The bell rang and the teacher wrapped up his things. Bernie stood up to lead the class in a 'Thank You' greeting while the teacher, quite ungracefully, walked out with his head held high and chin jutted out. Bernie walked up to the chalkboard and began cleaning it with a duster.
Nadia fell into the chair, groaning about aching limbs and the additional load of mathematics homework. Ryker dug into his desk and took out his sports uniform and water bottle. It was curled up into a ball, wrinkled in all its glory.
Nadia looked at it and tsked audibly.
"I'm gonna get going to practice," Ryker said and ruffled Nadia's hair, "Miss me." He said with a cheeky smile as he got up.
Nadia rolled her eyes and asked him to wait. She took out a bunch of green apple lollies from her pocket and held them out for him, "Here, take." She grumbled.
"Oh-ho, thank you, be a charm and send the lunch as well, yeah?" Ryker grabbed the lollipops from her hand and hastened out of the classroom.
Nadia merely grunted in reply and threw her head off the chair's backrest, weariness getting the best of her.
Marilyn, who had been keeping an eye on Ryker's movements with her peripherals, got up and speed walked out of class as soon as Ryker left. She followed Ryker's silhouette to the grounds and started running eventually to catch up with his long strides.
"Cordelio! Wait up! Ryker Cordelio!"
Ryker frowned, stopped and looked back to find Marilyn panting and jogging towards him.
"You're going to get me late," Ryker shouted as Marilyn made her way towards him, "Seriously," he tsked and took two steps forward to ease Marilyn out of her misery, "Somehow you make Nadia look athletic and that's a feat."
"I— uh, shut-up, ugh, why do you walk so fast?!" Marilyn groaned as she finally reached within earshot and stood up straighter. Her poise was back with her shoulders squared and hands placed perfectly over her belly, right on top of left. She raised her brows and pulled her lips in a line as if expecting Ryker to read her mind.
"I understand words better," Ryker deadpanned.
"Wouldn't place my bet of that," Marilyn murmured, "But yes, about Bernie's birthday, I will go. I will help, I mean, when do you plan on setting up?" She asked, looking him in the eye.
"After school, after practice," Ryker replied.
Marilyn's jaw clenched but she nodded anyway. "Give me a time and I will be there," she said firmly, "And I will bring whatever is needed."
"Seven ish, I guess," Ryker replied after a moment's worth of thought, though he doubted she would come judging from the way her face paled and fingers began fidgeting with eachother.
"C-c-can you do me a favour?" Marilyn blurted.
"Is this conversation not enough?" Ryker frowned.
"If—if you're Nadia's best friend, you'll help me with it," Marilyn countered.
Eyes wide, Ryker placed a hand over his chest, taken aback, "What is this behaviour?" He gasped like scandalised old lady.
"I will do your homework for a week!" Marilyn tried another way.
Ryker frowned, "An year," he countered.
"A month," Marilyn snapped, brows afrown, enraged blue eyes quivering with emotion.
"An year," Ryker smiled, eyes crinckling with force, grey eyes narrowed to two lines.
"A semester," Marilyn sighed, looking down.
"Deal!" Ryker clapped, "What is it?"
"Help me escape from my house when you're free. There's a lot of security so I cannot do it by myself but I really really want to help..." Marilyn mumbled, still staring at the ground.
Ryker wanted to spare more quip retorts and make her let go of the thing. He wanted to show her her place. He wanted it to be just the three of them, like the old times. But, there was something in the way Marilyn's shoulders were curled and head was bent, unlike her usual proud stance. The quiver in her voice and her helplessness felt familiar. The desire to escape but being unable to do so. The want to be with your friends but not being allowed even that morsel of freedom.
Ryker had been in the same place. In the same position. But in his case, he had Aaron. His older brother who held his hand and let him out to see the world. His older brother who shouldered every responsibility so Ryker could go to school, be a part of a club, run freely, hangout with his friends and celebrate their birthdays.
Maybe, this was his chance to take one step closer to becoming someone as great as his brother. Everyone deserved an Aaron in their lives, afterall.
So, Ryker merely said, "Okay, send me your address and be ready," before walking away.
To say Marilyn was surprised would be an understatement. She was beyond flabbergasted that Ryker agreed so easily. She was prepared to grovel for the entire day, lose her self respect and just be pathetic about the situation but that was relatively easy.
"Is he a good person...?" Marilyn wondered out loud, "Surely not, no no, must be because of Nadia. Yeah. Nadia would get super mad at him if he did not help me..." Marilyn snorted, "Serves him right!"
