The third and the last day of the carnival began with a lot of hustle and bustle with each student being busy in their own work. Some were still setting up stalls and booths, while the others were engaged in the performances to be held the coming evening. Whereas, me, on the other hand, was just relaxing under a shady tree, feeling the breeze and not being bothered by any sort of wierd thoughts.

As I continued my venture as a lazy-poke, suddenly, my phone screen lit up and a message popped up in the notifications drop down list.
"Finn, please come to the auditorium asap." And thereby went, my chance of just relaxing. After seeing the message on my phone, I just sighed out and then headed inside the school building and thereby, entered the school auditorium.

When I entered the auditorium, the vibe kinda seemed dry or one could say that something had gone wrong. As I hurriedly went near the committee leader to ask what had happened, she just whispered in my ear that a fight had broke out between two students. But apart from that, she too didn't know the details. However, as soon as she mentioned about a fight, I remembered something. Yesterday, Jason seemed to have been arguing with someone.

As the tension grew further, I hurriedly went near the place where the tensed vibe had originated from, and as I had suspected, it was indeed Jason, sitting on the stage with his hands and lips bleeding from what seemed like a physical fight. Except him, there was another person sitting on the stage floor and it seemed he was bleeding from his head. So, altogether it could be concluded that, it was a serious fight.

I wanted to reach out to Jason to help him stand up and take him to the infirmary but, as soon as he saw me, he glared and then he stood up on his own and walked outside the auditorium. He seemed angry at me, but I didn't even do anything... What could have possibly gone wrong? But it was naive if me fir thinking like that as it was only later that day, when I realised that everything that could go wrong had gone wrong and the situation had escalated beyond repair.
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It was only after a couple of minutes, that the tensed atmosphere relaxed a bit. The committe leader still wore a worried expression but then when the other committee captains reminded her of the play, she finally regained her composure and began giving all the students instructions. She told the props team to clean up the mess of the fight from the stage, while the others were to get the actors ready. Further the special effects team were to check the positioning of the lightings on the stage. The third day of the School Carnival, had finally started for us in a full-fledged manner.

After completing our assigned works, some of us went to buy lunch for everyone since it was only in the evening when the cultural event would start. While helping out two of my classmayes to carry the drinks for everyone, I saw Jason returning back to the auditorium, after getting patched up. There was a gauge and bandage on his face, and ge seemed to be in a foul mood.

As we handed out the food and drinks to everyone, I headed towards Jason to give him his portion but, before I could do that, out of nowhere, Marcus came in. He was carrying something on his hand and as I went near them, I saw a bun and strawberry milk. He had carried Jason's lunch. But that was nit a hearty lunch so I went to give him the food that me along with two others had bought. But once again, as soon as he saw me, he scoffed and stood up. Marcus followed behind.

It was then that I was determined to talk with Jason about everything. So, I wrote down a note, saying-

"After the play ends, let's meet in the classroom. I really have an important thing to talk to you about. Please don't ignore this.

Your friend,
Finn"

After writing the piece of note, I hurriedly went back to the classroom and put the note inside one pocket of the P.E jacket that belonged to Jason. Since we have to wear the P.E jacket during the cultural event, he will definitely notice the note... Thereafter, I hurriedly wore my jacket and went back to the auditorium.

After the lunch break, the teachers told us to set up the venue, that is, the auditorium by placing the chairs in an alligned manner. All of the students present, got ready to help out. After alligning the chairs, we put white cloth over them to make them look elegant. Further, the auditorium was decorated with balloons and ribbons fir the cultural event. The class reps of each of the classes also took up the job to escort the people to their assigned seats.

Some of us had placed standing playcards beside certain seats in order to demarcate which seat was for teachers, which were for guests and which were for parents and rest of the audiences. Everything seemed perfect. It was around 6:00 PM when people started to come in crowded manner and before we knew it, the whole auditorium was filled with people.

With the cultural event being initiated by the Principal, I just stood behind, back in the auditorium, near the exit. As the performances began, everyone got ready to click pictures and videos. Even I, who never liked such events, was enjoying it. And then it was finally the time for the School Play. But before I could enjoy it, I had an assigned work to do. Before the cultural event had started, the class rep had handed me a camera, and told me to click pictures and videos. And so here I was, clicking pictures and taking videos of each of the performances.

When the play started, I positioned the camera on a stand and thereby began taking videos. It was only around 8:15 PM when the cultural performances finally came to an end. Thereafter, I was in a hurry. Since I needed to go, back to our classroom. But before I could leave, the class rep pulled me by the hand and insisted on taking a class group photo. So, thereafter, the photo session began.

When I was finally free from everything, it had already been 8:45 PM, it was getting late. So, I hurriedly gave the camera back to the class rep and ran in full-speed back to the classroom. By the time I reached the classroom, I was completely out of breath and it was already time for the janitor to close the classroom doors.

When I finally reached the classroom, the janitor was about to lock the room, but then, I hurriedly told him that I could close the door for him since the students' belongings were still in there. At first, he seemed reluctant but after sometime, he agreed. He strictly instructed me to keep the keys in the office room and to not lose them. I thanked him and thereby, entered the classroom, slowly. My heart was racing and my palms were sweating. I was nervous.

