Chapter 1

It's another first day of school in the Spring Gardens Academy in North Carolina. It's always very noisy during this time of the year. Every student knows that, most especially those who've been studying here for almost one year already.

As if it's the school's tradition as well as the student's, if you belong in this school, you have to belong to one of the clubs too, or else you will be left out. Additionally, all clubs were approved by the headmaster of the academy. Thus making them confident that all students would have fun joining them.

"Hey, Cy. I heard from Prof. Doctor that you can change your club every year, want to change this time?" Hera looked at her best friend.

They had been walking in circles for quite some time, looking at the newly introduced clubs for the freshies this year.

"Wouldn't it be a hassle to get a clearance from our previous one and then join the initiation of the new club?" Cyril continued to let his eyes wander around the place again.

"I know, but after what they learned about your identity, they will not stop until you leave the club."

She stared at her friend and watched him turn his head 360 degrees, trying to spot anything that would interest him.

The truth is, they were tasked to help the other sophomores and juniors facilitate the booths. But since the teacher didn't mention which club they need to assist, both of them assumed they can give help to any booth that they wish to.

"So, are you telling me we should let them dictate what I should do with my life?" Cyril finally looked down at his friend.

Hera shook her head sidewards. That's not what she wanted to communicate to Cyril. "I just want to tell you I don't want you to get hurt any more than you did during our summer vacation."

"No worries Hera." Cyril shook his head. "Let's try to find a better club, but if we can't, I'll take care of myself."

That reassuring statement was enough for the girl to feel satisfied. For all she knows, Cyril had been through a more challenging situation before and he surpassed that on his own. So if it's bullying they are talking about, he can take care of himself.

"Well, have you found a booth for us already?" Hera suddenly brought up the reason they've been wandering around the campus.

"Maybe we can just.. not help?"

Cyril was just kidding about his question, and it only made his best friend laugh at him.

"If you want to fail Homeroom even before our classes started, sure why not?" the girl replied sarcastically. Then she took her friend's hand before she pulled him to the innermost part of the campus grounds.

They passed by a lot of booths. Some are pretty busy, some aren't accommodating anyone at all.

"Where are we going?" Cyril sounded complaining. However, he only let his friend pull him along with her.

"Just walk."

They continued down the campus until they reached the booths on the 2nd to the last line. Hera pulled Cyril to one of them before she greeted the student manning the booth.

"Hey, Darl," Hera called. Then she let go of Cyril's hand.

"Oh, hey there," Darlene, a junior acquaintance of Hera, called back. "What are you doing here?"

"We're looking for a booth to assist." Hera glanced at Cyril, who's being quiet beside the booth.

"Boyfriend?" Darlene asked after she noticed Hera's eyes.

That statement made both younger students surprised. It was the first time that someone gave them that kind of impression.

"No," both of them said, clearly denying.

Darlene, on the same hand, only chuckled at their reactions. Then she waved her hand at both of them.

"My mistake," she said before trying again. "I guess just best friends?"

Hera nodded her head and accompanied it with a smile.

"Alright, what was that you mentioned earlier?"

To which Hera said. "We're looking for a booth to assist, maybe we can help here?"

The older student cocked her head to the side and looked at the two younger students weirdly.

"Are you telling me you don't know which booth you're assigned to?" she asked.

"Do they assign?" Hera asked as well, with a toothy grin to at least hide her embarrassment.

"Go to the Campus bulletin, find your name there," Darlene answered.

"Okay."

"Thank you," Cyril said on behalf of his friend before they both left the booth and followed the instructions of the older female.

From the area of the booths, it's nothing but a 5-minute walk and because they wanted to just kill time, they took their time to get there.

And Hera, being the loud friend, always has a lot of topics to talk about.

"Hey, Cy."

Cyril on the same hand only gave his friend a hum as a reply.

"Say that we get to change our club for this year. What club will you join in?" the girl asked, continuing her query.

"Hmm, let's see," Cyril said. He then placed his fingers under his chin to show that he's thinking. "Probably something about art. Photography club or painting club is the most ideal."

"I can't even take a good selfie so, nah, not my clubs," Hera said before she chuckled at herself, realizing her flaws.

"Which one would you join?"

It was Cyril's turn to ask his friend.

"I'd probably just change to the Bands or Theater club. Anything with the music still," Hera said honestly.

Just then they both figured out that even though they're best friends, it doesn't mean that they have everything in common. There are still some gaps between them that are needed to be filled.

"Then are you saying that we will join a different club?" Cyril asked in a clarifying way because he thought that it's never in Hera's nature to let him get separated from her.

"Yeah, probably," Hera simply said. She sounded like she regretted saying what she just did.

But who can blame them, if that's not what they wanted, then why would they choose it in the first place?

A better option is to get separated from each other rather than try to be happy just for your satisfaction of being with your friend all the time.

After they arrived at the lobby, they saw the bulletin board. Both of them went closer and started looking for their names. There are at least 5 bond papers posted and filled with students' names.

"I'm in the board games club," Cyril said to his friend as soon as he saw his name.

He then let his eyes wander further down and saw Hera's name. Then he looked at the club name where her name belongs to.

"Oof, you got your favorite club."

Hera heard him and quickly walked towards Cyril, only to stop beside him. Then she herself looked at the club name.

"Are you kidding me?!" Hera exclaimed.