Traces of Midnight Fallacies

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER 14

"Please, Charmaine! I know that you can do it!" Celeste pleaded while I kept my eyes on the paper she handed me. "I do have a lot of activities that I have to submit on the due date, and the due date is on Friday! I haven't answered the one in my philosophy yet, "she added, as if she was already crying over her pile of activities.

I’m not a good student and I do everything I can in order to get rid of piling on them. As soon as the activities reached me, I did something, unlike Kevin, who even got to the point where he had to ask the professor to give him more time. I'm not a saint and I'm not a good student either. I also got to the point where I had to ask the professor to prolong my unfinished activities, but I did all my best just to lessen it as much as possible.

In her case, it seemed like she was doing something else instead of doing her activities, and that's why she got to the point where she was crying over the pile of her work.

"I will do my best, Celeste," I said, which made her grin a bit. "But I can't promise you that…"

"You told me that you would do your best?" she cut in, which made me chuckle a bit. "When you say you will do your best, I know that you will do your best and finish it. That is the least thing you can do for me."

"Yes, but I can't promise you what you expected," I answered, which made her pale and shocked at what I'd said. "I have other priorities until tomorrow that I also need to pass this Friday, and it seems like I can't finish this on the due date you requested."

She leaned against the railing before she closed her eyes, as if she was praying in her posture in front of me. I don't know, but it seems like prayer will help her for the sake of her subject.

"Even if you started it, Charm," she pleaded before she stood up. "It's okay for me even if it's just the start, as long as I can pass something on."

I nodded at her with a fake smile etched on my lips while staring at her eyes.

I saw an unfamiliar place lurking behind her eyes. I see a dark place and it seems like that place is secluded. I saw her walking down the dark side of that place with a man who was not familiar in my eyes. They walked together in the middle of the secluded area until she was stabbed in her back by the man at her side. His face is a bit blurred, but I clearly saw Celeste's face already covered in her own blood. There were a lot more things that happened next in that scene that I no longer stared at because I already felt the blanket resting on my shoulder.

My eyes almost widened when I looked behind me. I saw how Kevin placed his blanket on my shoulder with his lips plastered with a smile. I did nothing but maintain my seriousness while staring at him. I can't even reciprocate the smile he shows me in front of me right now.

"It seems like Celeste is asking you to do something again for her, right?" he accused before he looked at her, who was now jokingly pulling his hair, which made him chuckle.

I did nothing but maintain my seriousness while staring at them. I know that my face looks pale right now because I felt the rapid depletion of my blood in it. My throat almost dried up whenever I looked at her and whenever I remembered the event that I saw lurking in her eyes earlier.

I clearly saw that Celeste was injured, and I know that accident will lead her to death if I'm not mistaken. I know that it will happen in the next few weeks or months. We need to prepare for that thing before it occurs in order to change everything, and get my friends away from the destined harm. That is the sign that we need to prepare in order to escape my friend from the accident that is soon to happen.

I know and I saw how she died at the event I saw and I can't accept that thing.

"Why don't you ask for me?" Kevin chuckled, which made her a bit suspicious of him. "Are you ashamed of me now, Celeste?"

"I'm not ashamed of you, loser," she answered, which made him burst into laughter. "It's just that I don't trust you because you're a bit stupid at things like this."

"Would I take this strand if I was stupid?"

Kevin looked hurt from what she said, but it seemed like he wasn't really hurt. Maybe he would be hurt if that tease came from someone else, but if it came from Celeste, it seems like it's not a big deal for him.

"Whether you take it or not, you will remain stupid in my eyes!" she said.

They also had a heated argument with each other until it ended up when the professor arrived to start our class that day.

The professor was busy writing on the white board while my classmates just kept on taking down notes. Instead of writing, I just kept my attention focused on staring at Kevin, who now looks like he is stupid while smiling and writing in his book. Instead of criticizing him, I just examined his wounds, which, unlike yesterday, have a band-aid covering them now. Even if we are in a secluded room and we are not exposed to the sun's rays, I can see the cream smeared on his bruises.

