The Introvert

Chapter 6: Tardy

Chapter 6: Tardy

I woke up feeling refreshed and good. That's weird. Maybe today is a good day after all. Usually when I wake up, it's the other way around. My eyes would feel swollen and teary.

I scrabbled around my bed to find my phone. When I finally found it, I pressed the power button to look at the time but the screen remained black and so I pressed it again. Nothing happened. Now that I realized it, my alarm didn't wake me. The last thing I remembered is turning my phone off because Archer was annoying me. Fuck! I presses the power button longer until my phone lit off. I waited for a minute until it showed the home screen.

9:00 am.

Fuck!

I'm late. I hastily put together everything in my bag and changed my clothes with whatever I can grab in my closet. I swear that Archer brings trouble into my life. It's partly my fault but this is the first time that I will be late. Look at that. Monday I met him. Wednesday we were thrown out of the class and today, Friday, I'm gonna be late. I wonder what the next days would be like.

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When I finally reached our room, everybody is already on their way out. The class is done for today. That's how late I am. Asdfghjkl! I saw Archer and he smiled broadly when he saw me standing outside the room.

"Sup partner? It's not you to skip class." Archer said.

"Fuck off. You're the reason I'm late."

"What? Me?" he sarcastically asked with an exaggerated expression. "And dude, you're not late. You're considered absent." then he laughed, amused by his own joke.

I gritted my teeth in annoyance. "I am not your partner."

"Oh what's that? Then I guess you no longer need this." he showed me a piece of paper. "I took the liberty of taking notes for the final requirement."

"You? Taking notes? Unbelievable." when I saw that he was being serious I reached out my hand. "Give me that." I demended.

"Not unless you fully accept that you would be my project partner for this term." I weighed my options before answering him. I bet he would be of a liability rather than a benefit.

"And why would you want me to be your partner again?"

"You already know the answer. Come on, you asked me that yesterday and you agreed to be my partner." he said.

"Oh yeah I get it." he probably wants someone to carry the burden for him and he knows that I'm always grade conscious. "By the way, I only said yes to shut you up. I officially withdraw my decision."

"Fine. Good luck on doing the project without knowing what to do."

"Whatever. I'll ask Dash for the notes." I walked away from him but he pulled my shoulder to face him back.

"Why don't you want to partner with me anyway?" he's now losing his playful tone and it's being replaced by animosity.

"I'd rather be working alone rather than carrying someone who doesn't deserve the grade I would work hard to get." I replied.

"You're being a hardass. You need me as much as I need you. Why can't you trust me on that!" his voice echoed in the hallway. This is the monster I've been told.

"Your reputation recedes my trust." I boldly told him.

He snickered as a response. "Then I'll promise to work hard as you would. I've got something that would benefit the two of us."

"And what's that?"

"We've own a company. The project requires analysis of a business. We can already access our books this instant rather than begging many establishment to provide us their data. Can't you see, we already have an advantage."

I bit my lip. He's right. I don't have to talk to certain key people to give us their records. I dread talking to people I don't know. Knowing he belongs to one of the richest family in the world, we can choose any of their brand. But his offer sounds too good to be true. I still received the card of death from him. X marks the spot they said. I believe X marks my grade. It's a ploy to make me fail in this subject.

"How can I be sure if you're telling the truth and it's not a ploy to one of your evil plans?" It's time we settle this childish gameplay.

"What are you talking about?" 

"The card."

"I told you it's not from me." he scoffed. He blew an extravagant amount of air at the end of his sentence so he's definitely lying.

"Oh don't act like you have no clue about that mister. How is it that after that horrendous party of yours I received one of your so called death cards. You marked me!"

He sneered. "Is that so?" he chuckled. "Maybe it did not came from me? Maybe it's someone from the party besides me."

"No. You're the only one I dealt with that night."

"Flattered as I am but I think you're mistaken. You also spoke to a guy that night." he said. I tried to recall what happened that night after getting tipsy from drinking beers with him. Oh yeah. I was looking for my flirty friend Diane so I asked him where she was.

"No. I'm sure it's still you." That guy was too nice to send me a murder card. "And how do you even know that? Did you start stalking me that night?"

"Don't be foolish. We went down together remember?" 

He's right. We do went down together when I said I'm going home. "But that doesn't change the fact that I still received a card. You're still the primary suspect."

"What if you got it from one of my enemies? They saw us come down together and they thought we're friends so they sent you one. Or what if... stay on me with this, what if... it's from a jealous admirer?"

"Puhlease. We're not in anyway friends. We just drank beers on your veranda because you kept me captive."

"This conversation is leading us nowhere. Do you want to be my partner or not?" he got impatient. I'm not even surprised. 

"I don't know."

"The only option is yes or no. What's it gonna be?" he asked irritated.

I took a deep breath. It seems like I have no other choice. 

"Fine." I said with my arms closed.

"That's it. See, it isn't hard to say yes."

"But! If I fail this subject because of you, I'm gonna have to kill you. Deal?"

"Deal. Kill me, burn me, heck you can even take advantage of my body. They say I'm quite delicious. Yum!" he said with the most perverted smile I saw.

This maniac. I really can't with this guy.

"Bye." I said and was prepared to walk out but he called me. "What?"

"We have a deal but we didn't shook on it."

"You have my word, I have yours. Besides, I don't like having any physical contact to any strangers."

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