I had no class, so I woke up at 1 pm.

The night before, I got carried away watching the Masterchef marathon, because they were cooking and baking desserts, so I fell asleep at about four o'clock in the morning.

My eyes were still sleepy and tired but it won't let me fall asleep anymore. I could feel the bags under my eyes. My head throbbed as well, like a hammer is pounding on my skull. I think too much sleep is bad.

Why would they do that? Make something so good be bad when cherished for too long? And I'm not only talking about sleep.

Love is like sleep, sometimes. Cherish it for a short period of time, and everything will be fun and amazing. Cherish it for too long, it will hurt you or make you get sick of it.

Stupid love. Gets to be compared to almost everything.

With my body aching and my eyes screaming the word "Sleep", I just knew I had to do something to completely wake myself up.

I ran downstairs and went to the living room. Using my phone, I played some up beat music and started exercising.

I only exercise when I need to or when I get to feel like doing to. I didn't have a perfect body like models, but I was happy with what I looked like. I didn't need to change anything, if it is against my happiness.

My happiness still mattered.

I did some stretching, some jumping jacks, some pumpings, and some other exercises that I really didn't know what was called, but just saw them on Youtube. About half an hour later, I already felt wide awake.

After I was already drenched with sweat, like my light gray shirt becoming a dark gray shirt, I went inside the kitchen to find mom. She was at the counter talking to the phone, with her lips smiling.

When she saw me, she immediately said goodbye to her caller and put back the phone to the table. "Hey, honey." She greeted with the smile still plastered on her face.

I smiled back at her. "Hey mom. Did you have lunch already?" I asked as soon as I noticed only one plate prepared on the table.

She nodded. "Yes. I ate an hour ago." She informed me. "I actually thought you wouldn't wake up til tomorrow. You should've heard yourself snore this morning." She teased with matching facial expressions.

I rolled my eyes at her. I wasn't surprised that I was snoring, anyway. I always wake up with saliva on my cheeks, so why be surprised? It's not like nobody saw me drooling and heard me snoring yet. I'm quite sure that Ed saw and heard me during those mornings he was picking me up.

Was.

Oh yeah. He doesn't pick me up anymore.

"I'm gonna eat," I told mom and sat on the the chair. The food was a tray of lasagna, and it tasted amazing! I took so many slices, it wouldn't fit my plate anymore.

While I was eating, mom was looking at me, like she was studying me. But she was still smiling. I wondered who she had talked to that made her smile.

"Are you okay, mom?" I asked her. I wanted an honest answer, but failed.

She nodded. "Oh yes. Why?

I was about to say 'You look inspired,' but shook my head. If she was inspired she would've told me. "Nothing mom." I told her and got back to eating my heavenly lasagna.

When the plate was finally empty, because it was already sucked by a blackhole also called my mouth, I stood up walked back to my room. When I opened the door, my phone was ringing. The ringtone was the spongebob music.

I answered it without even checking who it was. "Hello?" I asked.

"Can I talk to you?" The caller asked. I could tell who it was the moment he spoke because the voice was so familiar. So new yet so familiar.

But this time, Kevin didn't sound as happy as he did a few days ago. Now, he seemed like he was going through something. Even if it was just by the phone, I could tell that he had a frown on his face. I know we only became close a few months ago, but with all the time that we spent together, I could already tell what he feels. And now I can tell myself that he's sad.

"Sure, uh about what?" I asked. I giddied up my tone just to cheer him up without making him notice.

He sighed. "Meet me tonight at the mall near the department store. Meet me at 8'oclock." He said and dropped the phone call.

I stood there frozen. That was odd. That was completely odd. He sounded so serious, like what we were going to talking about was a matter of life and death. And why not talk about it on the phone? Was it really that important and serious?

I realized that I was still holding the phone on my ear, so I gathered myself and placed it back on the table. Even though no one saw me, it was still embarassing hanging there like a complete idiot. Which I am most of the time.

By the time that it was already 7:30 pm, I was inside mom's car in front of our house, ready to drive to the mall.

I had to explain to mom why I had to take her car. I told her that I didn't want to bother Ed because he was probably with Aubrey doing sweet teenage things.

