Chapter 4

KOLTEN ZEDEKIEL'S POINT OF VIEW

I was walking into a long hallway going to the third floor just to attend our last class for this day, there were just a few students here, probably most of the class had ended by this time. As I looked around, I noticed the newly painted white walls that somehow made it looks wider than it was. I even saw some students who were standing near the trimmed pinboards that were placed on the left side of this hallway.

"Let's have a group study after class!" Luke suggested while standing in front of the class. He always liked the idea of doing a lot of activities together with the whole class which I found so boring. He stopped for a moment at took a glance at me as I entered into a squarish room that was well-maintained. I put down my black backpack in the backseat, right next to Astrid's.

"Count me in!" I hardly nudged Orion to stop him as he shouted behind me. I did not know how this guy managed to be this gregarious.

"How about you, bro?" I immediately shook my head in response to him. I rolled my neck from side to side to loosen kinks.

"Stay for a moment, bro. I did not have my car with me. Dad knew what had happened the last day because of Sani. She ran to my room having her first-aid kit in her bag to hide it from Mom and Dad but end up knowing it." He did not stop nagging and tried to convince me.

"Keep it down, bro. You're too loud!" I exasperatedly said after hearing him laughing while running his hands through his hair.

It was exactly 6:30 PM when our classes were over and like I have expected, it was already 7:15 PM, but everyone was still roaming around and looked so busy doing their stuff.

"Bro, I'll go ahead," I slightly punched him before I hang my bag on my left shoulder. I looked around to find where on earth did Astrid was.

"Kolten, are you about to go home this early?" Luke wrapped his arm on mine and pulled me back to sit. Yeah, he was gay. But it was not easy to be noticed, as he used to have a husky and manly voice, especially when our professors were around. I just let out a deep sigh.

"Guys, Miss Suarez asking me to inform the whole class that our quiz tomorrow will be canceled and have been rescheduled for next week, but since everyone is present, let just play a game." I did not know why everyone seemed so happy with his nonsense idea. I stood up and was about to go out of this room, but someone from my back held my wrist that cause me to stop.

"Are you really about to go home now? I told my brother not to fetch since I planned to ask you to drop me off at home." I just rolled my eyes as giving up and have no choice, but to go back to seating and stay for a moment. After looking around and sighed as I saw them sitting on the floor. I did not know about them, but I find it too petty. Orion move a bit on his right just to give me space and let me sit on his side. Astrid looked so happy while sitting beside the two girls, whom I forgot the names of.

"The game will be called 'What you know about me?' We will use this bottle to know whose turn it is, the one who will be pointed by the bottom part of this bottle will be the one who will answer the questions of someone on the other side, who will be pointed by the tip of the bottle. So better prepared hard questions, because the punishment of the game will depend upon the other player who will be able to answer all the questions correctly, but if in case, he/she failed to answer even one of those prepared questions, you have the right to give him/her an order, but you can just whisper the punishment to him/her." Ariel explained while having an empty bottle.

"How many questions should we prepare?" Luke asked to clarify the mechanics of the game. It was boring and just a waste of time, but I guess, Orion and Astrid were both enjoying this kind of stuff.

"Three questions will do." She answered and raised her brows as if looking for someone who will oppose her idea, and as expected, this guy beside me started to complain, telling me that it was too many to guess.

"That was the real mechanics of the game, as for its name 'What you know about me?' It should determine how do we know each other. So you are lucky if you got this tip pointed at you." Astrid smiled as she saw me smirking after hearing Ariel reasoning out. This was so cheap. The game was started the moment Orion spun the bottle, and surprisingly, the tip of the bottle stopped on him and the other was on Astrid.

Orion looked as if thinking so hard about the question he will to Astrid, but it did not suit him.

"Astrid, what's my favorite food aside from Lasagna?" He asked as if he forgot that he used to ask Astrid's mom to cook mole crickets!

"It is mole crickets!" She was too confident as she answered, seemed like did not need to wait for Orion to tell her the answer.

"Who makes me smile?" His questions were nonsense. It was too obvious. So easy!

"It is Sani." He nodded and rubbed his nape while thinking about his last question to be asked to Astrid.

"Orion, this would be the last. But if she answered it correctly, you'll be punished but if not, she will be the one who will receive the punishment."

