When Angels Sleep

Chapter 1 - Calm Before The Storm

March 20, 20XX

Today's is the last day for the clearance week. Of course, Clearance Week is nicknamed as Hell Week by most students not only for this academy but also almost to all school due to the fact that one must finish their projects and other shenanigans in one week. Since most of the students were crammers, it made them more frustrating and gave them a mental agonizing pain. Garfield Valentino is one of them: a 17-year old boy with a mahogany hair and a set of chocolate brown eyes, whose grades are lower than the water's freezing point yet his determination is higher than anyone else.

His uniform had already been ironed, ready by his mom, Mrs. Valentino, while he is still in the bathroom, day dreaming on the toilet.

" Anak [1], your breakfast is ready! " she exclaimed—as she also puts a sunny side up and some rice, " your lunch too."

The shout from her mother startled him, almost dropping his soap in the toilet, "Aw, yaw-[2]..."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" shouted his mother.

"Nothing, ma! Just finishing my bath!" he shouted back since their bathroom somehow is midly soundproof.

"OK, make it quick!" Mrs. Valentino placed his lunch on his bag, "It's already 6:45 am! You're going to be late at school."

"Shit." he muttered under his breath as he hastily takes a shower. As the cold water splashes on his bare body, he closed his eyes, thinking, "Another day, another routine. At least it'll be over soon."

One more exam and he will be free from the pain of education and enjoy the satisfying experience of summer.

As for Bella "Trix" Santiago, she  considered the exams are her favorite "hobbies." A bright 16 year-old girl, where her academics are high yet her Physical Education performance is slightly average, it is the time where she will sit and use her "brain magic" as a test for her academic prowess; to prove herself and to her school that she lived up to her family name, a family full of scholars and academic achievers. However, she have the common vice which most girls have: cellphone addiction.

"But dad!" she complained as her father took away her cellphone, "I already finished my clearance and studied my pointers!"

Mr. Santiago interrupted her, "No buts! No cell phone during the clearance week AND exam week!"

Trix pouted and gave her dad a sour look as he continued, "Back in my day, we don't have cellphones. We only have determination, hardwork, and integrity for finishing my studies in-..."

Trix have already stopped listening to his father as she was already being told with his story a lot of times, too many to count.

As his father still blabbering about his life story, Trix faced at her window, staring at the pearly white clouds. Despite being a scholarly powerhouse, nothing is harmful to experience the bliss of summer.

It's been 7:30 am and school bell rings for the first period. San Angeles Academy is  not a big school nor also not a small one. It had a three  2 storey building and  the grassy quadrangle where everyone gathers for the morning ceremony.  The quadrangle had been sandwiched by a covered gymnasium and a large open-air cafeteria. Strangely enough, the distance between the gate and the quadrangle is far, approximately 150 meters. It houses more or less 320 students and 93 faculties and staff, including the non-teaching personnels.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." muttured the 16 year old Barnaby "Barnes" López, an innocent looking short boy with thick-rimmed spectacles with a dirty mouth and dark humor. With his short legs, he pushes himself to be faster just to reach the gates. Eventually he arrived just in time as the last person to go in. Mr. Hernandez, one of the security guards, scoffed at him. "Be early next time. You're making my job too hard, kid."

"Yeah, yeah." said Barnaby as he sprinted through the fields. It's 7:34 am, already late for the first period. "Fuck my life."

Hours later, the bell rang, starting the favorite period of the students: recess. However it is divided into two schedule: 9:30 to 10:00 is the recess of the first batch, while 10:00 to 10:30 is for the second. Luckily, Garfield's section is in the first batch, along with Trix and Barnaby.

"You'll never guess what I have done today!" said Barnaby gleefully.

"You got scolded by the teacher or?"  questioned Garfield as he took a bite on his homemade sandwich.

"Better, I asked out Katie Groves." Barnaby squealed in excitement, "she said yes!"

Garfield and Trix seems unamused with it.

Trix's hair blew by the cafeteria's electric fan as she started talking, "Barnes, we're still too young for any relationships."

"Says the first one who got a boyfriend."  snickered Garfield as he nudged her playfully.

"It was just a dare, people!" she snapped back at him, "Besides, we're just friends. That's all."

Barnaby gave her a doubtful look, "Didn't you cried when the dare ends?"

Trix's became red as she started to punch Garfield.

"H-Hey, HEY!" shouted Garfield as he tries to block the flurries of fists, "Don't punch me! Punch him!"

"Yeah, you should punch him!" a voice shouted behind the two. The duo turned their backs and saw one of their friends in their circle: Laszlo Dela Cruz. He gave them a  smile, showing his perfect set of teeth. His slick black hair shines from the sunlight.

"Hey, Laszlo. Aren't you gonna cut your hair?" squinted Garfield.

Most Catholic schools are very strict about the haircuts, especially for the boys. Any hair that reaches the ear lobe or the eyebrows are considered as illegal, hence earning the nickname of the long hair: "Satan's Haircut."

"Hell no. I don't want to take a damn haircut. That's why I bribed the Prefect of Discipline." he winked at them.

Laszlo came from a rich family ; any problems will be solved with money: from grades to haircuts. Of course, the principal, a nun named Sr. Maria Victoria Hernandez of St. Mary Order of Faith, is not that corrupted as some of the staffs here hence he tries to stay out of the principal sights as long as possible.

"Of course, you would do that," Barnaby chuckled as he take a sip on his soda, "If you'll become a presidential nominee, I won't be voting you even if you give money."

"Is that so?"  Laszlo grinned.

Barnaby paused for a bit. After seconds of thinking, he opened his mouth and said, "I may take your money, but still you won't have my vote."

The group, including Laszlo, laughed. As their recess bell rings, the first batch hastily went inside to their respective classroom while the other batch starts to come out.

Another simple day for ordinary students.

[1] - Son/daughter in Filipino
[2] - yawa. A curse word commonly used from the Visayan and Mindanao Region in the Philippines. Equivalent of "damn".