THE EXAMS proved to be a good distraction from all the recent events that happened in Laia's supposedly mediocre life.
In contrary to how the girl expected the exams to be extremely difficult based on how much her teachers repeated their discussions and prepared tons of preparatory quizzes for the upcoming exams, the moment Laia received the examination papers all it did was make her internally facepalm at all her unneeded efforts to study.
Glancing briefly at her classmates who didn't seem to share her thoughts regarding the exam's contents and instead looked either constipated or on the verge of giving up, Laia silently continued writing all of her answers without sparing them another glance.
"Five minutes left," Ma'am Anne says after two hours had passed. "Remember to double-check everything and avoid erasures if possible,"
Laia dubiously looks at one of her answers which she had doubts about but decided to keep her answers that way, the fear of erasing it and having it deemed incorrect lingering on her mind.
"Okay, time's up, pass your papers in front,"
The girl reluctantly passed her paper in front, hoping that her answer was right. It may not be much of a loss since that question was only equivalent to one point but Laia wanted a perfect score.
She glances at Samuel who appeared to be bored. He probably found the exam easy as well, not that Laia didn't expect it.
However, she still couldn't get the picture of the boy reassuring her that they were friends out of her mind. It replayed on her train of thoughts like that annoying video that Brie always sent to her whenever both girls needed a laugh or when Brie just wanted to annoy her.
The boy suddenly tilted his head to the side and his eyes met with Laia's own. Just like how he was always, he sends an aggravating smirk in her way.
It was as if everything that happened at the Senator's house was a dream. The asshole's nonchalant and impassive figure, the way he didn't speak to anyone nor tried to explain everything.
The way the boy didn't even tell anything to any of his friends only resulted in the three jumping to their own conclusions which resulted in nothing.
Fuck you, Laia mouths to the boy who laughs in return. As usual, he never takes Laia's words seriously. How'd you do?
He grinned at her and mouths back. I did amazing as usual unlike you.
Laia rolled her eyes but didn't let the boy's teasing get under her skin. Oh really? Did you answer the back part, though?
The boy's eyes widened for a split second until he realized that Laia was kidding due to her being unable to stifle a laugh. You almost got me!
"Ms. Lopez and Mr. Laurie, would you like to share to the class what is so funny?"
Laia sends a withering glare at Samuel who laughs in return, infuriating their adviser further. "Mr. Laurie?"
Samuel stands up and looks momentarily at Laia before speaking. "She told me to go fuck myself,"
Gasps and stifled laughter filled the classroom. Laia even caught Aiden hiding a smile behind his hand. Brie's only contribution was to start grinning like a fool.
So much for helping your friends in need.
Laia raised her hand as she stood up from her seat. "Ma'am Anne, I did not say such words--"
"She mouthed them, though,"
"Shut up, Laurie,"
"Make me,"
"Mr. Laurie and Ms. Lopez!"
Their adviser's outburst effectively shut the two students up as they exchanged glances before bursting into laughter again.
And just like a chain reaction, the whole class had erupted in laughter as well.
"Silence, everyone!" Ma'am Anne shouts even louder this time, glaring at the two students who started the laughter fest.
Laia sits back on her chair immediately and avoided the asshole's glance for a while until she deemed herself immune to laughter.
Brie nudges her when their adviser started another repetitive speech regarding the orderliness in her class. "You guys were cute,"
"Ugh," The girl rolls her eyes at the teasing grin that appeared on her friend's lips. "Don't start,"
"What?" Brie does a set of jazz hands, making Laia shake her head at her friend's silliness. "I was just telling the truth,"
Shane, who have decided to permanently sit next to Laia after the quiz (where she copied everything from Laia and got a huge score) agrees with a nod accompanied by a silly grin. "Do you know something that we don't?"
The short-haired girl fought the urge to roll her eyes at what her seatmate implied. Of course with such a minimal interaction between her and the asshat they jump into conclusions that don't make sense.
"Are you rolling your eyes at us in your head?" Brie asks, raising an eyebrow.
Laia flashes her a grin. "Yep,"
"That's mean!"
"It's your fault for asking despite knowing the answer,"
The two friends looked at each other and burst into chuckles.
"Great," Shane mutters from Laia's side once the laughter subsided. "Now we have to listen to Ma'am Anne have one of her righteous speeches for the next ten minutes,"
"Don't we have a fifteen-minute break after, though?"
"Uh-huh," Laia confirms with a nod. "I'll be going to the library to study for the next subjects,"
Brie stares at her, dumbfounded at her friend's decisions in life. "Are you seriously going to the library instead of the cafeteria like a normal person?"
