MORYN LODEZA
It's the second day of the school festival, but I still haven't gotten tired of visiting the booths, watching the games, and checking out all the events. I'm still hanging out with Rhyme and Night, who do nothing but argue about everything they see. Leah and Charbelle aren't around to break them up either, as they're busy with festival events. Honestly, this is worse than last year. It was also the school festival back then, and Rhyme and Night joined a lot of games, actually, almost all of it.
First, they joined the chess tournament, which got interrupted because the audience started betting on the match. Things heated up, and two students got into a fight. The arbiter had no choice but to report it to the student council president, since only Leah could stop everything, especially when it came to Rhyme and Night.
Then, there was basketball. Tension rose in the middle of the game, and this time it was Rhyme and Night themselves who got into a fight, pushing each other. They didn't stop there, they even joined the Esports tournament against competitors from other universities. The leaders of each team, Rhyme and Night, argued again, and eventually, their teammates got involved too. The result? A bunch of equipment got destroyed, including monitors.
They participated in a lot of sports events during that year's festival, and almost every one ended in chaos. Since then, the student council has banned them from participating in any sports events. That's why I'm more worried about what happened to them in the theater club. Fortunately, Leah still allowed Rhyme to perform after all.
"Ryn!" I turned around when I heard Night calling me. She was running towards us with Rhyme beside me, holding a small red box. As I watched her carry it, I had a feeling there was something delicious inside.
"Look what I've got!" she said excitedly when she finally reached us. As Night opened the box, we were both surprised to see cupcakes, while Rhyme just seemed nonchalant beside me. Our eyes widened, sparkling with excitement at the sight of the treats.
"I made them myself." I was even more shocked and impressed by what she said. I never knew she could bake cupcakes. How adorable! We quickly sat down on a bench and started eating the cupcakes. Rhyme stood in front of us, hands in his pockets.
"Want some?" I offered. He glanced at what we were eating with a grimace.
"No thanks. I don't want to get poisoned," he said sarcastically.
"What did you say!" Night yelled angrily as she stood up.
"I spent all night learning from Aunt Penny to make these perfect, and you're just gonna insult them?" she shouted. Rhyme crossed his arms and replied bluntly,
"Even so, I don't trust your cooking."
"Why don't you give it a try, Rhyme? It's delicious, you know," I said, smiling.
"It'd probably taste better if I made it," he smirked.
"You idiot!" Night's face was visibly red with frustration. Oh no, I think I know where this is headed.
I forced a smile as I sat next to Night, watching Charbelle set up two stalls for Rhyme and Night to make cupcakes. Once again, their bickering led to another competition. I had been trying to convince them to call off their argument, but Charbelle was the one pushing them to do this. She made us wait an hour and a half while she prepared everything. I still have no idea where she got those stalls from.
I sighed. I knew that all of Rhyme and Night's arguments always ended up in some kind of competition. I couldn't stop them. Leah was the only one who could calm them down, but she seemed exhausted and not in the mood to intervene. On top of that, Charbelle was kind of mischievous too.
It looked like all the equipment they needed for baking was already at the stalls.
"Hey, Charbelle. Are you serious? The other student council members might complain," Leah said.
"They're only banned from sports, remember?" Charbelle replied with a smile.
"Besides, don't worry, we won't make it obvious that we're having a competition." Leah just sighed again.
"Now, let me explain the rules. You two will compete in baking cupcakes, and the one who sells the most cupcakes will be declared the winner, of course," Charbelle explained.
"Sells?" Leah and Night both asked in shock.
"Yup. And each of you will need a partner," Charbelle added.
"I can do it on my own," Rhyme mumbled, but I think I was the only one who heard since Leah and Night were busy listening to Charbelle's other instructions.
"If Night wins this challenge, she won't have to wear the girls' school uniform anymore." Night's jaw dropped at Charbelle's words.
"What? Didn't you say if I agreed to wear that wedding gown, I wouldn't have to wear the uniforms anymore?" Night complained.
"Did I say that?" Charbelle asked, sounding like she was pretending to think it over.
