Chapter 61: LX

THE WEEK BEFORE THE EXAMS came in like a tidal wave.

Laia groans as she once again stole a glance at the nearby calendar that hung on her wall.

Saturday. 4 PM. Approximately less than forty hours before it's Monday and the first day of the exams.

"Fuck," Laia twirled the pen that she was holding in her fingers as she tried to refocus on the textbook she was reading and making notes on. "This is making my head hurt,"

Groaning in annoyance at how her headache didn't subside regardless of how she repeatedly rubbed her temples, the girl pushes the textbook aside and opted to just check her phone to see if she received any messages or notifications.

As if shifting her focus would subside the headache, the girl thinks. She also resists the urge to facepalm after that thought.

No messages or notifications welcomed the girl.

"What did I expect," The girl mumbles to herself and was about to throw her phone to her bed when it rang. She almost dropped her phone on the floor due to surprise. "Hello?"

"Laia?!"

It was Brie. "Hey, what's up?"

"How did Sammy go home last time? You know when he had a bruise and you accompanied him to the clinic?"

"Yeah, I know what you're talking about,"

Though despite the fact that Laia knew what was her friend referring to, she couldn't utter a single word as a response.

How did the asshat indeed go home that day?

Like an avalanche, the nurse's words that day resurfaced and almost made Laia sick to her stomach.

The bruises.

Hidden bruises and wounds.

Samuel's father.

And the fact that no one else knows except Laia and the nurse.

Grabbing her head because of the faint feeling of pain that she experienced from all the memories that just resurfaced, she hurriedly reassures Brie who thought that her friend had collapsed or was angry because she wasn't answering.

"I'm okay, I just got distracted,"

More like felt shitty since she hasn't even considered or planned to start a conversation with the boy regardless of what she learned.

How could she even face him by the next time that they meet?

Glancing at the pile of textbooks that she still had to study (again) and create notes on, the girl reluctantly answers her friend.

"I have no idea,"

Brie was quick to react. "What do you mean you don't know?! I thought you accompanied him?!"

Laia's brows furrowed at her friend's accusatory and rude tone. "Why are you getting angry at me? I might've volunteered to accompany him but that didn't mean that I would stay with him until dismissal,"

What am I, a maid?

She didn't let Brie say another word as she continued defending herself.  "And besides, do you really think his pride won't be wounded if I continued watching over him despite the nurse existing and being in the same room as we do?"

After a few minutes of silence from her friend's line, Brie apologetically speaks up. "I'm sorry,"

"Whatever," Laia knew that there was a reason for her friend's outburst but she couldn't just let the whole yelling pass so quickly. "Why are you asking, anyway?"

Brie was again silent for a couple of minutes that Laia was almost tempted to tell her off.

"We don't know where he is, Laia,"

Laia heard her breath hitch and her chest tightened almost as if she swallowed a bunch of rocks.

"What do you mean by that?"

Brie hesitates. "We can't contact him," Laia could almost see her friend panicking and biting on her fingernails which may or may not be manicured. "It's been two days,"

"Two days?"

"Yeah, two days, and I have no idea what to do! God. Jake's been to all the places on where Sammy might be and still there's no sign of him,"

Laia glances at her window, almost as if she was wishing that the boy would appear as usual out of thin air alongside another new car of his.

It was probably the first time that she'd be okay to suddenly have the boy appearing on her doorstep.

Anything was honestly better than learning from Brie or from any of their friends that the boy suddenly disappeared out of thin air and nobody apparently could contact him.

Laia suddenly had a grim thought which she decided to tell her friend. "What if he's with his father?"

"Uncle?"

"Yeah, whatever you call him," The girl fought the urge to roll her eyes at how Brie called the asshat's dad without any hint of suspicion or distaste like Jake or the others do. "What if he's got him?"

Brie nervously laughs. "What do you mean by that? It's almost as if you're saying that Sammy's own dad kidnapped him--"

Laia interjects with a tone that didn't hold any hint of amusement or faux deception. "What if he did?"

"Laia, you're talking crazy talk," Brie's voice was suddenly in a hushed tone that made Laia conclude that her friend didn't want anyone to know or hear their conversation. "That's crazy,"

"You can call me crazy or refuse to believe me altogether but you have to tell Jake about what I just said,"

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"And if I don't?"