Marilyn stomped her way back to the classroom. There was giddiness in her eyes and limbs as she walked inside and took a seat. Instantly, she opened up the newly given math homework and started solving the questions.
"Wow, you really spare no effort," Bernie said as he took his seat, "You're studying already. Wah. Do you want to go to an Ivy League?" He asked.
"Ohh, do you? Do you?" Nadia jumped into the conversation, leaning over her desk to bring her head in between Bernie and Marilyn's chairs.
"Probably. My parents expect it. They have planned it all," Marilyn replied, "I am supposed to keep up."
"Wahhh," Nadia gasped, "That's scary," she made a face and looked at Bernie, her eyes reading, 'How pitiful.'
"Still, that's cool. Your parents are invested in your life and betterment, must be nice," Bernie said with smile and turned to take out his homework.
Nadia sucked in an audible breath, cringing at the situation she landed herself in. "What college do you want to go to Bernie? What do you want to be? Both of you?" Nadia asked.
Bernie shrugged his shoulders and Marilyn replied, "My mother wants to make me a lawyer."
"Scary but cool," Nadia nodded, "But what do you want to be?" She asked.
Marilyn shrugged. "Dunno, what about you?" She asked, finally looking up to face Nadia. Bernie too turned to look back, facing Nadia with immense intrest.
Nadia shrugged as well, "No idea. I'm not particularly good at anything. I'm just— eh, average," Nadia smiled and scratched her head.
"You cook so well though!" Marilyn exclaimed.
"Yeah! At least you have some talent, we don't even have that," Bernie snorted.
"Ehhh, I just cook for fun and it's just basic stuff, you know it. Nothing that qualifies as true skill. You guys, though, you guys are so good at studying! Super smart!" Nadia held up two thumbs-up in their faces.
"What's so good at being good at studying, skills are more important than grades," Bernie sighed.
"It's okay guys, we've got a long way to go. We'll figure it all out, EVENTUALLY," Nadia patted their backs, "I hope being a part of Sandbox helps us to find a dream! I've talked to the sports club leader about it and they've agreed to let us be additional members starting next week! Our first event!! Aren't you excited!!"
Nadia raised her hands and recived High-Fives from Marilyn and Bernie, though their strained faces and flared nostrils did not exhibit excitement in any way possible.
"Sports, yay, how—fascinating," Marilyn said dryly, mouth agrin.
"Yes, running and sweating and competitions," Bernie grimaced, "I am thrilled."
"Don't be so pessimistic, I'm sure they'll be kind to us!" Nadia ensured, smiling ear to ear with her teeth out.
"Of course, they're renowned for their kindness," Bernie grumbled and turned to face ahead as soon as the bell rang.
"You're just afraid of new experiences," Nadia tsked and took out her books for the next class.
After school, in the Sandbox Club Room, Francesca and Caleb seemed similarly stoked upon hearing the voice. Nadia, Bernie and their two seniors were sitting around the meeting table, all facing eachother.
Francesca gulped and stared out of the window, cringing at the blazing sun outside.
Caleb merely rolled his eyes and announced, "I will sit this one out."
"Aw," Nadia exaggerated her voice, "Ryker is going to feel so bad without you around," she dragged her words.
Instantly, Caleb grinned, "Sports Club sounds like the best place to start!"
"Of course it does," Nadia smiled to herself. Then, she stood up and held a pen in front of her mouth to start delivering her speech.
"Now, as you know, Sandbox is all about cultivating new experiences and trying new things every week! So as per our first activity we will be temporary members of the Sports Club and whatever, and I mean whatever, they do, we'll do! Of course you get to pick a niche of your choice! Since there are a lot of departments under the sports club. Then, at the end of the week, we can get a mini skill certificate for having worked so hard! I've talked to President Ramirez about it and he said that the Principal would authorize it if we make good contributions towards the club! Now you people have more incentives to do your best!! Doesn't it sound fun!! And, there's more! If over the duration of the year you like a club a lot and want to participate in their year end activity then they will keep an open spot for you!! Which means a bonus certificate! How wonderful!"
Bernie led the audience of three into applause.
"You've been working hard," Francesca sniffled, "I must confess, the certificates and year end activity does make Sandbox worth the time and effort. I am proud of you," she cheered.
"Yeah, at least you know that we're doing you a favor by existing in here," Caleb snorted, "So, are we done for the day?"
"Yeah, you can leave now," Nadia nodded, "I'm glad that you people decided to join Sandbox. I assure you, bigger adventures await us!"