"Stop looking at me, "he said before he looked at me with a smile creeping on his lips. "I'm distracted by your stares."

"Stop using these punch lines, "I hissed, which elicited a chuckle from him. "It doesn't suit you. You look like a jejemon."

He acted painfully before he decided to look at me in the eyes. I tried to avert his eyes so I could not see the tragedy he would face in the future, like I had seen in Celeste's eyes a while ago.

"Why is it painful when you throw words at me like that?" he asked, as if he was hurt, while I did nothing but laugh at what he did. "Did I do something wrong to you? Celeste did that this morning. You did it too. "

"Dela Fuentes," the professor in front called his name, which made us shift in our seats. "Do you want to be third in recitation today in my class?"

"I don't want to, Miss!"

The professor lifted her eyebrows, and it seemed like the person next to me didn't like his answer to her question. "What did you just say, Mr, Dela Fuentes?"

Kevin looked at me, as if he was accusing me because the proffesor called his name. I did nothing but smile sweetly, which made him roll his eyes.

"I mean, I want to," he answered back before standing up and glancing at me again. "You owe me three boxes of red velvet cheesecake, Charmaine," he whispered, which made me widen my eyes.

"What did you say?" I said, raising my voice because I was shocked.

"Miss del Real," the professor addressed me, and I secretly rolled my eyes. It seemed like I already knew what was going to happen next. "You will be the fifth student to answer my recitation for today."

Kevin secretly laughed because of what happened, so that's why I looked at him with resentment in my eyes. This is all his fault!

Instead of starting Celeste's plea to me earlier, it once again split my attention in two, and this is all his fault! Their fault!

The professor handed me the pen, which I accepted. I stood by Kevin's side as he sighed. I did nothing but simply step on his white shoes, which he laughed and avoided. When the professor noticed us, we did nothing but to take seriously the activities she was having on the board.

I was in the middle of writing on the white board when a hand tapped me on the shoulder. My eyes narrowed when I looked at who it was, and I almost straightened up my posture when I saw Lawrence behind me. He motioned me to move a little, which I did. I moved even more towards Kevin, who was frowning at him.

"I was the fourth," Lawrence said sparingly, raising my eyebrows because of my confusion.

"Fourth for what?"

He sighed heavily before signaling me to move to the other side, which I did right away. I hurried away from Kevin’s side to give him access to the space he wanted. I almost heard Kevin's suppressed chuckle, which made me even more embarrassed, especially since the three of us weren't the only ones in front of the class and answering the equations given by our professor.

I stared at the equation all the time until Lawrence and Kevin finished. When I was the only one left in the front, that's when I started to answer my equation.

I don't know, but I don't want his presence next to me. We had a few male classmates who approached me to ask me for something, but I never felt that reluctance to let them stay by my side. It's just him that makes my heart tremble. I don't know what it means, but it looks like I'm feeling weird.

I know that Charmaine has a plan. I hold Charmaine’s body, heart and brain. If she has feelings for Lawrence, it simply means that there is a possibility that I will also have feelings for him. If Kevin and I are good friends now and there's nothing wrong going on between the two of us, it simply means that she will continue to forgive him.

If I don’t have a hard time living in this world, it simply means that Charmaine is like that too.

Everything she feels, I can feel it too. If she feels angry at someone else, I can’t change how she feels that way, even if I try. So far, I haven't had anyone with me that I hate, so I know that Charmaine has no enemies in this world.

When I finished the equation, I hurried to my seat to punch Kevin on the shoulder again, which made him laugh. Our discussion continued in her class until the next professor entered our room with his usual grin on his face at all times.

"Who wants to be a volunteer for today?" he asked as his gaze circled the entire room before stopping at me and grinning. "I want you to demo, Charmaine."

I couldn’t believe what he said before I looked back across the class before I pointed to myself, which made Mr. Romualdez laugh with a nod.

"Why me?" I asked, a bit tensed. "I don't know how to demo!"

