FIXated

The Weekend

Raphael found himself sitting in a private dining room inside the principal’s office, together with his uncle Frederic, after receiving a text message to meet at lunchtime. On the table, a fresh basket of baguettes was laid beside a portioned plate of fettuccine alfredo and a warm cup of Earl Grey tea.

Frederic cleared his throat.

“So…How’s your first week, Raphael?”

“Pretty good.” Raphael casually replied, keeping an eye on his food while twirling the pasta with his fork.

“Have you found anything about her?”

Raphael’s shoulders dropped, heaving a deep sigh. He shook his head.

“Still nothing.”

Frederic sighed, rubbing the bristles on his chin.

“I have been going slowly over the student records, but there’s still a lot for me to dig through.”

“I can help if you want,” Raphael perked up, glancing at him this time.

“Heh. It’s pretty confidential, Raphael. You know I can’t.” He snorted, giving him a small smile.

Raphael puffed his cheeks and looked away, muttering under his breath, “Fine.”

Frederic chuckled softly, shaking his head dismissively as he took a sip from a cup of tea. Then, he continued.

“What about school? Any clubs or electives in your mind, hm?”

They talked for a while as Raphael answered him honestly about the Photography class for his electives and a few other interesting clubs that he was supposedly invited to. His uncle listened attentively, nodding before he leaned in with a warm grin.

“How about friends? Did you make any?”

A small smile curved out of Raphael’s lips.

“Yeah…I’d say I made a couple of friends.”

“Oh? That’s great.” Frederic was surprised, chuckling one more. “I am glad you’re settling in. So long as you stay out of trouble, alright?”

Raphael paused, hovering his fork over his plate. His fingers trembled for a second.

Stay out of trouble. . .

The words echoed as an image of Sylvia flashed in the back of his mind – the garden scene, her message, and the photo. His fingers tightly gripped the fork as he bit his lip.

Then, he turned towards his uncle, forcing a smile.

“Yes, I will, uncle. I promise.”

After finishing his cup of tea, Frederic placed it down on the table and grabbed the napkin from his lap, lightly dabbing his lips with it.

“Alright, Raphael. I will take my leave now.” He stood up, adjusting the collar of his shirt as he dropped the napkin on his seat.

“Just relax and have fun. It’s the weekend.” He smiled with a wink before turning his back on him and waving his hand as he left the room.

“Okay. See you then, uncle.” Raphael waved his hand.

After having lunch in his uncle’s office, he decided to stroll around the Academy’s grounds, aimlessly searching for Elena. However, his thoughts kept dawning over the incident, reminding him from time to time. Still, he snapped out of it, trying to shift his focus to the task at hand.

Elena.

Not Sylvia.

Just look for Elena.

By the time the sun set from the horizon, Raphael walked back into his dorm, hoping to take a quick shower before relaxing on his bed after a long day of searching.

The door creaked open as Raphael entered the room. The fluorescent lights shone from the ceiling like an intense glare, unlike the faint glow of the fairy lights in the background. Raphael hovered his hand over his face, adjusting his eyes from the brightness.

“Oh, welcome back, Raphael.”

Harian greeted him, sitting on his desk with a pen and paper in hand, as he turned towards him with a small smile, and eyes sparkling like beads.

“Hey, what’s up?” Raphael smiled back at him as he slowly approached him before peering at his desk. “Calculus homework, eh? You’re working hard.”

Harian chuckled softly. “Silly, don’t you have homework to do as well?”

“Mhm.” He nodded while stretching his arms and back, feeling the tension of muscles relax as his shoulders dropped. “I’ll work on it later.”

As Raphael turned towards his bed, dragging his feet along with him, his body was ready to plunge onto the sheets, eyeing the soft pillows and cozy covers.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

“W-what the-?!”

Raphael exclaimed, glancing over his shoulder, eyes widened upon seeing the door flung open, while beside him, Harian gasped, dropping the pen from his grip as he flinched.

“Special delivery coming in!” Antonio yelled out, rushing in with a bucket of chicken.

“Who’s hungry?!” Robin’s voice boomed in the room, lifting an ice box over his shoulder as he stepped inside the room. Following right behind him, Alexis peeked over his shoulder, making small bows in apology while carrying a bag full of chips.