"Sounds ominous," Caleb mumbled.
"Sounds exciting," Francesca grinned.
Bernie held out two small boxes for Caleb and Francesca to take. "Nadia made sandwiches for you," he informed as the seniors took the box.
Caleb shoved the box in his bag, grunted a "thank you" and left. Francesca, on the other hand, pulled Nadia in a hug and dug her chin in Nadia's back, muffling her body.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much! I really loved your food yesterday! Can't wait to eat them!" She grinned and pulled away. "Hugs, Bernie? Of course!" She decided on her own and pulled Bernie into the hug, now piercing her sharp chin in his shoulders.
"I've got the cutest juniors," she sniffled as she pulled away, "See you monday, then!" She waved and walked out, leaving a very stunned and a very hurting kid behind.
"Ouch..." Nadia gasped after Francesca left.
"Yeah..." Bernie mumbled, gulping at the memory of softness that had embraced him. His heart thundered in his chest, erratically demanding answers to why the hug was so soft. Surely, he had hugged Nadia one too many times but— he had never felt like this before towards anyone.
There was a softness that had pressed against his chest and— unintentionally, Bernie's eyes landed on Nadia's flat chest. He looked up, shook his head and patted her back, "You'll be okay, you'll be fine, Ryker and I would never abandon you," he reassured, pulling his lips in a line and continuously patting her back like a grandfather.
"What are you on about?!" Nadia grimaced and swatted his hand off her back, "I'm tired as it is. Let's go home," she demanded.
"Of course brother," Bernie said, laughed at his own joke, realised what he was laughing at and zipped his mouth shut all under a minute.
"Come, home and teach brother the problems discussed in class," Nadia exhaled.
"What do you mean, big brother? We're not going back to our hideout today? The exams are nowhere in sight, why do you suddenly want to study?" Bernie asked as he picked up their bags from the couch.
"Seeing Marilyn work so hard has inspired big brother to study harder," Nadia nodded as she switched off the lights and fans of the room.
"Was I a hallucination all these years, big brother? Were my efforts never enough, big brother?" Bernie sobbed dramatically as he walked out and waited for Nadia to lock the door, "I have been by your side for years, big brother, trying make you look at me and yet you're now inspired by yesterday's girl? Did I not mean anything to you? Was our time all a lie?" He sobbed.
"Forgive me brother but I have never looked at you like that," Nadia said, making her voice deeper, "You have always been promised to the Lady of the East. We would have never worked out," she snatched her bag from Bernie's hands.
"No! Brother! Do not abandon me like that!" Bernie wailed in the empty corridors.
Trying to suppress a laugh, Nadia replied, "I must leave now. Forgive this big brother for giving you enough," she started dramatically walking away.
"Stupefy!" Bernie shouted and Nadia instantly halted in her step.
"Oh we're doing Harry Potter now?" She giggled.
"Pfft, we were always doing Harry Potter," Bernie snorted.
Their shenanigans lasted all the way to home, jumping from one random scenario to another, giggling like the teenagers they were as they walked down busy roads, living a life unknown to all who walked past them.
As evening darkened into night, Marilyn entered her room and informed the maids on her door, "I've eaten and I'll sleep early today. I've got a revision test tomorrow so I will wake up around four to revise. Do not disturb me or I will fail," she said and closed the door behind her.
Panic laced with adrenaline manifested as sweat in her hands. She paced left and right, rechecking her surroundings before taking out a small bag from her wardrobe. It was now or never, she thought to herself and kept her purse, am empty bottle of water and two chocolate bars in the bag. She placed her plushies vertically on the bed, in a straight line and placed her blanket on top of them. She placed her phone on charging, on the bedside table and stepped back from it. She took of her shoes and wriggled her toes in mere socks as she waited for Ryker.
Suddenly, her phone lit up and her heart dropped.
She ran to the bedside table and saw a text from Ryker reading: 'I am here, look out.' Instantly, Nadia deleted the text message and deleted Ryker's contact all together. Then, she stood up, got her bag and carefully peeked outside the window.
As promised, Ryker Cordelio stood in the bushes, heavily disguised with an oversized hoodie and a mask. Marilyn's heart would have fluttered as he shot her a two-finger salute if she hadn't been four floors up, wondering how the heck she would get down to him.
'Did he have no other plan? Did he just show up? Why was he so useless and undependable?' Marilyn thought, panicking, 'Should I jump? Would I fall and break something? Would I die?'
Why was everything in life so hard for her? Marilyn sank onto the floor into a pitiful curl, that is, until, she spotted something blue.