"Then I will."

It didn't take long for both Jake and Brie to appear on Laia's doorstep with grim expressions on their faces.

Laia immediately let them in. She didn't have to worry about her mother since the older woman was again in another night-out with her friends.

Or coworkers, Laia doesn't really know.

Brie quickly settles down on one of the couches. Laia beckoned Jake towards the other couch but he refused, saying that he would just stand since they would be leaving after straight away.

"Leaving? Towards where?" Laia asks.

Jake glanced at Brie who still looked conflicted. Laia didn't need to ask why the girl was still conflicted since everything was already written on her face.

She apparently had a different perspective regarding the asshat's father and it wouldn't be easy to convince her or make her believe what she just learned.

Laia looked at Jake who looked back with a worried expression.

Clearing her throat, Laia repeated her question. "Where are you two going?"

Brie answered in a nervous manner. "Uncle Thomas's. We're just going to ask him about Sammy's whereabouts,"

"And hoping that he won't jump into conclusions that would get us into trouble," Jake adds, wringing his fingers together.

Laia glances at her room again. She knew she still had to study regardless of how many times she already read all the topics and repeatedly wrote notes but she knew she couldn't just ignore everything that was happening in front of her.

"I'm coming with you,"

Fuck her study schedule, apparently. She could at least spare a few hours for the boy.

A boy which she somehow ended up being friends with even if she initially hated his guts and maybe still does if he continues to be an asshole without reason.

"Are you sure?" Brie glanced at her friend's room. It was easy to realize that she had the same thoughts as Laia earlier. "Won't your studying schedule be ruined?"

"Studying schedule?" Jake asks in amusement.

Laia hits him in the shoulder, earning a laugh from the taller boy. "Wait for me, I'll just change clothes,"

"But your clothes are fine--"

"Brie," Laia gestured at her pajamas and her bunny slippers. "Do you need to borrow someone's eyeglasses?"

"A certain neighbor's eyeglasses?"

"You suck,"

Laia heard Brie chuckling loudly before entering her room to change into some decent clothes.

The decent clothes that the girl chose for herself were a simple hoodie and sweatpants. She stole a glance at the shoes that her mother bought her months ago that started being dusty due to neglect.

She slowly pulls them towards her and with a heavy sigh, she decided to wear them.

Laia was about to come up to her friends but stopped in her steps when she saw Brie tiptoe and kiss Jake on the lips.

The girl quickly hid behind the wall but stole glances from time to time.

And Laia thought that they still weren't on talking terms. Apparently, they moved past that long ago and now they are back on their PDA stage again.

Laia honestly didn't know what to feel. But it's at least better than her friends being awkward and having unexplained tension that made Laia just want to smack them in the heads.

"Jake," Brie said in hushed tones, obviously not wanting anyone (Laia) to hear. "Did the way you kissed me back mean that we're together again?"

Jake sighs and through expert peeking abilities, Laia saw him run his fingers through his hair in a frustrated manner. "I don't know, Brie,"

"But--"

"Let's just talk about it when we're not inside Laia's house and in the middle of her living room of all places," He laughs, probably to relieve the tension between them. "I promise we will talk about it,"

"Can I get another kiss, then?"

Laia cringes at her friend's words.

Is this honestly how couples work?

It's probably why she's still single and rightfully so.

Jake laughs again but Laia does see him lean towards Brie. As if they were on a teen flick, their lips met in a soft kiss that honestly made Laia want to gag.

Laia kept her eyes on the floor and waited until her friends were back to their casual manner of talking. Fortunately, it happened quicker than Laia expected it to be, making her sigh in relief.

"Hey," Laia awkwardly waves, the image of her friends kissing still not disappearing from her head. "Sorry I took long,"

More like I took long in hiding since you both decided to smooch and have a bunch of cringy talks, Laia thinks but shook the thoughts away.

"No worries," Laia fought the urge to smirk knowingly at how enthusiastic Brie was. "Let's go, then?"

As the three went inside Jake's Porsche, Laia silently wished that she wouldn't end up being kidnapped or arrested, or killed.

She still has exams, after all.

Ain't nobody wants to die before at least graduating as their batch's valedictorian, right?

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