Chapter 7

"P.E. time!"

"Cooper, don't be so excited. You know you can't participate right?" Adrian said.

Right. I can't. Sometimes I wonder how amazing it is not to have some illness.

"I know, I know. It's just that at least I can see you two enjoying yourselves." I said. Sigh. So envious.

"Don't get me that look I know what you're thinking. Think it like this: not joining this means you'll not sweat and get dirty."

"Ehhh why is Cooper not taking part? Mr. Abel will be mad if you're not joining." Kristine said, confused as to why I'm not partaking this running time.

"Nahhh he will understand. I have a congenital heart disease, so p.e. is not for me." I said.

"Oh. Cooper I'm sorry I didn't know that you are sick. Ugh! I should have asked before saying that he will be mad at you." Kristine said, her face frown and her lips turned down.

"It's okay! I really don't want to run right now, sooo I'm good here. I will just cheer you two up."

No, it's not okay! I want to run too, but I can't. Stupid disease.

"By the way, what is... congenital heart disease? If you don't mind me asking." Riri awkwardly said, thinking that she might offend me, which I'm not, so I gladly answer her question... If Adrian hadn't preceded me.

"Congenital Heart Disease or you can call it Congenital Heart Defect, is a problem with the heart that is present at birth. CHD can change the way blood flows through your heart. Some mild symptoms of CHD will not affect your daily life but a complex deflects, however, can cause life threatening complications." Adrian said in one breath. Wow...

"Wow... Thank you Evighle!" Riri jokingly said.

"Umm... Is Cooper's case a mild one or not that severe? 'Cos I totally didn't know that he has one."

"You didn't know because I'm always energetic right?" I ask.

"Yeah... Are you okay right now? Do you want to sit?"

"Riri I'm okay, don't worry! I'll just need to avoid running or anything that makes me short of breath AND eat healthy foods, even if I don't want to. Now off you go you two or else you will have punishment."

"Okay okay! I don't want to be punish." Riri said. "I heard that Mr. A's punishment is so cruel that one time when someone just didn't cooperate with him, he made him run five laps in the sun! Do you know how big this field is? It's one freaking acre! Just the thought of that punishment makes me ughhhh!" After she said that, she shivered. That's...not good. It's good that I have an excuse if ever I didn't do his bidding.

After a while Mr. Abel whistles his whistle and makes everyone run.... Except for that guy.

I'm sitting on the bench and I see him sitting far beside me. He has a hoodie covering his face and an earphone in his ear.

Wait... This... Calvin?

I thought that he will not be here but I guess I'm wrong but he's not running like they were and just sitting here like me... Is he sick too?

When I was about to approach him, I remember what Riri said to me: Stay away because I'm making him uncomfortable. But I will not ask him about him being beaten, if that was making him uncomfortable. I'll just ask him that why is he not running... yeah! Good thinking Cooper! You deserve a pat on the head.

I slowly slide towards him, making sure that I do it quietly as possible so that he won't notice I'm planning to talk to him again. I have a feeling that he will go away once he notices that I'm here.

Now we're just an arm apart. I pat him on the shoulder. "Hi Calvin!" I said while waving at him.

He looks at me with tired eyes. "You again? Why are you so persistent? I'm fine. Is that what you want to hear? If so, now go and don't bother me." Calvin said, looking down at his cellphone.

"No, I'm not here for that. I'm just wondering why are you not running."

He didn't answer immediately, sooo there was a moment of silence.

"..."

"..."

When he looked up again and see me still waiting for his answer, he sighed.

"I just said to him that I'm sick."

"You're sick?! Are you okay? Do you feel dizzy? Do you want to go to the clinic? I can accompany you." Ayyy this guy. He's sick but didn't go to the clinic. Does he want to suffer and let his body ache? Is his body aching or he just has a fever? Ahhh I don't know!

"I'm just pretending that I'm sick, you idiot. I don't want to run so I did that." He explains it to me.

"...you can do that?"

"Yes, if you're good at acting and pretending."

"But isn't that lying? What if someone caught you and told Mr. Abel?"

"Then you are doom. That's why I said if you're good at acting then do it."

"I can't do that. People always know when I lie."

"Figures."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"..." This guy ignores me again!

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

"Don't be so loud I'm right next to you. Are you not embarrass that people are looking at you? You're persistent AND shameless."

I look around and some people are looking at us, me particularly. This is so embarrassing! Okay! Inhale... Exhale... Wooh! Calm down. Don't be like Riri...

"Y-you... that's because of you. You made me make my voice so loud." I whispered. Now my face is so red ahhhhh. This... this f— don't curse. Cursing is bad. Cursing is bad for your health.

"Yeah yeah that's my fault." Calvin said. I think that he's not totally meaning it.

"...is that sarcasm?"

"Well, if you don't know what sarcasm means then it's not."

.... I—.... I shouldn't have talked to him.

"You're making me annoyed."

"Good, that's what really what I'm doing. Now if you don't want to be annoyed, then go away, easy. "

"If, if you're making saying all of that to annoy me, then I'm staying here to pester and annoy you too! Blegh! Hmph!" I turned my head sideways, my arms crossed. Let's see who's gonna win, hmph!

"Cooper! There you are!" Ari said. He's voice is full of concern. Eh? I'm not that far to my original... oh. I thought that I'm near to my original place, but it turns out that I'm so far. Didn't know that this bench is so long.

"Ari! Riri!" I yelled, waving my hands at them. They're sweaty...

"Why are you always not in the place we left you? Ugh! You're so frustrating, making us worried!" Riri said.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you two worried. I'm just talking to—huh? Where did he go?" When I was about to point Calvin who's behind me, he's gone.

"Who?" Ari said.

"Calvin."

"Calvin? Cooper I told you to not to talk to him! Why did you do that? You know you're making him uncomfortable right?" Kristine said. Wait Riri, who's side are you truly on because I felt a little bias here.

"I didn't make him uncomfortable, HE made me uncomfortable! No, not uncomfortable more like embarrassed, but still it's like uncomfortable too to feel embarrassed and—"

"Stop, you're not making any sense."

"Uuuu just forget it. I wanna go home." Did I tell you that P.E. is the last subject this day? We can just shower then go home after that so this become last.

"Okay, see you Cooper and Adrian. I'm gonna go take a shower now. Bye!" Riri said, waving at us while walking away.

"Bye Riri!" I wave at her too while standing at my tiptoes. I look at Adrian.

"Shall we go now, young master?" Adrian said.

"Pfft. We shall."