"You did! Don't even try to deny it!" Night snapped.
"Okay," Charbelle said with a shrug.
"But anyway, this just got serious. Make sure you win this time, because if you lose," Charbelle leaned in closer to Night with a mischievous grin,
"you'll have to grow out your hair." She laughed, sounding like a cartoon witch.
"What!" Night and I gasped in unison. That was awful. I've never seen Night with long hair. Honestly, I think she'd look adorable, but there's no way she'd go for it.
"No way! That's not happening!" Night yelled.
"Then you better bring your A-game," Rhyme chimed in with a smirk, making Night glare even harder.
"Just so you all know, I'm going to be Rhyme's partner, Good luck, Night." Charbelle added, tossing a smug look over her shoulder as she grabbed Rhyme and headed for their stall. Leah face palmed, and I couldn't blame her. Charbelle clearly wanted Rhyme to win. Honestly, I was a little curious too. What would Night look like in girly clothes?
"Attention, everyone! Attention!" Charbelle called out through a megaphone, grabbing the students' attention. A few heads turned, and soon a crowd started gathering.
"Today, you'll have the chance to taste the most delicious and unique cupcakes you've ever had in your life!" she announced with dramatic flair. The students murmured in excitement, clearly intrigued.
"That's obviously an exaggeration," Leah muttered from her spot near our stall. She wasn't into baking, so I volunteered to be Night's partner. I wasn't great at it either, but I figured I could at least try my best to help her out.
"Alright, we have three outstanding students joining us today: Rhyme, Night, and Moryn," Charbelle declared, her energy contagious. The students responded with cheers and applause.
"They'll be baking some incredible cupcakes for you. Trust me, you're going to love this. Let's get started!"
Once we started, I carefully followed Night's instructions. We worked efficiently, each of us focused on our tasks as the crowd of students placing orders steadily grew. Our mission was to sell as many cupcakes as possible. When we opened the oven to check the first batch, we couldn't help but be amazed. The cupcakes looked so delicious that we were tempted to eat them on the spot even without the toppings.
"After this challenge, we're eating as many cupcakes as we want. But for now, we've got to focus and give it our all," I said, hoping to fire Night up. She was practically drooling as she stared at the cupcakes but nodded enthusiastically. With that, we jumped back into action. The crowd around our stall had grown so big by now that we couldn't even see Rhyme and Charbelle's stall anymore.
We started at 1:30 PM and wrapped up by 4:00 PM. Night and I nearly collapsed when Leah announced that we had sold 140 cupcakes, while Charbelle and Rhyme managed to sell 150. They won. Charbelle was screaming and jumping around like she'd just hit the jackpot.
Afterward, we baked more cupcakes and ate them ourselves. Night wasn't paying attention and just kept devouring the cupcakes, even while Rhyme was teasing her. It was obvious she was upset and using the sweets to comfort herself. Honestly, though, I find everything she does adorable. Sometimes, I wish she were my little sister.
"Here we go, baby. Come on," Charbelle said with a big grin, holding a measuring tape as she approached Night. The moment Night realized what was happening, she stepped back and immediately hid behind me. I could practically feel the fear radiating off her. It was only the second day of the school festival, but Charbelle was already determined to measure Night for the girls' uniform she was planning to make her wear.
As Charbelle inched closer, Night kept shifting behind me, clinging to my arm like her life depended on it.
"Oh, stop being so stubborn," Charbelle teased, clearly enjoying herself. When she reached out for Night's hand, Night bolted and took off running.
"Hey, get back here! Are you seriously going to make me chase you?" Charbelle yelled, clearly frustrated.
"Well, that's on you," Leah said, resting her head in her hands, elbows propped up on the stall counter with a bored expression.
"You know this isn't the time or place, but you're still pushing it."
"Can you just shut up and help me catch her?" Charbelle snapped, annoyed. Leah sighed and replied,
"Not my responsibility," in the calmest tone possible, which only made Charbelle even more irritated.
"Don't worry, I'll get her," Rhyme said as he walked off. Charbelle's frustration immediately turned into excitement.