"Okay, my last question, what's my hidden talent?" She just hissed to his question.

"You can play five different musical instruments." He smiled and ran closed to her. She whispered to him the punishment.

"Astrid, spin the bottle." This time, the tip of the bottle stopped and pointed at her, and the other was on me. They were all shouted, seemed like teasing.

I will just kill it! I just looked away as I was waiting for her questions.

"My first question would be, Who's my girl crush?" It was just like a piece of cake.

"Lily Collins." She smiled and simply nodded. I casually folded my arms around my chest and raised my brows as I was waiting for the next question she will ask.

"Give some of my bad habits?" I smirked as I heard her questions. Anyone could answer it since most of us witnessed how she had always been scolded by our professors whenever she had been caught sleeping.

"You used to sleep anywhere, especially in the class, biting your fingernails so badly, and depriving yourself to eat." They all laughed as I answered her question without even thinking.

"He knows her," I heard them murmuring.

"My last question, who is my crush on the campus?" I sighed and looked at Luke. I did not know if I should answer her question, but she seemed like waiting for it.

"It's Luke," I answered in a very low tone. Everyone in that room laughed and seemed surprised after knowing that it was Luke whom she had a crush on.

"Do you like me, girl? Are you serious? We have the same shade of lipstick today. Then I will know that of all the guys here on the campus. May I know, since when?" He looked so was laughing and laid a hand for a low five on her.

"Ever since grade school." She smiled and took his hand.

"So, Astrid will be punished by Kolten." She ran and lean closer to me.

I looked away and told her, "On Sunday, I'll tell you your punishment." She simply nodded and went back to her position. Her phone suddenly rang.

"Excuse me. I will just take this." She stood up and answered it. Orion nudged me.

"What did you tell her?" He curiously asked while looking scrolling through the screen of his phone.

"Nothing. I haven't figured anything yet." I simply answered. After a few rounds, we all decided to go home. It was already dark outside.

"We'll go ahead." Lia and Zette waved and hugged Astrid and seemed like their classes were over just now.

"Take care." They ran and hugged Orion and me.

"My brother texted me already and told me to go home, or he will come here to fetch me. He is probably really mad at me right now." She looked so worried while rummaging on her apricot shoulder bag.

"Let me have your phone." She handed it to me when it had been ringing almost three times.

"Bro, this is Kolten. We are actually on the way home. Sorry if she will be late now." I laughed a bit before giving back her phone to her after the call was ended. We saw her brother outside their house, seemed like waiting on her.

"Thanks, guys. Take care." She hastily gave the both of us a quick peck on the cheek before stepping out.

"Bro, we will just go here tomorrow," Orion said while as he dropped the window.

"No problem, Drive carefully." We have a game tomorrow, and it was a good thing that we have no classes, as our professors canceled their classes the whole day tomorrow. Astrid was waving at us while wrapping her right arm on his brother's.

"Bro, I'll go ahead. I'll take a quick shower." I nodded as a response to Orion. He told me that he will just spend the night here.

"Got home already?" I smiled as I got a text from Astrid.

"Yeah. Take a rest now. Pray before you sleep." I was sent it in before a second have passed. My phone rang even before I put it down in my bed. It was my Mom.

"Kolten!" I heard my Dad's voice.

"Yes, Dad..." He's using Mom's phone.

"How was your day? I talked to your grandmother earlier, and it seems like she's missing you. You should come to visit them during weekends, okay?" I could hear the tiredness in his voice over the phone. Seemed like he didn't have enough time to sleep for a week.

"Yes, Dad. I will. Mom told me that you almost forgot to sleep just to finish some office stuff. Don't let her worry about such a matter, Dad. Your health is much important." I heard his laugh on the other line.

"Okay. I'll remember that. I just called to say that my birthday gift is on the way. It's actually on our gate now. Hope you are at home to receive it."

I went downstairs to check what's the gift my Dad is talking about. I heard the familiar tone of our doorbell as I'm making my way outside our front door. Uncle Joseph was outside our gate and seemed like waiting for me to come out. He threw me a key. I gave him a perplexed look as I catch it.

"No way!" I quickly uttered as he pointed to the latest model of BMW which was now parking not far from where we were standing.

