𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋

009

part 009
truth or dare

tw' suicide/attempting

Will'

The start of hide and seek

As Kai and I ascended the hill toward the school entrance, vibrant neon paint adorned the walls, illuminated by the glow of party streamers and signs. Amidst the lively scene, my peripheral vision caught sight of someone snatching Parker and disappearing into the crowd. "So, are we hitting the roof again?" I inquired of Kai, noticing the broad grin adorning his face. He always relished this aspect of hebdomada de lux. Laughter and excitement filled the air as girls darted around, giggling, while guys pursued them in a chase,eventually ending up in sex. Memories of the chaos of last year flooded my mind, particularly the unsettling incidents Kyran and I witnessed in the science lab. Witnessing an orgy wasn't on my bucket list.

"Sure thing," Kai replied, pulling out his phone and activating the flashlight. "Is that Athalia?" he asked, gesturing toward a figure in the distance. Any hope of going solo vanished instantly—sorry, Parker. Athalia appeared utterly bewildered, a stark contrast to her usual self. She hadn't participated in such antics in previous years.

"One twenty seconds!" boomed the voice over the speaker system.

Kai chuckled, his gaze shifting toward another figure. "Is that Chase?" he exclaimed with amusement. "We could just hide in the office room, he'd definitely cover for us." It was a solid plan; after all, Chase, being the principal's son, had a knack for slipping under the radar. Plus, he owed us one for when we kept his coke incident under wraps. Feels like just yesterday, though it's been a good two years. The pulsating rhythm of the music intensified, coursing through my veins as the beat throbbed louder. "I won last year, and mark my words, I'll win again," he declared confidently. Last year's victory, alongside Kyran and that eager first-year, still lingered as a proud memory.

"Yeah, it is," I replied with a reminiscent smile, thoughts of Chase flooding my mind. As more girls darted past us, one of them paused to cast a flirtatious glance at Kai, even attempting to blow him a kiss.

"What the heck is she doing?" I asked Kai incredulously as the girl scampered off with her friends.

"She wants me to hook up with her again," Kai responded nonchalantly, his hands buried in his pants pockets.

"Times up! Ready or not, here we come!" Chase's voice boomed through the speaker, jolting us into action. We're still standing here at the entrance.

"Come on, it's the roof or we're busted," I urged, already ascending the steps toward our destination.

"Athalia!" Kai's voice cut through her reverie, bringing her back to the present moment. "Come on, join us," he urged, sensing her hesitation. She looked somewhat disoriented, like a lost child, but quickly rallied and hurried over to join us. With that, we all broke into a run, ascending the steps amidst a flurry of activity—kids drinking, couples kissing. Their public displays of affection were a bit much for my taste.

It wasn't until we reached the top of the steps that I noticed Kai and Athalia's intertwined fingers, his grip on her hand firm and reassuring. "The code!" Kai reminded us, tapping his finger impatiently against the door.

"One-eight-nine-six," I recited, recalling the historical significance of the year the building was constructed.

"Of course, they'd choose something so obvious," Athalia remarked, leaning against the wall with a wry smile. The school's founding year. Kai punched in the numbers, and with a satisfying click, the door swung open. A laugh escaped both Kai and me, a shared moment of relief and triumph.