"Really, Rhyme? Thank you! You're the best!" She gushed. Five minutes later, Rhyme returned, carrying Night over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I have no idea how he managed to catch her so fast, but there she was, squirming and glaring. He set her down in front of Charbelle, who didn't waste a second before starting to measure her, mumbling something about getting the uniform ready by next week. Night had no choice but to go along with it.
Later, before dinner, we stopped by the wedding booth. They were closing up since they only operated until 5:30 PM, except for that wedding between Rhyme and Night. The whole thing had been Leah and Charbelle's idea, and they spent the entire time teasing the two of them about it. Every time I think back to that evening, I can't help but smile. It was chaotic, ridiculous, and absolutely unforgettable.
We approached one of the girls who had helped Night on her wedding gown. Her name was Lexi, and as it turned out, she was Charbelle's cousin. She was also in the 11th grade with us and had a passion for designing and sewing dresses. Charbelle started chatting with her about the fabric she planned to use for Night's uniform.
"Oh no! Why aren't you wearing your wedding ring?" Lexi gasped, looking at Night with wide eyes.
"What a shame. Leah spent a lot of money on that." I glanced at Rhyme and Night, both of whom were scowling.
"Wait, that's real? If I'd known, I would've sold it. I threw it in the trash since the groom looks like garbage anyway," Night said, throwing obvious shade at Rhyme.
"Lexi, I'm here to file for a divorce," Rhyme said, his voice calm but edged with irritation. Lexi raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"Hate to break it to you, but divorce isn't legal in this country," she replied, unfazed. I bit my lip to keep from laughing, while Leah shook her head. Charbelle put her hands on her hips and was about to jump into the conversation, but Leah stopped her.
"Charbelle, can you hurry up so we can leave?" Leah said, cutting her off.
As we walked away from the wedding booth, Rhyme turned to Night.
"You should be thanking me for marrying you."
"Wow! Thank you so much!" Night snapped sarcastically.
"Sure! You're welcome!" Rhyme shot back, matching her sarcasm.
"Ugh!" he groaned in frustration.
Night suddenly stopped and turned to face him.
"How are you the one annoyed when you're the one who wants a divorce?" she yelled. Rhyme sighed, stopping to face her.
"Then take back what you said about your groom looking like trash!" he shouted back. Leah had had enough. She stepped between them and grabbed both of their ears.
"Ow!" they cried out in unison.
"I didn't want to get involved in your marital fight, but you two are getting on my nerves!" Leah said, her voice sharp with irritation.
"Do you want me to slam your faces into the trash?!" she added, glaring at them. Charbelle and I couldn't hold back anymore and burst out laughing.
"Stop it! It hurts!" Rhyme groaned, his face twisted in pain.
"I'm sorry! I'll be quiet, I swear," Night pleaded. Leah finally let go, and they both winced, rubbing their bright red ears while glaring at each other.
We were exhausted from the day and decided to skip the night event and head home. I left them for a bit to grab my stuff from my locker. As I walked down the corridor, my phone rang. Pulling it out of my bag, I answered cheerfully.
"Hi, Dad!" I said, my tone brighter than it had been all day. My exhaustion faded. It wasn't often he called since he was so busy all the time. I was looking at the floor, happily chatting, when I heard footsteps approaching. Lifting my gaze, my smile vanished as I saw a tall guy walking toward me. He looked about my age, and I'll never forget his face or the fear and chill his presence brought.
I remembered the time he stopped me from breaking up a fight between Rhyme and Night during track and field. He is wearing a blue basketball uniform now, drenched in sweat. He walked straight ahead, serious, with his damp hair partially covering his eyes.
As he passed me, I felt a slight breeze and caught a faint whiff of his cologne, making the strange feeling in my chest worse. Then I noticed the scars on his arm. My body froze, and I couldn't even process what my dad was saying anymore. My whole body went numb as realization hit.
Slowly, I turned to watch him walk away. Coach Rodrigo Sarmiento, our P.E. teacher, approached him and started talking. I backed up, dropping my phone as a flood of terrifying memories from the past surged back.