"From the US," He laughed as he threw me a joke.

"Tito, is that the gift Dad had told me?"

"He asked me to bring it here tonight. But since I don't have my car with me, can I ask you to drop me off at my place?" He chuckled and give me a soft punch on my shoulder.

"Of course, Uncle. No problem. You should have called me to get it. I know that you are too busy for this."

"You cool, Dad!" I sent him a message as I was about to go upstairs after driving Tito home.

"Anything, Son. Be careful, okay?"

"Of course, Dad. I will."

"Wait, bro... Is that yours?" Orion asked while going downstairs and holding a towel. Maybe he saw me while parking it in the garage from the window of my room.

"Uncle brought it here. I was from Dad." I said in a deadpan manner, as I was wanted him to not be so interested in it. Not only that, but I already knew what's going on in his mind.

"Let's try it!" He suggested.

"I'm tired. Let just try it tomorrow." But he immediately ran and started to frisk me and try to get the key. I just hissed and have no choice but to give it to him. I snorted and just let him use it.

"You won't come?" He harshly dried up his hair using the towel he was holding and threw it to me.

"I'm going to sleep." I simply answered and continue taking steps to go upstairs.

"Wait for me. I'll buy some drinks." I yawned and could not manage to turn to him.

After I took a shower, I saw Orion on my balcony, holding a bucket of liquor and a plate of roasted chicken.

"You're really out of your mind, we still have classes tomorrow." I laughed a bit as I was wearing a plain black t-shirt.

"Who says we can't skip classes tomorrow?" He put some ice cubes on my glass.

"You're unbelievable!" I just shook my head while drying up my hair using my towel. He let out a tumultuous laugh.

"By the way, have you already seen this?" He threw his phone on my lap while opening a bottle of liquor. I saw different posts about what happened earlier on campus. The girl who gave me chocolates. I just threw it back to him and get the bottle in his hand and take a shot.

"I haven't asked you about this before, how do you think of her, bro? I mean, she likes you even when we were still in preschool, I guess." He shrugged and took a bite in the drumstick of chicken he was holding. I just snorted.

"You know whom I like even before, man. I honestly never think of anyone right now. Just her, seriously, bro." He gave me a soft shoulder punch.

"Why don't you try again, bro? Confess to her. I know she knows about it. Don't be so harsh on her. You already talked to her brother about it before, right?" He got some tissues and wipe his fingertips before taking a shot.

"I already talked to him. I will, maybe this Sunday."

"I just warn you, there are a lot of varsity players who wanted to court her." I just rolled my eyes against him as I heard him burst into laughter in his joke.

"She doesn't like soccer," I mumbled.

"How did you know? Don't tell me you asked her?" A wry smile flashed on his face.

"Is that a wrong move?" He just laid his right hand on me.

"That's my boy." I chuckled a bit before taking it.

"By the way, I received a text from your Mom earlier. She seems so worried about you. You even fought with your dad." I said and took another shot.

"I was just explaining my side, bro. You know my Dad, he does not want to accept any explanation. He never accepts his mistakes. He even cut my credit cards. Is that right? I don't know, bro. It was better when I was still in Grandma's place." He was not on good terms with his Dad even before.

"Just try to understand, bro. He is just being like that. Maybe he just wants what's good for you?" I cringed as I was saying one of the cliché lines used to say by my Mom.

"Is that coming from you, bro?" He seemed like teasing me.

"Not really! That's one of Mom's favorite lines." I looked away as trying to convince him.

"I guess you are right. I'm going to call her tomorrow. She must be sleeping by this time." He let out a deep sigh.

"Try to ask for your dad's forgiveness, bro. So that we can ask for the limited edition shoes launched by your company last week. That is cool, bro." I chuckled before tapping his shoulder.

"Now I know what Auntie's line is for." He smiled as usual while shaking his head. I gave him a soft shoulder punch. He is really like a brother to me.

"But kidding aside, bro. Don't do anything that will make you regret in the end." I devoured the piece of chicken on the plate.

"Thanks, bro." He uttered.

"That's from Dad. Don't worry, I will tell him you're thankful." I laughed so hard when he kicked me.

"Stop that nonsense, bro."