Find your faith

Chapter 83: Pressure Builder

Anika's POV
"This is our school concourse," I tried to enunciate in fluent German (no one else knew German so I had to do the dirty work). "It is a common place in our school where students hang out, study by themselves or with their friends, ask their teachers question and play sports. Most iconically, the concourse is a place where badminton matches are held." I heaved a sigh of relief as I sprawled across my study tables.

Being a triple science student, the rigour of studying and making sure I always at the top of my game was growing on my shoulders everyday. No one expected being in the school NDP or an innocent wish to go to Germany for an international trip, and now I was paying the price of it. I was alternating between doing the dirty work of a German school tour, making sure my drills were in order and making sure my grades were in order.

Especially Biology.

This subject felt more like reading my friends' Chinese textbooks rather than actually learning the content. I can get how urine is excreted from the body, but nothing about dialysis should the kidneys fail on us. Even the effect of asking an older sibling* or a teacher was fleeting, because when a new concept was taught or questions had to be practiced, it felt like I was thrown to the deep end once more.
YZ's POV
3 Faith classroom
Anika has become so boring recently! She used to be so much more fun, when she still had the capacity to crack jokes and chat with me about what goes on during humanities lessons and other things normal friends talk about. Now she's either studying or mumbling under her breath some cryptic language.

Lucas advised me I should let her be, but I don't get it. What's the fuss about studying so much and perfecting a script? I don't get it. I want to get her attention back, but how? Confronting her seemed like an easy option, but I've learnt that picking fights with others won't solve anything. Hence, I decided to approach her about the subject in the most polite way possible.
Physics lesson
YZ: Anika Pookie, why have you been ghosting me so much recently?

Anika: help what are you yapping about?

YZ: You haven't been making much time for us recently. You're either studying or practicing some random script. What's up?

Anika: The triple science life I guess...

YZ: What? There must be a lot going on in your head and yet you don't want to admit it! And all I get is "the triple science life I guess..." We may have known each other for a long time but that doesn't excuse you to think we communicate through telepathy

Anika: Someday you'll understand.

YZ: What? So you're trying to invite me to your mind games ah??

Anika: Please, it's not that big of a deal. See how our teacher is talking about such a complex topic and how it happens in our real life? Our Physics WA3 is coming in no time, let's focus about that instead. Save stories for another time.
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That cryptic Anika. Isn't she more open than this?
Anika's POV
It feels awkward and even forced when YZ tries to communicate his thoughts, but at least he's trying. He must've learnt his lessons from our VIA fallout and is seizing the opportunity to apply them. If it's his way of expressing concern for others, I'd probably close one eye for that.

The thing I can't close one eye too, is this heavy feeling in my heart. I couldn't point a name to it. Was it stress, or something bigger? Something's for sure, I don't feel flashes of different temperatures, but I was too scared to sweep it under the rug. Oh well, maybe if I stop soon scrolling and try to manage my time I might be able to leave some to do what I like—playing games with my friends.
*Anika has an older brother aged 18 at debut