My heart couldn't stop beating faster than it should be while I just sat there. My hands were shaking while driving, so I tried my best driving slowly because I didn't want to startle myself just by seeing a rat on the road.

What was it that Kevin was about tell me? What was it with what he said that made me feel this nervous? Did my body sense that what I'm about to hear is bad? It just didn't make any sense. At all.

The mall was twenty minutes away from my street, so I connected my phone to the car to play some of my favorite songs. I had to relax.

I scrolled down my playlists to find a good song that could be my company the whole ride. I played the song that got stuck on my mind at the moment.

Youth by Troye Sivan. [Song on multimedia section]

There will always be times when a song is just so good and it just gets stuck in your head and you just can't stop singing it. Some people would even look at you funny like they're thinking, 'This guy was singing this song 5 times already. I think he have mental issues.'

And when the lights starts flashing like a photobooth, and the stars exploding we'll be fireproof.

I screamed at the top of my lungs while singing the song, because hey, I'm alone in my car. This is my chance to be crazy and no one would judge me.

Only later did I realize that my car window was open. Oops.

Finally, I reached the mall. It was slightly packed because there was no class and prom was the next day, so people are just taking their chances to look best.

Funny how I want to look good at prom now. I actually can't wait to go. I'm actually excited.

I parked my car a few meters away from the entrance because the parking lot was a bit full. I had to walk a few meters just to get to the entrance of the mall. It was exhausting.

When I got inside, I looked for and waited on the place that Kevin told me to meet him at. When I found it, he wasn't there. I was about to think that he was late.

Nope. I was just early.

I checked my watched and saw that it was 7:55 pm. 'Maybe he'll get here in 5 minutes!' I assured myself.

I sat on a bench near where I was standing. I opened my phone to play some games because I did not want to look like loner, waiting for no one. I prayed for Kevin to finally arrive because people were looking at me funny while I was playing scrabble on my phone.

I think God heard my prayer because Kevin did arrive after 5 minutes.

Here's the thing. A few days ago, he was happy, smiling and always looked like jumping for joy. I actually got used to seeing him being happy than this poker faced heir of a record producer.

Now, I look at him, he was back to his old face again. He wasn't smiling anymore. His lips were curved, but it was upside down. His eyes were shallow, and bags were visible under them.

He looked tired.

"Are you okay?" I asked him once he was in front of me. I didn't even bother saying hi.

He shook his head, which surprised me. "No." He admitted.

I studied him. It's unusual for someone to admit they're not okay. Usually, people would insist that they're okay, even when inside they're wrecked and broken. I was actually feeling sorry for Kevin.

I scooted to my left to give space for him to sit. He sat down. "Why?" I asked, not looking at him. I didn't want to see his face.

He turned to face me. I didn't want to face him, but it was like he's telling me that he needed to talk to me face to face, so I turned.

Then, another weird thing happened. He placed his arms on my lap, with his head, and cried.

I just sat there. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say. I have never seen or heard Kevin cry before. It was a privilege and at the same time a rotten luck to see him cry. A privilege because I don't think anyone had seen him cry before, and a rotten luck because I was never good at comforting sad persons.

"I'm sorry." He said while crying.

I awkwardly smoothened my palm on his hair. "For what?" I asked nervously.

He removed his head and arms from my lap and faced me. His eyes were red. "I'm really sorry Sidney." He said. He looked around. "Let's go somewhere private. I have to explain everything to you."

He grabbed my arm and yanked me. He took me to the parking lot. At the far end of the parking lot, where only few cars were parked because it was too far.

There was a bench near a tree, so we sat there.

He looked at me, his eyes and face were still red. He's asking for forgiveness for a mistake that he did, that I still didn't know what. I wanted to know what it is. I wanted to know what mistake it was that could make Kevin cry.

"What are you sorry for?" I asked him. This time, I was the one who intended to face him.

He sniffed. "I want you to listen, okay?" He asked and I nodded in agreement. I would've listened anyway even if he didn't tell me to.