As I waited inside the classroom, for about 15 minutes or so, I was getting restless. So, instead of waiting inside the room, I took my belongings, closed the door behind me and ran to search for him. The search for Jason was a long one, I ran and ran but couldn't find him anywhere. It was only when my driver called me that I stopped and noticed that it had been too late. Too late was not in the sense that, it had been late in night as there were still students in the auditorium, clicking pictures and chatting away. But rather, too late, in the sense that Jason was not coming.

Thereafter, I went back to the classroom when the class rep rang me up for the door keys. I gave the keys to him and told the things the janitor had told me and he just replied assertively and told me to leave ahead. So, I just waved him a good bye and left. As I dragged my dejected body to head back home, a familiar voice called out, "Finn!!" As I stopped in my path and turned around, I saw him, finally. It was Jason.

After calling out to me, we both went near the back field to talk. I told my driver to wait for a couple more minutes and he, as always, just agreed. As both of us, walked in silence towards our destination, the nervousness within me was again building up. I tried to sort out the things that I wanted to talk about like how we had not talked in ages, how I felt lonely,how I missed him, how I wanted to hang out and... How I wanted to confess to him. At that point, it seemed everything could go back to normal. But when he spoke, all my thoughts shattered into million pieces.

He began with talking about us. How we were good friends and how we spent time with each other and how we confided in each other. But eventually his tone went flat. As I went on listening to his small talks, from the shadows a figure emerged out and it was none other than Marcus. To that, I felt baffled since it was supposed to be a meeting with only me and Jason and so I spoke up, "Why is he here? Weren't we two supposed to talk between us, alone?"

But as soon as that question left my lips, I regretted my decision. When Jason moved forward towards where the light shine upon his face, it was only then when au realised, this entire time, he had an angry face. A face which was full of hatred and disgust and then he started to speak,

"You know, you don't have any right to soeack like that to Marcus. And what a talk with the two if us? No, that's wrong. I came here to tell you that I don't even wanna look at your face anymore."

After hearing that, I was persplxed. I wanted to ask but before I could do that, he started to speck again,

"Don't you realise what you did? You ruined the normal school life we both wished for. You did exactly the same thing that had happened back in my previous school."

Now, it had gone our of hand and so I asked him in an angry tone as well,

"What did I even do? You are accusing me of something, fine. But I have not done anything to harm you."

And then began the constant accusations from the one whom I trusted a lot.

"Seriously, you began the rumours. Don't you know what has been curculating in the school? Rumours have spread once again, addressing me and Marcus as gays or what not. And if you wanna refute it, just don't because it was only you and your so-called friend Chris whom we shared our secret. How could you do this to me Finn. In this new place, you were the only one with whom I could relax and find solace in. How could you possibly do this to me? And it you're going to ask how I knew of accusing you, it was the other students who told me that they heard you talking with Marcus."

After hearing all of that, tears began to fall from my eyes. How could he even think that I could hurt him? I wanted to refute but words couldn't form in my mouth. I felt helpless. I mean what could I have possibly said when his trust in me had broken. But then suddenly I saw something. Marcus was smirking. After noticing that, I quickly tried to approach Jason to tell him that it was not me but rather Marcus, who was lying to him. But my efforts went futile as he pushed me hand away, took Marcus' hand and went away.

So, he trusted his lover. Being disheartened as I was. I kept one calling out to Jason, sitting there for a long time. It was only after half an hour or so, when my driver called, I woke back to reality. Everything had ended, with me being branded as a trust breaker.

The journey back to my house was a silent one. As soon as I reached home, I was welcomed by my father, who had returned from his business trip and then working on his laptop. When he greeted me, "Welcome back!!" I just nodded and went back to my room. It seemed he noticed something was wrong, because after a couple of minutes, he knocked on my door to ckeck on me. I just told him I was fine and thereby he went away.
Everything had gone wrong and now I had lost the only one whom I had given my heart to.

As I went about the events that had taken place in my head again and again, I finally came to a realisation and made a conclusion.

I need to go away from here.

The next morning, I woke up and went downstairs in my night wear to have my breakfast. But before that I told father that I needed to tell him something important. After hearing that he just nodded and we went to the drawing room to talk.

"So, tell me, what's wrong?" He asked. And to that, I took a deep breath and answered, "Dad, you know, I want to start of again in a different environment." After hearing my answer, he nodded, as if to reassure me to take whatever decisions I wanted to make. And so, I went on, "So, if you allow it, I want to go live with Mom in her home city, that is, Seoul." After hearing that, he seemed a bit out-of-it but then after a long pause, he replied, "If that us what you want, then you can go." Thereafter, he stood up and headed for the door, but before leaving, he added, "But son, remember, this will always remain a place where you can return to." And after that, he went out.

I knew that this was a very important decision but only after considering the circumstances and about my future, this decision was taken by me.

When both me and my dad (I stopped calling him father) called mom vus the phone, she burst out in tears and heartily welcomed me to go and live with her. After a long talk, I bid her a good night and a see you soon. And the decision for me to live with mom finally solidified. My dad talked with her about something as I was leaving the room. I wanted to know if something was wrong but my dad just gestured me to head back to my room to sleep.

When finally every thing had settled, it was only at night, that I realised that I had taken a major decision of my life and that, now everything was about to change. But instead of being fearful, I was eager for change as the current state that I was in was not fruitful at all. I couldn't forget about the argument with Jason and I couldn't forget about everything. So, this was fir the best. And as I kept on thinking that way, I drifted off to sleep.