What Are The Odds?

Where's Sue?

National Center for Science and Research High School, in short, NCSRHS or "Naks". Honestly, nobody knows why that is the shortened terminology of this school I considered my personal hell for the past four years, but it is what it is. It is a government-funded prestigious school with over 6 campuses across the Philippines and is notable that almost all of its students are overachievers with graduates getting admission from not only big universities across the Philippines but also abroad. Naks is a school where the government, notably the Institute of Science and Technology, sponsors your tuition and honors monthly stipend. Additionally, it is also a school that is not just for the general public, aspiring students of this school need to take the National Science and Research Examination or NSRE in order to have some sort of an admission chance. Although it sounds fancy and all, the pressure the students hold is no joke. You can't get anything non-STEM related as a college course as part of the contract, and that really sucks especially for art prodigies. The lessons this school has in its curriculum are also much harder. To cope, students utilize the existence of some freedom wall on Bookbuddy, a social media application, to air their thoughts, which we call "Naks Daily". 

"Ezekiel, let's go!" said the vexing Viktoria. "We still need to pass our application form, so we can let the admins approve our club."

A woman with dark hair and gloomy eyes dragged the adroit Ezekiel from his current location. However, her slender body couldn't beat him an inch.

"Why are you so hyped about it?" Ezekiel asked genuinely as he resisted the pull, "Either we pass now or a couple of minutes later, the signatories would still approve our application at a much later date. And besides, we are already conducting our club's initiatives without getting approved."

Viktoria halted from pulling and paused for a brief moment. "You know what..." she picked up her phone from her long school-issued skirt and opened up Bookbuddy, placed the forms back on her envelope, and sat on the floor next to the wall. "Let's pass it tomorrow." she sighed, "I feel kind of lazy today."

"See? What have I been telling you?" Ezekiel sat next to the lady complaining a short while after. "This day just feels off, and we should not push our luck more."

The two friends, just sitting there instead of actually doing their responsibilities, stare into nothingness. The late-day dust from the ground and the scent of the tropical weather envelopes the two personas as the breeze from the outside tips down a smudge on the roof. 

"Check this out." Viktoria giggled. "Someone confessed to me on Bookbuddy. They recently updated, quickly! Check the post I sent you."

"Let me guess..." Ezekiel tapped into his pockets. "You posted it yourself." the taps got harder and harder.

"It's free clout, what did you expect." 

"Shit, I think I left my phone in the utility room." he stopped tapping his pants and resorted to tapping his sling bag. "I really did leave it there." devastated, his heart pounded repeatedly.

"What were you doing there in the first place?"

"I tried looking for bleach." immediately, he stood up. In an utter tense, he pulled Viktoria out of the floor, making her stand up with him.

"For what? What did you need the bleach for?"

Ezekiel dodged the question and just pulled Viktoria's hands making her run with him towards the stairs. "Just come!"

As they were running in the hallway, which was strictly prohibited, they came across the innocent Davila and the skittish Sue. 

"What are the both of you speeding for?" asked Davila which was holding a bottle of a commercial lemonade.