Truth or Dare

Lesson 2: Party

I slowly opened my eyes, the chill of something hard pressing against my cheek. My vision was a haze, and I struggled to make out who was nearby. A familiar voice broke through the fog. "Come on, get up. We've reached the last stop." As my eyes adjusted, I recognized Rolan. He stood there, jacket on, his bag casually slung over one shoulder, while he kept patting my cheek lightly.

"Okay, okay, I'm up. You can stop now," I mumbled, pushing myself upright from the makeshift bed I'd made. My voice was still groggy. "How many classes did I miss?"

"Well, let's just say you missed lunch... and your evening classes," he said, an air of amusement in his voice.

I groaned, throwing my head back in frustration. "Great. What a stellar way to kick off the first day."

Rolan tilted his head, a curious glint in his eyes. "Are you taking your meds? You know, for the schizophrenia?" he asked, his tone deceptively light.

My jaw tightened as I met his gaze. "I'm not schizophrenic!"

"Sure you are," he replied, undeterred, ticking off symptoms with his fingers as he spoke. "Hallucinations, low motivation, sluggish movements, antisocial tendencies, terrible sleep schedule, low energy, trouble retaining new information... difficulty focusing..."

"Enough!" I snapped, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and standing up abruptly. I grabbed the jacket Rolan held out to me and shrugged into it, taking a breath to steady myself. "Look, I'm sorry for snapping. But I'm not schizophrenic. At least... not anymore. My doctor said I don't need the meds," I said, my voice softening. I slung my bag over my shoulder, hoping that would be the end of it. 

As Rolan swung his bag over his shoulder and opened the door, a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Well, whatever you say, Rosie Posie."

I clenched my jaw at the sound of that detested nickname. Rolan knew exactly how much I loathed it, yet he never let up. With a sigh that seemed to empty my chest, I followed him out the door. "When are you going to stop calling me that?" I asked, my voice deceptively calm.

He turned, still smiling as he closed the door behind us. "Probably when I'm dead."

His playful defiance had been a thorn in my side since we were kids. No matter how much it irritated me, it seemed Rolan would always be Rolan. 

After leaving the infirmary, we noticed a cluster of students from the sports club gathered around a table, casually snacking and deep in conversation. Instead of heading toward the main path, we opted for the closer fire exit. Once outside, the air was pleasantly cooler, though a hint of warmth still lingered.

"So, what now?" Rolan mused aloud, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "How about we head to the café? We can grab a snack, have some coffee, and tackle that biology assignment Mrs. Lavine gave us."

"Sounds good," I replied, but then did a double-take. "Wait, did Mrs. Lavine actually give us an assignment on the first day?"

Rolan nodded with a touch of sympathy, and I groaned. "I'd expect that from a math teacher, but it's so unlike Mrs. Lavine to hand out homework right away," I said, shaking my head as we made our way past the school yard's gates.Rolan gave a knowing smile. "True, true. But what can we do? That's just the kind of teacher we've got," he said with a shrug. "Anyway, think of it this way—once we finish the assignment, we'll feel better. Plus, it means we can make it to karaoke without a guilty conscience."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. We fell into step together, heading toward the café. The pathway was alive with clusters of students—some making their way home, others drifting toward their own destinations. It felt like a mix of chaos and calm, the kind of buzz that marked the end of another day at school.