"Who are you?" Anna while holding a gun points at Rene
"Mind if I ask the same?" Rene points a gun at Anna
Bang!
~~5 months earlier
A young person named Cauli quietly observed their surroundings. As a curious child, they were always intrigued by the word "weird" trying to understand the nature of this word they started taking notes of the stories they heard every day. Cauli's mother opens the television, and the news caught their attention.
"The Age of time travel is near" -The tv says while showing a woman named Trisha near an apparatus.
Cauli wondered what their mother might be thinking since she paused for a while after seeing this news. She had a sad expression upon hearing this news, so Cauli thought it was probably because of their father who died in an accident a long time ago. Cauli knew that their mother has to move on but they could not say it.
"Mom, I have to go now," said Cauli as they were going to school.
"Don't forget your lunch" Flora to Cauli
As Cauli entered the class they overheard Randy a physically huge man trying to harass Jet a frail and seemingly socially awkward boy. Cauli was curious why would someone like Randy to torment someone like Jet. Is it because the strong always seek authority above those that are weaker than them? is it simply human nature? or is it because Randy is just evil? But deep inside the young person thought that the latter cannot be true because it has witnessed Randy being generous on some occasions. It cannot be also Jet's fault since Jet always tries to avoid discord even though it's not necessary. So Cauli observed.
"Hey weirdo, what are you doing? What's that book you're reading? Cartoon? About Romance? Hahahaha! That's lame can I take a look?" ~says, Randy
"No, what is it again? what do you want?" ~asked Jet who seems to be already in an unpleasant mood
"I want to check it out." ~Randy answered
"I already said no, if you want to read it go buy yourself one." ~Jet answered
"Oh come on man this is the reason why you don't have friends" ~Randy takes the book anyway
"What the hell man the lines are all corny, hahaha. Do you spend money on these? You'll never get a girl at this rate. Hahahahaha" ~says Randy
"Look at this man it's ridiculous" ~Says Randy to a fellow classmate Mark
Mark is a very passive guy he avoids any type of conflict and is friends with the majority. But Cauli saw him as a person who's just trying to fit in with the majority due to the fear of standing alone.
"Hey dude that's bullying hahaha" ~Mark jokingly tells Randy
"Oh come on man we're just trying to be buddies, right?" ~Randy to Jet
"Give it back!" ~Jet yells
Another classmate Allen suddenly fell to the ground and Cauli's guess was anemia because Allen is known to occasionally faint. Seeing this, most of their classmates helped Allen go to the school clinic. So only a few were able to witness what happens next.
Randy keeps "teasing" Jet until Jet finally had enough and punched Randy in the face. Though it didn't hurt Randy in any way Randy got pissed and punched Jet back. Jet fell to his knees then finally the class representative named Anna intervened. Cauli wondered why didn't she intervene when she first saw it. But Cauli thought they cannot blame her because they were doing the same thing.
"What did he do to you?" Anna adds "Why are you always picking on him every time he's minding his own business?" ~Anna
"He punched me, I was only borrowing his book" ~Randy answered
"I saw the whole thing Randy, Jet said no twice yet you took his book away and mocked him." ~Anna
"Why are you always doing this to him? Is it because he's different? You can't expect anyone to act as you please. The world isn't yours" ~Anna
"That's so inspirational, I almost cried" ~Randy mockingly whispers "You can have your book back I'm done." ~Randy to Jet
Randy throws it near Jet. Jet is unable to move due to feelings of anger and fear. He took the book and went back to his seat without uttering a sound.
"We're not done" ~Anna adds "I'm going to tell the teacher about this" The whole class bo'ed.
Cauli thought it was because the teacher will find that they're all equally responsible for not doing anything about it.
"Suit yourself" ~Randy answered
"Self-righteous ****" ~Randy whispered.
After a while, both Randy and Jet were called to wait at the school lobby. Cauli then didn't know what happened to them afterward but while they were gone a teacher came in and as it expected. It was to tell the class to avoid this from happening again. The teacher also told the classroom that Jet had family problems and why they should have intervened. Cauli thought that if there was anyone that had problems shouldn't it be Randy? Then it was also curious about what Anna said about being "different" so it wrote it down. Renae noticed that Cauli was writing down while the teacher was scolding them. She chuckles.