“Sorry for busting in,” he chuckled nervously.

“H-hey, what are you guys doing here?’ Raphael blinked a couple of times, looking at each one of them as they began setting a blanket on the floor like a picnic and dropping the goods on top of it.

“Heh. It’s the weekend. Let’s have some fun, shall we?” Antonio grinned widely, wrapping his arm around Raphael’s shoulder, guiding him towards the setup.

“Harian, come sit with us.” Robin beckoned, tapping an empty spot right next to him.

“Oh, really?” Harian beamed up, quickly standing up from his seat as he excitedly skipped towards them.

They gathered in a circle, squatting on the floor, grabbing a piece of fried chicken from the bucket before taking a bite. Canned sodas and beers were popped open with a hiss as they bonked their drinks for a cheer.

Antonio chugged down a canned beer as the liquid trickled down his throat, making a wet mess. Then, he exhaled.

“Ah~ That tastes so good with the chicken!”

“Yeah, I know, right?” Robin chuckled, nudging Antonio's arm. “You guys should try it.”

Raphael had been staring at the cold can of beer in his hand, brows furrowed slightly in scrutiny. His eyes turned towards Harian, who had the same look as him while taking a sip of the drink.

This is beer, huh?

He checked the can, flipping it sideways as if it were his first time seeing one. Then, he lifted it to his lips, gulping it down. It was mildly sweet before a bitter aftertaste clung to his tongue.

“Augh. That tastes weird.” Raphael wiped his lips with a face of disgust.

“First time trying one?” Alexis smiled as he leaned forward, holding a can of grape juice in between his fingers. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”

As the night continued, the group began chit-chatting, cheering, and laughing at Antonio’s jokes and silly faces after having their fill.

Then, Antonio cleared his throat.

“So, guys. Wanna play a game?” Antonio suggested, wiggling his brows.

“What game?” Raphael tilted his head while Harian leaned forward out of curiosity.

Robin carefully cleared the clutter around the circle before Alexis placed an empty bottle with a cap at the center. A wide grin appeared on Antonio’s lips as he introduced the game.

“Truth or Dare, anyone?”

Harian clapped his hands in excitement. “Oooh! I really wanna play this!”

“Okay, I’ll start!” Robin volunteered, pressing the bottle with his fingertips before flicking it.

The bottle spun in circles while the cap pointed at anyone in the group. Its speed slowly decreased, making everyone on edge, waiting to see where the cap lands, and holding onto each other's hands as if bracing for impact.

Raphael’s eyes widened, watching the bottle pass in front of him. Then, it stopped, pointing at Antonio.

“Truth or Dare?” Robin asked him, putting his hand on his hips.

“Ah, great! You know what… I will choose dare.”

Robin rubbed his chin.

“Let’s keep it simple. Do your best impressions of a teacher.”

“Hah, piece of cake!” Antonio proudly exclaimed as he stood from his seat, chest thrust forward, and stomped around the room, pointing at Raphael with a stern look. “You there. No cheating!”

“And you, go to detention!” he motioned Harian to the door, while the other laughed out loud at his impression.

Alexis clapped. “Thank you, Mr. Milton!”

Antonio bowed down in a curtsy like a performance after he returned to his seat with a smug look as he held the bottle in his hand.

“Now’s my turn.”

As the bottle spun once more, this time, Raphael swallowed a lump down his throat as he noticed Antonio eyeing him with a mischievous grin.

This time, the bottle halted abruptly, and the cap aimed towards him.

“And the lucky guy is you, Raphael!” Antonio excitedly exclaimed, throwing his fist up in the air before leaning forward and lowering his voice.

“So, Truth or dare?”

Sweat dribbled down Raphael’s forehead as he scratched the side of his cheek while thinking deeply.

Isn’t it easier to answer the truth?

The other option seems to be more embarrassing.

Then, he took a deep breath.

“Uhh . . . truth?”

Everyone huddled closer, straining their ears to listen with full attention, and all gazes turned to Raphael. Antonio gave a small, mischievous chuckle under his breath as he wiggled his brows.

“What’s your type, mystery boy?”