He took a deep breath. "I don't know where to start, but let me just tell you that all of those things that was happening in the last few months were planned." He told me.

I looked at him confusely. "Planned?" I asked. "What exactly do you mean by planned?" My heart beated faster.

"Everything!" He almsot screamed. "You and Dylan getting in detention. You and Dylan getting an A on music class, and me and Aubrey with an A+. Aubrey and Dylan getting close to each other. You and me meeting under the rain. You being signed to my father. Me asking you to prom. And there's more, Sindey. A whole lot more. Sidney, everything was planned." He explained, sounding desperate.

I shook my head. My mind was in puzzles that wouldn't go together. "What do you mean? The way you helped me in the rain was planned?" I asked. If he haven't helped me that day, we wouldn't have been friends. It was impossible to be not an accident.

He nodded, looking guilty. He turned his face away, but then faced me again when he regained hisself. "Yes, Sidney. It was planned." He said and sighed. "I was supposed to make you fall in love with me, then I was supposed to break your heart. I admit that it was really my intention at first. Me taking you to dinners, taking you to my house, and asking you to go prom were all part of the plan. Everything was going well, but it back fired when I really fell for you."

I didn't answer. I just sat there trying to process everything. Planned? Trick? Fell for me?

"I tried removing my feelings for you, but it only made me fall to you even more. I didn't know that you were such an amazing girl. You weren't like the other girls I knew. You were strong, smart, kind, and naturally beautiful. You don't even wear make up, but you still look the most beautiful girl at school. These few days, I just couldn't keep my feelings from you anymore, Sidney. I feel happy when I'm with you. I couldn't stop staring at you. I didn't mean to, but I fell deeply in love with you, Sidney. Dylan was lucky to have you. He was so lucky to have you fall inlove with him." He said.

I still didn't answer. But how did he know that I like Ed? My mind was in scattered peices, and I had no idea how to glue them back.

"Asking my dad to sign you was also a trick, but when we heard your song, we just knew that you really deserved to be signed. My father even scolded me for tricking you when you were really amazing. He had liked you. Despite everything, please still go to Mexico with my father. You deserve it. Sidney, I'm sorry for everything. I was just told to do everything. You may never forgive me, but you have to know what you need to know. You can't be fooled all your life. You also need to know that...."

"Stop!" I screamed, covering my ears with my hands. "Stop! Stop!"

"Sidney," he tried to touch my shoulder, but I slapped his hand away.

"Don't you dare touch me." I threatened him. "And don't you dare talk to me or follow me."

I stood up and started to leave. My mind was running crazy. All of these were planned? My last few months were all jokes? When I actually wanted to go to prom with him, it was only a trick? I was befriended by a jerk and I actually thought that he really was my friend?

Why had I not seen it before? What had I not seen that Kevin was only playing with me? Why did I let myself get fooled?

Tears were already pouring from my eyes. I hastened my pace towards my car.

"Sidney," he called but I didn't stop walking away. "You have to know this. I know where you father is."

I stopped walking.

My father? How did he know?

"Sidney. Your father is Mr. Johnson." He said.

I stood there like a stone. I shook my head. "No that can't be." I said and scoffed. It just wasn't possible.

Mr. Johnson is just my teacher. Sure, he once talked to me about love, but he couldn't possibly have been my father.

"Ask your mother." He said. "I'm sorry Sidney. I just couldn't stand seeing you being fooled anymore."

I rolled my eyes. "Like you didn't fool me."

"I was only told to trick you." He defended.

"By who?" I asked, but then shook my head. "You know what? I don't care. Good bye Kevin." I said and left.

I drove to the place I knew could only make me feel better. Amelia's.

I called Ed on my phone. He picked it up immediately. "Hey!" He greeted.

"Meet me at Amelia's. Now." I told him.

"Okay." He answered. "I have something important to tell you."

I blinked back my tears. "Me too." I then ended the phone call.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have like 2 weeks of school left, and I promised myself to finish this book before my school year ends. I really hope that I would get to fulfil that promise.

About 2 or 3 chapters left! I'm so excited to end this one!

Here's a quote for this chapter. "Everything is not what it seems."
Z.