AN ODE TO YOUR DREAMS

( 六 ) saltine blood

saltine blood.

SATURDAY COMES WITH THE PREVIOUS days spent with typical monotony brought about by your lack of activity. The day exists with cool enough weather with the skies being filled with shrouds of clouds covering the Sun's heated rays, allowing a minuscule bit of motivation to push you into going out for once. Normally, on a Saturday morning, you wouldn't even dare to step foot outside of your house and instead opted for picking up a book you've read one or three times already, or perhaps go through your phone to view sardonic posts that fit with your decaying sense of humor. But for today, you are stepping out with a purpose.

Itoshi Rin had badgered you (if threatened you with a glare counted as one) the day before into accomplishing the character profile because he "didn't want to see you more than he already necessarily has", and initially you were opposed because Saturdays were always spent lazily for you—no, life in itself simply was the act of breathing and anything else unnecessary wasn't to be performed because it simply would be a waste of time. But with enough threats to tell on you to the teacher alongside a deeper glare etched on his face, you had eventually surrendered. You didn't want to deal with even more unnecessary trouble than life already is.

You don't exactly know what Itoshi Rin's problem is, and all you know is that he favored you less than all of your peers. Usually, you would see him at least try to act civilly towards your other peers during group works, but it appears that with you, you are treated more like shit under his shoe. Working with him the past few days has told you that. With a few scoffs here and there towards your attempts at making (unfunny) jokes, and unnecessary passive-aggressive comments at your written observations towards him and his to you, it was clear that he didn't like you.

It doesn't really matter. Itoshi Rin and his attitude didn't matter much to you, but you wonder what brought on this sort of behavior? What is the reason behind him acting this way? You'd probably never know.

You shrug. Oh well. Can't please everyone.

"(F-First Name). Where are you going?" Your mother asks as you step out of your room. She eyes you up and down, scanning your sweater and sweatpants, and your backpack slung over your right shoulder. The smile she had previously while she was watching a show on the television fell momentarily.

"Oh. I'm heading out to a café." You answer, checking your wristwatch. "I'm gonna be doing a project with my partner and he demands that I be there at exactly 10:30AM. Can I head out now, Mom?"

She raises her brow, her lips pressing to form a straight line. "He?"

You nod uneasily, eyeing her as she slowly gets up from the couch to look at you more clearly. "Yeah. He."

"What's his name?"

"Itoshi Rin."

"Itoshi Rin." She murmurs his name as if he's committed a heinous crime and it causes you to take a step back. "But why is he demanding you to get there at that specific hour? Is he bullying you? Should I be reporting him to the principal? W-We can transfer you to a different school—"

"What? No, Mom. He isn't bullying me." You hold onto the straps of your bag tighter, furrowing your brows. She's acting strange. "He just told me to come earlier because he has soccer practice later and he's only free during the morning."