Laia rolled her eyes at Brie's dramatic antics. "When have I ever choosen food over books?"
The long-haired girl sighs in disbelief at reminiscing all the examination breaks that Laia choose to study than to binge junk food or ice cream to soothe her brain cells. "Never,"
"And that is why I don't fail, friends," Laia dusts herself off, standing up when their adviser had finally left the room. "Text me if you're done eating, okay?"
Not that they could eat a lot given just fifteen minutes to choose, line up and buy, Laia thinks.
The girl ended up deciding to just stay in the classroom after realizing that it would approximately take her five minutes to reach the library even if she ran.
The only thing she liked about the library was the silent atmosphere, anyway.
And also the view to the city after school hours when she takes longer than she expected to study.
"You're staying here?" Samuel saunters towards her after Brie left alongside Shane.
"Yep," Laia replies shortly and returned her attention back to the textbook that she was reading. "If you're here to annoy me then please leave me in peace,"
"What happened to us being friends? Why are you suddenly pushing me away?" Samuel pouts as he sat down on Brie's seat, prompting his chin above his fists.
"Good friends don't distract their friends if they see them studying for an exam that's about," Laia checks the clock on their classroom. "ten minutes away,"
He cocks his head to the side. "Haven't you studied enough? How about eating ice cream for a while?"
She raises a brow at him. "Are you offering to buy me ice cream?"
"Hmm," The boy pretends to think for a while and grins. "Depends if you get a high score on the next exams, Lopez,"
Laia pushes the textbook aside and grins at the asshole's offer. "You're not even trying to make it hard for me to get a free ice cream,"
The bell rang loudly before Samuel could respond to Laia's remark. He gestures to their classmates returning with food before returning to his seat.
"Weirdo," Laia whispers to herself as she reopened her textbook and notes one last time before their adviser started giving out the examination papers. "Oh, I studied this,"
"Good for you," Brie pouts on Laia's side.
Shane agrees with a forlorn nod. "I think I missed this part,"
Laia didn't respond and started answering the questions immediately, the challenge of the asshole on her mind the entire time.
Not that she was very much interested to the idea of eating ice cream nor was she excited to eat the said dessert but because she wanted to prove herself.
Or did she?
Laia shakes the thoughts away and found herself looking at the asshole's direction, seeing him answering the questions with finesse.
Of course he'd ace this, Laia couldn't help but think. In her surprise, she didn't feel any bitterness but instead was genuinely pleased to see her so-called rival answer the questions without much difficulty as she did.
"Keep your eyes to your own papers," Their adviser warned in front. Laia saw the older woman cast a glance at the vultures who were obviously cheating. "No one wants me to rip their exam papers in half, right?"
Laia decided to focus on her own paper than continue staring at the asshat who didn't even spare anyone a glance.
Two hours passed quickly and everyone had to pass their examination papers in front. Laia sighed in relief when she finished answering all the questions on her paper just in time. "That was close,"
Brie grumbles beside her, obviously feeling the opposite of what Laia felt. "Ugh, I flunked that,"
Laia sympathetically placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You don't know that yet,"
"I forgot everything I studied," Brie wails dramatically and hugs Laia who gently pats her on the back. "This is all because of the ice cream that I ate,"
Speaking of ice cream, Laia was quick to look at the asshole who was already looking at her with the usual grin of his.
He didn't even wait for Brie to pull away from Laia, he already walked towards them. "How did everything go?"
Brie glares at him. "Don't talk about the exams!"
"Why?" He had the audacity to ask innocently, making Laia laugh.
"You're an idiot," Brie pulls away from Laia to hit the asshole in the shoulder causing him to yelp. "Let me guess, you're here to ask Laia how did her exam go,"
"Yeah," He turns to look at Laia who meets his intent gaze. Samuel looks away, grinning. "So who won the bet, Lopez?"
Laia confidently grins. "Me,"
"Your proof?"
She hands him the notes that she read before the exam started. "Everything on the exam is there,"
He reads the notes for a while and shakes his head in amusement. "Is that so,"
"Why?" Brie asks, confused.
"She wants ice cream," Samuel didn't stop looking at the triumphant grin on Laia's lips. "I, unfortunately, have lost the challenge which makes me her sugar daddy for the day,"
Laia hits him in the shoulder. "You were the one who offered,"
Brie teasingly grins. "I won't be interrupting your date, then,"
"It's not a date!" Laia shouts at Brie who had already left the classroom alongside Jake who was surprisingly waiting for her in the door.
They probably have a date as well.
Samuel turns to her, even offering his hand to the girl to hold. "Let's go?"
Laia rolls her eyes but accepts the boy's hand, nevertheless.