Chapter 3 - CHAPTER 3

[Deenz/Enz]

I said, "Goodbye, Mom."

She smiled and said, "Enjoy your day."

My cousin was waiting outside when I left the house. I gave him a sandwich before leaving. Our barangay is walking distance from the school. I turned to face my cousin, who was concentrating on his lunch.

I ask him, "What happened to your big bike?"

He declared angrily, "I've been given a month of house arrest, my allowance has been stopped, and I've got to hide all my keys. I am a poor man."

I chuckle in response to what he said. I asked, "Who advised you to go to a party secretly and leave like a thief?"

Zefron Red Daniels, my cousin, is a sibling of his mother and my father. He is a relative on my father's side. Her mother married a wealthy man, and they now reside in a neighbourhood next to our barrio, therefore our social positions are different.

He said, "They won't let me go to the party if I ask for permission." He threw his arms around my shoulder and said, "I have a date later."

I told him, "You're heavy, get off me," while slapping his arms.

He screams at me, "How disrespectful! Oh, I remember you have a girlfriend. Who's the unlucky girl?" He's attempting to make fun of me.

I smirked at him for being playboy, "You don't have a right to know," and laughed.

We continue to argue and make jokes. Because of his large mouth and my concern that he may breach our privacy, it is best to keep things private from him. It's been a week since the end of our summer vacation, and I can already say that going on more dates with her is enjoyable. I wish she would relax and take pleasure in our time together.

As she goes by Nymeria, I name her Ria; she likes it and calls me Enz. Yet occasionally I refer to her as Langga or Binibini. When we heard screaming and applauding like a famous person was entering the area, we were almost at the school's gate. My cousin stopped me from leaving them alone even though I wanted to.

I inquire, "What are you doing?"

He confidently pointed at the front gate and remarked, "Do you know them? I bet, not."

To my astonishment, when I followed his finger where it led, I discovered Ria leading the way like a main character. Because she is the stunning female I see, she is the primary character. Although I want to call her, I'm afraid of her followers. She turned her head to look at me, which startled me. I can see that she seems to soften a little even though we are only a few meters apart.

He said, "Lady Verena is so lovely."

"Of course," I replied. I hear something and I ask, "What do you call her?"

He is surprised by what I asked, saying, "Huh? You don't know them? Are living on the mountain."

"Oh, come on, Cuz. They are SS Royalty or just called Special Section Royalty. They have looks, talent, intelligence, and money. In other words, they are a noble, which is what people say. I always saw them in the gatherings and meetings. They are out of league my man." he said.

They were approaching the gate as I turned to face Ria, and the crowd was pursuing them. I never considered my girlfriend to be the genuine deal. She seldom ever discusses herself, but I recognized her name from somewhere. I adore her for who she is, not for her other qualities. Why did I not learn about this issue throughout the nearly six years I spent in the academy? I sense I'm a fool.

He's having fun with this, saying things like, "Did you leave your ears at home, and you never know about this type of thing. Dude, you shouldn't lock yourself. You're in second place, right? Nearly people know you because of your photography talents."

I told the brat to "shut up," and he started giggling. I mumble the final words, "I can't believe my sweetheart is the princess."

He questioned, "What? Did you say something?"

At the front gate, where I left him, I laughed foolishly. I hear him calling, but I just keep walking without turning around. He leaps in front of me, and we nearly kiss the ground, such a wacky cousin! He started laughing at me again after I gave him a head-butt. As I saw them again, we continued to joke around as we walked to our room.

I asked him, "Can you tell me about the SSR?"

He said, "Well, we have time, and I can tell you, what the sudden curiosity is."

We decided to sit at the back. "Faster," I said.

He moves his chair to the front and says, "Relax, dude," making it easier for him to converse with me. "I don't know their personalities; I only knew their names and status," he said, shrugging. "First you should know that our school is full of golden spoons. Most of them are part of the special section. The ones at the front gate are part of the top 10 SSR. Let's start with the guy behind Lady Verena with the headphone on his neck. He's in the top seven for the overall ranking. His name is Harvey Iversin."

I just nod, I didn't even see them, only my Ria. "Next is the guy in the middle with the blonde hair, that's Claude Seinfeld. He's in the top six for the total ranking, a playboy with a brain. The Kikay girl, do you see her? That's Grettel Sanchez, the shopaholic, top five, and she's the Queen in every school pageant. Next to her is Sonomi Martinez, top four and she's the President of the School Council. Warren Clark, in third place, is praised for being princely, and last but not least is our number one, Lady Verena Nymeria Vantecord, the frigid princess. All of them are friends and they always stick together."

Such a sweet name she had—cold princess. It works for her. I enquired, "Is that all?"

In response, he said, "About the other part of the SSR is not on my radar. If you want to know more about them, maybe you can talk to my twin about it. She has had a major love on Warren Clark since seventh school. She has a bizarre taste in guys."

Uh-oh. He continued to speak despite my signal to stop. He laughed, "I feel that kind of guy is impossible to approach, and my twin is like an amazon lady. A tomboy, how can a prince like him like my twin? That's a great joke." Can you please stop that?

He must have understood what I meant. I commanded him to turn around, and he did as well.

Behind him, his sister is glaring at his twin as if she were preparing to murder someone. I could see Zefron's reaction, including his shaking fear. It's a pain in the ass to listen to this guy's mouth because it never stops babbling rubbish. He makes eye contact with me and reaches for my collar, but her twin grabbed his hand and a cracking sound was heard.

She's incredibly scary. "Can you repeat that, my twin brother?"

He screams out to me, "H-help me," but I turn around and wave.

I gave him a peace sign and said, "I'm sorry, Zef. You know that both my sister and Shaylee are incredibly terrifying. I can't help you. I'll bring your bones and bury them. You may rest in peace."

"You jerk,"

I'll take a bullet for you, but not the wrath of your sister. I must flee in order to avoid having to deal with the fallout. I made the decision to stroll around the campus. In addition, I'm in my final year of high school. The school is lovely and spacious, and they value education and excellence. Every time I walk by the rooms, someone waves and engages me in conversation. I'm not popular, and ignoring someone is not my style.

"Hey!"

When someone tapped me on the shoulder, I looked up to see Miciel, a member of my club. In terms of overall ranking, Miciel Decker—who is also my buddy and I am also her tutor—is in the top ten. I spoke with Miciel when I excused myself from them.

I enquired, "What's up?"

She said, "I'm fine. I've got to enjoy my summer break and relax."

I remarked, "It's encouraging hearing that you're having fun and unwinding."

She asked me the same thing, "How about you, what did you do on your summer break?"

I answered, "Hmm...more it's serene and work than going on frequent dates with my girlfriend," and for a brief while, I noticed her astonished expression.

She asks me with a smile, "What? Do you have a girlfriend? How come I didn't know that? Tell me who is it."

I suggested, "Maybe next time."

Others continue to make fun of Miciel and me since we are always together and she is effervescent and amiable. Because our coach gives us commands and runs errands, which is typical. She helps me take photos for films, activities, and events. They keep making fun of us because of this, but I don't like her. Until I saw her walking, we were simply conversing.

I said, "I have to leave," and I took off after her.