliver realized.

"Oh."

The two entered the faculty office and dropped off the two boxes of papers they had been carrying for a few minutes. As they did so, they swiftly left to head back to their classroom.

Summer glanced at Oliver. "By the way, you ready for the exams next week?"

"THOSE ARE NEXT WEEK???"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm dead." Oliver nervously laughed.

"You know," Summer put her hands to her back. "I could help you study."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you never ask me to help you during exams. The only times you ask for help with academics is when you want to copy my homework."

Oliver laughed as he scratched his head. "Couldn't do it without you."

---A Few Hours Later---

Everyone was now packing up. The last bell had rung.

"Let's head home shall we?" Summer picked up her bag.

"Well uh, you see,"

Summer leaned closer. "What?"

"Well," Oliver nervously laughed. "I kinda promised I'd go out with someone."

"When you knew very well that we would review for the exams?" Summer looked at him with a spine-chilling smile.

"I'M SORRY. I promised to go to the mall with this person to help her-"

"A girl?" Summer's smile grew larger as her hand reached into her bag.

"A GROUPMATE. SHE'S IN MY GROUP FOR THE SCIENCE PROJECT."

"I see." Summer replied.

Someone tapped Oliver's shoulder. "Hey, you ready to go?"

As her face came into view, Summer recognized her immediately. The girl went by the name of Angel, a radiant and beautiful girl with a common name. She was a new transfer from Manila and her family had just moved to Baguio in a medium-sized house located a few blocks down the school road. Naturally, it would make sense that Angel would be asking one of her classmates to show her around the mall or any other area for that matter since she was new to the city. But why Oliver out of the other 15 boys in the class? Summer held some suspicious.

Oliver smiled. "Yeah, let's go."

---30 Minutes Later---

The entrance of one of Baguio's biggest shopping malls was as riotous as ever. People carrying fat bags full of groceries, others waiting in line for a taxi or a jeepney, and students in their uniforms forming most of the crowd inside and outside. The atmosphere was as chaotic as it was oddly in synch.

"What did we need again?" Angel asked.

"Wait let me check my phone."

Oliver and Summer would occasionally frequent the mall. Most of the time, the reason behind their regular patronage was to be caused by their friends. At the end of the week, it had become an unwritten tradition of the students of Angelo Laurel High School to go out in droves to various parts of the city to unwind and to get their minds off the stressful week of academic work. At some point, it had become somewhat of a taboo to stay at home after school on a Friday. Since today was a Friday, students from different campuses around the city were to be found inside the shopping center.

Oliver put his phone in his pocket. "It seems we're going to need some cartolinas, cardboard boxes, some litmus paper, a lemon, and some bleach."

"I get the first 3, but is it true that no one owns any lemons or bleach at home?" Angel questioned.

"I don't blame them. I don't want me lemons or me bleach getting used for experiments either," Oliver replied sarcastically with an accent.

Angel laughed. "What kind of reason is that?"

"Our group's reason, apparently."

As Angel laughed again, Summer, who had stayed silent until now, was beginning to wear a gloomy expression accompanied by a toxic aura and a frightening stare at Oliver.

Angel stopped laughing. "Oh and by the way, why is Summer with us?"

Oliver came up with an excuse. "Oh, right. She wanted to get something at the book store so she asked if she could come with us."

Summer waved at Angel.

"You two are pretty close, huh? I heard you guys were dating. Is it true?"

Summer and Oliver replied in unison. "YOU'RE MISTAKEN!"

---At the Bookstore---

The bookstore was a central gathering point for several students inside the mall. School supplies, books on various topics, and project material filled the rows and sections of the glorified establishment.

"Let's split up, you find the cartolinas and the cardboard boxes and I'll look around for the litmus paper." Angel proposed.

As they proceeded to split up, Oliver began to scan the store of its litmus paper. With Summer's help, they had cleared an entire section of the store without finding a single thing that even resembled litmus paper.

---Moments Later---

Angel approached them with her hands full. "Did you find the litmus paper?"

"No, sadly. Me and Summer looked everywhere."

"That's because you were looking at the wrong spot." Angel took a plastic of small litmus paper out of her hands.

"Where was it???"

"In the back corner beside the window."

"Ah crap, I forgot to look there. Sorry for putting everything on you."

"It's fine, I only found it because I passed by it anyway."

"Il pay for the stuff. After all, you did all the finding."

"No, it's fine. I'll do it."

"Please, I insist." Oliver took out his wallet.

"Fine, but I'll pay for the bleach and the lemon later."

As Oliver handed the items to the person at the counter, Summer grabbed a book she thought looked interesting from the nearby shelf.

How nice of him. Summer's doubt grew.

---27 Minutes Later---

If the bookstore was full of students, the supermarket was filled with their parents. Rows upon rows of fresh produce lined the area with each corner being organized to a certain product. The sounds of a hundred shopping carts and the pop music playing in the background were enough to wake anyone up.

Angel spoke. "Let's split up again, I'll go find the bleach, you go get some lemons."

This time, Oliver was determined to not let Angel beat her to his objective.

"Hey Summer, hel-"

"Here you go." Summer tossed a lemon to Oliver.

"Where'd you find this?"

"Right behind us."

Summer then pointed to the row of fresh fruits and vegetables lined up on large baskets all on display.

"Well, that's convenient."

---Moments Later---

"It seems we've got everything on the list."

Angel put her fist to her chest. "Mission complete!"

Yay. Summer stood silently.

To end the day, the three of them made their way to a milk tea shop on the left-wing side of the mall. Numerous students were to be seen inside with each either holding their recent order or their phones. The interior decor of the establishment was rather simplistic. From the square green couches to the bowl-shaped lamps, it was the type of furnishing that would put someone on edge from a glance but would give comfort to the one who takes the time to use it.

As the three walked in, a group of students sitting right next to the window had just left their spot. They immediately filled the empty seats.

"Hey, I'll take the orders. What do you want?" Summer asked.

"Winter melon," Oliver replied.

"I'll have winter melon too."

Due to the proximity of the window seats to the counter, Summer did not need Oliver to move with her to take the orders. While Summer went and paid for the milk tea, Angel and Oliver started a conversation.

"Hey Oliver, it was nice going out today."

"We should do something else other than lemons and litmus paper next time though,"

Angel laughed. "That's true."

"By the way..."

"Yeah?" Oliver listened.

"I was invited to this study group to study for the upcoming exams." Angel leaned in closer. "Would you like to join me?"

"Uh..."

What? Since Summer was at the back of the line, she could hear the two speaking.

"It will be fun. We're all planning on watching a movie as well after studying."

Is that a study group or an excuse to procrastinate? Summer smiled weirdly.

"Yeah, I guess that does sound nice."

"So you want to join?"

Summer was about to explode. For the entire day, she had kept quiet and behaved even as she had been wary of Angel. But now that Angel was trying to steal Oliver from their studying time, she began to slightly panic.

"But,"

Fortunately for Summer, she didn't need to speak up.

"I have plans. Sorry."

"Oh," Angel fell back. "Alright then."

Summer stared at Oliver profoundly.

"Ma'am, your order?"

The line had cleared.