Crimes and Punishment

It was a sunny Tuesday. I was lying on one of the concrete benches by our university's field. It is almost three in the afternoon. There is only one hour remaining before the classes are over.

I was busy scrolling through my TikTok's for you page while I busied myself with chewing a gum.

I was laughing my ass out when I realized that the sun's rays were not directly hitting me and the sting on my skin had subsided. I looked up right away after putting my phone down.

I caught a glimpse of Morris' typical face—a serious one—in an upside-down direction. He was gazing down at me while holding an umbrella.

"Do you think you're on a beach?" he questioned me.

I got up from where I was lying and rolled my eyes at him. I threw a glance at Morris as I combed my hair using my fingers.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

He pushed the umbrella's button so that it could fold. He again turned to face me.

"Did you cut classes again?" his brow shot up as he asked me that question.

I retorted in a defensive tone, "No!"

His brow grew higher when he heard my answer, "Really, huh?" he said, clearly not believing what I had just said.

"Really, what are you doing here?" I asked again.

“Free cut.”

I nodded my head as I turned back to my phone to watch.

Since there isn't a back rest on the concrete bench where we are sitting, my back feels numb now that a few minutes have passed.

I lie down once more and used Morris' lap as a pillow, but I wasn't prepared for his reaction. He stood up right away after being startled, which caused my head to bump onto the concrete bench.

"Ouch! Why did you get up?!" I asked him, pissed. I was also holding the back of my head, suppressing the pain I was feeling.

"Then why are you lying just because?" He asked as he sat again, far from where he was a while ago. He is now at the end of the bench. I hope he falls.

"If I get stupid, it is all your fault!"

He turned to me and smirked, mocking me. As if what I just stated was absurd since, in his eyes, I was terribly stupid.

"Hey! I would make you recall, since you probably forgot, that I was the reason why you passed Science when we were in tenth grade! If I didn't let you copy on stages of pregnancy, you wouldn't pass that exam!" I reprimanded Morris.

He chuckles while writing something on his iPad, "Really? You're really telling me that? Maybe you also forgot, you pestered me when we were in high school for you to pass our Physics class?”

I got to my feet and walked in front of him, placing both hands along both sides of my hips. Gosh! I didn't expect to see Morris' true colors like this! After all these years, he will count all of the things he did for me?!

"Your words hurt! As if I hadn't bought you churros that time!" I shouted in his face.

"You know what? You're being childish," he said while shaking his head.

My eyes grew bigger and my lips parted. My mouth really hung open.

"How dare you?!" I asked him, offended.

He chuckled, ignoring me. I feel like when we were talking, Morris seemed to think I was babbling nonsense. That in order for me to keep up with his knowledge, his brain is adjusting to its lowest needed IQ possible. 

I was about to start talking again when I saw that the other students were leaving their classes. My wristwatch indicated that it'd already been thirty minutes past four when I looked at it.

Some of my blockmates passed by and greeted me.

"Kimo, you're truly something. You skipped our class in Thermodynamics and Magnetism?" he laughed. 

I raised my chin up and smirked, "Well, sorry, that's me," I played along with his joke.

"Just pray for us, Kimo," Andrea remarked, also one of my blockmates.

I gave them a salute and a wink.

As Andrea's group was starting to leave, I spotted Peter approaching with my bag in his hand.

"Our professor was looking for you a while ago," he news to me.

I got a hold of a hand in my bag and my forehead creased, "Why?"

"She's asking why your answers in the homework she gave yesterday are the same as in G****e."

I laughed sarcastically, "You should have told her that her questions also came from G****e."

Peter shook his head and then started to go.

"You haven't changed. If you didn't maintain your spot in the university, you had to say goodbye here," Morris mumbled.

I cocked my head in his direction and pouted my lips, "So be it; if I have to transfer, then transfer,” I said as I shrugged my shoulders.

He gazed back at me and pinched my forearm. It's just light, but since I like to over react, I yelped in pain.

"Lunatic," he murmured.

I sat back down on the concrete bench where I was sitting earlier. I looked into my bag and considered cleaning it. It was full of wrappers and trash since I was eating in class before I decided to cut classes.

"Anyway, who's that?" Morris asked while still answering a question on his iPad.

My eyebrows furrowed and I looked at him, "Who?"

"The one who brought your bag. New flavor of the week?"

I laughed, "That? That's Peter, my blockmate. That's my friend, and you know me, I don't date my blockmates. Ew, blockcest," I shivered.

He remained silent. I didn't do anything but snuggle my bag and observe the students leaving the classrooms.

"Where is Tasha? What took her so long?" I mumbled.

"She's probably waiting in line for the new bar opening today," Morris replied.

I eyed at him, wondering, "Huh?"

He began to fix his stuff while I waited by and watched. When he was ready, he turned to face me.

"She told me earlier that she would go to the bar's opening later at six P.M. I'm sure she's there waiting in the line; if not, most probably she's picking up her friends."

My mouth dropped. What?! Do you mean to say that Tasha waited somewhere after lunch rather than going to her classes?

I thought I was worse because of my cutting class records, yet there is still someone who is worst.

I shook my head while chuckling. I also gathered my things and stood.

"Your car or mine?" Morris asked.

I laugh even more. He really knows what's going on inside my head.

"Yours, of course! I don't have a car!"  I answered as I tugged him on his collar.