Fall Not

EPISODE 2

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They continued teasing each other as if there would be no guard doing rounds at 11 pm because there they are, enjoying their warm cup of coffee and a crumb of the moment with freezing air. No one has checked the time, they forgot that it indeed flew like the lost butterflies. The girls have been talking outside for at least an hour or two.

“Maybe this is what they call 10 pm thoughts of a girl.” Claire jokingly said to break the silence again. Can she now be called a silence breaker?

“It’s 3 am though, not 10 pm.” Lay bluntly corrected her which made Claire frown. “…should we now get inside? I’m almost done with my coffee.” Lay stood up and then left her seat, she was ready to go.

“Hey! Let us extend another hour, please?” Claire suggested pouting her lips to beg. “I want to feel this fresh air more. The next evening, we sat under this tree, this air could be gone already.”

The idea is quite impossible, however, Lay was convinced by that little absurd idea, because why would air leave a tree, they seemed to be always together. Never mind the guard. Maybe he’s still busy eating dinner.

The surroundings are still quiet.

As they waited for another second to pass, no one brought up any other topic aside from what they were talking about earlier. Claire is spaced out while Lay is just staring at the stars.

“Is it for real then?” Lay opened another conversation to start as she stared at the stars as they gave her a topic to start with.

Now, Claire is confused by the unexpected, yet expected question from Lay. She just gave her an emotionless glance that somehow presents an obvious answer.

She tried to divert it.

“...that we need to leave? I guess yeah, you know anytime the guard will be—”

“Nope, I mean your feelings for him.”

Lay’s straightforward phrases always caught Claire off-guard. Unable to form a simple yet reasonable answer to present.

For the nth time around, awkwardness filled their cup yet instantly spilled out by Claire. She just sighed and stood up, deciding to finally leave. This time her feet start to go on their journey to their room. She wanted to avoid answering the question. Claire just fully turned her back on Lay, who was more confused by her gestures.

“It is?!” Lay exclaimed. Claire immediately looks back and glares at Lay. Her eyes look like a lion ready to devour her meal at any time, while Lay’s eyes were just as innocent as it is and calm, it’s just her voice that changed a bit as if nothing happened.

Lay stopped asking Claire more questions because she knows how uncomfortable the topic is for her friend. Thus, Lay seconded the conclusion and suggested, to go back to their room and take a deep rest. A few steps away from their place, suddenly all the lamps in the hallway light up and leave them with no choice but,

to run.

Staring at each other while trying to hold their laughter and running for their life, not to be caught by the guard, again.

“...again…” they both whispered and then laughed while running hastily. Their room is a bit far from the place where they usually spend their time, though it might be just a walking distance but tiring if they’ll run.

Glad that the entrance door is still open, a clear sign that it’s not yet midnight. But at the point of reaching the stairs, they need to quiet down, others might be awakened by the noise of their steps. So, they slowly, carefully, and quietly take the stairs, staring at their feet step by step. Every step is followed by a deep sigh, neither coming out of worry or nervousness. It is but pure relief that no one so far has noticed their presence in the middle of the night.

They were chased by their shadows.

And yet, something is off, it is the last step of the stairs, but a guitar seemed to be lying on the floor, a little brown guitar. Both were confused and couldn’t take the last step; they again froze and just stared at the guitar in front of them.

“A guitar?”

“Yes, a guitar.”

“What would a guitar be doing here? Alone?”

“Hmm? No clue at all.”

Only their whisperings were to be heard in the hallway no matter how low their voices were. As if they already are guilty of something they usually do.

Claire gasps and both their eyes widened out of surprise when a hand slowly grabs the guitar in front of them, luckily that Lay’s palm landed perfectly on her mouth to stop it from making more noise that is much more dangerous than the person standing in front of them. As they lifted their heads, both just sighed out of relief and stood still after taking the last step on the stairs.

“What are you doing here outside our rooms?” Lay instantly asked the guy who was also standing still in front of them and knew already what was going on. His stares automatically landed at Claire but then faster than the flash, Claire just turned her eyes to Lay communicating an obvious message, then Lay hurriedly removed her hand covering her mouth.

“I should be the one asking that to you, both of you, the legend of sneakers” he replied and though it was a bit dark in the hallway, his hastened curved smiles are still visible to Claire.

“Can you please, excuse us? We’re in a hurry.” she bitterly said. Claire grabbed Lay’s hand and walked toward their room, 5 doors away from the stairs.

“Yeah, I can feel it too.” He just waved a hand and walked down the stairs without any hurry at all. Carefully carrying his little brown guitar reached the entrance of the gate but as soon as he held onto the doorknob, a flashlight was pointed at him. It is the guard.

“Where do you think you’re going at this hour?” the guard asks and stands in front of the entrance door blocking him.

“Because this is not a place for me to stay, right, Sir?” He replied sarcastically. The guard then realizes he’s a guy and his dorm is on the other corner of the premises. “Can I excuse myself Sir?” He added lowering his voice a bit to make it manly.

“I’m sure you didn’t enter this room without any reason, what did you do up there?” the guard asks. His lips curved smiles, a fake smile, and the guard sharply glared at him.

“I gave a present to a friend of mine, it seems like she left it earlier.”

“What is it?”

“I guess it’s not something the school and the student agreed on sharing, as I read the rules and conditions---”

“Okay, enough. Go in peace.”

“Thank you for the advice.” He uttered with an insulting bland tone in his voice, this guy just loved teasing their guard every time they argued then turned his back and left the guard.

The two ladies walked fast and reached their room before anyone else open a door just to watch them sneaking, again. Countless times have they sneaked out of their room just to take a rest under that lonely tree while sipping their cup of coffee. It somehow becomes a comfort to them. So, the Admin and Guard are already familiar with their footsteps, their whispers, and alibis whenever they are interrogated in the Guidance Office.

Lay’s about to unlock the door but awakened by the reality that there is no key in her hand, and she doesn’t have it with her, nor in her pockets as she searched for them. While Claire is like an expert investigator who’s looking out for any suspicious person around, they were the suspicious ones.

“Claire gave me the key,” Lay asked if Claire might have had it with her. But Claire’s eyes widened like she wasn't expecting this question. Now the answer is obvious.

“Huh? Key? What key?”

“I said, the key. That thing you need to un—I mean obviously, our door’s key. I thought you had it with you?”

“You’re the one who locked it before we leave.”

“But you said, you’d carry it with you.” Both are still analyzing what is happening because they can’t find where the key is or who is

holding the key.

“Don’t tell me, we both don’t have the key?” Their faces are now unpaintable. They look inside their sleepwear pocket but no sign of the key. Tries to recall where they put the key. But couldn’t remember any scenario regarding where they put the key.

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