Renae is a very friendly and smart girl. Cauli thought that she's most likely be the first one to call the teachers if she knew what happened but she was napping and only woke up after someone tapped her when the teacher entered the room.
After a while, Randy and Jet returned. They both look like in a sour mood. Then Emile, Cauli's friend, and seatmate tapped their shoulders. Emile is a very diligent boy and the class secretary, He's also very helpful to an unhealthy degree. He became Cauli's friend two years ago and was the first to approach Cauli. He's also respected by his classmates but to Cauli maybe it wasn't respect that they felt for him but pity because of Emille's tendency to do what he is asked.
"Wanna invite them up later?" ~Emile asked
"They need to make up, right?" ~Emile insists
"Okay. Don't ask me. You're the one paying for it anyway. But I don't think they'll agree since they're still in a sour mood" ~Cauli
"It's fine, I'll handle it." ~Emile
Emile asked Jet first and he surprisingly agreed. But Randy didn't, he said he was busy and already had plans with his friends. After school, they meet up with Jet in their favorite restaurant. The conversation started slow but it managed until they finally get Jet to open up about his challenges and the reason why he froze. Apparently, his father was an alcoholic and his Mother was a gambling addict.
Jet always got yelled at home especially today when his mother told him to wash the dishes even though he'd already prepared to go to school. He also said that he froze because he saw his patheticness and incompetence of being unable to stand up for himself.
"It's not you being incompetent, it's his fault for picking on you. I'm sure anyone else would've reacted the same, and most of our classmates also fear him you know" ~Emile
"Do you fear him too?" ~Jet
"Not me" ~Emile
"Then why didn't you stop him?" ~Jet
"Because I thought you'll make up after that fight. In my experience most of my friends make up after fighting but I was wrong" ~Emile
"You, what do you think?" ~Jet asks Cauli
"I don't know" ~Cauli answered
But in the back of Cauli's mind, they know that it wasn't really a fair fight and it's just Randy bullying Jet.
Jet became curious and started asking Emile how did Cauli and Emile become friends. Since Jet got the impression that Cauli is the serious type and doesn't look like they'll hang out with friends.
Emile answered "Two years ago it was lunch break. While I was at the canteen with my friends, I had to go back to the classroom because I forgot that my mother prepared a packed lunch. There, I saw Cauli eating alone while reading a book. The book Cauli was reading is a book that Cauli made themself"
"It amazed me because of how informative the book was and how openly they share it with me. I was so immersed that I emptied the packed lunch without noticing it." ~Emille
"What was the book about?" ~Jet
"It's a secret, ask Cauli yourself" ~Emille
"Sorry, I'm quite unprepared... I'll show it to you some other time" ~Cauli
"Oh come on, you shared it so openly with Emille" ~Jet
"That wasn't what happened" ~Cauli
Cauli thought that Jet is a very friendly and sociable man if approached right. What Cauli can't understand is how Randy acted whenever he sees Jet. Jet's phone rang and he knew he had to go back. The two only noticed that it was already dark, had Jet's phone not rang they would've slept in the restaurant. Eventually, they all part ways on their way home. When Cauli left the restaurant, a silhouette suddenly appeared out of the alley nearby but Cauli simply ignored it. The silhouette seems to be in a hurry. While Cauli was on their way home they ran into Jin, he is Cauli's classmate who excels in any field of their class making him the top 1.
"Have you seen a girl wearing a black cap and a black jacket?" ~Jin approached Cauli abruptly.
"I think so, in a restaurant near our school" ~Cauli
"Oh, you've seen her there too." ~Jin
"Call me if you ever see her again, here, this is my number." ~Jin
"Okay. But why?" ~Cauli
"Nothing. I'll get you something if you did" ~Jin
Cauli thought that was the longest time that Jin ever talked. They shrugged it off and went home.
~The next day
"You'll see something interesting in the lunch break" ~A paper plane without a name
A plane mysteriously landed on Cauli's desk and it immediately asked if this was from Emile, but Emile merely shook his head in response.