"Of course, you should know how to demo," he answered, which made me anxious before I stood up and walked closer to him. "Who wants to be her partner this time?"

I heard the class shrieking because of what he said. They were repeatedly called one name, and as usual, they were asking for Lawrence to be my partner for today in his class. I didn't know who he would choose, and instead of looking in his direction, I walked towards the front.

When I turned to my classmates, I was almost taken aback when I saw Lawrence walking behind me. I hid my shock and instead of looking at him, I just turned my attention to others before puckering my lips because of amusement.

Did Mr. Romualdez pick him up to demo with me or did he have no choice but to voluntarily pick himself up to demo beside me?

What do I need to do in front of him? Do I need to hug or kiss him on his cheek like what has happened these past few days? Do I need to cling to him like a monkey, just like what Charmaine did to him last month?

I don't have an idea what I'm going to do here in front. I don’t know what to do because I don’t know where I put my syllabus. It seems like I forgot it in the locker room and that's why I forgot to put it back in my bag. I planned to borrow a copy from Kevin, but I just couldn't face it because of my busy schedule.

I'm a stem student and searching for my lost syllabus will not be my top priority here.

"Our lesson for today is about muscular exercises for both men and women," Mr. Romualdez said, which made me sigh heavily in relief.

I heard my classmates grunt because of what he said. It seems like they were complaining because they didn’t expect the lectures he was going to teach today. Someone else pulled out a syllabus and said that the lesson referred to by Mr. Romualdez was not on the schedule. Even if our classmates explain to him a few times that he is wrong, I don't think it will change his mind.

"This is what I prepared last night, so don't complain about what I want to happen," he said, which made me nod in approval. "And they weren't the same s*x as what we did these past few days. I'm such a conservative man and I don't allow shitty moves with my pupils. Do you understand my point?"

My classmates agreed with me as they listened to his explanation.

Just like what I expected, we demonstrated the activities and exercises explained by Mr. Romualdez. Of course, Lawrence wouldn’t lose his gaze on me, but instead of looking back at him, I just kept my eyes on the floor until our class was over.

My sweat was cold when I successfully sat down in my seat, while Kevin looked enticed by how I looked now. I slightly raised an eyebrow at him before I decided to start the activities that Celeste was asking me to do.

Celeste already knows that this is not my top priority, and I just inserted it into my vacant subjects. I don't want her to be difficult if I can help her, and that's why I will still help her even if she didn't ask me for it.

Someone behind me tapped my shoulder, so that's why I was a little surprised before I looked at who it was.

A girl sitting behind me smiled a bit before she got up from her seat to look at what I was answering right now.

"This is not one of our chemistry activities, am I right?" she asked, which made me nod.

"This is for my friend."

"Celeste?" she mentioned her name, which I nodded to again.

Kevin jokingly looked at her, which made me lift my lips. I know that he will say something insulting to Celeste again, so I am expecting what he will say to her.

"The girl who always relied on her answers to others in chemistry," he said, which made them laugh. I did nothing but smile while listening to their conversation. "You know her, Macey Kai. Charmaine already knew her. "

The girl looked at him with disbelief in her eyes before she laughed at what Kevin was referring to. "Of course, who wouldn't know about her?" Macey said before she smiled at me. "I have a vacant time this afternoon. Do you want me to take care of it? I'll answer it if you want."

"Of course she is!" Kevin chuckled before he snatched Celeste's textbook from me, which made me frown at him. "Thank you for your help, Macey Kai. And because of that, Charmaine would bake a red velvet cheesecake for you this week!"

"What?" I whispered, but it seemed like they didn't hear me.

Macey smiled widely at me as I faked a smile. "That would be great!" she said before picking up the textbook. "I haven't tasted your cheesecake in a long time, so that's why I insisted on making it for you... as compensation for the cheesecake."

I don't know if it's a joke, but it seems not. Maybe it's not bad if I just consider what they are asking in exchange for what she will do, right?

I will ask mom or dad to bake it for my friends just like they are used to.