Have you ever known someone who studies as long as 17 hours a day, have almost no favorite things which can help him relax, and severe insomnia?
Althea considered herself to be enough hard working. She has joined organizations for two years in high school, she still works at home, and still diligently do her studies until late at night.
But if she were to have all those time just studying and stayed at home, she didn't think she could.
First, her mother would not let her 'just' study, and second, the monotonous activity will drive her mad.
She still likes to spend some time talking to Karin, thinking of her organization's upcoming events, or just watch movies and read books in her spare time.
Studying that many hours straight like Ray would really drove her insane. But it's his reality.
"Dear, when will we be able to talk?" Althea asked as she went to her student council's room.
It was Thursday afternoon, and she decided to visit the organization which had been quite dormant lately to check on the preparation progress of their side projects.
"My next break is still an hour away." Ray replied.
Lately, due to Ray saying he's going to take his studies "more seriously", they couldn't really talk much. Althea had to ask for when will he have free time to have a long talk. Else it might get annoying for Ray.
Apparently the monotonous activity also started to affect him.
Althea tried to dissuade him from studying too much, that he needs to do other activities like working out, cooking good food once in awhile or the other things he used to do before this period.
But Ray still dropped all of them in his desperation to cover the exam's syllabus, saying that getting into a good university or better getting the scholarship will be their only way to realize their dream.
"Okay. I'm at the student council now." Althea greeted Lucas who already sat at one of the chairs and saw several members have taken theirs as well.
"Don't get too close to boys." Ray warned.
'Not possible.' Althea had the urge to argue with it as she took one of the chairs away from everyone.
Ray's possessiveness had been getting worse lately. He asked her not to get too close to boys, to wear long and loose clothes when outside, and some others which she started to feel excessive of.
There was this one time when Althea leisurely talked about how Lucas and her were discussing the next project, and Ray's response to that was, "how close was he?"
That talk ended with them arguing to each other about the "proper" distance and Ray not willing to talk properly to her until the next day.
As always, Althea obviously stepped back and apologize first, promising not to be close to boys.
"Thea, why are you sitting so far?" Lucas waved his hands to the other members as he took a seat right next to Althea.
"Uhh, nothing much really." Althea fidgeted in her seat. She searched for Karin's presence in the room to ask her best friend to save her, but apparently Karin isn't there yet.
Betraying the promise was mentally burdensome for her, but suddenly pulling away from Lucas when they used to be that normal before also felt strange.
No. It was super strange.
"Is there any problem?" Lucas raised his perfectly shaped eyebrow, noticing Althea's discomfort.
"No. Nothing at all." Althea sighed, deciding she won't tell the detail of this one to Ray and considered it as an 'accident'.
"Is it your mother?" Lucas leaned closer and Althea shifted back.
"No, Lucas. This time it's not her. And hopefully it will never be her again." Althea massaged her throbbing head. Lucas tends to be too close for your comfort and remembering the last big fight she had with her mother made her shivered in fear.
Her mother had threatened not to pay for her school fee and send her to this god damn school which make their students live in a dormitory and watched over them for almost 24 hours. Every activity there is being regulated and scheduled strictly, and Althea absolutely doesn't want her already limited freedom to be taken away.
She'll go crazy. For sure.
"Okay then." Lucas shrugged his shoulders and propped his chin with his right arm on the table.
"So how is the new recruit?" Althea asked as she pulled open a document on the table titled 'New Student Council Member's Selection'.
Lucas pointed to some with a star sign next to their pictures, saying, "These are the people with good potential to be the core members. And the others, well you already know since you tested them too."
Althea nodded as she skimmed through their registration form and smiled.
'They sure look promising.'
"How many activities do we need to do before we can hand over our position?" Lucas pointed at Althea's notebook.
"Well, only three or four I guess. Excluding the big meeting where we will have to report our activities for this whole year and the leadership camp."
"Ohh. Finally the leadership camp. You will join right?" Lucas dragged Althea's book to his side and skim through its pages. Without reading it, obviously.
"Yeah. Yeah I do hope I can join." Althea smiled.
Leadership camp is a two days activity that is meant to train the new members and create a stronger bond between the two generations.
Usually, they would rent a hostel for the members and teachers in charge of supervising the student council. While most of the activities are serious indoor discussions, half of the second day is meant for relaxation where they hang out together with the new members in a certain tourism spot.
A rare chance for Althea.
She could only go out when she has such school events or competitions, after all.
"Where should we go? The places which trip only requires 2 hours from here has ... recreational park, waterfall, and lake. All of those in the mountain area." Lucas took a pen and nonchalantly jotted it down in Althea's note.
Althea would've scolded him for messing with her notes normally, but the prospect of outdoor activities pleased her greatly, "All of that sounds great for me." Althea nodded.
"Settled, then."