Chapter 1

"KRISTOFFER!"

Before I pivoted to meet the far away voice calling out to me, a small body collided with mine causing both of us to fall on the floor. Pain erupted from my upper back to the waist down.

"Ow!" I automatically complained. "Elli.."

"Sorry." Elliana raised her red head to meet my eyes. Her face immediately brightened with excitement and enthusiasm. She helped me stand up and gave me a tight squeeze. "I am just so happy. I passed Geometry and that's because of you!"

I took the paper she was waving at my face and examined it carefully. An A+ was written on top in blood red ink. I smiled. She didn't just passed the test, she even got a perfect score.

"You don't have to thank me. That's all on you." I said.

"No, it wasn't." She protested. "If you didn't tutor me, then I wouldn't have gotten the highest score in the whole class. So thank you, thank you, thank you!!" Elli gave me another hug.

I hugged her back. She's been cramming this test for over a week so I know she deserve to get the highest grade. Elli is a hard worker. To be honest, I see no need for her to thank me at all. All I did was teach her a few topics she find it hard to understand and that's it. But, oh well. . .

"What's all this about?" Terrence asked who just arrived with Leon. Elli ran to him to tell him the news.

Terrence eyed me secretly before indulging Elliana and congratulating her. Leon went to my side and patted me on the back. I heaved a sigh and gave him a soft smile to let him know everything's all well and good.

Elliana turned to me again and said cheerfully, "to celebrate, tonight's snacks for movie night is on me!"

Leon being a glutton, especially when its free, whooped a loud YES. The three were already discussing whose dorm room we will be crashing for the said movie night when I interjected and told them I can't tonight.

"But every Friday night is movie night." Elli pouted.

"I know. It's just that I got a lot of school stuff I needed to finish. Then I still need to pack an overnight bag since I'll be leaving for home tomorrow." I said.

"Aw come on, Kris. Can't you do it tomorrow morning?" Leon asked and looked at Terrence. "Right?"

Terrence nodded. "Yeah, dude. Just stuff everything in one go. That works." I rolled my eyes at him because I know he's teasing me.

"Can't." I shrugged.

Elli clasped her hands together and flashed me her puppy dog eyes. "Please? Movie night is movie night."

I heaved a deep sigh. All three are really persistent.

We've been friends since we were little and it's tradition made by Elliana to have a movie night every Friday evening. And we always have that so called event at my house. They would bring movies in different genres and lots and lots of popcorn in flavors of sour cream and cheese. Then we would watch movies 'til the break of dawn. My parents doesn't mind since the following day isn't a school day.

However, ever since we were admitted to Harrington High School Academy, movie night has been kind of a rare occasion these past few months since we were having a tough time looking for the right venue. Boys and girls aren't allowed to be in the same dorm room as a rule of the academy for obvious reasons. Duh.

"But Elli--"

"Please?"

"Just give it to her, Kris." Terrence said. "I could set up a projector at the Observatory. Then Leon can bring us some pillows and blankets and stuff."

"Why me?!"

"Uhh, because you have nothing else to do."

The school's Observatory? Seriously?

Specifically, the observatory near the Science and Laboratory Building is the common place for teenagers to hang out and do the hunka-chunka (you get what I mean, the naughty stuff). And seventy-five percent of the time, they get caught by teachers and security guards roaming at night. So technically, it's not like we're an exception to the idea of getting caught in the middle of the night eating pop corn and drinking beer - which is a huge school rule violation, by the way. Underage drinking, duh! Then, it will only be a matter of time before our parents arrived at Harrington to give us an earful. A one-and-a-half-hour of it on my part. That's how my Mom shows her. . .love and affection towards her one and only son.

Before I could say anything, Leon already interrupted my thoughts saying that he and Ali, the janitor, are buddies. "He'll give me a call to warn us if a teacher or Doraemon's going up." Elli giggled at the mention of Doraemon meaning Mr. Korsak, the academy's strict security guard and occasional hall monitor.

Leon started calling him Doraemon after the guy got him detention for wearing shorts in class. I don't know why Doraemon, though. Maybe because he's fat and short and wears a blue uniform?

"Are you gonna say yes now?" Elli persisted. "I mean, tonight's special. The guys finally talked me into watching horror movies! It's better than watching Olaf and Elsa and Moana, right? I mean, we could watch Raya and The Last Dragon but the guys wouldn't approve so. . ."

Elliana shrugged.

My eyes widened. I was literally surprised that Elliana said yes to these goofballs. Elliana hates horror films since we were kids. She never watches them because of the tension, the suspense, the gore and - stating the obvious - it's very scary. There was this one time when we were ten, we tricked her into watching one. She started bawling her eyes out and ran to my parents' bedroom. My Mom was furious that night. Even Dad was mad. We ended up getting scolded the whole night by Mom as Elliana watched The Little Mermaid and ate pop corn. Elli loves Disney movies. Frozen, Moana, Lion King. . . even Snow White which in my opinion is the most annoying Disney princess of all. She's also a RomCom, Chick flick kinda gal. Her favorite movies are 50 First Dates and Me Before You. We always watched that every movie night a few years back. Most of the time watching romantic movies with her always makes me cringe, gaining a complain from me and Terrence.

Except for Leon, though. He loves a good romance movie. And whenever we watch a romance movie that is a total tear jerker, he and Elli share a tissue box to wipe away their tears. And Leon's snot. Leon's really weird sometimes.

"Guys, you coerced her?!" I asked accusingly at Terrence and Leon. Well, Elliana wouldn't say yes unless she was forced to say yes. And knowing the guys, they can be. . . a little extreme when they wanted to be.

"She said yes. . .eventually. ." Terrence said defensively, avoiding my eyes.

I crossed my arms. Now why does that sound a little bit far-fetched?

"And correction, it isn't coercion. More like. . . .persuasion."

I rolled my eyes. Isn't that the same thing?

Terrence raised a brow at me and crossed his arms. "And who says coercion in a sentence?! You're such a smartass!"

Again, I rolled my eyes. It's not my fault I'm a son of a prosecutor. Hearing Dad use those kinds of terms seemed infectious, I found myself using it too.

"But we need to leave the lights on though. ." Leon shrugged. "That's the deal."

I pursed my lips and scratched my head. There's nothing I can do if they're really persistent.

Looking at the three of them now, I guess it wouldn't hurt to indulged myself every once in a while. And it's been 2 weeks since our last movie night so maybe I should just give in.

"Fine." I grumbled.

"YES!"

"But I need to finish my math assignment first. I'll meet you guys at the Observatory by 8 pm, okay?"

"Okay!" Elliana enthused.

"What's this about the Observatory?"

We all jumped in alarm at the sound of Mr. Korsak's squeaky voice. There he stood behind Leon, his toad-like face contorted in a sour expression which made him look even more toad-like than usual.

"Nothing." We all replied together.

His narrow eyes stared at us one by one before giving Leon the I'm-watching-you gesture. Leon blew a raspberry at his walking away figure.

I sighed.

Movie night it is.