For Once, Candor... (Adella)

The classroom had a warmer atmosphere than normal today. The weather had become a lot hotter recently, but I didn’t think that was the main reason for it. It was actually because of the sunrays—they were just so incredibly scorching as they poured through the windows. And it was pretty hard to take notes and keep up with the teacher’s lesson when I would periodically be burned by the scalding sheets of light resting on my desk, but I was managing.

That was, until a certain someone decided to be a nuisance and disrupt class.

“How disrespectful can he be?” the teacher said as he walked up to a desk near the window.

Midas sat there, his eyes closed and his face bathed in the extremely hot sunlight. I didn’t know what was more strange: the fact that he looked like he was enjoying the heat, or the fact that he was bold enough to sleep right in front of the teacher.

That clearly angry teacher slammed his hand down on the desk. “Wake up! This isn’t naptime!”

Midas opened his eyes, slowly lifting his head.

“...Jeez, you’re being so loud. I wasn’t even sleeping,” he said. “I was paying attention and everything.”

“Is that so? Then what was I just talking about?”

“The Taiping Rebellion, obviously. It was led by Hong Xiuquan, who claimed to be the younger brother of Jesus Christ.”

The teacher looked shocked. I was as well.

“You know what I’ve always wanted to do?” Midas asked. He stood up from his seat and walked past the teacher, over to the chalkboard at the front of the classroom.

Picking up a piece of chalk, he wrote on the board with a wide grin:

“SOREN LOVES BOYS”

The students looked over at Soren for a second. His face turned a little red and he immediately covered it.

“Just how immature are you…?” he mumbled.

The teacher, with a little more force in his steps, walked over to Midas and snatched the chalk away from him.

“Go back to your seat! You’re being a disruption!”

“Sorry, he’s just so fun to mess with,” Midas said, smiling and strolling back to his desk. “I wish it wasn’t so awkward, though…”

I usually kept him in check at times like this, but I wasn’t about to lash out at him in front of the whole class. And long as Katerina or I weren’t involved, I wouldn’t feel the need to.

But then I looked over at him. He was staring directly at me.

Oh God…

He got up from his seat and started to walk.

He’d better not…

He was coming towards me.

Don’t you dare…

“Psst…Adella,” he muttered, as if I didn’t already know he was there beside me.

I just tried to ignore him. He’d go away eventually.

“Hey, Adella…”

It was getting a little irritating, but I still ignored him.

“...Adella!”

“Do you think I’m deaf or something?!” I blurted out in annoyance.

Uh oh. I was too loud. Practically everyone in the class was looking at us, including the teacher. He didn’t seem happy.

“You’re disturbing other students now? That’s it! I’ve had it with you, Midas!” he shouted, raising his hand and pointing at the door. “Get out! Leave right now!”

Everyone else was startled, but Midas just stroked his chin with his fingers. “Hm. Maybe I went a little too far.” He began making his way out of the room. “Sorry about that. See ya.”

I didn’t know what had gotten into him. Even he usually had some sort of respect, but it seemed like it had all gone out of the window now. He was pretty much asking to be punished.

His antics normally seemed like they had a feeling of sincerity behind them. But today, his behavior felt totally forced. Something must have been off with him.

***

Once class ended, I walked out of the room and then exited the building. I had a sneaking suspicion that Midas would pop out of nowhere and try to scare me, but I was around too many other students for that to happen.

It still did happen, though.

“BOO!” he yelled, coming up behind me and placing his hands on my shoulders.

I jumped a little, but I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of a full scream. I slapped his hands off my shoulders and gave him a scowl.

“What is wrong with you today?” I questioned. “Were you just waiting for me the entire time?”

He chuckled. “Pretty much. There’s something I’ve been meaning to show you, though. Can you come with me?”

I was a little skeptical, but my curiosity took over. I nodded after a few seconds of hesitation and he led the way.

“This place seems good,” he said, stopping.

He’d brought me to a side of the school where nobody else was around except us. There was a steep hill on one side, the school’s brick wall on the other, and a narrow space in between.

“...Well?” I said. “What do you want to show me?”

Midas took a few steps and put some space between him and everything else.

“I’ve been trying to perfect this for a while now,” he remarked, rolling his shoulders and reaching his arms overhead. “Watch this.”

He bent his knees, and at once, threw his arms up and jumped. He was trying to do a backflip.

Thud!

While in mid-air, he had lost his balance, and ended up landing flat on his stomach. I immediately burst out into laughter.

“Ow…” he muttered, slowly lifting himself up and sitting. "That wasn't a good idea."

“...Have you lost it?” I asked through my giggles.

He smirked. “When did I ever have it?”

I kept laughing, and once I finally pulled myself together, I noticed him staring at me with a stupid grin on his face.

“...You have the second-prettiest laugh I’ve ever heard,” he said.

I was surprised. It felt like he was trying to flatter me, but that wasn’t the right way to compliment someone.

“Thanks, I guess.”

We were in an awkward silence for a few seconds. I kind of wanted to know something.

“...Who’s the first?” I asked.

“Don’t worry about that,” he said.

All of a sudden, he stood up and walked over to me. He came and looked me directly in the eyes.

“I have a question that I've been holding in for a long time now, Adella."

“...W-What?”

He smiled.

“Would you like to go on a date?”

“A date…?”

I didn’t know if he was being serious or not, and I didn’t know how to respond. Did he even expect me to take him seriously? Maybe he just wanted me to laugh it off, even if he was genuinely asking it.

I looked at him for a few seconds, his smile slowly growing larger. Then, he began to chuckle.

“I’m only joking,” he said. “Surely you didn’t expect me of all people to actually ask that. I’m not really cut out for love, anyway.”

I knew it. It sort of frustrated me how he was always so flippant, but it was just typical Midas.

“Still…”

His gaze lowered.

“I do sometimes wonder what I am to you.”

He was actually being genuine for once. It might’ve been the most sincere I had ever seen him be. And it led me to think…what was he to me?

I looked over at him and tried to think of an answer.

“You’re just…someone I want to understand,” I said.

He smiled after hearing my words.

“That’s a good response. And honestly, it’s what I was hoping for.”

He went silent after that. We stood there for a few empty seconds.

Then, he took a deep breath. His smile had vanished.

“Adella…”

I glanced over at him. Our eyes met.

“What if I told you…that I am set to die within the coming week?”