Selcouth Wakings | brightwin |

I: 03

Bright muffled his laugh against his arm once he was able to see a frowning Off from a distance. All his three class ended for the day but his readings couldn't get the memo. But tired as he is, nothing could beat it than seeing your friends suffer the same.

"Now, what kind of bet did that loser lose?" Tay asked from beside him. A bunch of notes covered his side of the table and for once, it was an actual school supply that he was holding in his hand.

"Karma's a bitch, Tay. " Bright chuckles under his palm when Off reaches them in one whiny sigh.

"I'm re-taking this subject for the third time. I'm sure of it." Not giving his two friends a chance to question him, Off snatches the half eaten Subway sandwich that was residing peacefully on Bright's tray. His bite was eager, reminding him of the unpleasant meeting he had a few seconds ago.

"That's what you get for breaking our partnership without me knowing. The audacity for you to give me away like that, man." Bright shakes his head before snatching his food back.

"I thought that Gun kid was silent and shy, much like your partner." Off defends while he tries not to shudder when his ear recalls the pitch of his new partner's voice. "When I tell you my ears were begging to be clogged, they really were."

"Gun? As in Atthapan?" Tay side comments all of a sudden.

Off could only nod before shaking a hand in front of an interested Tay as if to signal him not to mention it again. The amusing scene was rare, they could all agree after exam seasons that is; yet not one of them wanted to get out of their silly bubble.

"How'd you even know him? You're not in our class." Off grumbles after stealing a few more bites from Bright's food. "Besides, he doesn't look the type to have much friends. He literally gets mad at anything I do."

"Cause it's you." Both Tay and Bright answered him as if stating a dry fact. Rolling his eyes, Off shoots them a middle finger before gathering his wits to deviate the blow from him.

"Bright looks awfully pleased with his partner though."

Bright stops chewing when he felt the heat being dumped at him. It didn't help that he was not over the recent events that occurred especially the last 60 minutes of innocent skinship he just had with a stranger he barely knows and he kind of really knows at the same time.

"There's a new kid?" Tay's question falls unanswered because suddenly, Bright's mind wondered how impossible it was to dream about someone you'll meet in advance.

But there he was.

"There is." He finds himself answering with a slight smile he tried to hide with another bite.

Like a cycle they all knew so well, Off was just about to open his mouth to throw a snide comment at Bright's behavior when the school announcement radio went off; relaying a sudden news that was starting to fill up the dents of paranoia.

"A circulating fake profile was scanned earlier inside the campus entrance. The bar code matched one of our student's but the face didn't. I repeat, please secure all your school identification cards to avoid fake records and information leakage."

All three of them grimaced as the cafeteria piled with silent chaos and distinct theories they would end up hearing for the next days.

"The world is weird these days." Tay shudders before stealing the last bite of Bright's food.

It was unusual for Bright to go straight back to their dorm after his classes. It was either the library which was temporarily closed because of a reading event from the Fine Arts department and that's where his usual detours starts.

Sometimes it was a walk around the campus, a pre-dinner cup of noodles by the convenience store that fuels their empty stomachs on days that him, Off and Tay couldn't function enough to cook for themselves but lastly; it was visiting the student's pub just behind their university's area.

It's where he scores his gigs and gets extra cash when he feels like his face isn't thick enough to ask for extra allowance from his parents—the same people he was risking his dreams for no matter how much he loved bruising his fingers while strumming his guitar while he faces a singing crowd.

"You're early today." The familiar man behind the counter that Bright never got the name had said when the rusty bell dinged when he entered.

The pub was still halfway closed for the early night but since it was a weekday and nearing Friday, they were stocking up with alcohol and menus for the busy days they'll be having since exam season was done.

"I am, exams are done." Bright sighs in utter relief before his hand automatically reached out for the spare guitar situated on the small makeshift stage.

"You got a line up coming along?" He asks while he strums a familiar tune he didn't know where he heard.

"I actually have a small band playing. Bunch of kids from a neighboring college I think but they'll play next week." The man replies before pointing at Bright's lanyard that had his school's logo.

"They're a full band?"

"They need a guitarist." The man smiled at Bright before he disappeared inside the staff room to retrieve more glass cups to wipe.

After taking his scheduled detour, Bright gathers his last strength to do a quick grocery shopping for the night. Due to his Subway sandwich's tragic fate a while ago in Off and Tay's mouth, he was only able to score three bites and the distant smell of microwave pizza sounded so good at the moment.

A couple of processed foods later, Bright exits with a small plastic bag in one hand and a prescription bottle from the drug store beside while his mind replayed the scenarios he could only seem to dream until it stops; then happens in front of him.

"That was so weird." He couldn't help the words to move past his lips with each step he takes. One, for the unusual influx of fraud cases being reported and two, about a certain person he can't seem to comprehend the sudden existence with just a day's worth of sleep.